Undercover cop Dan Hudson is framed for blackmail and kicked off the NOPD force. Enraged about that, and the fact that his lover refuses to stand by him, Dan moves to Denver, where he becomes Dirk Steele. He finds a job working for the Powells, who are pawnbrokers ... and fences. When he proposes to them that he put together a team to steal on demand for the Powells’ less than legitimate clients, a deal is struck and the team is formed. The team consists of Maverick, a thief; Tripp, a street kid who shoplifts to survive; and Fey, another street kid who is an excellent pickpocket and petty thief. Now the question becomes, will the team succeed? And, equally important, will the attraction between Dirk, who has sworn off love, and Maverick -- whose credo is only down and dirty sex -- grow into something more? Or will they remain just 'friends with benefits'? Time will tell as the team takes on increasingly difficult jobs and a man from Dirk's past shows up who could possibly throw a monkey wrench into the works.

Wrong Side of the Law

“Maybe you’rea cop,” Jesse said. “Maybe this is some kind of sting to get us to say we’re fencing goods. Which,” he added hastily, “we’re not.”


“Trust me, Jesse, if I was an undercover cop, I’d have come up with a hell of a lot better way to approach you.”


“So you say. But then you would, wouldn’t you?”


“Say that? Yeah.” Dirk studied the two men for a moment. “I’ll say it once, and once only. I am nota cop. Now if you want my help to make this place more secure, I’m willing to do it. If you don’t, just say so and I’ll get out of here. Well, once you unlock the door.”


“You can’t do it yourself?” Jesse asked with a sneer.


“If I had the right tools, you bet I could. But I was just out for a walk when I saw this place. I only stopped in because…I was interested. Nothing more.”


“You live around here?” Mr. Powell wanted to know.


“Yeah, about ten blocks…” Dirk paused, trying to orient himself. “That way,” he pointed. “South. Right?”


Chapter 6