Fight Card Romance: Ladies Night Christmas: First Card Romance, #1

By Carol Malone

Christmas, 1955 – Boxing Match, Hollywood Legion Stadium

 

Light heavy-weight champ, Jimmy Doherty, boxes Carlo 'Toro' Bassani for the Christmas benefit. Jimmy worries Toro's under the thumb of notorious gangster, Mickey Cohen.

 

Lindy, Jimmy's bride, always front row center when he fights, prays he won't get his head handed to him on a Christmas platter, because she has a special present for him.

 

Sorry for Toro, Jimmy isn't sure if he should give him an early gift of self-respect by forcing him to fight like a man, or let the pug kiss the canvas. But Toro isn't going down easily. Can Jimmy outlast the hard punches of this punk determined to end his career and not get KOed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carol Malone
• Release date: Oct 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393029465

Carol Malone

Award-winning author, Carol Malone writes new pulp-fiction suspense kissed with romance to rocket readers into the past. When not hammering out new tales, Carol is reading, or watching the Dodgers, reruns of Castle, and the Food Network with her writer husband on the coast of California. She loves to connect with you, her readers and invites you to chat about romance and sports on her website. Website: http://carolmalone.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolmaloneauthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolAnneMalone

Book preview

Ladies Night Christmas

A Fight Card Romance

By

Carol

Malone

FROM FIGHT CARD ROMANCE: LADIES NIGHT CHRISTMAS

Whaddya want, Doherty? Detective DeLuca asked, frowning at Jimmy from the floor of the arena.

Jimmy grinned. Nice to see you, too, Detective.

Yeah, yeah. The detective waved him off. What’s goin’ on?

Jimmy ducked through the ropes. I think Toro is dirty.

Ain’t all boxers dirty? DeLuca’s laugh was sarcastic.

Jimmy itched to plant one on the mug’s very straight, very Italian nose. Do you know the thug standing next to Toro’s cornerman?

Hurry up, Jimmy, Pops said from behind him. Bell about to ring.

DeLuca’s gaze slid to the opposite corner. Yeah. I’ve seen him ‘round the streets. He works for Cohen.

He threatened to kill Toro.

No foolin’?

No foolin’. Can you protect Toro if I get him to fight a clean bout?

DeLuca pursed his lips, crossed his arms over his chest. Always suspicious. I guess I could manage that. Crowley’s in the crowd. I’ll find him, tell him to keep his eyes open.

You’re up, Jimmy, Marty, the cornerman yelled. Tell your friend good-bye.

He ain’t no friend of mine. Jimmy grinned at DeLuca.

Copyright

Copyright © 2018 by Carol Anne Olsen, a.k.a. Carol Malone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Characters, corporations, institutions, and organizations mentioned in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously without any intent to describe actual conduct.

Paperback Edition – First Published March 2018

First Printing: 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1519659385

ISBN-10: 1519659385

Publisher: Carol Malone,

Creative Consultant and Creators of Fight Card Series: Paul Bishop and Mel Odom

Cover by David Foster

Acknowledgment

I’d like to thank my husband,

Tim, for being my

Christmas inspiration.

You know

I love Christmas –

big happy family Christmases.

Contents

Round One

Round Two

Round Three

Round Four

About the Author

Carol’s Other Books

Fight Card Books

Round One

December 16, 1955, Fight Card Night

Light Heavy-weight Champion of Los Angeles, Jimmy Doherty, sat on the table in the dressing room in the cellar of the Hollywood Legion Stadium waiting to be called up to defend his title. Pablo Castrejon, one of the kids at St. Dominic’s Gym where Jimmy trained, was wrapping Jimmy’s hands. Jimmy grinned at Pops Dominic, his father-in-law, manager, and owner of gym.

You think Carlo Bassani is in Mickey Cohen’s pocket? Jimmy asked.

The huge older man blustered in his heavy Greek accent.