Plot summary

He goes by the name Badger because his real name is Dean, and that’s the lamest name ever for a hitman. But really, it was his ex-wife that gave him that name before she died. Since her death he has been a recluse; like all American Badgers. In fact he has hardly spoken a word to anyone except his Handler in 4451 days. But all that is about to change with his latest assignment. His job is to make friends with a call girl and extract information from her about the inner workings of an Albanian gang she works for. Her name is Velvet and she is the closest thing the Albanian mob boss Vasily has to family; she is like a daughter to him — an abused, terrified, sex-trafficked daughter. The Badger isn’t good at making friends, but he’s excellent at following orders; so despite his initial objections, he finds Velvet and makes an awkward, yet heroic introduction. Even though he identifies himself as a hardened recluse, he quickly realizes that he is much more vulnerable than he thought he …