Wicked and Forever (Trees & Laila, Part Two‪)‬

captivating, intriguing, impassioned

WICKED AND FOREVER is the second instalment in Shayla Black’s contemporary, adult, erotic, romance suspense duet focusing on former elite soldier and tech Forest ‘Trees’ Scott, and Laila Torres, and the sixth instalment in the author’s Wicked and Devoted series. This is the continuing story of Trees and Laila, and should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of WICKED AS SEDUCTION. I recommended reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion. Trees was first introduced in the author’s Devoted Lovers series.

NOTE: If you are a fan of Shayla Black’s Wicked Lovers, and Devoted Lovers series, you may recognize some of the characters as Wicked and Devoted crosses over with both of the aforementioned series.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise including some BDSM scenarios, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Laila Torres spent the majority of her life forced into sexual slavery by the Mexican Cartel but several months earlier our heroine and her sister Valeria were rescued by the team at EM Security, a team that included Forest ‘Trees’ Scott. The Cartel is demanding the return of Laila, her sister Valeria, and her sister’s son, and as they begin a search for our story line heroine.
Told from third person perspective WICKED AND FOREVER picks up after the events of Wicked as Seduction as the team at EM Security set into motion a plan to rescue Colonel Edgington’s daughter, a young woman currently held by the Mexican Cartel but within hours of the team’s plan implementation, Laila finds herself at the forefront of choosing between the man that she loves, and her sister who is currently in hiding. When Trees, and her sister’s lives are threatened, Laila makes a deal with the man who had previously destroyed her life, and in doing so, destroys the heart of the man with whom she is falling in love. Refusing to leave Laila in the hands of an abuser, Trees and the EM team head back to Mexico to rescue to the woman who once called to his heart. What ensues is the building but struggling relationship between Laila and Trees, and the potential fall-out as Laila refuses to remain under protection, placing herself in the direct line of fire at every opportunity.

Laila Torres is a woman on a mission, a mission to protect not only her sister and young nephew but the man with whom she is falling in love but Laila is also a little TSTL (too stupid to live) as she surrenders to the man who abused her and tortured her, a surrender meant to ensure the security of the people she loves back home. Laila meant well but her plan was about to spiral out of her control. Forest ‘Trees’ Scott fell in love with Laila Torres from the moment of rescue but Trees believes Laila has betrayed both him and his team, and in this, Trees is determined to punish our heroine, a punishment followed by the destruction of their growing relationship.

The relationship between Laila and Trees struggles in the face of perceived betrayal and some major issues of trust. Laila refuses to remain behind; refuses to sit back and let everyone else do a search and rescue for a missing woman believed to be held by the Mexican Cartel but Laila, for all intents and purposes, is a civilian without military experience but a woman who knows some of the ins and outs of the Cartel.Trees struggles with Laila’s demands to be part of the rescue, a rescue that is compromised from the very start. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

There is, once again, a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters, many of whom we have met in previous story lines including One-Mile, Colonel Caleb Edgington, and his sons Hunter Edgington, Logan Edgington, Kane Preston, Deke Trenton, Joaquin Munoz , Zyron Garrett, PA Tessa Lawrence as well as Laila’s sister Valeria, and EM Security specialist Matt Montgomery. The requisite evil has many faces.

WICKED AND FOREVER: TREES AND LAILA is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, mistrust and forgiveness, misunderstanding and love. The premise is captivating, intriguing and impassioned; the romance is heated; the characters are charismatic and strong.