I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
The Second Betrayal
by
Cheyenne McCray
erotic romance, romantic suspense in Paperback edition that was published by St. Martin Paperbacks on August 4, 2009 and has 315 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Chicks Kick Butt, The First Sin, Legally Hot, Forbidden Fantasies, The Temptation
Second in the Lexi Steele, erotic romance suspense series revolving around Special Agents Lexi Steele and Nick Donovan and based in Boston.
My Take
All the fairy tale code names are pretty funny…and surprisingly appropriate. It’s a good story and does address a very real problem in the real world.
Hmmm, this time around, RED has set Lexi and Chandra up in an undercover apartment. We learn a bit more about Donovan’s family and military background. Jeez. But I don’t know why Lexi has to be so damned pushy about insisting Nick cough it all up.
Whoa. McCray has got one nasty imagination. The stuff she comes up with that Bachmann does to people…!??! I thought the sex slave operation was bad… I can see how Bachmann got away with things for so long as he is extremely careful in hiding his identity.
I can sorta see why McCray hasn’t written anymore…it was difficult reading all the horrible things people do to others.
The Story
Lexi is going in undercover as a replacement madame at the Elite Gentlemen’s Club — after they arrange a kidnapping of the current madame. Chandra will be her backup, but Nick has his concerns. Not the least of which, he thinks he’s falling in love. Not such great timing as Lexi has her own personal family trauma distracting her.
Hagstedt uses the promise of high-paying careers in the United States to lure or kidnap women into his clutches. Once they arrive, the girls are imprisoned, drugged, beaten until they are no longer useful. They are kept in line with threats of torture and death to the families and friends they’ve left behind. Each girl has a “handler”, their own personal jailer who can do anything they like to the girls.
Jenika has managed to get critical information to RED, but it’s made her cocky. Being caught isn’t doing much for her life expectancy.
It doesn’t take much to arrange for Lexi and Chandra to go undercover at the club as Alexis Johansen and Chandra Elliot. A lot less than it takes for Nick to arrange for his own undercover position in their security — what a screw-up!
Then they get a break when “Alexis” is needed to escort three virgins to a special client, but it all goes wrong when news hits of Mike and Jorge’s deaths. Mr. G’s sudden paranoia takes Chandra by surprise, but “Alexis” forges on ahead determined not to lose their quarry.
And Dasha has given up all hope.
The Characters
Special Agent Alexi “Lexi” Steele, a.k.a., Alexi McGrath — her seedier undercover ID, and a.k.a., Alexi Adams for the elite, had been a sniper in Special Forces and then an FAS-blackmailed assassin. Now she’s an agent for RED thanks to Karen. She comes from a large Boston-Irish family who thinks she travels for an interpreting organization. There’s Mammy; Daddy; Zane, another RED agent, who has just gotten married to Willow who has her doctorate in education; Troy; Sean is the baby; Evan; Ryan on leave from the Marines; and, Rori who never eats. Gary was her boyfriend until she caught him. Georgina is her best friend and helps Lexi with her makeup and fashions.
Special Agent Nick Donovan is an absolute hottie and former Special Ops. Even better, Donovan loves to cook! My kinda guy!
The Recovery Enforcement Division (RED) is…
…a completely dark organization split off from the National Security Agency and led by Assistant Special Agent in Charge Karen Oxford. Technically, Special Agent in Charge Morris Carter should be running things, but he’s too busy playing computer games until he retires. Agent Chandra Kerrison is new to the unit with a Stephen Hawking IQ. She has a unique background that makes her perfect for this assignment; her personal partner is Francesca, and she seems to have issues with Chandra’s career path. Lexi’s lead agents on her particular team are David Takamoto, the metrosexual George Perry, Rick Smithe, Fairbanks, Weiss, and Marti Jensen. Martinez is their props guy — he can create anything.
Jenika Rublev is their undercover mole at the Elite Gentlemen’s Club. Dasha (a.k.a., Jewell) endures Eddie as her vicious handler, Klara, and Vera are the Russian girls who were enticed with false promises. The Chinese girls are Ai, Daiju, and Ning with Jianjuin as their guard and translator; they are the second group of abductees.
Karl Bachmann, a.k.a., Anders Hagstedt, is the kingpin RED is after. I can’t wait to see this one taken down; his Swiss butler should think of turning him in! Beeff “Mr. G” Giger runs the Elite, the main headquarters for the sex slave operation. An extremely brutal man. Madame Cherie is the current madame at the club. Andreas is an accountant. Jacques and Stadler work for Mr. G.
The Cover and Title
The cover is shades of red and gold with a close-up of a couple about to kiss.
I’m guessing the title refers to the head of the sex slave business losing for a second time.
