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

“Not until this other guy spoke to him. He called him Jiggy—or something like that. And I seem to remember somebody saying that his family wasn’t happy. I remember a mention of somebody named Nino who was sorry—I don’t know sorry for what—and that this Nino wanted him back.”


“Did that make any sense to you?” Doyle knew the answer. He could read between the lines but he needed something definite before he could make a move.


“Did you happen to hear some of these details later on? At the hospital?”


“How did you…?” Beechum stopped. “I should know better than to ask that. For a lot of reasons.”


“Yeah, the jury’s still out on that one.” Beechum chuckled. “You’re right. I heard those detectives talking in my room. The detectives on the case who convinced me to move and change my life around.”


“What’d you hear?” Doyle perked up. Maybe Beechum had information, another piece of the puzzle.


Chapter 52