She is a disgraced aristocrat fighting to rebuild her life.
He is a cartel enforcer suddenly in command of a city-wide empire.
And a trail of murder is about to drag them into a spotlight where every secret is lethal.
Cassie Rochford has more pedigree than a Grand National winner, but
scandal destroyed her familyโs name and sent her overseas to manage luxury estates far from Londonโs gossip. Ten years later, an unexpected legacy pulls her home. Determined to start again, she becomes head housekeeper at the ultra-exclusive Armitage Clubโonly to collide once more with the high society predators who ruined her life. Then she meets Luca a quiet, controlled security consultant whose protective strength draws her in, unaware sheโs stepping into the orbit of a man built for violence.
Luca Rovero is the Zeta Cartelโs โhidden bladeโ in Londonโloyal, lethal, and raised for war. As the cartel pivots toward corporate power, Luca fears being pushed aside. His mission to bug the Armitage Club and deliver a prestigious merchant bank is meant as his final gift to the bosses he loves. But when a mortar attack back home wipes out the chain of command, Luca is thrust into solo control of the London fiefโfacing street-level chaos, corporate extortion, and a police inspector who plays dirtier than any cartel soldier.
In the rising storm, Cassie becomes the one person Luca canโt ignore. But bringing a civilian into his world is a death sentenceโand when a brutal murder frames her, the truth detonates. To survive, they must navigate a city where boardrooms hide cartel knives, alliances turn toxic overnight, and trust is the most dangerous weapon of all.
Bad Blood is a gritty, standalone dark cartel romance featuring a lethal protector hero, a disgraced lady heroine, opposites-attract class difference, and a murder-mystery frame-up, complete with a guaranteed HEA. It is Book 7 in the interconnected Zeta Cartel series.
Bad Blood by AJ Adams
Tanya’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Bad Blood is the seventh book in the A Zeta Cartel Novel series. Itโs been quite a while since Iโve read a book by this author, and Iโm thrilled to dive back into their world. This story can easily be enjoyed as a standalone within the series.
The book features FMC Cassie Rochford and MMC Luca Rovero.
I found the UK setting really interestingโitโs not where Iโd typically imagine a cartel story unfolding. In my mind, cartels have always felt rooted in Hispanic settings, but of course, they can exist anywhere, and this book made that clear in such a compelling way.
I truly enjoyed reading Bad Blood. Itโs a great story and a very good readโand it felt wonderful to reconnect with the Zetas again!
About the author
