Daughter of a cold, controlling mother, Elizabeth Fitch finally lets loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town. A freelance security systems designer, her own protection is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. The mystery of Abigail Lowery and her sharp mind, secretive nature, and unromantic viewpoint intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason. And while he suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, Gleason is accustomed to two-bit troublemakers, not the powerful and dangerous men who are about to have him in their sights.