It’s a little hard to believe I’ve reached the end of Abigail Roux’s Cut & Run series with the ninth and final installment, Crash & Burn. I think I lost some appreciation for these along the way, but I was still really looking forward to see how everything panned out in the end.
The book opens with lots and lots of sex, Zane getting used to his desk job and Ty not getting used to retirement. Though they are still reeling from Burns death at Deuce’s wedding, things actually appear pretty quiet, even though they are aware that there is still a mole among their ranks and a cartel out to end them. While Ty and Zane are busy trying to find their bugs, Nick is paid a visit by Liam Bell while Kelly is out of town and it doesn’t bode well for him. It seems the NIA and the cartel are out for Liam, but Zane is the ultimate and final target. Nick knows there’s only one way to end all of this, and it will start with breaking Ty’s heart.
But before that bomb drops, Ty and Zane get married in maybe the least exciting way possible. I suppose that just solidifies that this series is about action first, love second. I think. Sure, they show their love for each other in plenty of other moments throughout this last installment, and it’s sweet to have them call each other husbands, but still. It was kind of anticlimactic. Not long after, Nick shows up on their stoop on the brink of death revealing that he was intercepted by the NIA to take out Burns. Turns out he was siphoning money from the cartel while Zane was undercover. It was a lot of money, but Burns had it all figured out in pointing the finger at Ty and Zane at the end of the day. In fact, his last objective was to kill them to get any suspicions off of himself in the future, but things obviously turned out a different way.
It was a real betrayal drop, and of course Ty doesn’t believe it. This really strains his relationship with Ty for much of this final novel, but the conflict is good and I would probably react similarly. Instead, it gets the whole gang together to try and clear Ty and Zane’s name. Of course, Liam has a stake in things, too, and it’s hard to trust him, but it does appear that he’s trying to make amends. Things are tense and bloody, and it looks like we’re going to lose some of our leads, but Roux teases us along until we’re a little shocked only to reveal they will in fact live. It just might take some extensive healing time.
The action in this novel is complex and involves almost every supporting character we’ve ever come across in the previous eight novels along with a few new diabolical ones. There’s not a lot of real family involvement this time around, but Roux really made the Sidewinder brotherhood shine through here, and it’s maybe the most I’ve ever appreciated these characters. Even though Digger and Owens still weren’t fully fleshed out, I could at least picture them a little bit more. Nick and Kelly paly pivotal roles here, but it’s really always been about Ty’s relationships. Nick is his closest non-blood brother and Zane is the love of his life. It only makes sense that their lives hang in the balance.
Overall, I was pleased with how this series wrapped up. The final chapter was brief, but it does leave the door open for more if Roux ever decides to revisit these characters someday in the future. I myself also find that I need a break from them, but I appreciate the stories she’s provided. They offered engaging action along with some really sexy personal encounters. For those looking for something a little different, this is a fine series to sink your teeth into.