Like the sting of a Scorpion, Detective Eliot Scorp Traversini has left a trail of unbearable pain on the flesh of adversaries and on women’s hearts. A man tormented by the sins of his parents and born of violence, he cannot help but see himself as inherently flawed. His friends agree he’s no saint, but there is an intrinsic decency to the guy they describe as a work in progress.

Living a reckless life comes with regrets, and then there is the eternal shame of his childhood. Drowning in liquor and an assortment of women doesn’t erase the past, but it helps to numb it. But being a booze guzzling womanizer is no longer an option when five year old Raine enters his life. His half-sister, a frightened and neglected child, is in desperate need of a hero. Clueless on being a guardian, Scorp seeks out the assistance of his artist neighbor, Quinn Merrick. She’s just as clueless as he is, but she has an innate ability to see the good in him. When his kid sister forms a bond with Quinn, Scorp finds himself drawn to the adorkable, yet mesmerizing woman – a woman who has gone through her own hell. 

When Scorp and Quinn cross the boundaries of friendship, the hidden scars of Scorp’s life slowly seep to the surface and threaten to consume his fragile world. Cutting loose from Quinn might be an act of kindness, but Scorp is no longer alone –inadvertently damaging his sister is now part of the deal.