By
Cara Carnes

Mary “The Edge” Reynolds is the most sought-after back office operative around-the creative genius pulling the ultimate bad-asses out of impossible situations. She’s never failed on a mission, and she’s not about to fail on the most important mission ever-keeping her newly designed security system safe. Relying on others isn’t in her nature, but the newly formed Arsenal is her only hope for escape when she’s kidnapped.

She is the Edge.

The Edge never breaks.

Never quits.

Dylan Mason and his brothers have put everything on the line to form The Arsenal. When the paramilitary arena is rocked by Edge’s capture, he’ll do whatever it takes to get the fearless operative back, but his wary heart isn’t ready to handle the vulnerable woman buried beneath the hardened shell. Getting her back was simple. Keeping her and her “security system” HERA out of enemy hands is another story.

Together they must hunt down the faction behind her capture and subsequent torture to keep HERA from becoming an unstoppable terroristic threat. What they uncover could destroy them both.

When I read a book I can ‘see’ the scenes in my head, and this is a very intense book. I feel this needs a warning since I believe some scenes could cause triggers in individuals with PTSD.

Mary Reynolds is ‘The Edge’. Working for the Hive she is the person in the background that gets teams out of fubar situations in one piece. Now she is facing the one mission she cannot fail, keeping ‘HERA’ her security system safe, and keeping herself alive.

Kidnapped and tortured, her mantra:
Someone will come. Stay strong. Stay quiet. Stay focused. Survive.
Carnes, Cara. Jagged Edge (The Arsenal Book 1) (Kindle Locations 79-80). Rebel Edit. Kindle Edition.

But ‘The Edge’ has to relax and be just Mary in order to continue being the asset she is.

Dylan Mason and his brothers formed the Arsenal, former military they undertake missions others won’t or can’t working in all the gray areas. They’ve also established The Warrior’s Path Project to help soldiers returning home to transition back to civilian life.

An anonymous call led them to Edge and her rescue. Now they needed to figure out who was responsible and make them pay.

Mary wasn’t alone in the creation of HERA, Vi, her bestfriend and her main partner worked beside her at the Hive. Rhea and Bree contributed power and weaponry respectively, although their identities have been kept under wraps to keep them safe. Then there is Addy, the sister of the deceased head of the Hive. This is one of my favorite scenes when this crew of women come to get their Edge.

Dylan entered a war zone, Logan and Mark hot on his heels.  Gage Sanderson and all five of his brothers knelt, hands behind their heads with the business end of weapons trained at their heads. It was who held the guns that made him laugh.

“Jesus, y’all were taken down by GI Jane wannabes.”

A blonde with red, wire-rimmed glasses glanced up from a laptop. She looked over at the redhead, the only trained one among the four females, and motioned her head toward him, eyes wide and expressive.

“Bree, point your gun at the new Rambos. Pull the trigger if they twitch,” the redhead ordered.

Bree was a busty blonde dressed in head-to-toe black with huge lines of face paint beneath expressive blue eyes, which gleamed with excitement. “Seriously? I can shoot?”

Dylan would be worried, but she was holding a tranquilizer gun of some sort. Drones flitted about in the air. One shot past his head and darted down the hall. He glared at Mark. “Go shoot it down.”

“Stay where you are, or I shoot,” the redhead threatened. “I’m coming off a seriously messed up op with no rack time. Try me.”

Yep, she was definitely the only threat in the room. Dylan studied his brothers, noted their drooping eyes and barely upright stances.

“They’re drugged,” Logan growled. “What’d you use?”

The blonde looked up. Eyes wider than saucers stared at them a moment. “Logan? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re a part of this.”

“Is this the hot doc who Mary helped rescue, the one you said was trying to get in her pants?” The brunette at the end looked back and forth between Logan and the blonde. “Wow, he’s hot.”

“Rhea, not now,” gritted the redhead.

“Oh, Addy, you’re never any fun. Seriously. Vi has this under control.”

“Quillery didn’t just go ten rounds with six black ops soldiers before that shit in the drones kicked in.” Addy motioned at Dylan with her gun. “Come closer, hands behind your back. This’ll be over quick as long as you all cooperate.”

“Huh.” Vi tapped at the keyboard with one hand. “That’s odd.”

“What? Are there more men in the back?” Addy asked as she looked over at the busty blonde. “Bree, refill the drones with the knockout juice.”

“On it.” Bree looked pointedly at Dylan. “But I can still shoot fast, so don’t get any ideas.”

Quillery set the laptop on the reception desk and charged toward his brothers. Dylan tensed, ready to strike, but she bonked Cord aside the head before anyone could react.

Dallas snickered. Nolan outright laughed.

“What the hell was that for?” Cord demanded with an expression he’d used many times with their little sister when she got violent—which was fairly often since she had six overprotective big brothers.

“Where the hell did you get your hacker training? From a Cracker Jack box?” Quillery’s voice rose, shrill and shaky with anger. “You could’ve gotten everyone killed!”

“What the hell?” Cord repeated.

“What was the message you buried in my feed?” Quillery’s voice softened, a velvety seduction more like the tone she used with operatives.

“We have Edge. Come to Texas.”

Dylan cursed. Marshall growled. Nolan and Dallas laughed. Jesse knocked Cord aside the head.

“What the hell?” he sputtered. “You got the message.”

“Oh, yeah. We got the message, idiot,” Addy retorted. “Take a look around. Do you have any idea what Quillery could’ve put in those drones? They’ve only been used on two ops before this, and both times everyone was carried out in body bags.”

“Never, ever, ever, ever send vague codes through a hack. Brevity is good, but only if it has detail.” Quillery got closer, leaning in until her face was up against Cord’s. “Edge secured in Texas. That was what you should’ve said.”

“Shorter, assures safety and our position in the situation,” Dylan explained.

“Shit,” Cord groaned.

“Does this mean I can’t shoot the thingie?” Bree asked.

“Well, this is all shades of awkward,” Addy commented as she secured her weapon and looked around. “Addy Rugers. Nice to meet you all.”

“Mark, check the perimeter. Verify everyone’s okay,” Dylan ordered.

“We didn’t hurt anyone,” Quillery commented. “Much.”

Addy unshouldered a backpack and handed it to Mark. “Their weapons and coms.”

The man grunted and headed out, a glower on his face. No one liked to be bested, especially by a kick ass female soldier. Addy Rugers was as trained as her legendary older brother had been, or so he’d heard.
Carnes, Cara. Jagged Edge (The Arsenal Book 1) (Kindle Locations 396-434). Rebel Edit. Kindle Edition.

From here an alliance of sorts is formed and the developing relationship between Dylan and Mary becomes progressively hotter.

Lots of twists and turns and OMG moments. Have some tissues and plenty to drink handy. Start this book early so you get some sleep, you won’t be able to stop reading.

I also found myself speculating on who the next book will be about. I have my theories and I’m sure you’ll develop yours.

5 Contented Purrs for Cara!

  Cara Carnes
Born in small-town Texas, Cara Carnes was a princess, a pirate, fashion model, actress, rock star and Jon Bon Jovi’s wife all before the age of 13. In reality, her fascination for enthralling worlds took seed somewhere amidst a somewhat dull day job and a wonderful life filled with family and friends. When she’s not cemented to her chair, Cara loves traveling, photography and reading.