A master thief is blackmailed into a mysterious mission in this action-packed thriller series launch by a New York Times-bestselling author.Growing up, Bianca St. Ives knew she was different from all her friends. Instead of playing hopscotch or combing her dolls’ hair, she studied martial arts with sensei masters and dismantled explosives with special-ops retirees. Her father prepped her well to carry on the family business. Now a striking beauty with fierce skills, the prodigy has surpassed the master.She’s known as the Guardian. Running a multinational firm with her father, she makes a living swindling con men out of money they stole-and she’s damn good at it. She does things on her own terms. But her latest gig had a little hiccup-if you count two hundred million dollars and top-secret government documents going missing as little. Her father also died on the mission. The thing is, the US government doesn’t believe he’s really dead. They’ll stop at nothing to capture Richard St. Ives, a high-value target and someone who has been on most-wanted lists all over the world for over two decades, and they mean to use Bianca as bait. With only a fellow criminal for backup and her life on the line, it’s up to Bianca to uncover the terrifying truth behind what really happened . . . and set it right, before it’s too late.Praise for The Ultimatum"Enthralling . . . Readers won’t want this adrenaline-rich story to end." -Booklist (starred review)"Robards begins a new series with a fascinating main character, blazing action, a Jason Bourne-esque central mystery, and an intriguing cliffhanger ending. . . . Fresh, sexy, and eminently readable." -Kirkus Reviews