I never planned on returning to Alabama, but circumstances brought me here after years of being gone. Though Lawton Ridge is my hometown, I was hesitant to go back because of her —my sister’s best friend. The last time we were together, she was eighteen, and I was a broken soldier transitioning to civilian life. 

Gemma wrote to me while I was overseas and we developed a bond I hadn’t anticipated. I crushed her heart the day I left, and it’s something I’ve never forgotten. But now that her dad is my new boss, life just got way more complicated. 

Too sweet, too innocent, too good for a guy like me—I should walk away again.

After serving five years in prison for something I didn’t do, I’m constantly on guard. Though I’ve taught people how to protect themselves in a boxing ring, no one can help prepare me for my next move. I’m about to enter the fight of my life and face the mafia princess who put me behind bars. She thinks I fear her and will stay away, but she has another thing coming. I plan to make her pay, but that means risking everything.

I trust no one, but Gemma gradually breaks down my walls and exposes the pain I’ve hidden underneath. For her own sake, I should keep my distance, but it’s nearly impossible when I hear her sweet humming while I work and she slowly draws me back in. It’s a battle I didn’t train for, and one I’ll lose if I don’t keep my restraint—especially since she’s engaged to another man.