Apart - Pastore C.J.

Growing up is hard. No one knows that better than Alicia Cesare.

As a child, Alicia struggled to free herself from the cloying shadow of her mother's depression and the overprotectiveness of a meddlesome family. With a top-selling fashion design and a passionate relationship with New York City real estate mogul Chase Reardon blossoming, being an adult isn't so bad . . . until she's viciously attacked by a Russian drug lord out for the blood of anyone that matters to Chase.

Now, under constant surveillance from family or a team of former special-ops Marines, Alicia remains determined to maintain her freedom and grow her brand. This does not sit well with Chase who sees Alicia's behavior as reckless and as much of a threat to her safety as the vicious gangster himself.

Chase thought his service to the United States ended, but when he's called to duty, he readily responds. What's meant to be a simple mission unravels into a dangerous separation for both.

Nothing could have prepared Alicia for what was to follow.

Trapped in a web of lethal reprisals and on her own for the first time, Alicia struggles to protect herself and those she loves while balancing independence and the transcendent force of unconditional love.