Ava Morgan knows hardship better than most. Raised in the foster care system, she's turned her painful past into a calling as a social worker, fiercely advocating for kids like fifteen-year-old Christian, a teen who reminds her all too much of herself.

When she meets rugged Navy SEAL Ty "Aussie" Mitchell at a college fair, his bold charm and steady gaze stir something in her heart she thought was long buried. But just as things start to heat up between them, Christian finds himself on the radar of a dangerous local gang that doesn't take "no" for an answer.

Determined to protect Christian and Ava, Aussie is thrown into a treacherous game of cat and mouse, where every move could end in disaster. As threats close in and the gang's tactics turn ruthless, Aussie knows he must take them down before they get to the people that he's sworn to keep safe. But with the clock ticking and danger at every turn, will Aussie and his team be able to protect the woman he's falling for and the young man she and he vowed to protect—or will he lose them both to a world where loyalty only runs as deep as blood?