Book #14 in the Shepherd Security Series.

Shepherd Security field engineer Laura Lee ‘Lah-lee’ Saxton declined Operator training. She also voiced her opposition to working in the Operations Center as an analyst. She failed to complete and submit her required coursework to earn her FBI Credentials. Although she is a top-notch electrical engineer, she was the first person at Shepherd Security to ever be placed on disciplinary probation.

But there are reasons for her reluctance to assume these duties that no one at the agency knows, secrets she had kept since she was four years old and also secrets related to a crime that occurred ten years earlier while she was in college. These incidents were major moments that shaped her adult life.

A self-described introvert, she has never felt part of any team, including her Shepherd Security Team designated Echo. Until her appendix ruptures and the outpouring of support she receives from all the members of the team, including many of the wives, makes her realize she is not only part of the team, but she is also a part of the family.

It is while she is sedated on pain killers that a realization comes to her that is fueled by twisted dreams from an operation the team conducted recently in New Orleans—Abusers don’t stop abusing. If they’re not stopped, they leave more victims in their wake.

During a solo cursory investigation as she recovers from her surgery reveals an alarming pattern. She easily identifies at least ten other women who may have been similar victims at her alma mater. That’s when she realizes she needs help if she’s going to take the investigation further.

When you have kept secrets your whole life, it’s hard to trust.