A series of explosions. A city on edge. And two people with more to lose than they’ll ever admit… FBI Agent Kara Reid is new to the FBI Strike Team East—an elite unit built to move fast and take on the Bureau’s most dangerous cases. When a precision blast disrupts the streets of Manhattan, what begins as a search for answers quickly spirals into something far more personal—and far more dangerous.

Max Malone walked away from the CIA years ago. He has kept his distance, stayed quiet, and left the past buried. But this case is pulling him back in, whether the FBI wants his help or not.

As the attacks grow bolder and the clock ticks down, Kara and Max are forced into a fragile alliance—one built on secrets, suspicion, and a shared need to stop a threat that’s bigger than either of them imagined. The danger is closing in, the targets are getting personal, and every lead takes them deeper into a deadly game where trust is a liability, and failure isn’t an option.

Sometimes the only way to move forward is to burn every bridge behind you.

From #1 NYT Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy comes the explosive first novel in a thrilling new spin-off series: FBI: Strike Team East—a pulse-pounding romantic suspense packed with emotional tension, explosive action, and a slow-burn romance that refuses to back down.

Note: Every book in the FBI Series: Strike Team East can be listened to as a standalone. No cliffhangers. No graphic violence or sex scenes, but plenty of slow-burn romance, high-stakes drama, and intense emotion. Personal stories often play out against a bigger, broader storyline, and surprising twists will keep you up all night!