The story begins with our protagonist, Halo Bay, in a struggle for her life. She has always had bad luck with men, but the violence spills over as she defends herself from her abusive boyfriend of five years. She is forced to kill him in self-defense, but before she is able to incapacitate him, he stabs her in the side. With her adrenaline rush fading, she falls to the floor and starts to lose consciousness. In these final moments she asks for forgiveness, even though she was the one who was attacked. This need to be absolved of her sin will change her life forever. She wakes up in a strange place, darkness and whispers surrounding her. Then the memories flood back, engulfing her senses and bringing her to her knees. She had murdered him…the weight of it all takes her breath away but just as she feels completely overwhelmed a hand reaches out from the darkness and pulls her into the light. It is Gunner, a Roman, a warrior…the first Hellhound. Halo is given two choices. She can either sew her eyes and mouth shut and wander around purgatory forever or follow Gunner to hell and train to defend humanity against the demons who rise. Which will she choose?