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

Powell nodded slowly. “That could explain why you know something about security. And how you figured out what our sideline is. So now what? You’re going to blackmail us?”


Dirk snorted. “Not hardly. I have some ideas for how to improve that end of the business.”


Jesse stared at Dirk. “From cop to crook? Why should we believe you?”


“Because I’m serious. I have an idea. You must have buyers for the items you fence. Right?”


Powell nodded. “We let certain people know when we get something that might interest them.”


“That’s what I figured. Okay, why not take things in a different direction. With your contacts, you should be able to find people who want a specific item. Say a painting they’ve seen at a friend’s house or place of business. Or some other piece of art they’re lusting after, in a house or even an art gallery or a shop. It doesn’t even have to be art. It could be jewelry, or anything else of value that they haven’t been able to get their hands on.”


Chapter 11