Weary of being a fighting man, and burned by a bad divorce, former SEAL Mason "Monet" McCarthy is tight-lipped and self-contained. Unfortunately, he can't avoid Alexis Merriweather when she joins him and his business partners in the hunt for the Santa Cristina.
Historian Alexis Merriweather has a motor-mouth and a penchant for pushing Mason's buttons. When a dangerous man from Mason's past threatens their lives and everything they are working toward, Mason must rely on old instincts and the skills honed from years running black ops to make sure nothing from his previous life touches Alexis's present.
Of course, with their lives on the line and the adrenaline running high, it's a foregone conclusion sparks will fly.
At long last, a return to the world of Deep Six Salvage and their search for the Santa Cristina wreck. The Deep Six team comprises six former SEALs who left the Teams after a teammate died. These men share an unbreakable bond, forged in war and just as strong in peace. Not that they get much peace, as trouble finds them regularly. This book focuses on Mason, the quietest of the men, and newcomer to the group, historian Alex.
I liked Alex and Mason. Alex is a historian hired by Deep Six to research and interpret Spanish records about the Santa Cristina. She is smart and sassy and fits well with the crew, most of whom treat her like a little sister. I loved her interactions with them, from the teasing to the support (both for and from) to constant chatter that amuses them. I liked that she isn't afraid to take chances and go after what she wants.
Mason is a man haunted by the things he has seen and done. I ached for him as his history was revealed. His ex-wife did a number on his self-worth, blaming the break-up of their marriage on him being "not normal." He believes that he is too broken for a relationship with any woman and keeps interactions superficial. Mason is quiet and gruff, where a grunt is as good as a sentence. He is protective of those he cares for.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Mason and Alex. The sparks were there from the moment they met. Alex embraced the attraction, while Mason did his best to avoid it. Alex wants something particular from him and is relentless in her pursuit of it. It was fun at times to see the lengths Mason employed to avoid her, but I also wanted to shake him for believing the worst about himself. I liked Alex's attempts to get past Mason's walls and ached for her when he continually pushed her away. The conversations between them were alternately fun and heartbreaking, from light-hearted teasing to deeply emotional confessions. It took some blunt talk from one of Mason's friends for him to realize that he wasn't alone. I also loved Alex's commentary on his ex-wife's claims and seeing its effect on Mason. I loved the ending and Alex's "sparkles and sparkles of hope."
It wouldn't be a Deep Six book without trouble of some kind rearing its head. In this case, two people from Mason's past are bent on revenge and have teamed up to make it happen. I enjoyed seeing it from the different perspectives of the bad guys, Deep Six team members, and the ladies. Each one brought something different to the experience and made the whole thing that much more vivid. The confrontation on the island was a nail-biter with an unexpected twist at the end. The resolution of that twist was slightly anti-climactic but satisfying anyway.
There was a secondary relationship developing during the book. Wolf and dive-shop owner Chrissy have something from their past that creates tension between them. The attraction between them is obvious, but so is the antagonism. There is some lessening of the animosity by the end, but clearly, there is more to their story. I hope the author plans to tell it. I'd also like to see stories for Doc and Romeo.
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