Seven years ago, a knife-wielding stranger left socialite Ava Camden for dead on the sidewalk of an upscale Atlanta restaurant. She survived, but her face was brutally scarred. The police, the courts, and the powerful Camden family pinned the assault on only one suspect: Joel Sapphire, a twenty-year-old star athlete on the cusp of a pro football career. Too drunk to remember any details, Joel was found over Ava's body, holding the bloody weapon.

The letters. His brother is her only hope for the truth.

Graham Sapphire grew up fighting on the city's tough southside, and he'll never let the Camdens crush his family. Now a wealthy hotelier, he's determined to clear his brother's name-and to find the monster responsible for Ava's scars. Graham started writing to Ava the day his brother entered prison, asking her to give him a chance and offering his help. She never answered-but she never stopped reading.

The secrets. The truth may destroy them both.

Now Joel has been paroled, only to vanish before Graham can reach him. Is he lurking in the shadows or on the run from death threats? Ava is the lure that will bring him back, but she's not alone in the fight. Graham will give his life-and even his brother's-to protect her. The bond between them is hot, tender, and almost as dangerous as the hunter who waits in the shadows of the city's darkest streets.

Nicki Salcedo is a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in English and Creative Writing. She is a two-time recipient of the Maggie Award of Excellence and a Golden Heart Finalist. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and four kids.