The rules were simple: Guard him. Don’t touch. And don’t ever fall in love… He broke them all.

Intervening to stop a brutal assault, former Army reservist Dashiell Slater finds himself hauled up in front of Frankie Haynes, one of London’s most vicious crime bosses. The last thing Dashiell’s expecting is to be offered a job protecting the young man he’s just saved. It’s easy money and Dashiell’s tempted. He needs the work, but the danger is undeniable. Because the job comes with a catch. Billy isn't just any assignment. He's Frankie’s jealously guarded kept boy, and his most prized possession.

Billy Grace knows only fear and control. Trapped in a gilded cage by a man who deals in violence, he's learnt to keep his head down and his dreams buried deep. Yet Dashiell’s care, compassion, and fierce protectiveness dares Billy to imagine a different life, one where he’s free to love a man who will cherish and protect, not control or hurt him. As their forbidden, secret affair deepens, Dashiell and Billy know one wrong word, one stolen touch, or one misstep will have deadly consequences.

With danger around every corner, and Frankie’s mounting suspicions, time’s running out for Dashiell and Billy. Their only option is escape, but it might already be too late.