2089. United Republic of Globalist America. One settlement beyond the Republic's grace. Duncan Gates pilots his geldings through a fractured landscape of forgotten highways and tent cities, delivering more than parcels—rumors of uprising, slivers of hope. Wolf Crossing, a rogue haven built from fairground bones, is his reluctant home. Here, Rachel Dixon reigns over the Trading Post, bartering survival in a barn that once judged cows and cucumbers. But the Republic's shadow looms: civil patrolman Evan Knotts enforces edicts with a flirtatious sneer, his eyes fixed on Rachel and her elusive brother Trey. Spring brings nomads—and trouble. A concealed note from diner waitress Dove Spurling unveils infiltrators in their midst. As Knotts hunts Trey's ties to the mythical Resistance, Duncan and Rachel's simmering bond ignites into dangerous action. Tag cards track every trade, spies lurk in oil-lamp glow, and banishment strikes like midnight thunder. When a messenger's cargo unmasks a purge of unsanctioned outposts, loyalty fractures: a sawmill owner barters lives for favors, a seamstress weaves secrets into cloth. In this pressure-cooker of dystopian dread, Wolf Crossing delivers a gritty saga of defiance. Duncan risks his drifter's detachment for a cause that could claim him. Rachel sacrifices her empire of independence to protect what she's built. And in a republic where words are weapons, one wrong whisper could raze it all. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Road—a tale of human frailty, forged alliances, and the brutal cost of freedom.

A grieving widow infiltrates a powerful mafia syndicate by agreeing to an arranged marriage with its heir, plotting to avenge her husband's murder—until she uncovers that her new husband is innocent and their sizzling chemistry turns her vendetta into an all-consuming love that could destroy them both.