Introduction

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca's parents have the final say.

Four years later, Rebecca's attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.

It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom.

Includes a reading group guide.

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Zach  Bridger’s  life  was  upended  while  in  the  Cayman Islands, sitting at the pool bar, sipping a cold beer, and chillin’ to Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”
It was only eight-thirty in the morning, but his date-of-the-week had wanted to claim an ideal spot for sunbathing the day away, so she’d dragged him out of bed early. Other guests at the swanky resort must’ve been of the same mind. A line had formed for the breakfast buffet at the open-air restaurant, and the bar itself was doing a lively business. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

Questions from the publisher:

1. Despite their split, Zach and Rebecca were rarely mentioned in the media without the other. Zach despised this, calling it “the price of fame.” Do you agree that, in exchange for celebrity, people in the public eye should expect their lives to be put on display? Why or why not?

2. Zach is shocked to learn that, despite their divorce, Rebecca never rescinded his medical power of attorney over her—that the matter of her life support fell to him. Upon Rebecca’s hospitalization, however, he immediately cedes this responsibility to her parents. Did you agree with Zach’s decision here? Do you think you would have behaved similarly, had you been in his position?

3. When Zach first meets Kate, he assumes she’s trying to poach his scenic property and rips her legal documents in half. Have you ever similarly misread a situation upon meeting someone—and reacted in a way you regretted? How was the misunderstanding ultimately resolved?

4. Zach recognizes that the burden of Rebecca’s condition is a heavy one to bear, especially when he learns that Doug, Rebecca’s father, carries the burden alone after Mary passes away: “Four years is a long time for a loved one to be in the shape Rebecca is.” Have you ever acted as a caregiver for a family member? What, in your opinion, does it take to maintain hope and resilience in this kind of situation?

5. Deputy sheriff Dave Morris tells Kate that he has a hard time working up a “bleeding heart” for Zach, despite the difficulties he has experienced in life, like Rebecca’s situation, the loss of his parents, and the end of his athletic career. Do you think it’s true that people have a harder time summoning sympathy for people who are perceived to be “privileged”? Did you relate to Dave’s stance here, or were you horrified by his remark?

6. Zach is presented with an impossible decision: bring Eban Clarke to justice by ending Rebecca’s life, or do nothing, and let a violent assailant walk free. If Kate had presented you with this choice, what would you have done?

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