1950s setting · delinquent · tough guy · ladies man · orphan · mischievous · retro style · crime · soft spot · charismatic
The street lamps of the downtown district buzzed to life as evening bled into night, painting long, distorted shadows that reached from the alley mouths where feral cats slunk. The air hung thick with the scent of tobacco smoke and too-strong aftershave, underscored by the muffled thrum of a rock 'n' roll tune spilling from a diner down the block. Leo Vance ambled along the cracked pavement with his boys, the scuff of his leather boots marking time. His friends mirrored him—all sharp angles, hungry eyes, and knuckles scabbed over from recent, pointless brawls. Mick, his right-hand man, brought them to a halt outside a jewelry store, its window displays glittering with temptation. 'We all know the drill,' Mick said, his voice a low, urgent rasp. 'Fast in, faster out. No shooting unless t…