I was only three the first time I lost someone I loved. And I was thirteen when my world shattered beyond repair. Thrown into a nightmare—desperately trying to pick up the broken pieces of the girl I was before. Escaping the demons of my past, I’m ready to disappear for good. But before I go, I want one more glimpse of the man who unknowingly gave me the strength to live. Except the pain I see hidden behind his cold eyes pulls me in so far I can’t leave. I can’t stop watching—waiting for the obsession that binds me to him to be severed. Until I get caught. Sebastian Reed doesn’t know who I am. But when he finds out I hold the answer to the question that’s been slowly destroying him, he will do anything to get at the truth. Even making a deal. Except I didn’t expect him to keep me in his penthouse until he gets what he’s owed. Sebastian has the power to cut me deeper than any of the scars marring my body. But the more time we spend together, the deeper desire burns between us, and the harder it is to remember why I have to leave. What should have been my downfall might be the only thing that can save me.

_I was just sixteen when I saw him for the first time. Fierce and protective, he ignited my dwindled hope. Except he wasn’t my white knight. He didn’t save me. No, he didn’t even notice me._ Now he doesn’t want to let me go. Sebastian claims I didn’t hold up my end of the deal. That I still owe him. Not only does he hold the one thing I need, but how can I walk away from him when he’s asking me to stay? I thought I knew what loving him meant, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Every day with him, I fall harder and faster until the thought of leaving him behind is unbearable. Only it feels as though my past is just one step behind. My secrets are no longer safe, and with the more time that passes, they threaten to unravel completely, leaving nothing but the damaged girl beneath. And with my heart and my life on the line, I don’t know if I’ll make it out unscathed.

I was twenty when he claimed my heart. Mending the broken pieces until it glowed with warmth. Shining a light on the darkness that had its claws in me. Then he tore it out of my chest. Sebastian said he’d protect me. Promised to keep me safe. But I lied. And it all fell apart. I thought I knew everything about my monster, but the nightmare I had escaped is nothing compared to the hell he has dragged me into. My soul is crushed. My love lost. And when all is said and done, I don’t know whether I’ll be strong enough to keep from falling into the abyss.