Genre: Heat Level: 3 Word Count: 44, 400 ISBN: 978-0-3695-0660-3 Editor: Audrey Bobak Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Lost Cause by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

Heat Level 3
$3.99
SKU 978-0-3695-0660-3
Stock
Read Description and Excerpt
Wishlist

Create Wishlist

Killer of Kings, 8

Priest doesn't believe he deserves reward in this life or the next, and he's fine with that—he lost his faith decades ago. After committing a bloodbath in the name of revenge, he has no regrets. He lives his life of solitude, working for Killer of Kings to keep the demons at bay. When an innocent woman gets in his way during a hit, his once dormant conscience comes back to haunt him.

Cleo Bennet didn't realize her entire life was about to turn upside down after taking an extra shift at work. She witnesses a grisly murder only to be kidnapped by the deadliest man alive. But her captor is anything but evil. He cares for her, puts up with her quirks, and she soon can't imagine life without him. Her enemy becomes her lover, and he's determined to keep her safe when she gets caught up in his world of life and death.

Can they find love and acceptance in each other or is Priest already a lost cause?

Be Warned: anal sex

 

Excerpt:

As he turned the corner, the first person he focused on was Cleo sitting at the large island. He briefly froze. She was laughing and filling her plate with the take-out food Viper and Bain brought. It pissed him off, a surge of jealousy and possessiveness leaking from his veins. Why wasn’t she as happy when alone with him?

He walked into the room, all conversations silencing and eyes turning toward him. He was used to the stares because of the way he looked, but not from this crowd. His assumptions made him more volatile.

Priest glared at the men as he filled a plate with food with exaggerated force. He was going to just take his plate to go, when she said his name, stopping him in his tracks.

He turned his attention to her, waiting for her to continue.

“Can I talk to you?”

He ground his jaw together. “Bring your food.” He was too hungry to think straight right now and didn’t want any extra company.

Priest led the way to his room, Cleo following close behind him. When they were both inside, he closed and locked the door. No more sudden interruptions from Boss’s henchmen.

He set his plate on the dresser and crossed his arms. “What is it?”

She swallowed hard, sitting on the side of his bed. Those puppy dog eyes stared up at him, pure innocence and raw sex appeal mixed together. “I want to talk. I need to talk.”

“About what?”

Did she want to break up with him? Was he in fucking high school now?

“I don’t know. A lot of things. Everything. About what happens next. Why Boss sent more reinforcements. And about last night.”

Fuck.

“That’s a lot of topics. You ask your questions because I need to eat.” He grabbed his plate and ate standing up.

She picked at her food. “Were we supposed to share a room? I mean, are we together or was last night a one-time thing? I’m not good at this, and I’m not sure where we stand.”

“You’re acting like you’re insecure about our relationship,” he said.

“Yes, that’s exactly how I’m feeling. Do we even have a relationship?”

“I don’t know, Cleo. You tell me. You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder, but you looked happy a few minutes ago.”

“What? Are you talking about Boss’s men? I don’t care about them, Priest. You’re the man I slept with last night and the one I’ve been falling for the past few weeks.”

“Falling for?”

He shouldn’t be in this deep. Cleo was messing with his head and his heart. It was dangerous for a man like him. Why was his heart racing like he was a schoolboy?

“Just tell me the truth. Do you want to be with me or not?”

He put his food aside and walked over to the bed, taking her hands so she had to stand up. “Cleo, I told you I consider you mine. That’s not a line. Not a game. How do you feel?”

“We’ve barely talked since last night.”

“Well, this isn’t exactly how I wanted things to go down. I’ve been humiliated in front of you because of Boss, and now he’s sent backup because he thinks I’m incapable of taking care of you. Do you believe that’s true?”

She shook her head. “Everything you did was for me, I know that. You put me first, so why would I judge you? I’ve never felt safer than I do when I’m with you, Priest.”

“They said there’s more to you than I know.”

She ran her palm up his chest and his entire body reacted. “Honestly, I think your boss found my birth parents or something. He left a phone in my room to call him, but I’m not interested. People don’t understand that sometimes the past needs to stay where it is.”

Series:
/series-killer-of-kings/

Product Reviews

Score: 5 out of 5 (based on 21 ratings)
leave a review
5/5
Priest and Cleo
Written by Bookbunny on 6th Aug 2022

We met Priest at the end of “Boss.” He not only performed the wedding for Boss but is a member of the Killer of Kings. He had a job to do. Unfortunately, the maid got in the way. Now he has to figure out what to do with her. She is an innocent. Cleo was only trying to make some extra money. She didn’t expect to be witness to a murder. When the big man takes her hostage, she doesn’t know what is going to happen. Will he kill her or let her go? When she starts to ramble about the hit and what she knows about the person, Priest wonders if she can be an asset. Priest didn’t want to do what Chain’s did but he sort of did. Now he just had to figure out what to do with Cleo. Boy was she a chatty one. And had a fire in her belly. She hid it well too. Cleo and Priest are well matched. But like all our men from Killer of Kings, never touch what isn’t yours. Priest has much of a hair trigger as them all. We also meet a couple of new members: Gabriel and Harb. And finding out why Cleo was a target was a real surprise. I knew that was going to come to play after Boss.

5/5
She needs priest to keep her safe
Written by Vibekke on 3rd Aug 2022

A good deed got her in a deadly situation. Chloe hid in the closet while the tall, dark and deadly silent man killed a man in the hotel room. He took her with him and now everybody is trying to kill her. And she doesn't understand why. All she know is that the safest place on earth is next to him. Priest can't see the reason why everybody is out to get her but he can not let them win. This book is amazing, the intrigue keep you on your toes. I had a hard time putting the book down, something might happen when I wasn't looking. I loved it and recommend it.

5/5
Can this roller coaster just keep going?
Written by NikiG on 3rd Aug 2022

Priest is a hit man. After completing an assignment, he realizes he’s got a witness. Normally, he’d simply eliminate any witness, but this one is completely innocent. Cleo was just doing her job. She was never supposed to be there. He takes Cleo home and vows to keep her safe. What will happen when more threats come? Will Priest be able to keep his word? This a roller coaster ride that I didn’t want to end!

4/5
Innocent witness.
Written by ObsessiveReader on 3rd Aug 2022

Book 8 of the Killer of Kings series. While always recommended to read the series in order, it is not necessary as the story plot doesn’t rely on the others and can be read alone. You may be intrigued by the other people and situations to go back and read any you have missed. Cleo is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lucky for her, Priest isn’t the type to kill an innocent person. Unfortunately, he can’t let her run around on her own especially since she now has people after her. Good story with some secrets to be shared.

5/5
LOST CAUSE
Written by JJ on 3rd Aug 2022

Cleo and Priest will capture your head. Both are so simular with tragedy paving their path. No one wanted her but she's got some major secrets coming for her. He's a man of few words but knows how to say what he wants.What started as a mistake and wrong place turned out to be exactly what each needed. Full of secrets, action, intense chemistry that makes the shower and bedroom very hot. I received an ARC for an honest and voluntarily review.

5/5
Lost Cause!!!
Written by Amy Jones on 3rd Aug 2022

Loved it!! You get a little bit of everything in this book. Priest and Cleo are pretty HOT together. Awesome book by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino.

5/5
Intense
Written by BecM on 3rd Aug 2022

Priest is intense, cold & alone. Cleo is alone, sweet & naïve. Together their explosive chemistry blows you alway. Deep feelings for a man of little words or joy. So beautiful to see their love despite the circumstances. Absolute joy to read as the pages keeps you rooted.

5/5
Priest And Cleo
Written by Gkp2460 on 3rd Aug 2022

Priest, an Assassin for Killer Of Kings, is sent to kill Marcus Olivieri, top soldier for Gustavo Bianchi. Cleo Bennet, a maid at the hotel, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He doesn't know what to do with her after she's found in hotel room where the deed was done so he brings her to his home. That's the beginning of trouble for these two and believe me there's lots of trouble. This book is full of chaos, danger and excitement.

4/5
Priest & Cleo
Written by MMS on 3rd Aug 2022

This was a good story, once it was started I had to keep reading to see what happens. Hitmen, mafia, romance and action, it kept your interest throughout the book.

5/5
Great story
Written by PHOENIX96 on 3rd Aug 2022

In Priests line of work you don't leave witnesses. When Cleo takes an extra shift as a maid she doesnt expect to be kidnapped by the man who she just walked in on a hit!. But their steamy chemestry soon ignites but can Priest keep Cleo safe in his world? Well written captive romance steamy hot scenes and more!

5/5
Great story
Written by Sua on 3rd Aug 2022

When Cleo ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she ends up getting taken by Priest. As she has no choice but to spend more time with Priest, things take a turn for the worst that puts her in even more danger. An excellent story as Cleo brings out a lighter side to the story while Priest is a bit more darker.

5/5
Loved it
Written by Shortbec on 3rd Aug 2022

Loved Priest and Cleo's story. Cloe is a foster kid that has been alone all her life, but an unfortunate event has put her in the line of danger. Priest is trained to do a job and that what he is going to do except a glitch in his plan is thrown when the maid goes into the room of his next target. So now both are on the run when secrets come out and lives are changed. So through it all Cloe and Priest start to fall in love. Cloe finds the one person who will protect and fight for her or so she thought.

5/5
Short but hot!!
Written by RhondaVB on 3rd Aug 2022

4.5 stars Yay, another book in the Killer of Kings series. I loved Priest, even though he was a dark guy. And Cleo, she was just the perfect woman for him. I enjoyed their story and was totally not expecting some of the twists and turns. Just made my reading much better. Still a little leery about Boss, Priest's boss, but he wasn't as bad to Cleo as I thought he'd be. This was a quick read and I'm wondering who will be next in the series!!

4/5
Great read!
Written by Mreads90 on 2nd Aug 2022

Great read! I Love these guys so much! This one kept attention the whole time couldn't put it down till the end!

5/5
Amazing series!
Written by Mary S on 2nd Aug 2022

Love reading this series. This Killers of Kings is a awesome series. Each story has been great and to be honest I don’t know who is my favorite of the bunch since all this guys included Priest have been amazing and so very protective of the women they fall in love with. I’m so looking forward for more of this characters.

4/5
Priest and Cleo
Written by Rubensgram on 2nd Aug 2022

Priest is carrying out a hit when he finds a maid hiding in the closet. The rules are no witnesses but he is not about to kill her. So he takes her home. He doesn't know what to do with her but he can't stop thinking about her. Steamy gangster story.

4/5
Not A Lost Cause
Written by A Adams on 26th Jul 2022

Priest is a hit man for the mafia group Killer of Kings. During one of Priest's hits he finds the cleaning lady, Cleo, hiding in the closet. Priest won't kill Cleo since he doesn't believe in killing innocent people. Instead Priest takes Cleo home with him and decides to hide her from his boss. Both Cleo and Priest have had traumatic pasts. Cleo was abandoned and lived her whole life in foster care. Priest, was a priest and had everyone he cared about killed by the mafia in his hometown. Priest was closed off to everyone until he met Cleo. It becomes obvious that someone is after Cleo and has put a hit out on her. Priest's boss and Cleo's father, who works for a rival mafia, come together to help Cleo and Priest find their HEA.

4/5
Lost Cause
Written by Lorin on 26th Jul 2022

I'm not really a big "dark" romance reader. However, compared to the few that I have read I would honestly classify this as a lighter dark romance. With that said, this is the first book I've read in the Killer Kings series and I was a little worried that I would miss something given that this was the 8th book. But beyond the other characters and their stories, there was no continuing story line that would have a new reader missing out on anything. Poor Cleo Bennet was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Raised through the foster system Cleo has lived as if she were a nobody. Invisible, and just trying to survive Cleo takes a job that ends up turning her life upside down. After losing his loved ones and taking out his revenge on those who stole from him Priest has been living his life in solitude and working for Killer of Kings. He's precise and works like he lives...at least until and innocent gets in the way and his conscience seems to start to awaken. Cleo Bennet throws Priest's carefully constructed life into disarray. She's everything he doesn't think he deserves out of life, but he's a selfish man and will do anything to keep Cleo safe and by his side if that's what she wants.

5/5
5.0 out of 5 stars bad boy meets good girl
Written by Meme on 26th Jul 2022

Preist is one dark and dangerous guy. He's sent to take care of someone, and Cleo happens to be there to witness it. He decides to take her with him instead of taking care of her too. Despite Cleo being scared of Preist and what he will do to her they do have some chemistry and when they do end up being intimate it's pretty hot. The story has plenty of violence and some gore. There's action too. And the twists, oh my I didn't see the major twist coming at all, you'll understand when you read it. There's a little humor here and there sprinkled in. I really got into this book and felt like I was right there with the, so much so that I could not put the book down and read it all in one sitting. This book is part of a series, but I think you can still read this book and enjoy it if you have not read the others. Another great addition to the series.

4/5
4 stars
Written by Darlene on 26th Jul 2022

We are back with the killers!!! I miss this batch of hitmen!! Priest is like the other men hads, coldish and does the job good. But he has a problem he doesn't kill innocent but this Maid aka Cleo is at the wrong place wrong time when he has to kill someone. He takes her but doesn't know what to do with her. Cleo does fight back at one point but sadly she loses in that and she's very talkative which gets Priest annoyed since he likes his quite time. But now that Chatty Cathy went to the police before she's on the bad guys radar. So he's keeping her and there is tension between them because he doesn't know how to feel about her. One thing you have to remember with the Kings Boss always knows so dony hide things or lie. And he isn't happy with Priest. But Cloe has other problems couple ppls want her dead and she's confused why she's a nobody. Secerts are uncovered, revenge is taken away. But that doesnt matter anymore for Priest all he cares about is Cleo.

5/5
5 stars
Written by Anya on 26th Jul 2022

“...Well, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I’m sorry to say your life will never be the same...” ~Priest Lost Cause is Book 8 in Killer of Kings Series from Sam Crescent & Stacey Espino and follows elite tattooed assassin Priest and lonely hotel maid Cleo who grew up in foster care. Priest & Cleo meet over murder in a hotel room, he kidnaps her and brings her back to his fortress. Priest should have killed Cleo, as she was a witness... but that would go against his code of harming innocents. He is not quite sure what to do with her yet... This was the first book I read from the Killer of Kings Series. You are introduced to a lot of different assassins, previous hits are explained briefly, ongoing troubles are expanded upon and the overall dynamic of the assasin group is summarized well by Sam & Stacey. "...Priest was so large and so scary. And ridiculously sexy. Over the past weeks, she’d learned to trust the big teddy bear. They talked, they laughed, and they grew closer to each other..."~Cleo Violence & possessiveness peppers throughout the story, surprise revelations, action, emotional growth and of course carnal spicy sexy times between Priest & Cleo are included in Lost Cause. Through both of their tortured pasts, Priest & Cleo find love and acceptance with each other. "...Priest wrapped his arms around her, and there, in front of their families, he kissed her. The kiss wasn’t polite, but it was full of passion, of love. It told her there would be no more revenge. This was the start of a new beginning for both of them..."

Similar Items