For a man like Merc, his reputation has always preceded him. Known for his allegiance to the criminal underworld as a protector, the gangster only shows love to his family… and his son and the woman who birthed him are at the top of that list. When Merc decides to take one last job before retiring, he doesn't think it will include protecting a woman he's been trying to avoid but can't seem to get rid of. A woman who softens him and brings out the lover he's kept hidden over the years.

For a woman like Neo, it only takes one lesson for her to learn. A bad experience with a man who has a child closes her heart off to dating men with children. It seems fate has other plans… plans that bring her and Merc together three times before they begin to question if they are meant to be.

With a dangerous dealer on the loose, Neo is forced to seek asylum outside of her home and under Merc's protection. Will he prove to be a safe space for her heart romantically as well, or will he save her life and heart for her to give to someone else?