She has a target on her back, and he's on the edge of self-destruction. Together, Niki and Gage are like fire and gasoline, but being apart proves to be far more dangerous

Cocky, reckless, and die-hard playboy are just a few of the names Gage Steele has been called since he left the Marines and moved back to the small, southern town of Berry Springs to take over his fathers security firm. On the one-year anniversary of his father's death, Gage has only two things in mind—endless whiskey and endless women. What he got was a battered, bruised spitfire stumbling through woods in the middle of the night.

Newly-appointed prosecutor and unapologetic workaholic, Niki Avery has spent her life working toward one goal—never to have to depend on anyone but herself until the day she gets brutally attacked on the side of the road. Stripped of her Louis Vuitton and her dignity, the fiercely independent ADA must submit to being under the watchful eye of a former Marine, a loose cannon with a temper as scorching as his looks.

As cracks begin to show in the Steele family, including newly discovered evidence that their father's death was no accident, Gage wrestles with his growing feelings for his client, knowing that Niki is off-limits. When a pair of bloody body parts show up at the compound, it becomes clear that Niki's attacker hasn't given up, and Gage realizes he'll do anything to keep her safe even as his own family is spiraling out of control.

2020 National Readers Choice Award Finalist, 2020 HOLT Medallion Finalist