When Jules Trehan disappears during a trip to France, her childhood savior and best-friend, Manuel Ramirez, searches three long years for her. Never having told her that he loved her, his prayers are answered when he locates her in a hospital where she is recovering from an incident that killed her adoptive parents. What should have been a happy reunion, instead becomes a race to keep each other alive. She's protecting him - he's protecting her; She's a former terrorist - he's CIA! He cannot believe how much she's changed from the fun-loving, happy, care-free girl he once knew. She cannot believe her former computer-geek friend, the boy she secretly loved, is now a anti-terrorist CIA agent. How can he save the woman he still loves from a lifetime sentence in prison? How does she complete her last mission and keep him - the only person in the world she loves - alive?Banks created a believable, frightening story of a woman forced to perform unthinkable acts to protect the people she loved. I felt the frustration, the tension, the fear and the undying love between Jules and Manny. They would literally do anything to protect one another. At one point in the story, I admit it, I cried. That is rare for me.I have long been a fan of Ms. Banks lighter romances and must say I'm quite shocked at this release for its serious but compelling content. I couldn't put the book down. It's action packed, fast-paced drama will keep you reading long after you should be in bed!