"I wish to God you were dead." Little did Ellie Chase know those would be the last words she ever spoke to her estranged mother. When Martha's body was found the next morning, all eyes were on Ellie… who couldn't remember what she'd done that night. So when Tommy Maricci–the man she refused to let herself love– came to her rescue, she couldn't say no.Tommy believed in his former girlfriend's innocence–no matter how damning the evidence against her was. She may have broken his heart, but he took her into his home for protection. Because if Ellie wasn't the killer, someone had set her up. And Tommy refused to let anyone hurt the woman he loved.