She wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan… but temptation never asks for permission. Vaughn lives a life of solitude and control. Surrounded by luxury and discipline. It’s the only way he knows how to survive a past that dealt him nothing but pain. Until her. She’s a photograph with haunted eyes and a silent scream. A temptation he should resist—needs to resist. He sees himself in her broken stare. He can’t look away. Vaughn doesn’t plan. He watches. Then he acts. One moment she’s trapped in California, the next she’s beside him, with no idea what comes next. All he knows is he can’t leave her behind. She only ever wanted freedom. A life untouched by cruelty. But her father, Chief Scoggins, won’t let her go. He’s carefully crafted a gilded cage, and he’s determined to keep her locked inside—forever. Vaughn knows the risks. She’s a liability he can’t afford, a complication he swore to avoid. But setting her free is worth the danger. He’s not trying to keep her. He just wants to see her thrive. Sometimes darkness doesn’t fall—it hunts. And sometimes, temptation comes wrapped in a broken girl you were never supposed to save. TROPES: Alpha Male Dark Romance Lots of Spice Age Gap Emotional Scars Morally Gray Hitman for Hire Light in the Darkness