I can't escape my past. West wants to be my future. When West, a former SEAL and my online gaming buddy, begged me to meet him IRL (in real life), one word, one touch, one look sent me fleeing like a coward. Back to my keyboard, online gaming, and the deadline that could make or break my whole programming career. Back where I'm safe. Problem is, West followed.

Tatiana Jones is no stranger to the battlefield. One look at her scarred flesh tells the tales of her time in captivity. But it’s not only her skin that bears the marks of her failures; doubt and a healthy dose of cynicism now cloud her vision. She has also mastered the fine art of deception. In her line of work it is a necessity.  

Once, Jackson Richards had it in spades. As a member of the United States Special Forces, he fought alongside the bravest and most capable men he’d ever known. Then one mistake landed them all in hell. For six months, he fought. But one terrible day, his captors learned the full extent of his skills, and that sealed his fate.

For more than 20 years, I lived by my Air Force code. Until I made a choice. Put my family first. Something a soldier is never allowed to do. Now I don’t know who I am. Or where I belong. Getting lost in Mexico sounds like a good idea, but with only guilt and regret as my constant companions, I’ll never figure it all out. Until a chance meeting in a hotel bar changes my course.

She’s my best friend’s sister. Off-limits. Before he died, I promised I’d never touch her. After years in the military, I’m back in Montana determined to clear his name. No one’s hero. Just a mountain man. A mercenary set on revenge. Now, I owe it to my friend to protect his sister. Except being near her shreds my resolve. She tempts me at every turn. Each day is a brutal torment, and my honor and willpower…are about to snap.