On what was supposed to be a normal trip to the bank, Hayley Stephens finds herself in the middle of a bank robbery with some peculiar robbers . . . who decide to kidnap her. Taken hostage by the handsome and irritating Jason Lambargo, Hayley finds herself tempted to discover secrets that could help her understand her past and where her absent brother is. But as she delves deeper and deeper, Hayley is thrust head-first into the criminal world her brother lived and the enemies and promises he made. And to top it all off, she's fighting a futile battle and keeping her heart from falling for her captor. She knows how dangerous he is, and yet . . . She just can't help herself from falling in love with a criminal.

(TH#3)“'If you can look me in the eye and tell me anybody has ever held you like this, kissed you like this, loved you like this, then I will let you go. I will leave and I will never come back.' And as much as I wanted to say that, yes, someone else had, I would be lying. Because nobody, not one person, had ever cherished me like he did." A father convicted of a murder, and Elsie was there to witness the entire thing. It should have left her scarred and afraid, but because of the help from Sam, a mysterious and kind stranger, she powered through it. He was her best friend, always there when she needed him most . . . Until he left her. Nearly eight years later and as Elsie finds herself stuck in a troubling situation under less-than-optimal circumstances, he suddenly comes out of nowhere again. But something has changed, with both of them. The secrets are heavier, the pain is greater . . . and what was once a friendship has turned into the roots for something more. Something that frightens both tortured souls equally. It's big enough, strong enough, to hold through, if they just acknowledge how much they need it to. Everybody has bruises . . . Some just take longer to heal than others.

"I talk, but I do not speak my mind I hear words, but I do not listen to thoughts When I wake, all see me When I sleep, all hear me Many heads are on my shoulders Many hands are at my feet The strongest steel cannot break my visage But the softest whisper can destroy me..." - Anonymous Ask anyone: Christian Ryder has everything it takes to be considered Hollywood's newest Golden Boy. A heartthrob whose acting career skyrocketed faster than even he could keep up with, Christian has it all: the looks, the fame, the fortune-and the girls. He would gladly tell anyone who was willing to listen all about the kind of female population he has access to; too bad the only female who actually matters would rather ride a tornado than ride his-never mind. The infamous-and almost famous-female: Sophia Hastings, Christian's new leading lady. Christian has never been afraid of a challenge, but this one has a catch: this challenge could destroy more than just his acting career.

Sometimes even the ones you think you know best, turn out to be strangers.