Mating Scars — Scott L. Miller

Alicia lives a solitary grifter lifestyle, mostly hunting men, and enjoys the spoils of her crimes. It's far better than working a boring 9-to-5 job with a handsy boss for less money. She can relate to the large predatory Great White Sharks she watches on Shark Week. She feels a true kinship with sharks because they must stay in motion to survive.This shark, however, has serious health issues that could end her life any day. She disdains medical advice and chooses to live the way she wants for as long as time will allow, headaches and blurred vision be damned. Her estranged, ne'er-do-well mother (an old grifter herself) learns of her cons and extorts her for money.Alicia tries an unsuccessful long con on her troubled OP nurse, but when she starts a relationship with Nick, a handsome bartender and fellow grifter, they form a team and Nick teaches her new scams. Nick has hidden his past from her, which leads people to jail, death, and the possible hope of a better life for one.