Hot off her first mission as a Unit 28 contractor agent, Alex Thornton wants nothing more than to focus on building a life with Jabir al-Omri, her best friend and boyfriend of five months.A secret chains Jabir, one with such dire consequences that seeking freedom from it will cost him dearly. He finds himself caught between honoring those he cares about and being completely truthful with Alex.Hashim al-Hassan craves vengeance against the woman who deceived him ten years before. The target of his wrath? Alex.When Alex and Jabir receive an assignment to find the murderers of a shipping executive, their investigation brings them to the attention of Hashim. He begins stalking her. The bodies pile up, and people disappear.Now, with Alex squarely within Hashim's crosshairs, Jabir yearns to tell her what he knows. Yet the truth may destroy both her and those she loves the most.