Broken by Rebecca Zanetti Series: Deep Ops #3
Published by Zebra on May 26, 2020
Genres: Action, Contemporary, Crime Drama
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Dangerous:
Former Navy SEAL Clarence Wolfe's unit was taken out with a land mine. Injured and devastated, he hasn't been quite right since. Worse, the tragedy was no accident. All Wolfe wants now is to take down the man responsible. In the meantime, he's good with being the muscle for the Deep Ops team--and leading a steamy no-strings-attached personal life. Until one intriguing woman changes everything . . .
Determined:
Reporter Dana Mulberry is on a mission to avenge the death of a fellow journalist. She's finally hot on a trail--right to a sex club--where she runs into . . . Wolfe? It seems both their leads have led to the same spot. To keep from blowing their covers, they'll have to at least pretend to have a little fun. Trouble is, they genuinely like each other. And that's way too risky for Wolfe, especially when, to his surprise, Dana agrees . . .
Complicated:
Drawn to each other in ways they can't understand, Wolfe and Dana keep it professional--until they're shot at one night. And when their adventures land them both at the heart of corruption in D.C.--and at odds in their missions--they'll have to dig deeper than ever to succeed in their quests--and with each other . . .
Praise for Hidden "Sexy, sizzling, packed with action and danger--a real page turner." --New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin "Explodes with action, spice and humor."--Publishers Weekly
"Fans of J. D. Robb and Karen Robards will love Zanetti's series start." --Booklist
I love this series and honestly, Wolfe is one of the best characters.
How can you not love Clarence Wolfe. He rescues a tiny kitty and keeps him in his pocket so he feels safe. He is so thoughtful always bringing treats to his co-workers. He is always ready to back up his teammates. He is also very protective. Maybe too protective. Maybe too protective to the point he will give his own life on a solo mission rather than endangering his well-trained and well-connected teammates.
Wolfe has shown up in each novel and novella in the series and is always ready as back someone up, putting his life on the line for his new family. But after losing his team in Afghanistan, he isn’t going to risk any of them in his quest to find the man that betrayed them all. He just needs to figure out how to keep them out of his business while also helping on their current investigations and while trying to keep his “friend” Dana Mulberry safe while she tracks down her missing friend.
As a reporter, Dana isn’t going to let danger keep her away from an important story and her friend was onto something very dangerous when she went missing a few months ago. While she doesn’t mind having Wolfe around to watch her back, she is ever frustrated with being kept in the friend-zone when there is so much chemistry between them.
When they both show up at a BDSM club for a meeting and find their source dead, it is only the beginning as their separate cases begin to collide.
The Deep Ops team is a ragtag bunch each with their own issues and PTSD. They have each been assigned to this team from their various organizations but together they make a great team. Of them all, you really do have to love Wolfe in this series, so it was very exciting to get his story. He is such a lovable guy but he has never had a family. After losing so much, he doesn’t even seem to realize that he has made a family with the Deep Ops team and how far he will go to protect them.
Although they probably will not come back into the story, I really like Dana’s family who we meet when Wolfe insists on going with Dana to protect her when her story heats up. Her sisters are great and I loved their redneck Bingo game of the wedding guests. So funny.
I have wanted the story between the head of the team and the shrink assigned to them since the first book and I am not sure if I am happy or upset that new members have now joined the team. So, Yay, looks like we are going to get more Deep Ops stories and Boo, that means we have to wait longer to see what is up between Force and Nari.
This is definitely my favorite Rebecca Zanetti series and there really aren’t any that I don’t like.
Favorite Scene:
For answer, his gaze lifted to her lips and then her eyes. His hands flattened over hers and slid them up his thighs. “You are not listening to me, Dana.”
“I think you’re wrong,” she said quietly, keeping her balance while she bent toward him “You do need comfort, and sitting here all day staring at these pictures is not good for you. I might not be a shrink, but even I know that much about the demons that haunt people.”
“You have no idea.”
“Oh yeah?” There was no denying the attraction she felt toward him, and she was tired of trying. She leaned closer, gratified by the way his eyelids lowered to hide his surprise. Oh, she could read him, whether he liked it or not. “I’m tired of the friend zone, Wolfe. I’m breaking the caution tape.” As she said the words, they felt right. Finally.
His shoulder jerked. “Excuse me?”
“I want you.” There was no reason to lie, considering she was having trouble breathing and her hardened nipples were clearly outlined beneath her shirt.
The hardness of his face contrasted with the hot liquid glide of lust that darkened his deep eyes. “I’m not just trying to keep you safe. Some of it, maybe most of it, is that I can’t be distracted from what I have to do and who I have to be to take Rock on. I’m all in on this fight, and there can’t be anything else in my life right now. Anybody else.”
Honesty was sometimes a pain in the butt. “So I’m a distraction?” The idea warmed her even more.
“Hell yes.” Frustration coated his words.
Good enough. She leaned even closer, until her nose almost touched him. “I don’t want forever, and I don’t want a white picket fence.” Not right now, anyway. “I want you, and you want me, and the way we’re going, one of us will probably be shot within the week. So, why not?”
“Not a good idea.” His nostrils flared and he almost vibrated with tension. “You wanting to provide comfort with your body.”
Was that judgment in his tone? “No, I want an orgasm,” she snapped. Now she was both turned on and pissed off. “Unless you’re incapable of providing one.”
His eyelids lifted, his gaze glittering.
Oh. Oops. Well. She should say something, but all sound died in her throat. Her lungs froze, much smarter than her brain. Challenging Wolfe was a mistake she’d never made. Until now.
“You want to take that back?” he rumbled, one eyebrow lifting.
The memory of how quickly he’d picked her up and headed for the bar the other night sent heated air into her lungs. “No.” Her voice wavered, but her gaze remained on his. “If you’re not up to it, just let me know.”
Yep, she had completely lost her mind.
“You think I’m that easily to manipulate?” His voice remained steady, but the tension rolling from him choked the space between them.
“I think you’re as tired as I am of fighting this, whatever it is, that’s between us.” Her hands were still on his legs and she dug in with her nails. “Come on, Wolfe. You know you want it.” She let her voice lower to a croon. While she’d never been a temptress, she was enjoying this. If one of them didn’t make a move, they’d both go to bed alone, sleepless and unsatisfied. “We should enjoy life while we have it.” Unfortunately, a true statement.
“Nothing is going to happen to you.” He growled the words, his hands lifting to her hips, heated and firm. His fingers flexed, hinting at restrained strength. Ruthlessly controlled power. “I’ve been as honest as I can be. I can’t promise you a damn thing, but I’m done pushing you away. You sure about this?”
Anticipation licked through her as if she were at the start of a race, right before the bell rang and the gate swung open to free the horses. “I’m sure.”
He stood and lifted her at the same time, tossing her over his shoulder. She landed with a muffled oof, laughing and trying to shove her hair out of her face. This side of Wolfe was new, and her body felt electrified, the shoulder beneath her stomach solid rock.
She might have taken on more than she could handle.
He strode into the kitchen, reached for the whipped-cream can still on the table, tossed it in the air, caught it and headed toward his bedroom, his steps even and sure, his strides long and purposeful.
Can’t wait to finally read Wolfe’s story.