From the author of Jaxon with an X and Sour Notes , comes a vivid, atmospheric noir tale of a seedy underworld brought to life. Suburban executive Preston Westbrook decides his wife must die, but he can't do the deed himself. He asks high-end prostitute, Sable Dusk, if she knows of a hitman who can deliver him from a costly divorce and career-ending scandal. Bruiser is six-foot-four, 250 pounds of tattooed muscle wrapped in leather. With his scarred knuckles and Harley-riding persona, he's perfect for the job. Preston and Bruiser enter a dance of negotiation—first a phone call, then a face-to-face. With all the details agreed, they come to the final moment—the payoff. Bruiser waits in Pat's Bar, a decaying dive where desperate souls drown their sorrows, for Preston to show with an envelope in cash. When the exchange happens, deceit is revealed. This quick-hitting novella, perfect for a single-sitting read, proves that in the world of murder-for-hire, the biggest danger isn't always the man with the gun—it's underestimating who you're dealing with.