An intriguing...thriller with a spunky but gold-hearted heroine, a cast of supportive, decent friends, and the twin backdrops of a mysterious criminal enterprise and abusive family members. (Kirkus Reviews) Fleeing an abusive father, Zelena Willis hops a bus and begins a harrowing odyssey that takes her from Atlanta to Seattle and back home. Three years on the run teach her she has to grow a tough exterior to survive. She finds herself trapped between men out west who would kill her and a father back home who would beat her. Once home, dangers still dog her steps, but she finds a friend in Rick Houck and another in his buddy Garrett. Together the three take on a lethal crime syndicate in a murky underworld, a world from which only native courage and gutsy wiles can save them.