21 - Hardcover

by Michael John Bouson (Author)

Set amidst the neon glow of a fading Las Vegas Strip, this story unfolds in the smoky corners of The Skylark Lounge-a forgotten showroom nestled somewhere between nostalgia and desperation. Here, amid cracked mirrors, threadbare carpet, and the ghosts of glitz long gone, an unlikely family forms, each carrying their own secrets, scars, and scraps of hope.

At the heart of it all is The Skylark, a venue barely hanging on, much like the people within it. Ramon, the loyal bartender with a quiet resilience, Denise, the seasoned waitress armed with wise cracks, and Ace Monroe, a has-been Vegas crooner and the main attraction run the place with the familiarity of old soldiers. Their world is soon shaken by the arrival of Jack Delaney, a handsome and charming young blackjack dealer with a dazzling smile and mysterious motives.

Enter Lorraine Adams, a once-famous showgirl whose beauty and sass hasn't dulled even as her stages have shrunk and Connor McFarland, a quirky and loveable young musician with a heart of gold. When Jack slips into Ace's dressing room one night it signals the beginning of a fragile camaraderie held together by humor, longing, and the barest thread of trust. Their bond is tested when Jack is sent on a dangerous errand in a sequence of grim stops across 'Sin City.' Every stop chips away at him, the desert heat bearing down like guilt, pushing him closer to the edge.

Back at The Skylark, something goes horribly wrong. There's chaos, cops, fear, and fallout. In the quiet aftershock, The Skylark crew sit in stunned silence, clinging to vodka and each other. As Detective Ramos grills them, the laughter fades, and survival becomes their only focus.

The others set out on a cross-country 'Road Trip from Hell.' Amid cheap motel rooms, terrifying car chases, sugar-fuled panic, and exhausted confessions, the group finds comfort in small things: shared snacks and stories, inside jokes, and the warmth of bodies close together in uncertainty. Through multiple dramatic twists and turns, they forge something that looks a little like family.

Lorraine's sister Vera White, and her children Gwendolyn and Deshawn join the family near the end of their journey, but peace is fleeting for all of them. As they all prepare to testify in a high stakes criminal case, the early morning is steeped in apprehension and unprecented rain. United by trauma and tethered by loyalty, they face the storm together, uncertain of the outcome, but resolved to walk through it side by side. And in the end, there is still room for softness as Deshawn, the youngest of them all, reminds them what matters most with a sweet and simple request-ice cream. For Connor, for family, for hope, and for love.