He came to Vegas to escape his past, but his past came with him. When a game of high stakes poker turns into a boxing match, Massimo "Max" Rossi, the son of mob "fixer" Boston Rossi, winds up with more than he bargained for. All eyes turn to him when the police find his opponent, a hitman from Chicago, dead. And if that isn't bad enough, his only alibi--the dead man's girlfriend--is missing. Now, if the cops don't get him, the mob will! Rossi is in the struggle of his life, where every turn brings him closer to an untimely end. He's got to find the girlfriend before his time runs out. But in fledgling Las Vegas, time is an abstract concept, and people can hide almost anywhere. Join the growing number of fans raving about the work of master storyteller Paul W. Papa, and find out why he's been called "someone to watch." Click the BUY button for a thrilling crime noir ride and see for yourself why Max Rossi is taking his place among hard-boiled detectives Philip Marlowe, Mike Hammer, and Sam Spade. From the book She took a curtain in each hand and flung them open, holding her arms wide. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing. I suppose it would have taken anyone a moment. But when she did, she let out a scream. That's when the shots began. Tony pushed the cart out of the way and ran to Tina. He should have run faster, but his legs seemed only able to move at a turtle's pace. He was yelling, but I couldn't hear him. I think I might have been yelling too, but I couldn't tell. As Tony leapt into the air toward Tina, I pulled my gun from its holster. It took minutes, or was it seconds, to get the thing in front of me and minutes more before I could pull the trigger. Tony had landed on top of Tina and glass was flying everywhere. The man standing on the other side of what was left of the sliding glass door was holding something at his waist. Something that was spitting fire repeatedly. I tried to aim for the fire. I pulled the trigger over and over again until all I heard was clicking. But the fire was still coming. I tried to leap behind the sofa and that's when someone touched flame to my shoulder. I fell hard on my back. I would have gotten up, but the room went black.