Society in the city is split between the Upper and the Lower. Elis Scott was an orphaned brat from the Lower, but managed to crawl and fight his way out with the help of a minor slum lord turned entrepreneur. Now Elis is one of Mullen's men, helping those who cannot take their problems to the authorities.
Despite finding his feet, Elis has a secret which threatens all he's achieved. Not only is he attracted to men, something he's tried to repress for years, but he also detests his need to submit. Suppressing his desires, denying who he is, manifests in rage he struggles to control. But his self-denial is rendered pointless when he meets Lord Victor Latham.
Having recently inherited his title after the death of his father, Latham is coerced by his estranged uncle to hire Elis to protect him from possible fortune hunters. Despite his blindness, Latham is stubborn and fiercely independent and rails against the necessity of being guarded. Yet when Elis confides his suspicions about his uncle's true motives, Latham agrees to let Elis look into the matter.
The friction between Elis and Latham is more than their equally obstinate personalities rubbing against one another. It brings out Latham's dominant tendencies, to show Elis how it could be if he gave into his desires. However, old family secrets, outside threats, and Elis's fear of his growing feelings keep them from exploring the true extent of their attraction.
