Plank and Penance

He came for the truth. The storm trapped them together. Now, survival means facing the real monster.Judson Hale lost five years of his life in a brutal Louisiana prison for a deadly arson he didn't commit. The only reason he was locked away? The damning eyewitness testimony of Ember Sinclair. Upon his release, Judson has one goal: track Ember down to her isolated bayou stilt house and demand the truth.But when a massive hurricane slams into the coast, it cuts off the roads, floods the marsh, and traps them together in the dark. As the storm violently tests the limits of the house, the hostility between them begins to crack. Judson realizes Ember isn't the cold-hearted liar he spent years hating. She is a terrified survivor, hiding from the untouchable local patriarch who forced her to lie under threat of death.As floodwaters rise and the shelter groans under the wind, two former enemies must rely on each other to survive. But the hurricane isn't the only danger. To clear his name and save her life, they have to unearth the evidence Ember buried deep in the mud—before the real killer silences them both for good.Content Warning: This novel contains depictions of domestic violence, coerced testimony, emotional manipulation, psychological abuse, and steamy romantic situations. Intended for mature audiences.