Book excerpt: For sixteen years, Amy Grady has been married to a man who slaps, punches, and kicks her. His anger is unpredictable and violence can explode at any moment. Except for the love of her son, Danny, Amy’s life is lonely and cold. Walter Loveless, who has just moved in next door to Amy, is lonely, too. He has been living a life of isolation. When they meet, electricity crackles between them and the attraction is instant and powerful. They find in each other the love and affection they have craved for so long. But Loveless has secrets and a past that haunts him. Someone from that past is still pursuing him. Someone deadly. When Amy decides to escape her own past, she runs headlong into Loveless’s.