Marin Ames coasts into Cole’s Auto with a brake pedal that sinks to the floor and a truth she’s done hiding: someone cut the line, and a black SUV has shadowed her for days. In a town selling ‘revitalization’ with a smile, the mayor’s daughter has become the problem no one can buy.
Ezra Cole hears the wrongness in her engine and the fear in her voice. Gruff, steady, ink at his wrists, he offers safety—on her terms. Consent isn’t a buzzword here; it’s their language, negotiated in daylight and honored in the dark.
When Marin’s digging uncovers falsified water tests and shell companies bleeding poison into the river, anonymous threats turn into break-ins and fire. Ezra refuses to play hero without permission, but he won’t stand aside while she stands alone.
They set rules. They set traps. They set the town alight with porch lights and proof. From a storage unit stakeout to a gala with teeth, from a missing engineer to a bridge sting in the rain, partners become something fiercer.
Every win carries a cost—reputation, sleep, the last illusions about family. Every touch carries a promise—ask, answer, stop when told. Their chemistry burns clean: heat threaded with care, desire anchored by yes.
As indictments drop and the river finally gets a voice, Marin and Ezra learn the only way through is together. She’ll bring the truth. He’ll bring the tools. They’ll fix what matters, starting with each other.
When the dust settles and the sirens fade, the fire tower waits over the bend—eye to eye, no kneeling, a future chosen out loud.
Protective, respectful hero
Small-town romantic suspense
Whistleblower heroine
Corruption & conspiracy
Partners-to-lovers
High heat, explicit consent
Found community
Hopeful, hard-won HEA
⚠️ Contains steamy scenes, adult language, and dark themes. For readers 18+
Ezra Cole hears the wrongness in her engine and the fear in her voice. Gruff, steady, ink at his wrists, he offers safety—on her terms. Consent isn’t a buzzword here; it’s their language, negotiated in daylight and honored in the dark.
When Marin’s digging uncovers falsified water tests and shell companies bleeding poison into the river, anonymous threats turn into break-ins and fire. Ezra refuses to play hero without permission, but he won’t stand aside while she stands alone.
They set rules. They set traps. They set the town alight with porch lights and proof. From a storage unit stakeout to a gala with teeth, from a missing engineer to a bridge sting in the rain, partners become something fiercer.
Every win carries a cost—reputation, sleep, the last illusions about family. Every touch carries a promise—ask, answer, stop when told. Their chemistry burns clean: heat threaded with care, desire anchored by yes.
As indictments drop and the river finally gets a voice, Marin and Ezra learn the only way through is together. She’ll bring the truth. He’ll bring the tools. They’ll fix what matters, starting with each other.
When the dust settles and the sirens fade, the fire tower waits over the bend—eye to eye, no kneeling, a future chosen out loud.
Protective, respectful hero
Small-town romantic suspense
Whistleblower heroine
Corruption & conspiracy
Partners-to-lovers
High heat, explicit consent
Found community
Hopeful, hard-won HEA
⚠️ Contains steamy scenes, adult language, and dark themes. For readers 18+