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For example, the plot of Breaking Point (#3 in the J. Carter & Associates series) is one major WWAD after another. WWAD if his wife disappeared and a body surface in the place where she was last seen? WWAD if all the evidence points to the body being that of Kat? Does he accept her as dead? Or does he fight the mounting evidence proving her dead and gone?
A second part of Breaking Point is WWAD if someone from his past reappeared? Little is known (well, at least to you, dear readers) about his life prior to the series. We know his best friend and partner, Marc Pearson, is ex-FBI. We know Aidan once picked pockets to survive. We know Jackson Robertson trusts him. What we don't know is about his family and his upbringing and what reduced him to petty theft.
Kat's past in contrast is an open book. Her life before the series isn't perfect, but it's no mystery. There is no real WWKD unless it deals with Aidan.
A great part of the plot in Fatal Target (#2 in the J. Carter & Associates series) is WWKD. WWKD if Aidan was arrested for murder? Alternatively, WWAD is he was framed for murder and separated from Kat? They are entwined in each other's identity despite their strong personalities. What happens to one affects the other.
Kat and Aidan each react in different ways. If the other is in danger, they act offensively. If Kat is personally threatened, she'll fight. If Aidan is threatened, he'll hold his ground. She reacts first and thinks second. Aidan is more mature and calculating, and less impulsive.
“Oh, Kitty, there you are!”Her blood ran cold.“Keep walking,” Aidan murmured into her ear. “Don’t let him win.”She slipped an arm underneath his coat, searching for the familiar weight of his semi-automatic gun. It wasn’t there, but the move soothed her nonetheless. The gun was around the corner in their car, thanks to the courthouse’s security procedures. While she wouldn’t turn the gun on the man who abused her, she knew Aidan would. He would kill to defend her. He’d proved it in the past.“You must be her new boyfriend. Tell me, is she worth the money? I don’t care who claims her as their child, she’s nothing more than a whore…”Aidan pressed a ring of keys into her hand. “Get in the car, Katherine. Don’t say a word.”She stepped away from him, a questioning look in her eye. He nodded as if to say it was okay. (from Fatal Target)
That is, until Kat's life is at risk.
"Just give me a name," Marc demanded. "Just that and I'll help. I need to know.""You need a name? Me! I'm the reason Kat's in danger. I'm the reason this happened. It's all because of me!"Marc frowned, shifting the truck back into gear. "What did you do, Murphy?""I didn't die. That was my offense. I didn't die and she found out. Now, she's gonna have Kat die to teach me a lesson....She's gonna make her drown because it's Katy's greatest fear. She's going to die because I love her." (from Breaking Point)
Without the question of WWAD, Breaking Point would cease to exist. It's very Aidan-driven and deals with past consequences in the present. No matter how long you run, the past will catch up. It's only a matter of time before you have to face your fears...
"Not anymore. Where is she? What did you do to Katherine?""Everyone has a breaking point. I found hers..."Water... (from Breaking Point)
Fatal Target lays the groundwork for the foray into Aidan's past. His past shaped him in both good and bad ways and should have made him evil. Instead, he is saved and redeemed by his love for Kat. He has no close family to confide in. He's created his own family at J. Carter & Associates and he'll make a bargain with the devil herself in order to protect them in Breaking Point.
