No Good Deed

If not for bad luck, Alexa O'Brien might have no luck at all. Fleeing from an abusive fiancé, Alexa witnesses an execution involving Nicoli Zabat, Canada's most wanted mobster. To make matters worse, she is shot in the back by one of the killers. When she wakes up in the hospital, she fears that her escape is over—until the police offer to put her in protective custody in exchange for her testimony. Meanwhile, Lt. Mike Delorme is fueled by revenge, which led to his own near-death experience with Zabat. When Mike is assigned to protect Alexa, he quickly learns that all is not as it seems. As the two stay on the move to survive, they inch closer to each other. Neither wants to find love again, but they might not have a say in the matter. This strong story from Matthews (The White Lily) has an interesting if at times slow-to-evolve plotline, but that only helps to build tension. The development of the protagonists' relationship feels authentic.