To stave off another beating from her abusive father who has arranged for her to marry a man she does not know, Rayne Matthews lashes back with the first thing her hand clutches—a brass paper weight. Seeing her father's lifeless body splayed on the floor, she flees from the only home she has known. Disguised as a young man, Rayne makes her way west. Her eyes constantly looking behind her for the dust of a posse she fears is coming after her, and heads north toward Wisconsin and the Aunt and Uncle that she knows will welcome her. When Rayne reaches her destination, Emma, a young woman drawn into the slavery of prostitution, captivates her. Can Rayne temper her volatile ways with love or will her past finally catch up with her?