Things We Left Behind (2023) is a New York Times bestseller and the third installment in the Knockemout series—an adult contemporary romance series by Lucy Score. Although each installment can be read as a stand-alone romance, an overarching plot spans all three books. This installment alternates between the first-person narration of protagonists Lucian Rollins and Sloane Walton as they overcome their pasts and pursue a romantic relationship. Meanwhile they must also navigate the machinations of Anthony Hugo, the crime boss who previously threatened the lives of their friends.

This guide refers to the Kindle edition published by That’s What She Said Publishing in 2023.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of domestic abuse and contains explicit sexual content.

Plot Summary

Sloane attends the funeral of her father, Simon Walton, along with her mother and sister, and her friends, Knox and Nash Morgan alongside their respective partners, Naomi and Lina. Sloane’s ex-childhood friend, Lucian Rollins, also makes an unwanted appearance.

Twenty-two years ago, Sloane broke her promise to Lucian and called the police on his abusive father, Ansel, when the man attacked his wife, Kayla, and Lucian himself with a knife. Wylie Ogden—the corrupt local police chief who was also a friend of Ansel—wrongfully imprisoned Lucian for a week after claiming that he attacked his parents unprovoked. To clear Lucian’s name, Sloane filmed the next incident of domestic abuse, in which Ansel became violent with Kayla. However, Ansel caught Sloane in the midst of this attempt and broke her wrist. Although Ansel was arrested and Lucian was released from prison, Lucian has held a grudge against Sloane for her interference ever since. Despite their falling out and mutual hatred, Lucian has remained close with Sloane’s parents, whom he loves as his own. Unbeknownst to Sloane, Lucian also pays for her parents’ apartment in Washington, DC, attends weekly dinners with her mother, and has even bankrolled her father’s cancer treatments.

A highly successful businessman, Lucian Rollins is now the wealthy owner of Rollins Consulting, the purpose of which is to support morally just politicians and to help remove corrupt politicians from office. Lucian has returned to Knockemout sell his childhood home, which is adjacent to Sloane’s. Meanwhile, he plans to continue his work at Rollins Consulting while helping the FBI to take down the notorious crime boss, Anthony Hugo, who has been involved in several illegal activities—one of which was ordering the assassination of a long list of law enforcement officers, including Lucian’s friend, Nash Morgan.

The death of Sloane’s father has prompted her to reevaluate her life. She wants to find a partner and build the large family that Simon always hoped she would have, and she also wants to continue his legacy for helping those in need. Shortly after her father’s funeral, Sloane receives a visit from a law student named Allen Upshaw. When Allen encountered some legal trouble in the past, Simon helped him to reclaim his life. Now, Allen plans to use his law career to free his mother, Mary Louise, from an unjust 20-year prison sentence. Sloane, Lina, and Naomi form a legal aid initiative to fund the legal costs necessary to take on Mary Louise’s case and fight for an appeal.

One day, while going dress shopping in Washington, DC, for Lina’s upcoming marriage to Nash, Sloane and Naomi stop by Rollins Consulting to tour Lina’s new workplace, as she has recently accepted a generous job offer from Lucian. At the office, Lucian and Sloane cross paths in private, and their barbed insults and forced proximity foster an impulsive heated attraction that is interrupted by his secretary. Bothered by the emotions he feels when Sloane is near, Lucian visits his friend and former therapist, Emry, who suggests that he pursue these feelings. Lucian instead decides that a one-night stand with Sloane might curb his sexual urges and permanently eliminate his attraction to her.

Sloane also finds herself plagued with thoughts of Lucian. Later, they are once again subjected to each other’s company when their mutual friends invite them to a dinner party. After an embarrassing fight at the dinner table, Lucian and Sloane agree to behave cordially while their friends are present.

Sloane’s friends create an online dating profile for her to aid in her search for a husband. Sloane mentions to Naomi and Lina that she wants to visit Mary Louise in prison to learn more about her case. Unwilling to let Sloane go into a prison alone, Lucian accompanies her. They learn that Mary Louise was unaware that Allen—who was 15 at the time of her arrest—was using her car for drug deals in a misguided attempt to relieve her financial burdens. When she got pulled over for a burnt-out headlight, marijuana was found in her car. She pled guilty to preserve Allen’s bright future, and although she was booked as a first-time offender, a judge named Dirk Atkins sentenced her to 20 years in prison. Hearing this, Sloane decides to advocate for Mary Louise, and Lucian offers his legal resources.

Sloane goes on a date with a man named Massimo after the prison visit, but he bears no resemblance to his online profile, and the date is a disaster. After texting to check in with Sloane, Lucian arrives to rid her of Massimo, and he and Sloane have lunch instead. When he receives a call, Sloane realizes that he is working the highly dangerous Anthony Hugo case with the FBI. She worries over his safety. Later, Lucian’s security detail notifies him that a few of Hugo’s henchman ran his assistant off the road earlier that day. Lucian tracks the license plate numbers to find the henchmen’s vehicle and sets fire to it in order to send a message to Hugo. Lucian texts Sloane later in the evening with contact information for his trusted legal attorney, whom he believes can help with Mary Louise’s case. They text back and forth, but when their conversation becomes too intimate, Lucian insults Sloane to reestablish their mutual animosity.

Later, he takes steps to repair their relationship, encouraging her to share the horror stories from her latest blind dates. In the ensuing discussion, Sloane learns that Lucian’s father died over six months ago. She is angry that his father didn’t suffer longer in prison. She blames Ansel for ruining her relationship with Lucian, but Lucian continues to blame her. Once again, the attempt at conversation fails, and the pair reconfirm their mutual hatred.

As time goes on, Lucian follows more leads on the Hugo case but comes up empty-handed. He returns to one of the hotels he owns and has a drink at the bar, where he notices Sloane surrounded by men and looking for a casual hook-up. He becomes jealous and offers himself as an option, still believing that a one-night stand with Sloane will put an end to his feelings for her. Instead, they carry on their sexual affairs in secret for weeks. During this time, Lucian admits to providing the condo for Sloane’s parents and to going on weekly dinners with Sloane’s mother to keep an eye on her mental health. Slowly, Sloane and Lucian grow closer.

Sloane continues to work on Mary Louise’s case alongside Fran Vereen, the lawyer that Lucian provided. Sloane agrees to many media interviews to stir up public support for Mary Louise’s appeal. As a result, she soon begins receiving threats, such as a note to “stop digging” in her library drop box and a pile of dead rats on her front doorstep. Lucian blames himself, believing that digging into the Hugo case has put Sloane in the crime boss’s crosshairs. Shortly after their friends discover their secret trysts, Lucian abruptly ends things with Sloane for her own protection. She is hurt by his decision and refuses to answer his texts over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Lucian’s mother, Kayla, reveals that she is seeing someone romantically. Lucian becomes increasingly irritable over the next few weeks as he witnesses Sloane’s return to the dating scene.

One night after a date, Sloane is threatened by a man in a black ski mask, who warns her to leave Mary Louise’s case alone. In prison, Mary Louise suffers a beating from another prisoner and urges Sloane to drop the case as well. Not long afterward, Sloane’s library is set on fire while she is still in the building. Lucian is informed, and he realizes that the threats against Sloane have come not from his interest in the Hugo case, but from her own interest in Mary Louise’s case. Lucian returns to his hometown of Knockemout and vows never to leave Sloane again. He admits to loving Sloane and is committed to pursuing a relationship with her, but she resists the idea.

Determined to prove himself to her, Lucian moves in and installs new security around her home. He even orchestrates a dinner with her family and announces that he is dating Sloane. Nearly a week later, Sloane agrees to have dinner with Lucian’s mother and her new boyfriend, who happens to be the crime boss, Anthony Hugo. He gives Lucian 48 hours to drop his case and deliver all the evidence he’s compiled against Hugo, or else he’ll begin killing everyone Lucian loves. Lucian gathers his security team to take Anthony Hugo down in the next 48 hours. Sloane discovers that Mary Louise’s case is connected to Hugo; he owns the prison she was first detained in and makes illegal profit off it and many other similar facilities. The evidence is enough to successfully imprison Hugo. In the aftermath, Sloane and Lucian finally face their past and work through their issues. Lucian proposes to Sloane, who accepts.

On the day of Lina’s wedding rehearsal, Wylie Ogden and judge Dirk Atkins pay a visit to Sloane’s home, armed with guns. Sloane discovers that the judge, Dirk Atkins, was routinely bribed by Hugo to assign prisoners to his private prisons. She also discovers that Wylie—angered that Nash has replaced him as police chief—is the person responsible for placing Nash’s name on Hugo’s law enforcement hit list. Wylie murders Atkins to protect himself and chases Sloane upstairs. Lucian has already arrived; upon hearing the gunshots, he climbed the tree to Sloane’s window. Sloane escapes while Lucian incapacitates Wylie. Wylie is taken into custody, and the evidence of Judge Atkin’s dealings with Hugo are enough proof to release Mary Louise from prison. Nash and Lina happily wed, and Sloane and Lucian have a Christmas Eve wedding months later.