Marietta Collins, a former nun, becomes enmeshed in the tragedy of a brutal murder. Marietta, now the head of a youth drug rehab center, is dedicated to ridding the community of the growing criminal element. The victim of a suspected mafia hit was her friend Joseph Gleason who was a drug informant. During the course of the investigation, she meets the victim's brother, FBI assistant director Raymond Gleason. There's an instant attraction between the two. He becomes her first lover and their romance blossoms into a deep love for each other. Raymond gives FBI agent Jerry Young, who is also his best friend, the responsibility of investigating the murder and hunting down the mafia's kingpin. Marietta and Jerry have a brief clandestine affair that they are both later sorry for. Jerry, haunted by his guilt for his violent past, turns to his childhood mentor, a mysterious Cherokee shaman to save him from the burning fires of lust and his desire for vengeance.

Also involved in the search for the murderer is Detective Riley, a tough, trash-talking female cop, formerly with the NYPD. She discovers that her new boss Sgt. Sorrento is on the take from the mob. Other minor characters help tell this gripping story.

This is an action-packed mystery and love story that also examines the conflicted emotions of the characters as they try to make sense of their lives through the web of crime, darkness, and light.