IZZIE He was the sexy protector. The man who made me feel complete. And he was about to become my baby’s father. That was, if he decided to take a chance on us. Benjamin Walker was unexpected, and so were the changes he brought to my life. My focus should be on my new business, not the positive pregnancy test that came with the man stealing my heart. But we had more than caring for a baby to figure out. Between slaying dragons from his past, trying to close down the drug cartel that was haunting our small town, and fighting against his feelings for me and our baby, I wasn’t sure he was willing to take a chance on us. BEN She was the one woman who could save me from me. The one that turned my life on its axis and forced me to reevaluate what I thought I knew about love. But having a baby was never part of my plans. I was my father’s son, after all. A product of hate and viciousness. If you needed me to face a drug cartel, I was your man. If you needed me to despise the man who tried to eliminate me when I was a kid, you could count on me. I had yet to learn how to be the man Isabella Turner and our baby deserved, the man who knew how to take chances. Then I got cocky. Drunk on her love and acceptance, I took one too many chances and miscalculated the risks my past could bring to our doorstep. I thought I could gamble with life and come out unscathed. Newsflash: life won.

LISA He was my new boss. The older single father whose daughter I was supposed to babysit. The man who made my days unforgettable. Until his past caught up to us. Daniel Delgado was a protector, a caregiver. Falling in love with him was as easy as falling in love with his daughter. He loved with everything he had and he was willing to do whatever it took to protect his loved ones. Myself included. But some dangers couldn’t be fought off. Between dodging his vindictive ex-wife and going to war against the drug and human trafficking cartel that was threatening us, we might’ve been unable to come out unscathed. Or even alive. By the end of it all, we had a lot of days we couldn’t forget. Not all of them were good. DANNY She was too young for me. Too free to be tied to my baggage. She was also too enticing for me to ignore, and soon enough my daughter wasn’t the only one falling for the nanny. Lisa Specter was more than a breath of fresh air. She was my balm, my peace, my partner for life. She colored my daughter’s face with the same ease she adorned my life. I couldn’t stay away from her despite my best efforts. But there were a lot of reasons why us being together was dangerous. My past was coming for us. My job was threatening our lives. My feelings for her were risking our future. For better or for worse, some days were supposed to leave a mark on our lives. Meeting Lisa was one of the best days I’ve had. But the dangerous seesaw we called life had surely worked its number on us. Because the day I watched her life drain right before me? That was one day I could never forget.

ETHAN I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with my enemy. I had no reason to trust her. Yet she gave me all the reasons to love her. I just couldn’t help being consumed by Mia Bryant’s fire. All I had to do was investigate the cartel and arrest the woman who was taunting me. But Mia turned the tables at every turn. When I handcuffed her wrists, she tied me up. When I arrested her, she saved my life. When I pointed a gun at her, she held me hostage. I should’ve realized there'd be no winning when loving an enemy, but I never imagined I’d be the one with the power to destroy the best thing that ever happened to me. Because while I fell more in love with her, her hatred for me wasn’t what might ruin us. It was my betrayal. MIA Do you know what’s even worse than hating an enemy? Hating the person you love. That was Ethan Cross for me. The man who healed me only to destroy me again. He was a nuisance. A sexy, nerdy, tattooed, glass-wearing, boy-scout-like, genius nuisance who not only snatched my job but made me fall for him. And my decay was unparalleled. He brought me peace only to reignite my demons. He restored my faith only to rip it apart. He showed me the joy of love and being loved, only to later teach me the harsh lessons of secrets and deceit. I should’ve known better. There was no love for a killer like me. It would’ve hurt way less if he had just pulled the trigger when he threatened me at gunpoint, instead of shredding my heart with his betrayal. If you allow me some don’t fall in love with the person you hate. It brings bad luck.

HALEY He was the last person I believed I’d ever see again. The man who took the best of my heart only to shatter it in the end, leaving me to pick up the pieces. But when my world crumbled beneath me, he was the only one I wanted by my side. I had every right to resent Zach Bryant. He left me and my son in the most excruciating way. I mourned his departure. I watched my son waiting for him by the window. There was no way I could ever trust him again. Then my life fell apart even more. My past came back to haunt me, and my son’s future was at risk. Just when everything seemed to be crumbling, Zach returned. Ready to reclaim me and my boy. My heart told me to forgive him. My head still remembered the pain. And it was impossible to keep my distance. I just didn’t know if I could survive another “goodbye.” ZACH Haley was the only woman I’d ever loved. Her boy was the kid I wanted to call “son.” Leaving them behind was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I needed to keep them safe. Yet, all I did was break my family. For years, I did what I had to do. I jumped from mission to mission, assignment to assignment, doing what was expected of me. But when it really counted, I failed the people I loved the most. So, I came home determined to win Haley back. I would stop at nothing to reclaim my woman and boy. No cartel would keep us apart. No disease would prevent me from being with them. Haley held my redemption in her hands, and I’d prove to her I was back to stay. Because, in the end, she was the only place I’d ever truly called home.