Brian looked down on the street from the suite on the top floor of the expensive hotel. His lover never skimped on money when they had a chance to relax.

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be staying very long. Don had a commitment, and that meant getting on the road.

Brian had everything packed. Two sets of everything, because Don demanded they travel light. As Brian zipped up the black tote, he thought back to the first time he ever saw Don.

Detective Brian Scott had carefully worked his way up in the small police department of Perrysburg, Ohio. The comfortable city, south of and across the river from Toledo, possessed a feeling of old retirement, except for the young executives who, not minding the drive into Toledo, had found it an ideal place to live away from the city.

In turn, this brought crime from Toledo. High-end drugs were introduced, thieves going for the better homes and the people who lived there So the police department changed and grew and met the demands of what was happening all across the country.

Brian was at his desk when the black-suit guys came in to meet with his boss. Lieutenant Zebowski always called in backup and witnesses when these types wanted to talk, so he looked out the door and nodded at Brian to come in.

One officious government guy put a folder on the desk but didn’t sit.

“You had a team bust a group of drug dealers down on the river. We think this man was probably there.”

He flipped open the folder and showed a black-and-white picture, slightly grainy, of a large man holding out his hand. Something was wrong with the photo—white snow or flecks speckled the film.

The lieutenant looked down and then up at the pompous government guy. “He doesn’t look like any of the crew on the boat. They were all African-American, weren’t they?” He looked over at Brian, as if pleased he’d used the correct PC words.

Brian nodded. “Yep, boss. The crew was made up of all local Toledo hoods.”

“So your people don’t remember seeing this guy? Six-feet four, probably two-twenty, all muscle? He’d be a little hard to miss.”

“Well, we always want to cooperate with you guys. Detective Scott here will give you a list of names involved in the bust. You can ask each of them. Please be discreet, as some of these guys work undercover all the time.”

Brian left his boss to entertain the intruders and pulled up a list of names to print out. He hesitated, then removed a couple of names in order to protect a couple of deep cover guys. He printed the list, took it in and handed it to his boss.

“I’m off. I signed out on my computer.”

His Loo looked at the list and nodded approval. “Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

Brian headed out. He decided to set a course toward the waterfront. There wasn’t much of a waterfront in the older and upper-class city. There were a couple of boat clubs that closed up early, with heavy security to protect the privately owned vessels.

Unfortunately, there were also plenty of private and abandoned docks along the strange river that eventually fed into Lake Erie. One of these docks was where they’d caught the drugs being moved.

Several bars were located on a side street leading away from the area. They weren’t doing much business in the middle of the week. Brian drove his old Dodge truck slowly past his favorite bar.

He wasn’t in the mood for a pickup tonight. His own big fist would do the job once he got home. He was a large man and liked to take advantage of the gym in the basement at headquarters.

Even though he had a slightly bent nose from an old break, the young guys were still attracted to him. They liked his muscles and his take-charge attitude. He’d always been a top until he met Don, but that was later.

He dropped the beat-up truck into a tight spot and left it unlocked, confident no one would touch it. He kept additional weapons hidden in a lock box built into the floor that no one would find.

Inside the dark bar, lit only by advertising signs and the exit and bathroom lights, he straddled a stool at the bar. His gaze traveled over the two young guys at a table and the one big guy in the shadows at the other end of the bar.

Everyone was minding their own business. Brian had only come in here for a drink and to unwind, so minding his own business was his intent.

He nodded at the bartender. “Black label, double, straight up.”

Halfway through sipping the strong smooth drink, he felt the air on his back as the door opened and another man came in from the dark street.

Brian glanced sideways, in a natural protection mode, and his gay radar kicked in. What the hell was this guy doing in here? Had he chosen the wrong bar?

The young pretty man stood for a moment, looking around at each of the few people in the room. Brian was surprised to see him slowly move down the room, along the bar, hanging onto the empty stools to approach the large dark shadow sitting at the other end.

Brian ignored the two and put a ten on the bar next to his almost-finished drink. Then he heard some of the young man’s words.

“Please, just one more time.”

Brian quickly swallowed his whiskey and put a hand in his pocket for his keys. He really didn’t want to break up a drug buy on his way home. He wanted a hot shower and a deep sleep. Well, maybe with some use of his hand while in the shower.