Halo by Ellie Masters

She was supposed to be a mission. She became his reason to live instead.

Attorney Cassie Brennan has spent her career fighting for justice—but when her lawsuit exposes a rogue AI with a body count, she becomes its next target. At 2:47 AM, men with guns breach her apartment. Her only way out? The shadowy operative picking her lock. She pepper-sprayed him, but he saved her life anyway.

Diego “Halo” Martinez doesn’t do feelings. After losing everything in 2019, he buried his heart and became exactly what Cerberus needed—a man who extracts the hunted and disappears the endangered. Twelve missions. Seven survivors. Cassie Brennan is just another asset to protect.

Until she isn’t.

Ten days. One thousand miles. Zero chance of keeping his distance.

With a kill order on her head and an AI that predicts her every move, Cassie has no choice but to trust the infuriating, overprotective operative who won’t let her out of his sight. But stolen cars, safe houses, and shared body heat have a way of breaking down walls—even the ones Diego built to survive.

HALO is a full-length steamy romantic suspense featuring a brooding alpha hero with a tragic past, a fierce heroine who refuses to disappear, forced proximity that ignites, and a love story forged in chaos. This is Book 5 in the Cerberus series but can be read as a standalone.

Tropes: Protector Romance • Forced Proximity • On the Run • Grumpy/Sunshine • He Falls First • Touch Her and Die • One Bed • Slow Burn to Steam • Found Family