Skinner Malloy is a former combat Marine who'd carved out a decent musical career - until he trashed the men who attacked his band mate, Gillian Carroll. He's out on parole and gigs have dried up. As she tries to heal, Gillian needs the stability of her advertising job. But her client, Consolidated Insurance, has her fired. The charges are bogus. Worse, someone's still spreading the lies. Gillian and Skinner search for the real reason she's been fired. They find that people associated with Consolidated Insurance are dying of freak accidents that are anything but. They find government-insurance collusion, private security goons and crooked cops. They find the glimmer of feelings for each other. Then Gillian disappears.