Some secrets are worth dying for. Others are worth killing for.

Nikolaj "Cai" Strakosha lives in contradictions-ruthless killer and shy artist, calculated criminal and lovesick teenager. Two years ago, he left Denver with a broken heart and a scheme to take down a state senator. Now he's back, but his plan is spiraling out of control, and the only option left is to ask for help from the man who rejected him again and again.

FBI Agent Riley Cordova has built his adult life on following the rules and staying in control. But Cai's return shatters his carefully structured world. The teenager he once easily resisted is now a dangerous young man who makes his heart race. And the forbidden kiss they shared haunts his memories. Riley should stay away, but he's soon drawn into a conspiracy with deadly consequences. When the bodies start piling up, Riley finds himself breaking every rule to keep Cai safe.

As Cai walks a tightrope of lies and deception, he will face an impossible choice between the promise he made or the promise of a future. And when it turns out that Cai isn't the innocent victim he appears to be, Riley will have to choose between betraying the Bureau or betraying Cai.