A couple stands at the alter of the Glass Gardens Chapel at Chapel of the Flowers in hot Las Vegas, Nevada. Don’t be fooled, there’s no glass involved. It’s a carport with a sheer fabric awning that provides shade for a mildly impressive faux rock fountain, koi pond and all. Vegas knows how to fake it. The bride is Lacey Sharp, a veterinary student at Washington State University. Pretty non descript if you don’t count the amazing **** and ****, all natural by the way. Getting over a breakup, lost her gal-pals in the crowd at the Mirage, now she’s standing with a noticeable vodka wobble at a cheap Vegas wedding chapel with Todd deLuse, a cheat and an animal lover. A step above a street corner three card monte dealer he’s a craps devotee and a master at railing, capping, pinching, and orphan poaching. A slight of hand junky. He’s not enough of a team player to cheat at black jack. Can’t count cards either. But he’s a sucker for a puppy lover with a nice ****.

They stand alone with the Priest on the brick paved patio that normally seats thirty. The purple awning and intertwined rope lights rustle in the night breeze. The fountain spilling into the koi pond drowns out the traffic from the street and the noise from newly weds leaving other chapels. The tinkle of a wind chime mimics Lacey’s drunken giggles. They aren’t really listening to the Priest. Lacey rubs her hands inside Todd’s jacket. He tries to stop her before she touches the sub-compact Beretta, but he’s slow. Or she’s quicker than he expected. He shrugs his shoulders at her look of fear, and puts a warning finger up just as her mouth opens and her eyes narrow. They still aren’t listening to the droning Priest, but they should be.

He crosses himself grabs Lacey by the arms as the metal doors at the back of the Glass Gardens Chapel are kicked in. Two men with guns drawn , bruisers, brothers, rush toward the alter. ‘Circle’ Kay Malone, known for late night binges to any convenience store, well, convenient, and his little brother Minute Malone, known to fire quicker than his gun, bark orders as they advance. Todd’s quick, he fires and hits Circle Kay in the shoulder. Minute doesn’t fire, the Priest has a gun to Lacey’s head. Todd drops his weapon. Circle Kay, huge, bleeding, and pissed advances with his brother. Minute nods to the Priest who passes Lacey to him. Todd watches the goons withdraw, holding his struggling bride to be, as the Priest puts a gun to his head.