Melanie O'Conner is being released back into society after her arrest seven years ago. Fighting to keep hold over new Helping Hand gangs across the country, she struggles to find the balance between her past and "normal" life.
But transitioning into that new, normal life doesn't come easily. Her friends have gangs of their own, past acquaintances have moved on, and now someone is after her, vowing to kill those she loves so she can watch them die...
Melanie is forced to watch the Helping Hands run into traps, thwarted by abusive parents and thugs wanting money, until they lose sight of what O'Connor has taught them. When Tyler turns away from her, a close friend is murdered, and the Helping Hands are threatened by shadows lurking in the night, Melanie must make a decision - give up her project and save her friends, or embrace her past, and fight to the death.
