I spent years on the run, trying to hide from my father and our society. I was careful and never stayed in the same place for very long, but when I landed in Braxton Falls, I couldn't leave. I fell in love, made my first real friend in years, and let my guard down. I built the closest thing to a normal life that I could, until it all crumbled. Everything was taken from me in mere moments. One simple decision has me at the whim of three men who manipulate my mind and body, but have me craving more. Revenge.

I’m afraid. I want things—to escape, to run, to be caught, held down and…I’ve come here to find the thing to quench my most sensual fantasies. When I see him—I know. He’s brutal and made of stone. An artist with his hands who keeps everyone at arm’s length. He’s the one I want—I need.

Two years. That's all the peace we had before our past awoke from the dead. The tombstones of our enemies have been overturned, and we are reminded that we can never escape the chains of the corrupt. Seeking retribution for my lost love consumed my past, but that violence and desire for punishment now jeopardized the future of those closest to me. We are given one choice, a singular option. Return to Ponderosa Springs. But it's more than the infamous Hollow Boys in danger this time. It's her. A mirage of a woman too stubborn for her own good.

Orphaned at birth and living in a small, broken town, one that believes I'm a cursed child. The bringer of bad luck. I tried to escape the stigma, to create something better for myself. It all came crashing down one night and my world shattered. While dealing with the aftermath, an unbelievable opportunity landed in my lap. A scholarship to attend an exclusive university far away. This was my chance to start fresh.

I've always done what was expected of me. Layla Birch, the good girl. Forced to grow up too fast. To take care of everything myself. I had a plan. Only, I didn't count on him. Colton Wilder, the cowboy nearly twice my age. He's my dream man. One who takes care of me, gives me a job, and makes my pulse thud harder every time he comes near. My ex-boyfriend's father. The nights are long and cold on top of this mountain. As the snow grows thicker and the tension builds between us, we're both inching closer to a line we shouldn't cross.