Etta James didn’t want much from life. Her only goal was to live free from the controlling hand of her family and their illegal activities. That was what brought her and her best friend across the country, from Boston to Tucson. But when her best friend is killed in a car accident, Etta James must re-evaluate her life and her goals, as well as the best way to survive. In such an uncertain time, the one thing Etta knew was that she wasn’t looking for love; and she certainly wasn’t looking for Cad Bara.

Cad Bara, world famous boxer, wasn’t looking for love. He was simply looking for his life to settle into a new routine. After a couple years of turmoil and nightmares, Cad just wanted things to be simple. He was focused on the upcoming season; nothing more.

Etta James was broken and crying next to her best friend’s grave when Cad first saw her. Curiosity, then sadness, filled him as he watched the gorgeous red-head cry, day after day, over the marble stone. But he never stopped to talk to her. At least until those green eyes started popping up everywhere he seemed to be, then he couldn’t fight the urge to get to know her.

The more she put up walls, the more he had to know. He made the promise to himself that he’d break down those stone walls and find out who Etta James really was. But sometimes, the truth is worse than the unknown. Can love concur all when the things we hide are the nightmares that destroy others?