For Ian Mallory, life as he knew it ended the day his wife was murdered, in an attack that sent him into a coma. Three years later, he's woken up, with the bullet still lodged inside his brain. Any attempt to remove it will kill him, but that isn't all: because of the bullet, he feels emotions several hours after they occur. An affliction that may be a gift—at least in the eyes of the NSA.

Ian Mallory has a rare condition that keeps him from feeling his emotions right away. He's able to keep his cool in situations that would make other men panic, which came in handy when he needed to help his step-daughter cover up a murder. Now, the NSA thinks Ian's services would be useful in neutralizing an operative who's outgrown his usefulness, and they're not leaving Ian any choice. The only detail to be worked out is what exactly they mean by "neutralize."

Ian Mallory lives anything but a boring life. He lost his first wife to a bullet that's now stuck in his brain, and when his second wife's step-daughter stabbed a classmate, it was up to him to get rid of the body. This is no secret for the NSA, which has blackmailed Ian into working for them. Thrust into the midst of secret agents, dirty lawyers, mobsters, and former Navy SEALs hell-bent on attacking their homeland, Ian will stay calm, cool, and collected through it all, thanks to that 9mm slug lodged in his brain that short-circuited his emotions.