In a city that wants to break him, his only hope is the one person he’s supposed to fear. Sixteen-year-old Daniel Layman is a target. Ever since he came out, his life in Oklahoma City has become a daily battle for survival. With his best friend and protector gone to LA, Daniel is navigating a gauntlet of schoolyard bullies and a five-mile walk through the most dangerous streets in the city. And when he finally reaches home? He’s met with the aggressive men his mother cycles through her bedroom. He’s alone. He’s exhausted. And he’s one wrong turn away from a dead end. Ethan Miller is a weapon. But for Daniel, he might be a shield. Seventeen-year-old Ethan has been a soldier in one of the city’s most violent gangs since he escaped the foster care system as a child. He knows the rules of the pavement: don't get involved, don't show weakness, and never look back. But when Daniel accidentally wanders into the crossfire of a brutal turf war, Ethan doesn't see a witness—he sees a boy who’s been pushed too far. Against every instinct, Ethan steps in. What starts as a rescue mission turns into a dangerous obsession. As Ethan pulls Daniel into his world of shadows, he realizes that Daniel isn't just running from bullies—he’s drowning in a life he can’t escape. Now, Ethan must decide if he can be the man Daniel needs, or if his own violent world will swallow them both whole. Two boys from different worlds. One choice to survive. Will their love be a sanctuary, or a death sentence?
