Rick Micado left South Carolina three years ago and has made a new life for himself in Pennsylvania. No longer does he act on the cartel's bidding. No longer does he kill for personal and business gain. In his Pennsylvania life, he has new friends, a new job, and a new conscience. He never looks back, and he doesn't miss a thing about South Carolina-nothing but Ms. Emily Marsh.
When Rick learns that Emily's father has burned to death in his own home, he knows this was no accident. This is the cartel's way of saying they haven't forgotten. They want Rick back, and they'll stop at nothing to pull him from the shadows. Rick's love for Emily draws him into the open. He can't hide anymore, not when the woman he loves is in peril.
He returns to South Carolina and soon realizes how easy it can be to slip into the familiar shoes of a killer. Rick's prime target is Tony Abrau, but Tony is only the beginning. The cartel wants to send a message, but so does Rick. He is not a man to be trifled with; threatening the woman he loves will earn the cartel nothing but pain; and once a killer, always a killer.