Things We Left Behind: The Complete Guide to Lucy Score's Knockemout Series Finale

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Quick Facts

| Author | Lucy Score | | Series | Knockemout (Book 3) | | Publication Year | 2023 | | Genre | Contemporary romance with romantic suspense and small-town elements | | Setting | Knockemout, Virginia, with scenes in Washington, D.C. | | Narrator | Third-person limited, alternating between Sloane Walton and Lucian Rollins |

Short Summary

Librarian Sloane Walton is reeling from her father’s death when her childhood neighbor and longtime nemesis, billionaire Lucian Rollins, re-enters her life. As they reluctantly work together to free an unjustly imprisoned woman, old wounds and a blazing attraction resurface. Meanwhile, Lucian secretly aids the FBI against a crime boss, and a series of escalating threats force the couple to confront their traumatic past. In a story about grief, justice, and found family, Sloane and Lucian must learn to trust each other—and themselves—before it’s too late.

Full Summary

The novel opens at Simon Walton’s funeral, where Sloane tries to hold her family together. Lucian Rollins, the wealthy and guarded man next door, appears and offers her his coat and a breakfast burrito, hinting at a hidden history. The first few chapters establish Sloane’s grief, her close-knit group of friends (Naomi, Lina, Knox, Nash), and the mystery of why her mother thanked Lucian at the funeral. Lucian is also dealing with the death of the man who was like a father to him, and he receives Simon’s final text asking him to protect his daughters. He is simultaneously working with the FBI to take down crime boss Anthony Hugo.

Through flashbacks to their teenage years, we learn the source of their conflict. Seventeen-year-old Lucian would escape his abusive father by climbing a cherry tree into Sloane’s bedroom, where they shared peaceful moments listening to Shania Twain. But when Sloane called the police during a violent attack, Lucian was arrested instead of his father—a betrayal he still cannot forgive. Sloane later broke her wrist trying to gather evidence, but the damage was done.

Back in the present, Sloane discovers a case that her father had been investigating: Mary Louise Upshaw, a mother serving 20 years for protecting her son. Sloane becomes obsessed with freeing her, and Lucian leverages his legal contacts to help. Despite their animosity, the two strike a truce for the sake of their friends. Their forced proximity leads to a volatile physical affair, which they both insist is temporary.

As the threats escalate—dead rats on Sloane’s porch, a masked attacker in a parking lot, and finally an arson fire at her beloved library—Lucian realizes that pushing Sloane away is not protecting her. He moves into her home, installs security, and declares they are together. Meanwhile, he reveals that his previous dates with other women were decoys to keep Hugo from targeting her.

The villains converge when former police chief Wylie Ogden, who has been corrupt for decades, murders Judge Atkins and attempts to kill Sloane. In a tense confrontation at her childhood home, Lucian subdues Wylie but chooses not to kill him, proving he is not like his father. Wylie is arrested, and the FBI also arrests Anthony Hugo.

With the threats gone, Lucian undergoes a vasectomy reversal to show Sloane he wants children. He proposes by burying her porch in cherry blossoms while the Morgan brothers blast Shania Twain. They marry on Christmas Eve, and Lucian establishes the Simon Walton Foundation in her father’s honor. An angel ornament resembling Simon appears mysteriously on the porch tree.

Ten years later, in the bonus epilogue, Lucian and Sloane host a huge Christmas Eve dinner. Their home is filled with adopted and biological children, including their first grandchild. The cherry tree still stands, and Lucian reflects on the life Sloane gave him—a family he never thought he deserved.

Main Characters

• Sloane Walton – Determined librarian and library director, grieving her father while fighting for justice. She must learn to trust Lucian despite their painful history.
• Lucian Rollins – Guarded CEO secretly working with the FBI. He hides a traumatic childhood and a decades-long love for Sloane, believing he is too damaged for happiness.
• Knox Morgan – Owner of Hellhound, Sloane’s protective older brother-figure who tries to mediate between her and Lucian.
• Nash Morgan – Police chief and Knox’s brother, targeted by corrupt officers linked to the Hugo crime ring.
• Lina Solavita – Sloane’s best friend, a lawyer who works for Lucian’s firm and later marries Nash.
• Naomi Morgan – Knox’s wife, a supportive presence who helps manage the group’s legal aid efforts.

Themes

• Grief and Healing – Sloane grapples with losing her father, while Lucian buries his childhood pain; mutual support allows them to heal.
• Justice and Injustice – Mary Louise’s unfair sentence, corrupt Judge Atkins, and Wylie Ogden’s cover-ups highlight systemic failures.
• Trust and Vulnerability – Lucian and Sloane must overcome the betrayal of the 911 call to trust each other with their deepest fears.
• Found Family – The tight-knit Knockemout group stands in for absent or abusive biological families.
• Redemption – Lucian seeks redemption by helping the Waltons and taking down Hugo; Sloane seeks forgiveness for her role in his arrest.

Symbols

• Cherry Tree – Connects Sloane’s window to Lucian’s childhood home, representing secret meetings and escape; later used in his proposal.
• Shania Twain – Her music serves as an emotional touchstone for their relationship, from a vulnerable night in Sloane’s room to the Morgan brothers’ antics during the proposal.
• The Fence – Physically symbolizes the boundary between safety and abuse, and the obstacle Lucian feels separates him from Sloane.
• Library – Sloane’s sanctuary and professional pride; its destruction by arson forces her to accept help and confront danger.

Ending Overview

After Wylie Ogden’s capture, Sloane and Lucian finally commit to each other. Lucian reverses his vasectomy, proposes with a cherry-blossom-covered porch, and they marry on Christmas Eve. The wedding includes a wink from a mysterious angel ornament that looks like Simon. In the bonus epilogue, set ten years later, they have a large, happy family with both biological and adopted children, and Lucian holds his first grandchild—a life he never thought possible.

For a deeper look at the ending, visit our ending explained page.

Chapter-by-Chapter Table

Common Questions and Answers

1. What is Things We Left Behind about? It is the third and final book in the Knockemout series, following librarian Sloane Walton and billionaire Lucian Rollins as they confront their traumatic past, fight for justice for an incarcerated woman, and fall in love amid threats from a crime boss.

2. Do I need to read the first two books? While the story stands alone, reading Things We Never Got Over and Things We Hide from the Light provides background on the supporting characters (Knox/Naomi, Nash/Lina) and the town’s dynamics.

3. Does the book have a happy ending? Yes. Sloane and Lucian marry, and the bonus epilogue shows them with a large, happy family ten years later.

4. What is the significance of the cherry tree? The cherry tree between their childhood homes was Lucian’s escape route to Sloane’s window. It symbolizes their secret bond, his need for safety, and later his love—he covers her porch with blossoms when he proposes.

5. Who is Mary Louise Upshaw? She is a woman serving a 20-year sentence for drug possession after pleading guilty to protect her teenage son. Sloane and Lucian work with an attorney to overturn her unjust sentence.

6. What happened between Sloane and Lucian in the past? When they were teenagers, Lucian’s abusive father attacked his mother with a knife. Lucian fought back, and Sloane called 911, but the corrupt police chief arrested Lucian instead. Sloane later broke her wrist trying to record evidence, but Lucian spent six days in jail and never forgave her for the betrayal.

7. Who is the main villain? Former police chief Wylie Ogden, who has been corrupt for decades. He framed Nash, murdered contractor Tate Dilton, burned Sloane’s library, and tried to kill her. The crime boss Anthony Hugo is a secondary antagonist.

8. How does the series end overall? The series concludes with all three couples married and thriving. The bonus epilogue shows Lucian and Sloane’s large, blended family celebrating Christmas, with Lucian holding his first grandchild—a powerful symbol of healing and found family.

Further Reading

Dive deeper into the world of Knockemout with these resources:

• Characters: Explore detailed profiles of Sloane Walton, Lucian Rollins, and the full cast.
• Themes: Learn more about grief and healing, justice and injustice, and trust and vulnerability.
• Symbols: Understand the meaning of the cherry tree, Shania Twain, and other motifs.
• Ending: Read a full analysis of the ending explained.
• Questions: Browse more questions and answers about the plot.
• Testing: Take a quiz to test your knowledge.
• Writing: Find essay prompts for deeper exploration.