her dying breath

"For years, Brenda Banks was haunted by nightmares hinting at the true identity of her birth mother. That hunger for the truth inspired her to become a reporter, and Brenda refuses to back down when a serial killer targeting Slaughter Creek chooses her to publicize the gruesome crimes. It's a twisted game, one she's certain to lose without the help of FBI Special Agent Nick Blackwood, the man she's loved since high school--and whose tormented past holds the key to catching a killer. Narrowly surviving childhood with a sadistic father, Nick Blackwood has devoted his life to chasing down criminals, but he's never forgotten the small-town beauty he once loved. But when a murder investigation brings him face-to-face with Brenda Banks, Nick cannot ignore the smoldering fire she rekindles in his troubled soul. Allowing Brenda into his heart means letting down his guard--and that's just what the killer is counting on."-- Page [4] of cover.