It seemed as if they had always been together – Fleur O’Meara and Lawson Fields were meant for each other. Always had been, always would be. But nothing prepared them for the ravages of war and how different things would be upon his return.

Rachel Hemmingway had come to West Texas to get away from a very bad marriage, and she's succeeded in doing so. That was, until Cage Lincoln entered her life in a rather violent manner, bullying and dominating her, holding her captive and introducing her to a part of life she would have sworn her abusive husband had ruined for her.

Victor Scalia is no Tony Soprano. Oh, he is a mob boss, to be sure, but the comparisons stop there. When Victor has trouble with his immediate family, he doesn't go to a psychiatrist; he takes off his belt and deals with the troublemaker who is almost always his sister, Patty through strict, loving corporal punishment.

Police Lt. Joseph Anderson is a veteran cop who has secretly wished for a white picket fence instead of his bachelor apartment, but is more afraid of failing at marriage than he is of the rough streets he patrols. Shelly Fontaine is back town, trying to rebuild her life and her family home.

Embarrassed by what she'd seen transpire between her mother and stepfather, Cassandra recklessly dashes out into the night. When she spies a pirate ship at anchor, and a swarm of pirates scurrying on the beach like rats in the dark, she hastens to warn the island's residents by ringing the church bell. Strong arms grab her, tossing her over a shoulder as the Pirate captain hauls her back to his ship and his cabin, where she will learn more intimately what it means to be disciplined and thoroughly loved by a man.