The real danger is right in their backyard.

It’s nearly Christmas in Willow Haven, North Carolina. Garlands are hung, lights are twinkling, and carols are playing in shops and on street corners. But Max Talbot and Mike Carter aren’t feeling the holiday spirit.

Max is struggling with grief, guilt, and the desire for revenge. He’s good at pasting on a smile and pretending, but doing that is starting to choke him. A dark cloud has enveloped every corner of his life—including his relationship with Carter.

Carter is just trying to keep his head above water. All he wants is to help Max through his pain and get Joey back on steady ground, but everything he does seems to make matters worse. He’s sinking fast and doesn’t know how much more he can take.

When Flynn O’Malley is murdered, Joey Carter tops the police’s suspect list. Max and Carter enlist the help of Spade & Katz to prove the Appalachian Order is behind the murder.

But as they work to clear Joey’s name, the question continues to loom in the air: What if he did it?