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

Guess we’re not strolling. Dirk kept up as Maverick took a path that led to the park’s larger lake. Finally Maverick slowed down to a comfortable pace.


“I used to come here and fish when I was a kid. Yeah I know, doesn’t sound like me but I did. It gave me a chance to be by myself and try to figure things out.” He walked to the edge of the lake. “I caught a big one once. Well, it seemed big to me anyway. Let it go again. I just needed to know I could do it.”


“Fishing never was my thing,” Dirk said. “Even with the Gulf, the river and Pontchartrain…Well I just couldn’t see the appeal.”


“For me it was the solitude. Sure, there were lots of people who hung out here fishing, but when you’re doing it, you’re concentrating on the pole, the line, and your thoughts while you wait for a hit.” Maverick squatted, sitting back on his heels. “Most of mine at that point were trying to figure out who I was.”


Chapter 23