In the scorching hellscape of Afghanistan, I had become what they needed me to be—a perfect killing machine. Emotions? Stripped away. Humanity? A distant memory. I was numb, efficient, unstoppable.

A twisted mess, beyond repair.

But then she had come into my life, like a goddamn hurricane, and fucked everything up. There was something about her that had me hooked like a junkie. She was my drug, my addiction, the one thing I couldn’t resist. She saw the beast inside me and didn’t run away like the rest, because she was just as twisted and damaged. A perfect goddamn match for my deranged desires. For a moment, she made me feel like I could be saved. Like she could be my escape from the darkness I’d become trapped in.

She had brought me back from the dead, but deep down, I knew I was already dead inside.

A ghost, doomed to haunt the shadows. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t save a soul that was already been damned. And no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t save me from myself.

In the heart of darkness, love is the most dangerous weapon of all.

?Derek was tragically widowed and has a tough time letting anyone in. But can he keep his feelings in check from the gorgeous attorney he needs to protect??

Derek: After losing my wife and kids in a terrible car wreck while I was deployed, I don't let anyone close to me anymore. I can't stand the thought of ever feeling that much pain again. Then I get assigned a mission to protect an attorney that has taken on the notorious Italian Mafia and plans to put them behind bars. What I didn't expect was how she makes me feel. This can't be real, can it? I never thought I'd have feelings for anyone except my wife. Amber:

I love what I do. I put the bad guys away. My ambition may get me in trouble since I'm trying to prove just how tough on crime I can be. I have a rock solid case against Dorian, the leader of the Silver Tongues and many of his guys. I have enough evidence to lock them up and throw away the key. I just hope to live long enough to make this dream happen.