Eric Stiles was in the middle of chaos, searching for a killer.

Hunted by an obsessed psychopath, Rebecca Gailen was trying to be
strong.

The world stopped for a moment as they looked up and saw the other
standing just feet away.

His heart lurched, her armor shattered and the world started again as
Eric’s brother, Charlie, appeared to take her hand.

Family loyalty isn’t a choice. When Rebecca’s stalker rages out of control,
Eric’s decision haunts him and he struggles to stay away. Can he
remain loyal to his brother, even if it means abandoning Rebecca when
she may need him the most?

Her resilience fading, Rebecca fights to remain strong against the man
trying to destroy her mind and her life. Without the solace of Eric’s
arms, Rebecca’s will to recover from the relentless blows wanes as
she begins to break.

Eric, forced to face his own choices, races to end the nightmare before the
woman he loves is completely torn apart.

Just when they think the worst is over, the game and the stakes change.

Rebecca Gailen thinks that the love of her life is dead and only the vigor of
revenge keeps her fighting to survive.

When a secret reveals more than anyone expected, it changes Eric and
Rebecca’s lives forever. The devastating truth puts the couple at
odds. Can they overcome their clashing conclusions and learn to trust
each other again? Or will they let it rip them apart?

The stairs creaked with each step as he looked into the dimness below. The humid musty area was cold and damp. He swallowed hard. Gray concrete, jagged walls and dust surrounded them and a chill raced up his spine.
“We found it over there.” The same officer descended the stairs behind them. The beam of his flashlight landed to the right of where they stood. Eric reached for a flashlight, and his eyes landed on Charlie who scanned the room. An officer offered his and Eric stepped toward the area. His hand brushed against the cold concrete but his mind still refused to accept it.

Not here…not like this…
Eric’s eyes fell on a spatter of blood and his chest flooded with an unrecognized pain.
She was here
Unable to push the image away, all the air left the room as his entire body clenched at the suffocation. He ascended the stairs into the sunlight, fighting for control. He began to unhinge, mindlessly entered one of the side rooms
They didn’t find her which means she’s still…
Keep it together Stiles…falling apart isn’t going to help anyone
The sewn seam around his emotions threatened to tear, and he couldn’t move. The paralyzing agony that spiked from the core of his body was relentless. He fought back in vain. He knew it wouldn’t stop until she was in his arms, safe.
“Eric, what’s going on?”
Eric wiped unexpected wetness from his eyes. He leaned against the wall to face his brother. Pure disbelief stared back at him.
“I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, you never…”
“Yeah well, things change.” Eric moved to exit the room.
He found the front door and pushed through it hearing Charlie just behind him.
“Since when?”
“You still don’t get it do you?”

“What are you talking about?”
“Have you really convinced yourself that all of this…what happened, was just some kind of joke?” He stopped to face him. “That Rebecca and I didn’t mean anything we said when we told you that we never wanted to hurt you?”
“I don’t know what the hell you meant to do and to be honest, I don’t really care.”
“Charlie…whether or not you choose to believe it, we did try to walk away.” Charlie’s eyes diverted in anger. “Jesus, Charlie she went through hell and all she could think about was how she couldn’t hurt you!”
“So once again this is my fault!”
“No…I am just…” Eric’s chest turned to stone, unwilling to allow him to hide. “As your brother, your friend, I tried to forget about…everything. But that night. That first night in Dallas, everything changed. We did everything we could to ignore it, make disappear but it didn’t. It only got stronger…can you try to understand that?”
“You really expect me to…”
“I expect you to believe that I tried! I expect you to realize that this had nothing to do with you. To remember that until that moment, I’ve never betrayed you.”
“So because you’ve always tried to be the good big brother you want me to be okay with this? To just accept what you did and move on?”
“Yes.”
‘Why?”
“Because you’re my brother and I need you to.” Eric’s watering despite his continued battle against it. “Charlie, I’m in love with her.”
“I loved her too!”
“Okay Charlie,” Eric clenched his jaw. “Where did you see things heading with her? Let’s say we never met, what then?”
“I don’t know. I never got the chance thanks to you!”
“That’s the difference!” Eric’s fists balled in frustration.

“Six weeks ago, and the two months before that, hell even in Dallas. I knew this was different. I knew she changed everything. Even when she left without a word and I didn’t even know her name, I couldn’t get her out of my head! I look at her and see everything I never knew I wanted. She’s woken up this person inside me that I didn’t even know was there! The one who wants a house and a family. The person who needs to see her every morning and hold her every night, because when I don’t something is missing, and the world doesn’t make sense. ”
“Eric…”

“The difference is that the moment I met her, she became my whole world,” Eric explained as he struggled to keep his furious heart under control. “I know that you loved her. That was one of the reason’s I stayed away as long as I did. It might not seem like much but…she needed me, and I couldn’t turn my back anymore. Now she’s gone and I can’t…If we don’t…if I can’t find her…”
“We’re going to find her, Eric.” He saw the first glimpse of understanding in his brother’s eyes.

Amy Romine has always wanted to be one of the good guys. From playing
Charlie’s Angels in the backyard of her Macungie, PA home as a child
to the pages of her unending projects, Amy has always dreamed of
adventure and romance. Her need to make the characters truly deserve
their happiness takes us on many a twisted journey. From serial
killers to demons, Amy holds nothing back in the name of true
enduring love.

A mother of three, Amy has spent the past
sixteen years working in Operations for Ricoh America’s Corporation.
She is an avid movie fan and enjoys books, television, theater, her
dog Pip and all things romance.