Some monsters wear a smile. Others refuse to stay buried.
Ellie Hutchinson thought she could outrun her past. Fleeing her obsessive ex, she escapes to Georgia with the help of her brother—and the tight-knit group of ex-military men he calls family. Living under their protection is supposed to be temporary. Safe. Simple.
Until Wade Watson walks in.
Battle-scarred, fiercely loyal, and her brother’s best friend, Wade becomes Ellie’s reluctant shadow—tasked with keeping her safe when her ex’s behavior shifts from unsettling to unhinged. Their proximity is constant. The tension? Unavoidable. And despite Wade’s rules, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet strength behind his protective walls.
Just as she starts to imagine a future without fear, danger crashes back in—this time from a source she never saw coming. Someone Ellie once trusted is watching her every move, twisted by jealousy and willing to destroy anything she’s built.
With her life unraveling and her heart caught between survival and something that feels like love, Ellie must stop running and face the past head-on… before it steals her future for good.