Passion thrives in the midst of vengeance.

The perilous streets of the Palais Royal have hardened Nicolas Lefevre. Orphaned during the Revolution, scarred by years spent in a violent gang, he is now determined to strike his own path training others in savate, the hand-to-hand combat that allowed him to survive. But to open a legitimate gymnasium, he must avoid the escalating conflicts of Paris's criminal underworld. A beautiful thief who turns to him for help threatens to plunge him back into the life he vowed to leave behind.

The family fortunes squandered by her wastrel brother, Violet de la Roque resorts to picking pockets for the city's most notorious crime lord. At least until her employer decides she would make him more profit on her back, a fate she is desperate to avoid. She believes Nicolas might give her a fighting chance, but secret savate lessons soon turn into a deeper connection.

With old grudges and bloody vengeance looming closer, surrendering to their mutual passion could get them killed, or give them the strength to challenge their enemy.