Steely Paupher grew up an only child in a loving family in Houston. Her rather ordinary life is turned upside down in eighth grade when her father is tragically killed. Her mother is so traumatized by the loss that she falls into debilitating depression. With her mother unable to support the family, and the family bank account emptied the week before her father died, Steely searches for a job and the truth about what really happened to her father. Her pursuit takes her into the underworld of illegal narcotics and human trafficking, which is only the beginning of her troubles. 

After another traumatic event, Steely goes to college and spends her first semester in a homeless shelter where she is one of the few without a monitoring device strapped around their leg. As a junior, Steely meets David Hunter, the handsome scion of a wealthy family involved in the oil industry. The two marry, but there is something wrong with the Hunter family and their company. Steely is suddenly entangled in the near collapse of a billion dollar business with her mother-in-law, Beatrice Hunter who considers Steely “barely kin” and is doing her best to run her off.

Steely’s long time friend, Nick Dichiara is an executive at the Hunter company with a vigilante tendency. He is willing to risk his career and life to catch those responsible for the havoc and destruction. His junkyard dog approach sends shockwaves throughout the organization prompting Steely to make the ultimate move to tangle with one of the most sought after sociopaths in all of Texas.