In 1858, Kentucky's slave trade was in its darkest days. But Cassius, a young virile black man, has enjoyed a protected existence at Tanglewood. His best friend is John Livingston, an enlightened individual who chose to set up his land as a haven for the enslaved until emancipation could free them.
Their connection is a driving force, a black and white brotherhood that challenges the prejudicial norms of the South. Livingston’s actions stir up the hatred and animosity of other plantation lords. Friend and helper Cassius is also an expert horse trainer, and he plans a victory for John in the annual county horse race. His alarming win reignites the vicious rivalry of neighboring landowners.
Then one terrible night, the hidden secrets of John's greedy wife lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As his life shatters, Cassius plots vengeful murder. He flees rapidly with his pregnant wife, son and father to begin a perilous passage along the Underground Railroad. Having escaped the hangman’s rope he must now outrun bounty hunters as he races northward to freedom. All the way, his soul is screaming “You will not die as a slave. You are free!”
A safe house on the trail hides another traveler. It is his ex-lover, the mother of his son. Cassius is forced to consider now for whom he is willing to fight. His freedom is at stake, sharpened by the painful realization that they are very much alike. He remembers her kiss but forgets she can betray.