This is the first book in the Sidewinder series and really takes place between Cut & Run 7 and 8 (sort of at the end of 7 really). I suppose one could read this series as a stand alone, but I'm not sure if you could appreciate it in exactly the same way or not. Since I had read Cut & Run 1-7 prior to reading this, I can't really comment on that. 
 This takes place after the events of Cut & Run 7 (well most of the events at any rate) and Kelly is still recovering from the injury he sustained in that book, with Nick looking out for him. As this is a shorter story, the plot is primarily about the recovery and Kelly's 'Gay-for-You' interest in Nick, who recently came out to his Sidewinder buddies as bisexual. 
 I'll admit, I wasn't overly fond of Nick when he was first introduced in C&R, however, since then he's grown on me, and I like Kelly as well, so I liked them both together here, and I hope to see more of them.