Break Down — Terri Nolan

The love of Birdie's life, Matt Whelan, is dead. Or at least, everybody thinks he's dead, save for the few people in his life that he trusted, which includes Birdie and her new boyfriend, Detective Ron Hughes. For Birdie's safety, and for his own sake, Matt promised he would stay away ... but he can't.

As Birdie and Ron become closer and move toward a deeper commitment, Matt's influence -- along with complications from old friendships and the lingering investigation into Birdie's abduction -- threaten to sink their relationship and bring back the pain and violence of a past they'd all rather forget.