She is headstrong and feisty, but when her fatherly friend, mentor, and reverend suddenly gets transferred, her life becomes a nightmare. Ready to be put into her father's will and take over his ranch, Hazel Buchannon learns that she can't inherit anything because she is a woman. Not willing to accept such unfairness, she starts to fight back and is determined to change the law. When a younger clergyman replaces Reverend Robert Mitchell, things change drastically in Willamette Falls. Hazel, who always felt safe and protected on her father's ranch and their small town, is now subject to threats, attacks, and several kidnapping attempts. Someone is trying hard to get to her mentally and break her happy spirit. The tormenting seems to be working because fear is now her constant companion. What seems to be an unstoppable, new, evil epidemic is spreading across the country. Abusive Husbands and fathers sell their wives and daughters, and women and children as young as fourteen disappear from their towns and homes. The men in Hazel's life do everything they can to keep her safe, but the threat seems to be everywhere. Love is the last thing on her mind, yet her heart appears to be a lost cause when she falls for one of the incredible men trying to protect her. When Hazel finds herself yet again in an attempted kidnapping situation and ends up being choked to nearly unconsciousness, she realizes how serious this threat is and that she is one of the many targets.