A Thin Disguise
by Catherine Bybee
Series: Richter, #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 6, 2021
A former gun for hire and a federal agent find themselves on the right side of love but the wrong end of a bullet in this Richter installment from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.
On a fateful night in Las Vegas, FBI agent Leo Grant is working on a critical detail in a high-profile child prostitution trial when a beautiful woman jumps into the path of a bullet meant for him. Little does Leo know that the woman is Olivia, an ex-assassin who is seeking redemption one good deed at a time.
One minute, Olivia is lunging in front of Leo on the Vegas Strip. The next, she’s waking up in the hospital in a haze of pain with no memory of her past, her enemies, or even her own name.
With Olivia suffering from memory loss and completely unaware of the danger she is in, it’s up to Leo and Neil MacBain’s team of operatives to keep her safe. With Olivia and Leo both unaware of her past crimes, the two have little reason to avoid their growing attraction. Slowly her past seeps in through the cracks as she struggles to find the answers of who she is. When the veil is lifted and her dark past is staring her down, Olivia must turn her back on Leo and the love she can never allow herself to have, and race to find her would-be killer.
"Fuck off, Grant," she said the second he got out.
He popped his truck and grabbed his bag. "You know, if you don't stop leaving after we make love, I'm going to start believing you really don't care."
She marched over. "I don't."
He met her between the two cards, reached out, and pulled her close. A quick kiss to her ticked-off lips. "Good morning." He left her staring and headed to the passenger side of her car.
"What are you doing?"
He looked over his shoulder as if the answer were obvious. "Taking two cars is a waste of fuel. And since we're going in the same direction..." He opened the door to the back seat, threw his bag in.
She marched up, grabbed the bag...and tossed it out. "We're not doing this."
He picked it up, tossed it in...pressed one finger to her chest to back her up, and closed the door. "Yes. We are."
She glared. "You're really starting to get on my nerves."
"I know."
He opened the door and encouraged her to get in. "I can drive. You don't look like you got any sleep last night."
She walked around him, her middle finger in the air, and climbed into the driver's side.
Leo laughed and took the passenger seat.
As soon as they were on the road, he texted Jax, told her to come and get the car.
"How did you know where I was?"
Claire!
"I can't tell you all my secrets until you stop running away."
Leo noticed her white knuckles as she gripped the steering wheel. "What did Charlie tell you?"
"Who was the shooter?"
She looked over her shoulder, grunted.
"I took care of you two to one last. You owe me."
"I faked it."
He busted out laughing.
Olivia said something in a language he didn't understand.
"The way a woman moans and cries...that can be faked. But the way your body pulsates around my—"
"Shut up, okay?" She hit the wheel.
He popped his truck and grabbed his bag. "You know, if you don't stop leaving after we make love, I'm going to start believing you really don't care."
She marched over. "I don't."
He met her between the two cards, reached out, and pulled her close. A quick kiss to her ticked-off lips. "Good morning." He left her staring and headed to the passenger side of her car.
"What are you doing?"
He looked over his shoulder as if the answer were obvious. "Taking two cars is a waste of fuel. And since we're going in the same direction..." He opened the door to the back seat, threw his bag in.
She marched up, grabbed the bag...and tossed it out. "We're not doing this."
He picked it up, tossed it in...pressed one finger to her chest to back her up, and closed the door. "Yes. We are."
She glared. "You're really starting to get on my nerves."
"I know."
He opened the door and encouraged her to get in. "I can drive. You don't look like you got any sleep last night."
She walked around him, her middle finger in the air, and climbed into the driver's side.
Leo laughed and took the passenger seat.
As soon as they were on the road, he texted Jax, told her to come and get the car.
"How did you know where I was?"
Claire!
"I can't tell you all my secrets until you stop running away."
Leo noticed her white knuckles as she gripped the steering wheel. "What did Charlie tell you?"
"Who was the shooter?"
She looked over her shoulder, grunted.
"I took care of you two to one last. You owe me."
"I faked it."
He busted out laughing.
Olivia said something in a language he didn't understand.
"The way a woman moans and cries...that can be faked. But the way your body pulsates around my—"
"Shut up, okay?" She hit the wheel.
I loved everything about this book. With the trademark Bybee suspense and action, as well as an unusual romance, this one ticked off all the boxes for me.
Even with a questionable background, Bybee has created another heroine worthy of redemption and a hero who is strong enough to support and complement her. Leo and Olivia are two sides of the same coin, Leo is just doing things on the “legal” side. Olivia has quite a past and I loved watching her come to terms with what she has done and learning to forgive herself but also holding herself accountable. And watching the two of them work as a team to resolve things at the end was perfect.
One of the things I liked most about this book was it really showcased the relationships between the characters and how they really are family, though not by blood. Even though Olivia isn’t technically on Neil’s team, he goes all out to help her and provide a safe space for her to heal both physically and emotionally, even though he knows she will most likely go underground again rather than reach out for help. Sasha is a favorite of mine and once again I love how she adds so much to every page she is on. She knows what Olivia needs and is always there to provide that support – even if it may work against what Neil thinks is best. Getting to catch up with many characters from previous books was great and I love how they are always busting on one another but can always be counted on to have each other’s backs.
This is the second book in this series and can easily be read as a standalone, but I think that starting the with first book in this series and probably even going back to the First Wives Club series would add so much to the reading experience.
Once again, Bybee has crafted a well-written book that was hard to put down – one that should appeal to most anyone!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book I received from the publisher from NetGalley.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com.
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