Disgraced cop Doyle McCann and former undercover cop Kord Verlangen are forced to partner on a cold case which they must solve or lose their jobs. Doyle is gay and out; Kord says he's straight. Both harbor secrets they never want revealed.<br><br>The case, involving a series of gay bashings two years earlier, takes them through the underbelly of Philadelphia's gay nightlife, and Doyle has reason to believe the Mafia may also be involved.<br><br>Following years' old leads is hard enough. But working together proves even more difficult as the sexual tension between Doyle and Kord rises and begins to overwhelm their focus. As they come closer to solving the case, their team is split down the middle, threatening to destroy any chance for them to keep their jobs. What will it take to get them working again and keep them on track?

Family Bashings

“This place smells great,” Kord said.


Doyle caught the eye of a pert blonde with a spring in her step, who turned out to be the manager. He asked about the night shift since that would be when any possible witnesses might have been working.


She told him she’d only been at the diner about a year and didn’t know much about what went on at night since she was the day manager. But, she told them, if they returned after midnight, they could talk to Vera, the night manager, who’d most likely been on duty the nights of the bashings. Vera had been working at the diner for more than thirty years and knew everyone and everything they might want to know.


Kord thanked her and eyed the place as if he could see into the people sitting there. As if he could tell who was guilty and who was innocent even before he knew what crimes they’d committed. After a moment, he turned back to Doyle.


Doyle glanced at a clock on the wall. “Not even close to lunch but coffee sounds good.”


Chapter 7