One act of kindness brought Sophie Parish far more danger than she could have ever imagined. Now she’s on the run, leaving behind her family and the only dream she’s ever had. 

Retired EFC fighter Kolan Slade’s life has been one endless battle after another. He has a dark past with an even darker desire—the only one he’s ever known. 

Until he meets Sophie. 

Intrigued by her raw beauty and the secrets she’s trying to hide, Kolan craves to know who she is and what she’s running from. 

Protecting her becomes his obsession and he’ll sacrifice it all to save her. But in the end her love will have him questioning himself and everything he thought he knew.

Reaching my SUV, I place her feet on the ground and cage her against the passenger door, bracing both my hands on either side of her head. “And what about you, Lia?” I ask, dipping my head in close to hers. “Hmm? You know my secrets. What about yours?”

She might not know all of mine but she knows enough.

“What is it you want to know?” she asks, a slight tremble in her voice.

“I want to know who you are and where you came from. But more than anything, I want to know what you’re hiding under that scarf.”

The stark pain that enters her eyes strikes me to my fucking core. “Trust me, you don’t want to see what’s under there. I can’t even bear to look at it myself.”

“Nothing scares me.”

It’s a complete lie. She scares the hell out of me.

A heavy silence descends upon us, her pretty eyes wide and fearful.

“What are you so afraid of?” I ask.

Her breath hitches, emotion shining bright in her gaze. “Everything.”

There’s so much despair in that one word that I want to fucking kill whoever put it there. Unable to resist, I gently drop my forehead on hers, my jaw locking as I restrain myself from doing what I really want to do.

“I’m going to respect your privacy…for now. But one day, you’re going to tell me who made you so afraid. And if they’re still breathing—they won’t be for much longer.”

Her eyes fall closed, lip trembling as she tries to shield her pain from me. “Some secrets, Kolan, are best left unknown.”

“Not between us. The day will come when there will be no more secrets between us.”

Her eyes open, locking with mine, but she remains silent. I press my lips to her forehead then reach for the door handle. “Come on. Let’s go home.”