A crippled economy changes Lola Jonesโ silver-spoon status to copper and threatens to rip her sheltered family from the upper echelons of society, dropping them into the rotten bowels of East St. Louis. Only one thing can save Lolaโs children from the claws of poverty, and that comes in the form of a million-dollar life insurance policy. It is, however, just a useless piece of paper unless sheโs dead. With that in mind, Lola vows to make the ultimate sacrifice for her childrenโs well-being.
There are two problemsโshe doesnโt have the guts to kill herself, and her insurance doesnโt pay out on suicides. With only days left before her family learns the true meaning of homelessness, Lola turns to Blasรฉ, a desensitized hit man with a โno turning backโ policy, to execute her murder. To foot Blasรฉโs upfront bill, Lola seeks prostitution. Itโs not long before the hole sheโs dug gets deeper.
Living on the erotic edge leads her to an unforgettable sexual encounter with Mannish Major, a lonely married man with skeletons swinging in his closet. Their tryst explodes into a full-blown love affair that renews Lolaโs will to live. But not even a budding romance will cancel the expiration date Blasรฉ has set on Lolaโs soul. Now Lola and Mannish must make a final and desperate attempt to stop the hit man, or else they will die trying.
Oasis is a craft expert and certified creative writing instructor. He is the author of Duplicity and White Heat and the CEO of Docuversion, a full-service editing firm.
Brenda Hampton is a native St. Louisian, with a gift and passion for writing. She maintained journals for several years, but it wasnโt until she read Terry McMillanโs Disappearing Acts that Hampton was prompted to explore writing in ways she never thought were possible.