by Kat Martin
Part of Against - The Raines of Wind Canyon, book 2
First published 2011
Gabriel Raines watches flames consume his real estate project for the second time. Someone wants to destroy what he's built, but the arsonist remains invisible among his many enemies. Competitors and former employees all have motives. Police focus on Angel Ramirez, a local teenager with a criminal history. Mattie Baker refuses to accept their theory. She volunteers at the Family Abuse center and has worked closely with Angel. The boy she knows wouldn't return to his old destructive patterns. Mattie decides to prove Angel's innocence by getting close to Gabriel and uncovering the real culprit. As fires continue to threaten their community, Gabriel and Mattie discover an unexpected attraction growing between them. Their investigation draws them deeper into danger while their relationship intensifies. They must identify the arsonist before the next fire claims more than property.
Genres: romance, suspense, crime, action, mystery-thriller, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Family Abuse Center
408 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Mira
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence