Mila Taranova is on the cusp of a fresh start that she never asked for. Forced out of her inheritance by archaic, patriarchal bylaws, she’s rebounded and is advancing to lead a larger Bratva. Her initial success is short-lived, however, as misogyny is rampant in the shadows of her new home. The last thing she needs is a distraction, but when her brother’s best friend needs a place to stay and refuses to fade into the background, it becomes impossible to resist the pull of their attraction. He's fifteen years younger and a ray of sunshine in her dark world, but just as they reach a tenuous equilibrium, forces beyond her control threaten everything she’s fought for.

Thatcher Prescott has it all: a successful hockey career, generational wealth, and more women than he can count. Or remember. Recently, whether it's a mid-twenties crisis or his best friend finally finding love, all his usual amusements are starting to ring hollow. Just as he's considering if it might be time to settle down, he's forced into the proximity of his most recent obsession. She's his best friend’s sister, a badass Bratva boss, and completely uninterested. When he decides to push his luck, his persistence finally pays off. For a moment, it seems as if things will work out, until the dangerous reality of her life sinks in and threatens the peace he's finally found.