It’s 1955, Las Vegas is swinging, and David Lonergan has the chance of a lifetime when he accompanies his cousin to be the headlining act at the Thunderbird Casino. A pianist who cut his teeth in the jazz clubs of Chicago, David is a dazzled by the lights, the music, and the “anything goes” attitude of Las Vegas. But he’s not knocked off his feet until he meets Vincent “Shorty” Accardo.<br><br>Vincent is a full-time bodyguard and sometimes hitman for the mob-controlled casino. He doesn’t indulge his interest in men very often, but there’s something different about David from the moment they meet. He’s attracted to David’s talent, his surprising innocence, and his easy smile.<br><br.There are a million reasons to stay away from the young piano player, but Vincent can’t help himself. Even when there are lives at risk.

The Bad and the Beautiful

“Shorty, look, this has all been a big misunderstanding.”


“Has it?” Vince pulled the paper from his jacket pocket and shoved it under the speaker’s nose. “This doesn’t look like a misunderstanding to me, you little bastard.”


Vince cut off the words by shoving the wadded up paper into the man’s mouth, pushing it back to his throat with one hand while holding him against the wall with the other. “What was that?”


His partner danced away, leaving Vince to drive his fist into the tall man’s gut. David winced from the blow, especially when the man seemed to choke on the letter now lodged in his throat. He expected the other one to make a run for it. That would be the smart thing to do. That was certainly what David would do, if he was faced with the wrong side of Vince’s temper.


But the other man wasn’t going anywhere. As Vince threw another punch, a flash of something metallic caught what little light was in the corridor and threw glints onto the walls.


Chapter 12