Tess was only eighteen when she married Jim Beckett, a decorated police officer. Having grown up in an abusive household, she thought she'd found her savior in Jim. But he quickly showed a dark, controlling side and an explosive rage that, unbeknownst to Tess, resulted in his committing multiple murders. When Tess finally put the pieces together, she helped the police capture Jim. But now two y ears later, he's escaped from prison, and Tess knows he's going after her.Tess isn't about to sit still and be turned into a victim once more. Leaving her daughter in the protective custody of the police, she travels to Arizona where she intends to hire the infamous mercenary J.T. Dillon to teach her how to protect herself. J.T. has had enough of life, having lost too many of his personal battles, and is content is drink himself into oblivion. But Tess refuses to go away, and J.T. realizes that she's his one chance to redeem himself.Meanwhile, the police are on a manhunt for Jim, who has started killing again. Finally, everyone realizes that the only way to capture the elusive Jim is to set Tess up as a bait, leading to a breath-stealing climax.