Tony and Ryan are not your typical gay couple. Although they are American, they are trained government agents living in Italy, and they’re on the lam. They are fugitives who are hiding from the very agency that trained them. Tony is 30, a physical trainer with a linebacker’s build. He fears no one, and takes very seriously his responsibility of protecting his boy Ryan. Ryan is young, only 20, and a gentler soul. He’s far more soft-spoken than Tony, and he’s often overly trusting. While vacationing in Napoli, Ryan is brutalized by a group of four thugs—gay bashers. They beat and stab vulnerable, young Ryan, and leave him for dead. When Tony returns to find his boy in this condition, it nearly crushes him. Laden with guilt for not being there to protect Ryan, Tony begins the arduous task of helping his boy heal. Will he ever be able to get Ryan to forgive him for not being there? Will he ever be able to forgive himself? And will Ryan ever again be the loving, gentle soul that Tony once knew and loved?

Christian St. James Davenport is a prisoner. He has spent his entire life imprisoned within a gilded cage; trapped by his parents’ wealth, by his own secrets, and by the fear of his abusive ex-lover, Dwight. Lucca Renaldo is the darkly exotic, older man who will show Christian what it truly means to be free, but not before Dwight returns to reclaim what he believes is his.

Lucca Renaldo lives the life of luxury. His wealthy Italian parents are successful attorneys who provide him with everything money can buy, but money can't buy everything. Something is missing in young Lucca's life. He yearns to feel something, to become something more than the carbon copy of his parents. As Lucca tries to gain his footing and establish himself as an individual, he delves into the world of BDSM, grasping for guidance. He needs a controlling force in his life, someone who cares enough for him to do more than throw money at him. Someone who will love him for who he really is. When Lucca strikes out on his own, fleeing his parents' home in the dead of night, he crosses the Atlantic and plants himself dead center in the United States. He quickly becomes fascinated by the Denver BDSM scene, and it doesn't take long for him to get noticed. He's the hottest young sub in the circuit, and he's finally gained the thing he's aspired to achieve: independence. But with independence comes responsibility. And the night life isn't always safe, particularly the dark corridors and dungeons of the BDSM lifestyle. When he finds himself in over his head, penniless and alone, he vows not to crawl back to his parents. He's a survivor, and he's determined to do whatever is necessary to make it on his own. Carl Giordano is a special agent. He's brought down some of the world's most notorious criminals. He's the best of the best, and he doesn't have time for frivolous domestic cases. When his boss contacts him and assigns him to a special mission—track down a runaway from an important Italian family—Carl is understandably insulted. Reluctantly he accepts the case, but vows to snag the kid and get the job done as quickly as possible. Everything changes, though, for both Carl and Lucca when they come face to face. Carl is still reeling from the loss of the only man he ever really cared about, and he swears he'll never again fall in love. Lucca swears he'll never sacrifice his own independence. But for some reason the two are drawn together, and Carl comes to realize it's not going to be so easy to return the young sub to his parents.