After a seven-year absence, Mark Talbot returns to the Dakota Territory looking for a little peace and quiet. But peace isn't what he finds: Greedy landholder King Magnussen wants complete control of the Bench, a fertile and prosperous region in the Dakota Territory. And Magnussen always gets what he wants. When Talbot meets beautiful young Suzanne, King's beloved daughter, he learns quickly that Suzanne always gets what she wants, too—and what she wants is Talbot. Then there's Jacy Kingcaid, the little girl next door, who has grown into a stunning strong-willed woman, fighting against King and his thugs to protect the Dakota Territory from becoming Dakota Kill.