Logline

A male librarian wreaks havoc on a woman and her daughter when he decides he wants to be a permanent part of their family. 

Erin wants to move on with her life after a bitter divorce from her husband Jason. She has majority custody of their daughter Cienna and hasn’t even thought about dating in the two years following the end of her marriage. While at the local library to find Cienna a book, Erin meets Derek, classic librarian with the intellectual appearance. Derek has an instant attraction to Erin and offers a little flirtation. In order to make sure he sees her again, Derek purposely withholds Cienna’s library card so he can stop by their house later to return it.

When Derek interrupts dinner, Erin invites him to stay. Cienna has an instant dislike for the man, while Erin finds herself drawn to him. Their relationship evolves slowly. When Jason comes to pick up Cienna for the weekend, Derek finds himself hating the man who is disrespectful to Erin. He also feels Erin would be better off with Jason out of the picture so she would have full custody of her daughter.

At Jason’s house after he returns Cienna back to her mom, Derek catches Jason in his back yard and whacks him with a tire iron. He steals his wallet to make it look like a robbery. Erin receives the devastating news from a detective when he questions her as a suspect. She tells her daughter, the revelation breaking Cienna’s heart. Derek wants to be there for them but Erin brushes him off. She needs to spend some alone time with Cienna.

Derek takes the rejection personally and gets a whole makeover that makes him into a stud so he can rub his dashing good looks into Erin’s face. While Cienna spends some time with Jason’s parents, Derek creates a fake school ID for Cienna and tells Erin he found it at the library. He has murdered the head librarian for always being on his back and now gets promoted to her job. He uses the found ID as an excuse to stop by and bring dinner to celebrate. The couple has a steamy evening until Erin talks to Cienna and learns she doesn’t have a school ID. When Erin confronts Derek, he says it’s Cienna who lies because she hates him.

Erin thinks that’s possible. To be sure, she talks to the office at the school, where she is told there isn’t a school ID for students. Erin now realizes Derek has been lying to her about numerous things and knows she must break up with him. She feels he’s becoming unstable, however, so she needs to let him down easy. When he stops by her house after Erin has ignored his texts and cals all day, Erin speaks to him privately while Cienna eats. Derek uses chloroform on her, then on Cienna. Erin wakes up inside Derek’s trunk, tied and gagged. Cienna still sleeps next to her.

Derek has rented a farmhouse where he chains the girls to a column inside. He makes them dress like they live in the 50s as a lesson in respect. When Derek meets his new assistant, he decides he would rather be with her and tries to kill Erin. She fights fiercely for her daughter’s sake and kills him instead.