King Slayer by Layla Reyne
Series: Fog City
Publisher: Layla Reyne (Self-Published)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): August 5, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): Approx. 51,000 words
Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense
Warnings: Explicit sex including mild kink; explicit language; violence.
Amazon
Synopsis
Never fall for a mark. Mission fail.
Christopher Perri-a.k.a. Dante Perry-infiltrated the Madigan organization with one goal: vengeance for his murdered partner. Falling for the assassin at the head of the table wasn’t part of the plan, but Hawes Madigan is not the cold, untouchable Prince of Killers Chris expected. Everything about the newly crowned king is hot, and every inch of him eminently touchable… and off-limits once Chris’s cover is blown.
Exposure couldn’t come at a worse time. Hawes’s throne is threatened, and Chris suspects the same person who killed his partner is behind the coup. Working with Hawes benefits them both, but Chris’s employer has other ideas. Dismantling criminal organizations is what Chris does best, and his boss expects the King Slayer to deliver.
But Hawes is taking the Madigans in a new direction, one Chris can get behind, and the two men form a shaky alliance strengthened by the irresistible attraction between them… until Chris learns who killed his partner. Once he knows the truth, the King Slayer is unleashed, and Chris will stop at nothing to destroy those who betrayed him, including the king who stole his heart.
Twists and turns-and cliffhangers-continue in book two of the Fog City Trilogy. Read at your own risk!
Teaser
Chris had mentally replayed that morning’s altercation in the BART station too many times, like the best broken record ever. Hawes’s too brief kiss, a phantom tingle on his lips that had lingered delightfully, torturously. His speed and skill in taking down Devon, the same agility and grace he’d displayed in dispatching Jodie. That wicked smile after. Chris couldn’t get the scene-or the man-out of his head.
Trained in combat as he was, Chris found something undeniably sexy about a person whose skills rivaled his own, a person who exercised that much confidence and control over their faculties and surroundings. Even sexier had been Hawes ceding all that confidence and control to Chris in their moments alone last week. He’d done so because he’d trusted Chris, and Chris had betrayed that trust, though not to the extent Hawes believed. Chris had a way to go toward winning back that trust, but last night’s meet and this morning’s kiss were good starts. Granted, the brief lip-lock was ninety-nine percent fueled by adrenaline, but Chris could work with the one percent.
***
Excerpt
“According to Tran,” Chris said, “the explosives are our primary objective.”
“Which are where?”
Chris poured a mug of coffee and sipped in silence, not admitting to the unknown that was more dangerous than any of the Madigans.
“Exactly,” Wheeler said, correctly reading his nonanswer. “You don’t know where they are. Explosives made by professional assassins, which could land in the hands of even worse killers. I want to eliminate the organization that made them thereby stopping them from making more and eliminating those who could put the explosives to use.”
That was one way to look at the situation. A bit Rambo-esque in its idealism, because fuck knew they couldn’t eliminate all the targets.
“And you’re going to help me,” Wheeler added.
“What do you think I’ve been doing here? The past week with the Madigans, the past month of getting everything into place, the past three years following Izzy’s leads? I’m trying to find a way in so we can identify the real killers and find the explosives.”
“Well, you failed, King Slayer.”
Chris gritted his teeth.
“Isn’t that what they call you?”
There was a reason he understood Hawes’s loathing of his Prince of Killers moniker. A reason Chris knew exactly when to needle him with it and when to let it go. Because after taking down more than a few heads of criminal empires, Chris had earned his own moniker. One he liked about as much as Hawes liked his. Unfortunately, every time he slayed a king, collateral damage was unavoidable. Innocents wrapped up in the organization. Partners, kids, organization members who were just trying to do right by their families. Another reason why Hawes’s new order had resonated with Chris, why he wanted to help him, not slay him. But Chris couldn’t tell Wheeler any of that. “Yes, that’s what they call me,” he said instead.
Wheeler grinned, victorious. “Then let’s slay the fucking king already.”
5 of 5 Stars
Let me start by saying this is NOT a standalone. If you haven’t read book one, go back and read it now.
Wow, just wow. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. There are so many twists and turns and emotional rollercoasters I didn’t know which way was up or who I was rooting for. The Madigan’s, Kane and Chris as well as a few more new players continue to unravel the mystery of who is trying to dethrone the Prince of Killers. The writing is damn good in this book…I could not put it down once I picked it up.
This story is told from Chris’ point of view. We learn more of his history and why it’s so important for him to avenge his partner. We watch he and Hawes go from enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers (I wasn’t kidding when I said emotional rollercoasters) and they are EXPLOSIVE together. I’ve always been a big fan of Enemies to lovers books so this was such a good read for me!
There is a VERY brief cameo by the beloved Aiden Talley (he’s not even mentioned by name) and a quick mention of Cruz again. I would LOVE to see some crossover here from that series, but we may not as it may be a bit complicated for readers who are unfamiliar. For those of you that haven’t read the Irish and Whiskey series…do it, now. You won’t regret it.
Needless to say, we’re left hanging at the end of the book…again. I cannot wait to have the next book in my hot little hands, so I can devour that one as I devoured this one.
Read Book 1
About the Author
RITA Finalist Layla Reyne is the author of the Agents Irish and Whiskey, Trouble Brewing, and Changing Lanes series. A Carolina Tar Heel who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, Layla enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart-pounding romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. Layla is a 2019 RWA® RITA® Finalist in Contemporary Romance (Mid-Length) and 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.
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