If you like thrillers with a little bit of romance and a lot of mystery then this book is for you. This story takes you into the world of an artist and muse who have secrets they hold. From the beginning we are entered into a world of young love that is forbidden by many men who try to control our lead woman Nik. This story does touch on the fact that she has been abused without being too graphic while the community she lives in turns a blind eye. Her one friend through all this is Leo. Fast forward to them being adults, Nik is apart of the art world in New York as she always dreamed and Leo is now a lawyer helping woman who have been abused. Secrets and mysteries unfold after they run into each other in an alleyway.  We get the POV from both as we the reader try to find the truth in what really happened during the time these two friends were apart. I’m really being vague but to say I was truly into this story from the beginning is an understatement.  

Please be advices of trigger warnings. 

“On June 12th, Nik whispered three words to Leo: 'Close your eyes,’ committing an act so unthinkable for a girl who painted and dreamed up poems. That day, Nik shattered the peace of a small California town. Seemingly gone forever from Leo’s life, Nik left behind only a cryptic notebook with names and dark motives.

Eleven years later, Leo, now a New York lawyer seeking redemption for his past failures, stumbles upon Nik at a mysterious art soirée for a renowned, anonymous artist. He believes she is the muse—the catalyst behind the masterpieces, the famed artist drawing inspiration from her tragic past. Their reunion plunges him into a clandestine world of underground art and shadowy characters, where justice and retribution intertwine.

As Leo delves deeper, he uncovers unsettling connections between Nik's circle and his own cases. When a figure from his past turns up dead, Leo must confront a chilling possibility: are they artists, vigilantes—or something far more sinister?”