It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation in sweet, sunny Cape Cod—just me and my beloved brother—but discovering a corpse in our rental house really throws a wrench into our tanning schedule. Now a rude, crude bounty hunter has arrived on the back of his motorcycle to catch the killer and refuses to believe I can be helpful, despite countless hours of true crime podcast listening. Not to mention a fulfilling teaching career of wrangling second graders. A brash bounty hunter and an energetic elementary schoolteacher: the murder-solving team no one asked for, but thanks to these pesky attempts on my life, we're stuck together, come hell or high tide. I'm just here to do a job, not babysit an amateur sleuth. Although… it is becoming less and less of a hardship to have her around. Sure, she's stubborn, distracting and can't stay out of harm's way. She's also brave and beautiful and reminds me of the home I left behind three years ago. In other words, the painful hunger and protectiveness she is waking up in me is a threat to my peace of mind. Before I sink any deeper into this dangerous attraction, I need to solve this murder and get back on the road. But will fate take her from me before I realize the road has been leading to her all along?

She saved me once. She probably doesn’t remember.But I can’t forget. Fourteen years ago, when we were small, I was starving.Not just my stomach rumbling, but hungry for kindness. For someone to look at me like I mattered. She did. Until she couldn’t look at me at all. I learned how to survive without being wanted in foster home after foster home. Holding on to my memories of her. Of how she saw me as more than nothing. And now she’s back in my world. Bright. Successful. Untouched by the ruin that shaped me into the monster I am. I should stay away.Men like me don’t get women like her. But I’ve never been good at letting go. So I watch. And I wait. Telling myself it’s harmless.That loving her from the darkness is enough. Until I see him. A face from our past.Someone who remembers what she did.And wants to make her pay for it. I have survived worse than him. I’m not afraid to abandon any remaining morals to keep her safe. My love for her was born in darkness and fear. A glimmer of hope for a boy who had nothing. Obsession.Ruin. But it’s the only good thing I’ve ever felt. And this time… I’m not letting anyone take her from me.