Killing Sarai (Killing Sarai, #1) - J.A. Redmerski This book was NOT what I expected. I was waiting for the romance to be a bigger and more dominant part of the book. I would label this book romantic suspense with emphasis on the suspense. Having said that...I.LOVED.IT!Sarai:Sarai is the victim of her mothers addiction and Javier's desires. She was taken by Javier, a notorious drug lord, and hidden away in Mexico. Javier claimed to love Sarai. She was given "special" treatment from the other girls at the compound. What that means is that the other men are not allowed to rape her and that no one is allowed to beat her... aside from Javier.Victor Faust:Victor is a hired hit man. He has been raised by The Order to become a cold-hearted killing machine. He has no connections to others, because they simply complicate things. He is not allowed to make mistakes, and feelings can cause mistakes.Victor is hired by Javier and when he shows up on the compound, Sarai decides to make her escape. She has one shot to get out of Mexico and she is hoping that she can hide out in the back of Victors car. Little does she know that nothing goes unnoticed by Victor and he allows her to stay with him only because he sees an opportunity.Victor and Sarai become players in a cat and mouse game where the rules are constantly changing and they have no idea who to trust. This is a thrilling, action packed novel. It is dark and twisted and full of gut wrenching heartbreak. I found myself falling for Victor and his stoic persona. He wanted to keep his distance and in the past, he had always succeeded. Until Sarai.I loved Sarai and all of her will to survive despite years of abuse at the hands of an amoral criminal. She was broken and tortured and she wanted out. She knew that her life would never be "normal" again but she had to try. She has held it together for years and witnessed horrendous things. Yet somehow she finds herself feeling safest at the hands of an assassin who may or may not want to kill her.LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. this book. Again, this was not a romance. It was so much more. I was on the edge of my freaking seat for hours waiting to discover what was going to happen next. There was a minor cliffy at the end but not huge. Just the perfect amount to lead into book 2!J.A. Redmerski...Bravo!5 huge stars.