Publisher's Synopsis
Alannah McCarthy knew this was her last chance. She had endured three years of torture to get to this point. If Mark found her, there was no doubt he would kill her and do it slowly. He had made it painfully clear after her first attempt to get away; exactly what her fate would be if she tried again. He was ruthless and determined, and she knew from experience hurting her only brought him pleasure. She had a new identity, changed her appearance, and managed to get away with enough of his money to make sure she could hide herself away for at least two years. All she had to do now was find a place to hide, stay out of sight and wait. But she wasn't counting on meeting a tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed man who would knock her off her feet, literally.
Mark Howard had spent the last three years making sure that she understood she belonged to him. There was no question, no other option. She belonged to him, body and soul. So why was she, for the second time, forcing him to do this? The dark room and the things that happened to her in it had kept her in line for three years, but now she had found the nerve and help she needed to run again. He would find her, and when he did, he would make sure she never ran again. This would be the last time.
Cole Hastings had managed to live a fairly quiet life in the small town of Kill Devil Hills, NC. He had a job he loved and all of his family close by. After suffering a devastating loss, he promised himself he would never allow anyone to get close enough to cause that kind of pain again, and he kept that promise. He had guarded his heart well and had never met a woman he couldn't walk away from. Then a chance meeting with a beautiful stranger turned his world upside down. Jada Rawlings caused every internal alarm in him to go haywire. Everything in him told him to run the other way, but somehow, standing there looking into her eyes, he knew it wasn't going to be that simple.
