Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

before I suspend him! Again! "
    With a small nod, Harlan took Nathan's arm only to have his partner jerk it away from him and storm out, expelling enough curses to make a sailor blush. In the interest of public safety, Harlan quickly followed. Quickly, and quietly. He knew better than to say anything at this point. He rather liked having his head attached to his body.
    "That no good son-of-a-bitch. He's on the take, I just know it," Nathan growled, heading straight for Harlan's Buick Roadster. Chasing Nathan and running around the passenger side, Harlan threw himself between his partner and the door just as Nathan reached for the handle. "What the hell's the matter with you? Get out of the way."
    Harlan shook his head. "Every time you're in a lather, you slam the door."
    "So? It's a car, Harley. It ain't gonna fall apart because you get rough with it."
    "Yeah, I know, but she's a new car, Nate. Please."
    "Fine," Nathan snapped, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting for Harlan to move, which he did, though somewhat hesitantly.
    Harlan got into the driver's side and watched Nathan from the corner of his eye. He held back a sigh as Nathan made a great big show of gently climbing in and closing the door. Then he patted the dashboard and talked to it in soothing tones. "There now, is that all right? Yes? Good. Now maybe daddy will stop being such a goddamn pansy and drive us to the Sixth."
    "You know…" Harlan began then decided it was best he shut his mouth. He started the car and headed for West 10 th street. They were silent during the whole ride and Harlan wondered what the hell he could be thinking, bringing Nathan to the station. If his partner ended up taking a poke at the new guy, Harlan was going to get an earful, because apparently he wasn't just Nathan's partner, but his nanny. Any trouble Nathan got himself into always left Harlan holding the bag.
    Parking behind the station, Harlan had barely turned off the ignition when Nathan jumped out of the car and slammed the door.
    "Goddammit!" Taking a deep, calming breath, Harlan thundered in after his partner. He was about to give his two cents when Detective Flynn came sprinting toward them.
    John was a few years older than Harlan and just as big. He was also a good man, and a good friend. Harlan and Nathan had met him at an apartment party before they'd joined the Prohibition Unit five years ago. He'd never forget the sight of John leaning over the roof's ledge staring down into the abyss with intent in his eyes. He had just been a flatfoot then, a rookie whose life had started on a downward spiral when the voice in his head telling him he was queer could no longer be stifled. John attended the party in the hopes that he might be able to make more sense of things if he met other fellas like him. He ended up more confused than ever. Harlan had looked at Nathan, and Nathan had silently agreed. They'd pulled John away from the ledge, and hadn't let go of him since.
    "Thank God you fellas are here. I was about to telephone you." John looked over at Nathan and shook his head. "You need to get a hold of your man before he ends up putting Regal in the morgue."
    That got Nathan springing to action. "Where is he?"
    John motioned for them to follow and they hurried through the station out back to the tiny interrogation rooms, where in the very last room, a tall blond in snazzy gray slacks and vest, with sleeves rolled up to the elbows was beating the tar out of Shifty without so much as breaking a sweat.
    "I want to know when!" The man pulled back a fist only to have Nathan jump in and seize it. There was no hesitation on the Chicago agent's part, and he spun around, taking a swing at Nathan.
    If Harlan hadn't seen Nathan duck with his own eyes, he would have thought the man's fist had made contact, judging by the way Nathan reeled back, his eyes wide with shock. To Harlan's bewilderment, the new guy looked just as stunned as Nathan.
    Snapping himself out of it, the Chicago agent grabbed a stupefied Nathan by the arm and hauled him out of the room. As if things weren't odd enough, Nathan dazedly followed without muttering so much as a word. Whatever the hell was going on, Harlan wasn't about to let Nathan out of his sight. His partner was pulled into the empty interrogation room next door, and when Harlan made to follow, a hand went up to stop him.
    "This is private," the blond declared firmly.
    "Like hell it is." Harlan straightened to his full height, looming over