Tough and relentless, Cord Romero lives for the adrenaline rush of being a mercenary for hire. But this time the job is personal. Having barely survived a murder attempt, Cord is determined to neutralize his foe--the head of a multinational corporation that fronts a child labor ring. To get closer to his target, Cord joins forces with the Lassiter Detective Agency, where he's reunited with his childhood friend Maggie Barton.Maggie is no longer the impressionable young woman he once knew. She is now strong, independent--and, professionally, his equal. She has one vulnerability: a tragic secret that threatens her relationship with Cord...and sets her up as a pawn for his enemy.Cord cannot afford to be distracted during the most important case of his life. But Maggie plays an indispensable part in unraveling the links to his enemy's crimes. Forced to trust each other, Cord and Maggie embark on a lethal game of cat and mouse that can leave only one winner standing.