Lieutenant Brice Levski commands his Mounty deputies with aloof precision. It's the only way to keep citizens in his corner of the universe safe. When one of his best deputies falls victim to the latest nano-silver tech, all his cool reserve and control is flushed out the space hatch.

Deputy Olivia Celeston dedicates her life to taking down the corrupt, the rich and powerful. After all, they defy the rules the most—that includes her Lieutenant, even if she hasn't found the dirt on him yet.

Accidentally infected with the countdown bug during a bust, Livy gets her shot to work closely with Brice and finally see what makes him tick. If the countdown doesn't kill her first. Or the wild and remote planet Coil, with its deadly volcanoes. Or the drug dealers responsible for tying her life to Brice—unable to be more than a few feet away from him without a painful death.

All that wouldn't be a problem, if being close didn't send them both molten, and the countdown of Livy's life wasn't winding down as fast as their waning control.