Savage
(adjective):
1) Not domesticated; wild and untamed
2) A brutal or vicious person
3) Malek Antonov
He’s a myth. A ghost. A legend.
A Bratva assassin so feared, some won’t even dare to speak his name.
He comes in search of vengeance for the death of his brother, but what he finds
instead is me.
A girl he thinks is someone else.
Someone unrelated to the man who killed his brother.
Except I am.
And when he finds out my true identity, he decides to take me as repayment for
what he lost.
Now, I’m a little bird trapped in a cage, and the only way to survive is to
make friends with the monster who captured me.
But friendship isn’t what the monster has in mind.
Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Queens & Monsters series!
For book two, Carnal Urges, click HERE.
Book
3
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“Yeah. Oh—can I ask you a favor? Will you please not hurt him? Kieran, either. He’s the other bodyguard. The bigger one. They’re both really nice.”
Malek stares at me in disbelief.
“Sorry. Is that asking too much? It’s just that I’d never get over it if they got hurt because of me. They’re only trying to do their jobs.”
After a moment, he says angrily, “You know who I am. You know what I do. Correct?”
“Yes. I’ve been filled in on the particulars.”
“And you’re lying there with my hand around your neck asking me not to hurt your bodyguards.”
He says it like my sanity is in question.
“I know it’s maybe a little unorthodox.”
“No,” he says flatly.
“Please?”
He growls, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“There’s no need to get testy.”
“Testy?”
“I’m just saying. You don’t have to get all mad about it.”
Furious again, he glares at me, grinding his jaw and probably calculating how much pressure it will take to snap the brittle bird bones in my neck.
Before he does, I say, “I also want to thank you for the rose you left me. That was really nice. I’ve never had a man bring me flowers before. I know it was only the one, and also you thought I was a captive prostitute at the time, but still. It was thoughtful. So thank you.”
He stares at me with an expression somewhere between confusion and amazement, with a healthy dose of disgust on the side.
“Now is probably a good time to remind you that I’m still the same person you left the rose for. So if you did kill me, you’d be killing her, too. Just a thought.”
“Are you on drugs?”
“Not at the moment, no. Why, do you have any?”
“There’s something wrong with you. Mentally. Right?”
That makes me laugh. “Oh, totally. I’ve got more than a few screws loose. At least that’s what my dad tells me. But he’s super uptight, zero imagination, so his opinion doesn’t really count. Not that he’s wrong, because he isn’t, but normies shouldn’t judge creatives. They just have no idea how we’re wired. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’ve never had a conversation with an insane person before.”
“Very funny.”
“It wasn’t a joke.”
“Ouch.”
We stare at each other in silence. His hostile, mine hopeful. He still hasn’t murdered me, so things are looking up.
“Malek?”
“What.” He says it flatly. With dread.
“Thank you for not killing me.”
He says emphatically, “Don’t thank me yet.”
“You’re still deciding?”
“If only to get you to shut up, yes.”
“In that case…” I make a zipper motion across my lips.
He watches with outrage, astonishment, and absolute disbelief.
“Actually, before I shut up, I also want to say that it was really sweet that you tried to save me from being a sex worker. I mean, what a gentleman! A gentleman killer who gives strangers big wads of cash in restrooms. You’re quite the puzzle, Mr. Ghost. Or is it just Ghost? I’m never sure how the nickname thing works, except between me and my sister, but that doesn’t count because my whole family is a little weird. I’ll just call you Malek, if that’s all right. Or Mal for short, since we’re such buds now, what with you breaking into my various bedrooms for midnight visits and all. Okay, I’m shutting up now. Here I go.”
I press my lips together and gaze up at him, watching him struggle with dueling urges to cut off my air supply or break something over my head.
Maybe he’s right about me being insane, because rather than terrifying, I find his indecision understandable.
He’s not the first man I’ve driven to the brink of murder. He’s just the most capable of actually going through with it.
“Oh, one more thing—”
“I know a way to keep that mouth quiet,” he snaps.
Then he kisses me.
Ruthie
– ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, and I would definitely recommend that you
read them in order. I have read many a book in between each one, but thankfully
there are good reminders, carefully placed in the book, to make sure that you
remember the detail as well as the outline. This is pretty important as this is
a complex world of Bratva/Mob/FBI/? organisations.
Sloane was a fab character in her book, and thanks to her reconnecting with her
sister, we now get Riley's crazy adventure. Be ready to enjoy two men finding
the 'mouse' captivating, but only one getting the chance to enjoy her unique
take on the world.
I cannot really say much more, due to the danger of spoiling the reveals that
you should enjoy directly. But I can say that this is an excellent addition to
the underlying plot, as well as being compelling reading. Riley and Mal are
fabulous narrators of their story, and really well matched in their wit, sensuality,
and passion.
Fun, frenetic, and family filled – perfect escapism!
J.T.
GEISSINGER is a #1 internationally
bestselling author of emotionally charged romance and women’s fiction. Ranging
from funny, feisty romcoms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold
millions of copies and been translated into several languages, including German,
Hebrew, French, Czech, and Japanese. The film & TV rights to her Night
Prowler series have been optioned by the BAFTA-winning studio that created VFX
for movies such as Avatar, X-Men, and The Avengers.
She is a three-time finalist in both contemporary and paranormal romance for
the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance
Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First
Book and the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy.
She’s a Southern California native currently living in Nevada with her husband
and rescue kitty, Zoe.
Connect with J.T.
Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Website ~ Goodreads
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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided
a free copy of Savage Hearts (Queens & Monsters #3) by J.T. Geissinger to
read and review for this tour.
