Widowed with three sons, Serena Watson, nee Lawrence, married the man that helped her put her life back together again: Elmer Carr-Hardwood. He was her knight in shining armour, her guide when she was lost and the light in the darkness of the loss of her high school sweetheart. Elmer was the perfect stepdad, having two sons of his own. Little league baseball games, he was there. Telling them stories about their father, Elmer sung his praises. Uniting the family with marriage and smoothly stepping into a hard role to fill - no complaints from Detective Carr-Hardwood, now Chief of Police. Everything changed when the knot was tied. Sweet, charismatic Elmer became what he had managed to hide during the brief, whirlwind courtship: a violent temper and manipulative mind. Ten years into the blended family this cops kids range from scrappy juvenile delinquents to brilliant masterminds. Who is the real villain when all the secrets are revealed? Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, physical abuse *writing this unplotted book to get over writers block* Started: September 25, 2023 Finished: October 30, 2023 Word count: 31,900