Before she was a homicide detective and before she learned how dangerous instincts could be, Holly Mercer was a patrol cop working nights along the San Diego coastline.

When a young man is found dead in an alley behind a strip of beachside shops, Holly is the first officer on scene. The death is quickly ruled an overdose.

Holly isn’t convinced.

Sixteen months into the job and still on probation, she knows better than to challenge her superiors. Her report sticks to the facts but the details won’t let her go.

The position of the body. What was missing. What didn’t fit.

Quietly, and off the books, Holly starts following her instincts. That choice brings her into the orbit of narcotics detective Jack Jennings. Jack is sharp, observant, and far more dangerous to her focus than she wants to admit. What begins as unanswered questions becomes a secret investigation…and the spark of something Holly knows she shouldn’t want.

Pulling at loose threads drags them into a world of informants, cartel pressure, and departmental politics where the truth only matters if the victim mattered to the right people.

And if Holly pushes too hard, she won’t just risk her career.