On the run from her abusive ex, Riley Smith lives life in the shadows. Keep moving. Pack light. Don’t make connections. Until she encounters FBI agent Derek Bronson. When a convenience store photo identifies her as the prime suspect in his father’s murder, Riley’s ability to keep her sordid past a secret comes crashing down around her. Now it’s a matter of keeping them both alive.

Recently fired from a Dallas TV station, reporter Vanessa Barczak’s career languishes in a small West Virginia town until she witnesses an abduction—a child is snatched directly in front of her. She desperately wants to get back to the big time, and this story might be the one to do it. But the crime stirs up past memories she’d hoped were long buried. Up for a promotion in Chicago, FBI Special Agent Bo Azar needs to solve this case. Vanessa Barczak gets in his way, insinuating herself into the investigation and into his head. After she witnesses a second abduction, he realizes she knows more than she’s letting on. Now he’s forced to depend on her to help catch the kidnapper, but she’s not talking. Determined to get justice for the young victims, Vanessa and Bo grow closer as they unravel the truth behind the crimes. Through the mountainous terrain and surrounding forests, they stumble onto a scenario neither could’ve imagined, forcing them to open up to emotions they’ve Kept Hidden.

When private investigator Olivia Trammel arrives at Mountcrest University, her simple two-day case turns into a bigger investigation. The shiny new buildings, smiling students, and top-notch surveillance system can’t cover up the fact that several female students have gone missing. Something dark and sinister is happening in plain sight. Special Agent Alex Ritchie is fed up with the bureau and his difficult new boss. When a dead body is found and a fourth female student goes missing, he worries about his little sister, who is a freshman on campus. Focusing on the investigation, he promises himself he’ll keep his sister safe. Olivia and Alex join forces to delve into the bizarre happenings, digging into a crime that spans from the pristine campus out into the mountainous community. Someone is either abducting these coeds, or coercing them into a life of crime. Alex and Olivia are determined to learn the truth. Throughout the investigation, their attraction grows stronger, though each keeps their emotions Openly Hidden until the sick plot comes unraveled.