They hunt a killer who will stop at nothing to protect his identity, even if that means threatening the one link between them-their son. When Staff Sergeant Rowan McKinley is charged with murder, she wants the best defense counsel the Marine Corps has to offer-Captain Phillip Stuart. Seeking his help means opening old wounds. It's a risk she must take to save herself. Phillip swore he'd never have anything to do with the one woman who had not only broken his heart but had crushed it. Helping her was personal suicide. But professionally, it could be the coup de grace of his career-that next rung on the ladder, the next challenge he was looking for. The love and passion each thought gone sparks to life-only now it is forbidden by military law. Knowing the rules and adhering to them are very different matters. But who should make the sacrifice when both are destined to soar to the top of their ranks? The choice might be taken from their hands. There is a killer with just as much to lose who will stop at nothing to protect his identity, even if that means threatening the one link between Phillip and Rowan-the son Phillip never knew he had.