** spoiler alert ** Luke and Quinn Rafferty - twins... Luke raised by a loving father on a ranch; Quinn, taken by his drug addict mother from the hospital, and his father could not locate them, abused until at 11 years of age, his mother died and his father was located... and they were united... Quinn, full of anger and fear, and Luke, full of compassion - and there is a connection - and Luke tells him their father doesn't hit (though he did get a spanking when he was 7) and that decent folks do not beat children. Though the two are connected, Quinn is more able to read and feel Luke's emotions - especially when they are apart.

and 21 years later, they are both serving in special services, Luke more as a medic. It serves them both, but for Quinn it is him. When Luke is injured, he leaves the servcie, emotionally wanting more, and physically not up to par, and he goes to medical school and becomes a doctor, 6 years later working in an emergency room. and for the last 6 months, Luke is finding himself attracted to Devon Manning.

Devon, a social worker, joins some of her clients to the emergency room. But Devon has her own history... parents died when young, sent to a selfish aunt, who spent the insurance money, then married a rich man who began to sexually abuse devon.. until at the age of 13, a social worker becomes involved with her and she confides to her what is happening... and when convicted her aunt kicks her out of the house... she lives on the streets, steals, does drugs, and another social worker finds her 2 years later - a drug addict, and helps her connecting her to a couple who adopt her...

And they start out slow, and build... their first semi date, she somewhat jokes about being an addict (to shoes, and whatnot), but sees the truth and starts to withdraw a bit... and when she realizes it, she gets pissed off and tells him off, about not judging what he knows nothing about, and that it was in the past... a week later, and after apologies, they go out on their first official date - and the kissing is quie passionate, but when he pushes a bit further, he correctly reads her reaction and backs off - and gently works her way into her life... and when they finally make love she assures him she is not fragile.

Then behind the scenes she has two men stalkingher - one who wants to hurt Luke through Devon, and one who wants to hurt Devon. Luke is unable to keep her safe, in spite of his best efforts. the one who wants to hurt her is the father of a child beater she is helping - and he strangles her a few times to the point of passing out, and then her other stalker kills him - though as there is no evidence of him, and she doesn't recall, the police believe she killed him in self defense.

Then the other stalker, the CO of Luke and Quinn's unit, who blames Luke for the death and dissolution of their unit, starts to drug Devon when Luke is at work, and planting terrible dreams of Luke who was not Luke toughing her roughly, and when she wakes, there is some evidence that someone was there (her tshirt removed, etc.) and she feels she is going crazy... she asks Luke for some space, and immediately is missing him... then his CO gets even crazier... and Luke starts to suspect his brother Quinn (connecting her dreams, her fear, and sense of wrongnessJ)... and he rushes to her.. the CO wants to tie & drug him, and have him watch as he rapes Devon - and Devon can feel that Quinn has his back - and fights the CO & with Quinn's help, subdues him... and Devon is taken to the hospital, and poked and prodded as they try to determine the extent of her trauma... and Luke is feeling guilty (again) for not protecting her - and Quinn is the voice of reason, though he admits he is straddling the edge himself... and Quinn pushes him into Devon's room, startling her - and as he starts to leave, she reaches out to him, and he goes to her, and she feels safe in his arms...

and when home the nextg day, she insists that Quinn come over - and she greets him as her husband's brother... and Luke is forced to admit why he kept them apart (not wanting Quinn's judgemental tendacies to hurt her) but Quinn is trusting of his brother... ahhhh