The Italian Stallion By Glo

Part 19: Enter the Mob

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As they started down the hall, Joe LaFiamma tried to keep his partner's mood light. "Lundy, I already look good enough to eat, if you listen to my lady fans."

Levon Lundy nearly choked on that one. He reached up a hand and snagged Joey by the back of the neck, locking on with one long-fingered strong hand. "You be careful, boy, or yore 'lady fans' are gonna be real disappointed in what they git to see!"

Joey ducked and grinned, mission accomplished - mood lighter. With Levon still holding him by the back of the neck, they arrived back at the simple infirmary. It was empty. This suited the Italian just fine. The hand on his neck was like a hot-wired connection, stirring his cock. He spun in his partner's grip, just inside the door of the small white room.

Suddenly they were nose-to-nose literally because Levon had not expected the change of direction and had kept on coming. Noses collided painfully. "Ow! Dang it, LaFiamma, what do you think yore doing?"

"This," came the deep response, and Joe tipped his head. Now it was lips that met. Joe was kissing gently, coaxing an answering kiss from his blonde cowboy.

Levon groaned. The past few hours had just about driven him mad. Surging adrenaline from fear that his partner had been hurt, finding him hurt, tending him, fighting him, and now trying to keep him from going off and getting hurt worse, it was all too much. Tightening his hold on the brunette's neck, he forced their kiss deeper.

Joe's arms slipped around Lundy's waist and tugged their hips together. Levon locked his free arm over LaFiamma's shoulder and squeezed.

For an endless moment, they kissed. Deeply, fiercely. Joe LaFiamma trying to convey his love and commitment, Levon Lundy demanding his partner's fidelity, love and submission. When they finally parted, both panting, Lundy pressed his forehead against his lover's. "Joe, we can't do this now. But tonight, boy, after this is over, we'll have time. I aim to show you lovin' Texas style. Hot, slow, and potent."

Joe laughed softly. He stole another quick kiss and pulled away before Lundy could drag him back into another full-body press. "Levon, I've got plenty of Chicago-style lovin' to show you, too, man. Can't wait." He backed away slightly. "Right now, though, hadn't we better get ready for show time?"

The blonde sighed. "Yeah." He stalked over to the glass-fronted cabinets and surveyed the contents. The basic first aid items were in one that was clearly open. Reaching inside, he helped himself to some gauze pads and alcohol. "Come over here, Joe." He stood by the deep metal sink against the far wall, pushing back his cuffs.

Walking over, LaFiamma stood patiently, carefully controlling his response to the sting of the alcohol as Lundy gently wiped at the remaining dried blood on the Italian's temple. Dabbing once more and stepping back to study the effect, Lundy nodded. "You'll do. Garvey was right, doesn't look like it will need any stitches." He ran his fingers through the thick, dark waves of hair in front of him, letting them fall over the discoloring bruise. "Ready?"

LaFiamma nodded, "Yeah. Thanks." He caught the hand as Lundy dropped it from his hair, squeezed it lightly before releasing it.

"Ok, then, let's go find your chute."

"Chute?"

"Entry into the arena, boy."

LaFiamma's husky laugh trailed after them as they headed down the hall, back towards the sounds and lights of the night's entertainment.

******************

Legs had underestimated the time before LaFiamma's match. When she got to the northern ramp leading into the arena, she found three other wrestlers and their support people waiting for their entrances ahead of the Italian Stallion's match.

She chatted with a woman dressed in an incongruously slinky evening gown, slit high on the sides. The woman, who said her name was Cindy, was busy pushing up her bosom, Legs had seen her slipping down two apparently clean gym socks into the bodice to create a greater cleavage effect as the policewoman walked up the ramp. Tugging up the low-cut edge of her gown, Cindy was wiggling and adjusting the line of the thing as Legs came up.

After a few anxious moments, O'Brien was relieved to see her own team approaching up the long ramp from the bowels of the arena. Lundy was leading the way, looking sharply at the people they were approaching. LaFiamma was striding easily in his wake. Looked like Joe was really alright. Carol breathed a sigh of relief. Good. They didn't need anymore fighting and bickering between the partners just now.

As the men got closer, she could see that Joe had a kind of glazed look to his eyes and his lips looked slightly swollen. Not like he'd been in a fight, more like... Legs cut off the thought. Now was not the time for that kind of speculation. She greeted them with appropriate sounds now that they had an audience, even if it was only fellow wrestlers.

Sliding up beside Joe, she breathed his sweet, musky scent and said, "Hi, lover. You ready?"

Joe grinned down at her, but Lundy answered. "He's set, Legs." Then, pointing unobtrusively with his chin, "These folks all ahead of us?"

Cindy spoke up. "Yes, sir. My man, 'Guardian' here, goes in before your 'Stallion.'"

Levon acknowledged this with a dip of his head, then settled in to a deceptively easy waiting stance. Legs remained leaning lightly against LaFiamma, letting her hands toy with the fastening of his caped jacket. She could feel the hidden tension in his still body.

They could all hear the sounds of the crowd now. The place had filled up. The sound system was running full blast out there, and lights would flare by the dark entry portal, flashing spears of light in on the waiting wrestlers before moving on to swoop over the crowds and their waving placards. The cheers swelled and subsided, but the sound never stopped. Voices of announcers and others sounded, garbled from here, over the PA system. Crashing rock music punctuated lulls in the commentaries of the announcer. Each speech was met with cheers and catcalls. The fans were having a great time.

Levon stiffened to full alert as he noted Ross and Dover edge in through the brightly lit egress, coming down the ramp now and passing several of the wrestlers. As they neared, they slowed and came to a stop by the HPD detective.

"Mr. Lundy," Ross spoke directly to the white-suited cowboy. "How's yore boy doing tonight? Ready for the big time?"

Lundy nodded curtly. "Yeah. He's set."

The other one, Dover, commented, "We'll be watching, see how he does."

Ross added, "He wins tonight, we'll have a little talk after." The two ignored LaFiamma and Legs and continued on down the ramp.

The three undercover cops exchanged glances. This was not the place to have any discussion, but all silently agreed that progress was being made. This was a definite bite.

*******************

Joe's match that evening had gone surprisingly well. Lundy had been prepared for trouble. The last few times out on the mats, LaFiamma had struggled. This time, either the other wrestler was simply no match for the Italian, or something had been done to Iron Mike's level of enthusiasm. The competitor practically flopped down after each throw, getting up more slowly each time. Joe was puzzled, but kept working the match, having to dig for the reactions he needed for subsequent moves.

The pin was easy. If the crowd noticed anything amiss, however, they didn't show it. The stadium was aflutter in white streamers, waved by standing, jumping, screaming women the whole time Joe was in the ring. They had started the moment he emerged from the north tunnel and continued through the ref raising LaFiamma's wrist above the writhing Iron Mike, not stopping until the Italian, his fancy cowboy manager, and his lady friend all disappeared back down one of the exit tunnels.

Once they were safely out of sight, the three paused while Levon looked over his partner. "How you feeling, LaFiamma?"

Joe was bouncing on the balls of his feet, muscles flexing and playing along his arms. "Good, Lundy, good. That was easy."

"Too easy?" Carol asked pointedly.

Joe showed his teeth. "Yeah, Legs, you saw it too?"

Levon agreed. "Looked like he was laying down in there for you."

"I had to work just to make it look like there was any fight at all." LaFiamma danced lightly on his feet now.

"Joe, calm down." Lundy touched one swinging arm. "Let's get you down to the locker room, work some of that energy off with a rub down."

"Ok," the Italian started off, practically jumping up and down as he trotted down the ramp.

Levon paused to look at O'Brien. "He's pushing too much adrenaline, fight didn't take his edge off. I'll be in the locker room with him, stay by him while he showers. Wait for us in that green room?"

"Sure. And Levon, those two men?"

"If they show up there, tell 'em we'll be along shortly. That we are interested in conversations." Levon's sudden grin reminded Carol of a shark. She walked off, heading in the direction of the green rooms.

He turned away and hurried after LaFiamma who was waiting impatiently at the foot of the ramp now, still bouncing in place.

They turned the corner toward the shower rooms and lockers. It happened so suddenly that neither of the partners was prepared. Three tall, black suited men crowded Joe against one wall, two more cornered Lundy against the other one.

LaFiamma looked ready to erupt. "Joe, jest wait." Levon's sharp command stopped the Italian's move instantly. The cowboy faced his own two opponents. He leaned back against the wall of the empty corridor, hearing the faint sounds of the arena in the distance.

"What you gennelmen want?"

For a moment, the men seemed confused by this response, then one grabbed Lundy's lapels and shook him, none too gently. "Mr. Lorenzo sends a message."

"Oh?" came the cool reply.

"You and your man. Get out of the Texas WWF. There's no room in it for pigs."

Levon's eyes narrowed. "We ain't going no where. My boy is doing real well." Lundy ignored the allusion to police.

The thick fingers gripping his jacket tightened and he was shaken again, hat tipping back against the wall behind him. "Message is: get out or yore boy won't be fit to go in the rings again anywhere."

"Who's this Lorenzo?" Joe's bass was full of anger. He was balked by his partner from acting but stood his ground, the three goons around him all bringing up fists at his words.

The messenger in front of Lundy didn't look around. "Mr. Lorenzo don't want your kind here any more. That's all you need to know." With that, the soldier as Lundy now thought of him, opened his hands and dropped the white lapels, then shoved. Lundy's head, now hatless, hit the wall behind him. He saw stars for a moment, flattening his hands on the wall, knees sagging slightly.

"Lundy!" Joe cried from behind the screen of black-suited shoulders. He tried to force his way through to his partner, but suddenly there were hands all over him. Grabbing, hitting, punching.

Dressed only in the briefs and thin cape, LaFiamma had no protection. He fought back hard, but these men were all big and knew what they were doing. They were not empty-handed either. Short black billy clubs had slid down sleeves and into hands, appearing as if by magic. It lasted only moments, and then the cadre of black-suited foot soldiers backed away and seemed to vanish into a side exit.

Levon straightened carefully, blinking and feeling the back of his head. Then, shocked at the sight of his partner crumpled against the far wall, he was running to him. "Joe! Joe?" Lundy dropped to his knees beside his friend, ignoring the dirty floor's affect on his white pants.

LaFiamma was trying to push himself up from the floor now, wiping away blood from his face with one hand. "Joe, where does it hurt?" Levon was very afraid, LaFiamma seemed to be covered in welts, cuts and blood.

"I'm ... I'm ok, Lundy. They didn't do any permanent damage." Joe choked and spit blood. "Just a good old-fashioned shakedown."

"What do you mean?" Lundy asked as he helped the Italian to stand.

LaFiamma allowed Lundy to brace him up with a shoulder under one arm. "Mean that was the mob, Lundy. That was a message from some godfather."

"Here? In Texas?"

"Yeah," the Italian actually managed to look amused under all the disfiguring marks and streaks of blood and dirt, "here in your lone star state."

"You know something you're not telling, boy?" The cowboy calmly bent to pick up his hat from where it lay on the floor, keeping a grip on the brunette as he settled the Stetson back on his head.

"No, Lundy," Joe cleared his throat and spit again. "I just recognize the action. The name is new. Don't know a Lorenzo, but it is Italian."

"Great, now we got Mafia muscle, too." Levon looked thoroughly disgusted as he steered Joe back towards the infirmary, thinking that they were spending way too much time in that room.

*******************

Meeting O'Brien in the green room, they found Ross and Dover politely waiting, sitting on the long couch with Legs in a nearby easy chair. She was making a show of chewing gum and filing her nails. The nail file disappeared down one boot when the two cops walked in. Joe was now dressed in his black leather biker clothes, though she could see the white ribbon was still tied to his neck. The chains on the jacket chinked softly as he followed the cowboy inside.

Carol tensed, seeing the new marks on Joe's face, but apparently Ross and Dover thought those were results of the recent match because they showed no surprise and made no comments about them. Levon met her eyes and signaled 'later' with a hand movement. She lowered her head in acknowledgement.

Ross strolled past the men to the door, closing it firmly. "Let's keep this nice and private, shall we?"

LaFiamma simply dropped into one of the overstuffed arm chairs and closed his eyes. Levon watched this with concern but no comment before turning to face the intruders. "You have my attention, Mr. Ross."

Dover stood and joined Ross by the door, both faced Lundy across the short distance. "Your boy had an easy match, didn't he?"

Levon bristled. "Well, now -"

"You ask him later." The blunt words left no room for debate. "We can see that his next match goes the same way."

"Oh? How's that?" Lundy was cautious.

The two men flicked glances at Legs and LaFiamma. "Just think about it." Dover offered a small pasteboard card to Lundy who took it and tucked it in a pocket without looking at it. "Call that number when you're ready to talk."

"Ma'am." Both eyed Legs for a moment, then Dover pulled open the door and they walked out, leaving the door ajar.

Legs stood and walked over to LaFiamma. "Joe, what happened? You didn't get this from the match."

Lundy interrupted her. "Legs, this ain't the place. Let's git back to the hotel. Talk there."

Together, they pried the tired Italian up from his seat and holding his arms, pulled him along toward the door. "Hey, I can walk," LaFiamma protested.

"Son, jest you quiet down and ease off for a bit. Legs and me'll get you back to the hotel."

The Italian shook his head wearily, it had been a long evening and he was feeling like a used punching bag. Relinquishing control to his partner was not a hard decision. Subsiding between the other two cops, LaFiamma walked meekly out the door, Legs and Lundy tucking his arms under theirs.

Part 20: Coming to Terms with Texas

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The conference at the hotel was short, they needed to get Carol back to the airport, she was catching a red-eye back to Houston. Lundy explained what had happened in the arena corridor, bringing her up to date. O'Brien agreed to brief their Lieutenant in the morning.

"One thing," Lundy added as Carol was zipping up her overnight bag, already back in a simple pair of jeans and cotton shirt. "Tell Joanne that Hoffsteader may have had something to do with Joe's attacker in the showers afore the match, AND mebbe with the visit we got from Lorenzo's men afterwards."

"Because they called us 'pigs'..." Joe agreed coming to brace his shoulder against his partner's. "Yeah, I caught that, too. No one shoulda known we're cops. The leak wouldn't have come out of Reisner, only you and Joanne and Esteban knew about our deep cover assignment."

Lundy inclined his head in concurrence. "Yep. Seems like someone at the Gaming Commission isn't as eager about this job as they'd like us to think."

"Just going through the motions, Lundy, going through the motions." Joe's arm came up behind the blonde and fell across his shoulders.

Lundy shifted his stance, throwing a hip to the side so he could rest against the brunette. "Legs, tell Joanne that we think she should check out Hoffsteader himself and his operation. She may need to climb a few rungs of the ladder, deal with someone higher up."

"Will do. Sounds like you have two different groups to check out, boys. I wish you luck. Holler if you need me again, I kinda liked the performance part of today's activities."

Levon and Joe both grinned at her. "Yeah," said the brunette, "You looked great. Gave the 'act' real class, Legs."

Levon added, "Once we have a new gig set, we'll let you know. Fans'll 'spect to see you agin, ya'know." He thought for minute, one hand unconsciously going up to hold the large hand clasping his shoulder. "Might be an idea to have a meet, out at the ranch, once Joanne finishes checking on things. Probably need you there, too, and mebbe Esteban."

Joe stepped partly back behind the cowboy so he could place his other hand on Lundy and sit his chin on it on the blonde's nearer shoulder. From here, he spoke again, "Mmm, maybe we can make it a meal, too? How about it, Legs? The Lieutenant should know something by tomorrow night, how about dinner? You, her, Esteban, hell, even Joe Bill, Esteban might want his partner along."

Carol looked at them in amusement. There they stood in front of her, practically wrapped around each other. She could imagine what would happen when they got back from the airport run tonight. They didn't even appear to realize what they had done in front of her, what their body language was telling her. She cleared her throat and fought down a giggle. "Dinner sounds great, I'll pass the word in the morning and give you a call to confirm it. Tell you whose coming."

"Don't worry, I'll do the cooking," Joe said with a sideways look at his partner. "I'm make plenty for whoever comes out."

Lundy arched an eyebrow and half-turned his head to see the mischievous look on his Italian's face. Giving a 'huh', he faced Carol, "He really ken cook, Legs, least ways, he thinks so, fed me a few times, so's I know it'll be edible." He grunted, LaFiamma had done something out of Carol's sight. Levon ignored the brunette and added, "We gotta go or we'll miss yore flight."

O'Brien hoisted her bags before the two men could reach them and nodded. "Ok, boys, if one of you will get the door?"

The men both laughed, Lundy reaching for the door as LaFiamma closed the distance to their friend and pulled away the bags. "Legs, you'll have to carry them soon enough."

Joe followed O'Brien out the door. Lundy looked back around the room for a moment, seeing all was in order, then stepped out and pulled the door shut, locking it.

**********************

The loving that night was passionate and intense. Both had gone through some traumatic moments during the day. Each had been in danger, thought the other hurt. Relief that they were still together, still alive, and relatively unhurt was liberating. Levon took Joe that night, mounting him from the rear and riding him into the mattress to the sound of lovely groans of pleasure from his partner. In the early morning hours, Joe woke his blonde when he began to suck off the other's cock while Levon was still sleeping. The ensuing tussle had ended in the two of them sucking each other off at the same time. They subsided back into sleep after that, finally rousing well after sunrise.

Stretching and yawning, Lundy found his partner snuggled tight up against him, both arms wrapped around the cowboy's waist. Could git used to this. Twisting around, Lundy cupped the Italian's face in his hands, raising it for a good morning kiss.

LaFiamma responded to the kiss instantly even as he woke. Kissing back, pulling the blonde even tighter against him. "Morning, Joe." Levon smiled as he broke off the kiss.

"Good morning, Levon. Love you." LaFiamma tried to reinitiate the kiss, but Lundy was having none of it.

"Love you too, boy, but we do gotta get back to Houston. Figger you need to do some shoppin' iffn yore planning on feeding a passle o'folks tonight?"

Joe sat up abruptly. "Right. And we got to stop by my apartment - your kitchen lacks some things I'll need, like pots, pans..."

"Whoa, right there, LaFiamma. I have a perfectly fine kitchen."

"For making coffee, grits, and bacon."

"Well, boy, that's all enyone needs, right?" Lundy teased.

LaFiamma shuddered. "Don't even joke about that, Lundy. I can see I'm going to have to really educate you about good food, good cooking. When I move in permanent..." Joe stopped. Something in Lundy's eyes warned him that he might have gone too far, too fast, again.

"Levon?" he said hesitantly now, reaching out to touch the vertical line that had suddenly formed between the cowboy's eyebrows, creasing his forehead.

Lundy sighed, captured the tentative hand and brought it down to his mouth. Kissing the finger tips, he said, "Sorry, Joe, it's jest that sometimes, lately, you've kinda gone hogwild when I still feel like we need time."

The Italian took a deep breath. At least the blonde wasn't shooting him out of the sky. "No, I'm sorry, we'll do it slow, man." Brightening, he said, "How 'bout we get going so I can get to the farmer's market before it closes at noon back in Houston?"

Lundy grinned. Some things don't change. Don't you ever change, boy, he thought. "Let's go, then," he said, tossing a pillow at the brunette.

*********************

For driving back to Houston, Joe had changed into the pair of Salvation Army jeans and shirt, Levon had on his normal work clothes. Both the white manager's suit and the biker's black leathers, were packed in the trunk of the big, pale blue Cadillac convertible. Levon had stood looking at the front grill of the car after they finished packing. Joe watched him and waited.

"Ony thing missin' is a rack from a longhorn mounted on front."

Joe gave him a look of disbelief, then yanked his new Stetson down low over his eyes and sauntered, with a pronounced bowing of the legs, around to the passenger door of the Caddie.

Levon enjoyed the passable imitation of a cowpoke, liked the way Joe looked in the simple western gear. Gotta get him some proper jeans, shirts, and, o'course, boots. Lundy pulled himself up short. My god, I got it bad.

By this time the Italian was settled into the passenger seat, buckled in, and looking expectantly at the cowboy.

Lundy strolled over to the driver's side, got in and started up the engine. Once it was running, he toggled the switches to take down the top, opening the roomy cream leather interior to the sunshine.

LaFiamma already had impenetrable black wrap-around sunglasses on and handed Lundy a similar pair. The cowboy held them for a moment, then slipped them on, tugging the brim of his hat forward as well. Neither said a thing as the big car glided out of the lot and onto the road.

Levon turned on the radio. It was set for country music. He waited for the explosion. Nothing. The music began a long, soulful lyric story about a man's wife on the run, taking his truck with her. Still nothing.

Finally, the cowboy couldn't stand it. Keeping his eyes on the road, he turned the sound down a bit and spoke, "Son, you ain't said enythin' about my choice in radio stations."

There was silence for a beat, then LaFiamma spoke. "I'm practicing my cowboy persona, Lundy. Gotta try to learn how to feel like one if I aim to dress like one."

Lundy digested this as the song concluded. The new one was about two friends who made a bet about whose truck was the fastest. He knew this one. It ended badly, but then a lot of country-western music songs did. "You aim to dress like one?"

"Uh-huh."

"I thought you wuz practicing 'yup'?"

"Think I mastered that, I'm movin' on to more advanced western inarticulation."

Lundy stared straight ahead at the road, and grinned.

****************

Watching Joe LaFiamma bargain, first in Spanish with a farmer, then in what sounded like some oriental lingo with an Asian, Levon was reminded that this was not a simple man. His partner was educated, traveled and smart. So why wuz he interested in a simple Texas cop? Lundy hadn't a clue. He enjoyed the show, though, acting as beast of burden for all the Italian's purchases.

They'd gotten very ripe tomatoes, a hefty looking bulb of garlic, some chili peppers that Levon knew were deadly (wonder iffn I should warn the boy?), and fresh greens of a sort that Lundy wasn't familiar with, kinda looked like dandelion greens. Joe had him stop at a large supermarket. The Italian emerged with a big bag of dry pasta, looked sorta like straight macaroni, with ridges on it's surface, each piece was cut short and slanty. He had also found imported Spanish olive oil, told the blonde that it was actually often better than the Italian brands, especially if it had been cold-pressed. His prize, though, was a large raggedy looking chunk of Parmesan. When Lundy had suggested using one of those little green cans of parmesan cheese that was already grated, Joe had looked scandalized but refused to comment. At a liquor store, LaFiamma got two bottles of red wine, said they were full-bodied and dry, what wuz needed for this pasta. Levon simply shrugged and hoisted the packages, lugging things back to the car.

Part 21: La Cena e La Famiglia (The Dinner and the Family)

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In Joe's apartment, Lundy waited while his partner methodically stripped, as far as the cowboy could see, his entire kitchen, packing everything in the empty liquor store boxes they had toted upstairs. Knowing protest would be pointless, Lundy simply picked up boxes as they got filled and a toted them back down the stairs. They both avoided the elevator to lessen the comment from LaFiamma's neighbors.

With the car trunk jammed, and that's one big ol' hole to boot, thought Levon, they finally set out for the ranch.

LaFiamma had been sensitive to his partner's tolerance through all the errands and hadn't tried to kick up unnecessary irritation, keeping his comments to the task throughout the afternoon. Now, safely hidden behind his sunglasses and knowing he had some time before they reached the ranch, his eyes began to mist over. It had taken a lot to keep a lid on his turbulent feelings today. When Lundy had reacted negatively to his presumption of permanent co-habitation, it was all Joe could do to repress his own panic. He knew his love was going to last, this was different than any affection he'd ever experienced before. He realized he would have to wait on the cowboy, it had only been a short time since this whole new facet had developed in their relationship. Levon was shy about it and Joe would just have to wait.

What had pierced LaFiamma's defenses, though, had been what Levon had said back at the apartment. Joe had been looking seriously at his glassware, thinking that they'd need stemware for the wine. He was holding the delicate stem of a balloon wine goblet when Lundy, who had been largely silent, spoke up. "Joe, I got glasses back at the ranch."

LaFiamma had eyed him doubtfully but been hesitant to challenge his partner. Lundy saw the doubt though and reassured his friend. "Caroline made shore we had ever'thing we needed that way. Got all kinds o' crystal, china plates even, and what goes with'em." He'd moved restlessly then, taking his hat off and dusting it self-consciously across his thigh. He'd looked back up, his reddish knuckles knotted on hands that clutched, curling the top brim of his hat as he held it, almost like a shield, in front of him.

Joe hadn't packed any glassware.

Now, sitting in the car, early afternoon heat making the traffic seem to move more slowly, LaFiamma wanted to cry. Levon had offered something that had been his wife's. To him. He wasn't sure why it affected him so, just felt as if his emotions were running close to the surface now and this had been like a snag, catching at them, causing them to swirl and roil. Silly really, he thought firmly, slipping stiff fingers under his shades to wipe at the dampness.

"You alright, Joe?" Levon had noticed the surreptitious movements.

LaFiamma cleared his throat, which felt like something large was clogged in it. "'m fine, Levon. Just tired, that's all."

"Shore you want to do this dinner thing? We don't have to you know." The concern in Levon's voice nearly undid all that LaFiamma had just done to pull himself together.

"I want to. Way to thank our friends, Lundy, and get a decent meal, too." He tossed the last in knowing it was going to provoke a response, meaning to change the direction of Levon's thoughts.

Lundy checked his partner for a moment. Face pale, a slight tremor to the hands. Joe is hurting somehow, but doesn't want me to know. Don't think its physical, that means... Levon dropped the thoughts there, not ready to deal with where they might lead. Instead, he answered the surface jest that LaFiamma had tossed at him.

"Depends on what you mean by decent, boy." He let a smile tell his partner that this was all part of the game.

***********************

Levon stood in the archway to the front room. For over two years, the room had been largely ignored. He'd dusted. Oiled the walnut table that filled a large part of the room. Kept the tall wood cabinet clean and polished, the glass front wiped. But he hadn't used the room for meals since long before Caroline had died.

A heavy, damask cloth, deep green, covered the table now. Candles, pale ivory, which Joe had produced from one of his cardboard boxes, now sat resplendent in Caro's heavy lead crystal holders. Places for six were set. The china was plain but good, had set him back some when she'd bought it, but back then, he'd do anything she asked. It was white with a fine silver rim to each piece. The glasses sparkled. Joe had insisted on cleaning them even though they weren't dirty, just a bit dusty. He'd lined up glasses for water and wine at each place. The cutlery was stainless but looked fine there, all laid out, with the matching napkins placed casually at the side of each set of plates. Joe explained that he would serve salad first, so there were bowls set out on top of the deep dinner plates.

Levon just stood there, taking it all in. When Caro had wanted to entertain, she could do it up nice, but it never looked as elegant as tonight. And this was just for a business meeting really, people from work coming out here 'cause he and LaFiamma couldn't break cover to go in to Reisner. He tried to think what he thought of all this, but a large cloudy vagueness settled over his mind, making it blank.

"Hey, Levon, can you come in here for a minute?" Joe was calling from the kitchen. Lundy wiped a finger down over his upper lip, studied the room again, as if memorizing it, then turned and left to go find out what his lover wanted.

**********************

Joanne Beaumont and Carol O'Brien stood in the Lundy kitchen watching in complete fascination as Joe LaFiamma's nimble fingers finished chopping the tomatoes. Some were in large chunks, placed in a bowl for salad. The rest had been diced finely and he now mashed them with crushed fresh garlic, and a measured quantity of chili peppers. Levon had taken pity on him earlier and warned him about the peppers' strength. Joe had nibbled a tiny flake from one and smiled. "Just like peperoncino at home, Lundy."

With practiced care, LaFiamma threw in a bit of salt and put the mix on the stove top to heat. Stirring it, he poured in some of the good Spanish olive oil.

"Don't you need to strain the tomatoes first, make a paste?" Carol asked.

Joe shook his head, "Not for this. I'm just making a real simple supper, salad and pasta. The sauce is a peasant dish, real easy to make and," he looked up, eyes dancing good-humoredly, "for Texans, the perfect dish to introduce them to good Italian cooking."

"You saying we're all peasants, LaFiamma?" came Joe Bill's voice from the archway into the front room. He'd been out on the front porch, where he, Esteban and Lundy had been sharing some fine before meal whiskey.

"No, Joe Bill, only some of you, ladies excepted," LaFiamma bowed to the two women.

Everyone was in a good mood. The cops had all arrived in Joe Bill's extended cab pickup, figuring it was less obtrusive than a parade of individual cars. Lundy and LaFiamma had both met them at the front door, coming down on to the porch to wave them in.

Carol had watched curiously to see how they would act in front of the others. So far there had been no overt touching, no suggestive comments, but then, so far there had been no loud argument either. That in itself was a giveaway to her and she wondered what the others were thinking. Mentally shrugging, she prepared to enjoy herself. They had lots to talk about on this case, it was a real twisted trail, and these were good folks, all of them, good cops. What ever happens tonight, she decided, it will be alright.

Esteban had taken one look at Joe's face and swore softly. "You did not come by all that in a match, LaFiamma."

Joe had agreed amicably, "You'll hear all about it tonight, come on in and make yourself at home." He'd put a friendly hand on the ex-Matamoras cop's shoulder and guided him in. Joe Bill had followed. Levon had already led the women inside, taking their light jackets and hanging them on pegs in the entry. The always scruffy-looking Joe Bill McCandless had raised both eyebrows at the way LaFiamma invited them inside, almost like it was his house, not Lundy's. Or, he thought, like it was their house.

Joe Bill walked on into the kitchen now where LaFiamma was stirring and tasting the sauce. There was a large pot of water on a back burner, set at a slow boil.

They all watched as LaFiamma, like some dancer, moved about the kitchen making it his space. No one doubted for a minute that the meal, however simple he claimed, would be anything but great. The rinsed greens were tossed into the bowl with the tomatoes and some quickly shaved rings of onion. Joe threw in a splash of water from his fingers and then carefully added olive oil, drizzling it sparingly. Lastly, he took up a thin, black bottle with a fancy label. Unscrewing it, he dripped a few precious droplets of what looked like black, thick water on the salad.

"What's that, Joe?" Beaumont asked.

"That Lieutenant, is balsamic vinegar from Modena. Once you've had it, you'll never insult your palate with regular vinegar again."

Beaumont laughed, shedding years in the process. She said, "Joe, just for tonight, do you think you could call me Joanne?"

He looked up surprised, but nodded. "Sure thing - Joanne."

Taking up two wooden spoons, he tossed the salad and handed the mix, with the spoons still inside to Joe Bill. "Take this on in, will you?"

Astounded, the tall Texan nodded dumbly and departed. Both Carol and Joanne burst into gales of giggles. This brought in Lundy and Esteban. Joe, who was dumping the dry pasta into the boiling water now and setting a timer, found time to instruct his partner, "Levon, you and Esteban want to open the wine and decant it? I found a couple of glass pitchers that'll do. On the table there," he pointed with a spoon toward the items in question.

The two men so instructed looked at each other and started rolling up the sleeves of their shirts.

"Joe, don't you want us to do anything?" Carol asked.

By this time, LaFiamma had a large serving bowl on the table and was rubbing the inner surface with a raw cut garlic clove. "Keep an eye on the timer, is all. Oh, and if one of you wants to stir the sauce a bit?" Wiping his hands, he brought his chunk of Parmesan out of the refrigerator. He had brought a grater along from the apartment and now set to work, grating the cheese into a medium sized bowl.

Pausing for a moment, he grabbed a small knife and cut off finger-sized bits of the oily, hard-textured cheese, then handed a piece to each person. "Here, try this. It's the real thing."

Joe Bill had returned and accepted one of the bits as did each of the women and Esteban. LaFiamma leaned across the table and simply popped the last piece directly into Levon's mouth as he struggled with the corkscrew and one of the bottles of wine. Carol's eyes widened. She stole looks at the others, but if anyone had noticed, they were pretending not to have done so.

With a 'ting' the small timer went off. LaFiamma pulled the pot and drained the pasta quickly in a colander sitting in the sink. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'll demonstrate a little known secret, an ITALIAN secret, for making great pasta." He poured a coating of the olive oil on the bottom of the still steaming pot and put it back on the stove over the gas flame. Using a glove he dumped the colander of pasta back into the pot and stirred it vigorously with a long wooden spoon, coating the pasta in a glaze of hot oil.

"That must be a secret," Joanne said, observing closely, "I've never heard of doing that."

"Ah, but you're not -"

"ITALIAN!" everyone finished in chorus, grinning at the abashed ex-Chicago cop. He didn't let the teasing distract him, though and quickly pulled the pot, killing the flame. The steaming pasta was poured into the serving bowl. A second bowl was produced for the sauce. Carol asked why they didn't just put the sauce on now and earned a look of passing indignation. With everyone carrying bowls, bottles, condiments, and serving utensils, they all paraded into the parlor.

"That," Joe Bill said with satisfaction, as he lolled back in his chair, "was the best dad-gummed Italian food I ever et."

"Si," Esteban said, "That was very good, almost Mexican."

LaFiamma smiled, "It's called penne arrabbiata. Means angry pasta. That spicy sauce was a favorite of my grandmother's, she always said it kept her heart going strong."

Joanne lifted her glass. "Gentlemen, lady, to a great meal, a great cook."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank amid laughter and compliments.

*********************

Dinner cleared away, the group settled around the room with coffee. Lundy had led the discussion, briefing the others on all that was known and had happened to date. LaFiamma occasionally added a detail, but largely left the reporting to the senior partner.

When they'd finished reporting, Beaumont took over. "I traced the number on that card that Ross and Dover gave you," she began, nodding to the partners. "It's unlisted, but the telephone company cooperated. It belongs to a Charmaine Cantrell. Lady owns a high class bordello in Galveston. Lots of oil money out there."

"You think she's behind this, Lieutenant?" LaFiamma asked.

She shook her head, "Don't know yet, Joe. I've contacted the Galveston police to see what they can tell me. Meanwhile, I've been checking on the name Lorenzo. The FBI identify him as possibly Gianluigi Lorenzo. Mr. Lorenzo is Jack to his friends. He's a big rancher out near Lubbock, but is usually an absentee landholder. He has a ranch manager out there. He maintains apartments here in Houston, in Dallas, and in New Orleans."

So far none of this meant anything to anyone, but then Joanne said, "And he's the younger brother of Carlo Buttoni."

Joe shot to feet, suddenly white. "The Buttoni Family!"

Everyone looked at him in concern. "You know them, LaFiamma?" asked Beaumont.

Joe looked blankly around the room, finally settling on Lundy's face. Answering the question, but staring at Lundy, the brunette said, "Yeah. The FBI musta told you, Lieutenant, Carlo is godfather to one of the biggest crime families on the west coast, the Buttoni own California."

Levon saw the fear in his friend's eyes, "There's more, isn't there Joe?"

Part 22: Puzzles and Teams

--------------------------------

Dumbly, Joey LaFiamma nodded yes. Levon rose and crossed the room to his partner. Gripping him by the biceps, he tugged him forward and then pushed him down into a chair. LaFiamma still didn't speak. The other detectives stared, open-mouthed at this abrupt change in their usually fearless, arrogant colleague.

Levon squatted down in front of his partner. "Tell us, Joe."

A shadow darkened the Italian's face but he spoke. "Blood feud."

The Mexican cop, Esteban Guiterrez crossed himself and muttered something under his breath.

Joe seemed to come out of himself now, sitting up straighter and looking first at Lundy, then around the room at the others. "Blood feud," he repeated, "there's a blood feud between the Buttoni family and the Chicago families. Goes back over a generation. The Buttoni run drugs."

"You trying to tell us the other 'families' in Chicago don't touch drugs, LaFiamma?" Joe Bill sounded disbelieving.

The Italian gave him a glare, then sat back. "I only know what I know which is that the feud began because Carlo's father, Giuseppi Buttoni started bringing drugs into Chicago and the other families stopped it, exiled him and his whole family.

"Exiled from Chicago? Why does this sound familiar?" Lundy stood up and went to sit on the arm of Carol's chair.

LaFiamma turned the glare on his partner, who saw that the glare overlaid continuing fear. "Don't go there, Lundy!" he snapped angrily.

Levon glared right back but didn't answer. For some reason, he was feeling betrayed.

Beaumont interrupted now, "Joey, tell me about the Buttoni. Are you in any special danger from them?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant." I've never walked with the families, but that doesn't usually mean anything in a feud. Mostly they all just stay out of each others' territories. That's one of the reasons that I was sent here instead of Los Angeles or Frisco." He took a deep breath. "Lorenzo can't have been down here too long or the families would have known, I wouldn't have been put here."

Levon Lundy's world suddenly shook. Not sent to Houston? Never to have met Joe? Never to have loved him or be loved by him? He grabbed hold of the back of the chair and swayed. Carol looked up at him, clearly puzzled. He couldn't spare her a glance, though, his eyes fixed on his partner.

"So, we know he's Mafia and he's here," Beaumont said placidly, hoping to restore some semblance of normality to the discussion. It had taken a dark turn with Joey's feud lore. "Now, we don't know that he has brought the feud with him, if fact," she stopped, then started again, "he probably hasn't because those men could have been assassins and they only warned you two off. They didn't even speak directly to LaFiamma at all."

Lundy felt relief flush through him, she was right. "Yes," he added, "you got a point there, Joanne, they were only interested in warnin' us off Texas wrestlin'."

"Which leads to the next item of information," Beaumont stated crisply. "I did some calling and asked for help from the Captain at Reisner. He made a few calls, too. We now suspect that Hoffsteader is on the take. The Gaming Commission's senior men have been looking into his activities for a while. Seems every time there is a problem in the wrestling world, it ends up on Hoffsteader's desk and then gathers dust. Commissioner Warren over there told my captain that there is no record of this sting operation that he recruited Lundy and LaFiamma for."

This last statement made everyone sit up. "No record of it!" Lundy jumped to his feet. "But Joanne, I had to call him, set up meets, leave messages - and everyone I spoke to always knew what I was calling about."

"They have down a 'Lundy and LaFiamma' as two informants on the fringe of WWFT. Apparently, that's all he has ever told his staff about you two."

LaFiamma was blank-faced. Not reacting at all. Lundy was furious and now flushed a bright red with his anger, standing there with fists balled.

"Well," drawled Joe Bill coolly, "Mebbe we should take over the operation? Uncover this here Hoffsteader feller and the Mafia connections, and whatever those two, Ross and Dover and their boss, Cantrell, are up to at the same time."

All eyes swiveled to the lanky Texan. It was Lundy who broke the silence. "And, mebbe, pigs can fly."

Joe Bill rose quickly to his feet, but Guiterrez was in front of him before he could start across the room to Lundy.

"Sit down! Both of you! You, too, Levon!" Beaumont used her command voice and everyone sat back down. "Now, calm down. Joe Bill, that's actually a pretty good idea - and right in line with what Commissioner Warren and our own Captain Phillips asked me to try. It means, though, that the sting is going to expand to include all of us. It won't just be Levon and Joe flying solo anymore."

Joe met the woman's eyes. "Lieutenant," guess the 'Joanne' just won't stick for him, Beaumont thought inconsequentially, "Lieutenant, that's good news. It was getting pretty lonely out here in the cold, even with Esteban and Legs coming in to help out."

Lundy's temper eased as he saw that Joe was coming out of whatever fugue he'd been in. Looking interested and involved again. God, how easy it was to forget his priorities. And how they had recently changed. Breathing slowly to release his tension, he said, "Yes, I agree. With the help of you all, we got a better chance of pulling this thing off yet."

Carol spoke now, "What are we going for now? It still seems to be pretty tangled up to me. Where does the Mafia fit in with local tournament fixing?"

"They may not," Beaumont said. "We'll have to find out. Looks like parallel investigations for now. The Ross-Dover-Cantrell connection. The Hoffsteader and Lorenzo-Buttoni connection."

"But both pivot around Lundy and LaFiamma," Esteban pointed out.

Beaumont nodded. "Any suggestions?"

Lundy stood again. Pacing always helped him think more clearly. Seeing that Joanne wasn't yelling at him yet, he walked over toward LaFiamma, then spun back to face the room. "I say we continue our cover, wait a few days, then call the Cantrell number. See what they offer. I have a feeling they're gonna say they can fix Joe's matches for him. We went into this to see where the dirty fixed tournaments were coming from. If they make the offer, we got'em. We can have a meet, get it all down on tape."

"Entrapment?" asked Carol.

"No, they're doing the offer. All we did is stand around and win some matches." Joe snorted in the background, but Lundy ignored this.

Joanne was nodding. "Yes, that sounds good."

"Then," Lundy continued, "there's the homicides. Don't forget Gabby Garcia and Charlie Bacon. Both those boys wuz found toes up. Both were wrestlin' promoters, managers. Seems to me that mebbe one of these two groups was involved in that, too. We feed the Cantrell people a little rope, mebbe act like we're gonna back out, iffn they threaten us, they may give us a confession on those homicides."

"If it was them," Joe Bill said.

Anger forgotten by now, Levon felt everything clicking for him. "Yeah. If it was them. If it wasn't, well, then, we look at the Lorenzo folks. Now Joanne, you folks ken start looking into them without hep from Joe and me. We really have no direct connections there. Jest the one warning bash-up, and mebbe, the attack in the shower, though we don't know about thet at all."

"Ok," Beaumont nodded, "We'll get on it. Carol and Esteban and Joe-Bill will start sniffing around the Lorenzo folks. I'll see what I can do about Hoffsteader. If the Commissioner is prepared to make him an offer, he might come in from the cold. I'll talk to Phillips first, see what he thinks."

"There's one more thing, Lieutenant," Joe spoke slowly, "Lorenzo wants Lundy and me out of the competitions. It may all be related to Hoffsteader and corruption but if he connects me to the LaFiamma family of Chicago..."

Lundy said, "You ain't gonna be alone enywhere after this, 'til its over, Joe. Flat out."

Beaumont added, "On the nights you go in, we'll all be there. Joe-Bill and Esteban will go in as bodyguards for you. Others have them, though in most cases, its more for show. We'll be serious. Carol will be there. I'll find a way to set up some others in the background."

Lundy nodded. "That sounds good. LaFiamma's high enough in the standings now, it makes sense he'd have more folks around him, too."

Beaumont finally stood and clapped her hands together lightly, hunching forward slightly. She looked around the room at her people, good people. "Sounds like we have a plan to work with. Now what have we forgotten?"

"Drugs," LaFiamma spoke heavily.

Lundy stared at his partner. The man had an absolute knack for dropping stones in a calm pond, causing all kinds of ripples.

Carol chimed in, "That's right, you did say the Buttoni family is known for being into drugs. But I thought that was in California."

Joe nodded grimly, "That's where they all were. But now? If a branch of the family has moved to Texas, and keeps a place in New Orleans..."

Esteban snapped his fingers, "The Gulf! Bringing drugs in through the ports!"

Joe Bill nodded, "Yeah, and Galveston. The Cantrell woman's place is right there sitting out on the Gulf. Mebbe there are more connections in all this than we thought."

"You may want DEA to check that ranch out, Lieutenant," Joe continued, "see if they are really raising just cattle out there or if they are doing something else."

"But," Carol asked in exasperation, "but what do drugs have to do with wrestling?"

No one had an answer for that.

**************************

Levon tossed the damp dishtowel over a kitchen chair, then sat down at the table. He was tired. It had been a long night. The talk had gone on for some time, but was all speculation. When Beaumont finally said they had to leave, it was after midnight.

Joe Bill and Levon had made a point of shaking hands, affirming their long-standing friendship, and letting the temper flare-up of the evening fade away. Then Lundy and LaFiamma had stood side by side in the lighted doorway of the porch, waving off their friends as the big truck headed out.

Although offers to assist had been made, both Lundy and LaFiamma had told the others that they'd take care of the kitchen mess. Now, at nearly 1:30 in the morning, the mess was all cleaned up and Levon was tired. Joe was still fussing at the sink, wiping it down.

"Joe," Levon's own voice sounded faraway to the cowboy, "leave it be. Let's go to bed."

LaFiamma turned to face his partner. "Levon, about tonight..."

"What about it, Joe?"

"I'm sorry I sounded off."

Levon dropped his gaze for a moment, then looked back up and sighed. "So am I. Guess we are both tense, worried about all this. Sounded pretty simple a few weeks ago."

Joe smiled slowly. "Yeah. I'm glad we had these weeks, though, Levon. Meant I got to really know you, and found myself falling in love with you." He was suddenly there, right in front of the blonde, pulling him to his feet. "Come on, you're right, it's time for bed."

"I need to sleep tonight," Lundy warned as he trudged after the Italian, down the hall to their bedroom.

A short laugh came from in front of him. "Levon, I have about as much energy as one of your lizards on a hot day."

Levon was stumped by this. "Joe, them lizards git around right smart, even in the heat."

LaFiamma shrugged, "Well, I guess I'm not pure Texan yet."

"LaFiamma, you ain't even - oh, never mind, boy. Com'ere." Lundy opened his arms, standing now inside their bedroom near the foot of their bed. He didn't even question any more when it stopped being his and became theirs.

The Italian walked into the open arms and they hugged. Just stood there and hugged. Finally, they both seemed to realize at once that they were also swaying dangerously. LaFiamma simply leaned a bit more and they were toppling onto the mattress, in a tangle of limbs. Lundy released his partner and started crawling up towards the top of the bed.

He looked down the bed at LaFiamma who was looking back hopefully, with one arm extended, hand out toward the blonde. Lundy reached down and held on, pulling back up with as much energy as he could muster. Joe dragged himself up the bed, using Levon's hand as leverage. When he was level with the cowboy, he simply collapsed down on the bed.

They were both still fully clothed, but somehow it didn't matter. Lundy leaned in and gave LaFiamma a sloppy kiss that started on the mouth and kinda drifted down the jaw, to end on the pillow. By then, both were sound asleep.

Part 23: Wax and an Ambush

---------------------------------

As it turned out, Lundy and LaFiamma didn't have to wait a few days to make contact with Ross and Dover. Joe was working the laundry and the kitchen in tandem, doing what he considered deep spring-cleaning. Levon was out at the barn, he'd decided to clean out Fooler's box stall thoroughly, something he seldom had time for. The horse was out in the field, he had the time.

Joe had just started on waxing the linoleum floor in the kitchen, having scoured it down to the bare surface. The telephone startled him into splashing part of the bucket of mix into a puddle. Climbing to his feet, he took a wide step over the mess and walked over to the wall telephone, wiping his hands on the rag he'd tucked into the waistband of his gray sweat pants.

"Hello." It didn't pay just now to say his name here at Lundy's. He listened to the caller ask for Lundy, recognizing the voice as Dover's. "Hold on a sec, I'll go get him."

He carefully lay the receiver on the nearby countertop and circling his spill, went out the back door in search of his partner. It was nice out here; he liked this ranch. The air was fresh, he could hear birds singing, smell the grasses, even the smell of horse was beginning to appeal. Face it LaFiamma, you got it bad. If this place smelled like a sewer, you'd still like it and you know why. As he neared the barn, he passed a wheelbarrow loaded with fresh horse droppings. Fact is, sometimes it does smell kinda like a sewer. Had to admit horse manure had a more pleasant smell than human waste. Lundy had explained it had to do with horses' diet.

The shade of the barn was like deep shadow after leaving the bright sunlight behind. Joe took a moment to squint and catch sight of his partner, moving around in one of the enclosures within the large barn. "Levon, telephone for you - it's Dover by the sounds of it." Joe saw that Levon had put down whatever he was using back there and straightened to look over the wood planking at LaFiamma. "I didn't speak much, didn't say who I was."

Lundy walked quickly around the lower partition and came out by his partner. "Ok," he said, grabbing the rag from LaFiamma's waistband, "I'll go."

"Hey!" Joe called. Lundy turned to look back. "That rag WAS clean, you better put it in the laundry after you finish using it."

Lundy grinned at Joe and flipped the bit of cloth over his sweaty shoulder. Joe had to admire the slim body, bare to the waist, slick with sweat. Lundy was rock hard and muscle dense, stronger than he looked. The Italian felt himself going hard, just standing there watching his lover. Lundy slowly let his eyes travel down the Italian's body, stopping at the rising of the sweatpants at Joey's crotch. LaFiamma caught the direction of the stare and looked down at himself. There it was, a definite tent below the waist. Oh, well.

By the time Joe looked up, Lundy was gone, leaving only the sound of laughter behind.

Levon put on speed now, they'd kept their unexpected caller waiting long enough. Levon trotted up the back stairs to the kitchen, thinking about how Dover got his phone number. Well, he'd given it out to those two managers, Fowler and Hooter, the men had promised to listen around for anything on the attack on Joe in the shower stall, back in Austin. He'd passed it to a few others he thought might get back to him with something, anything on this case.

Pulling open the screen door, he started for the phone, hearing Joe shout his name just as his feet went clear out from under him. Whap! On his ass on the wet tile floor, Levon sat shocked. He heard Joe coming up the steps behind him fast. Then LaFiamma was there, hands slid under Lundy's armpits, lifting.

"God damn it, LaFiamma, what the hell you doing in here?" Lundy hissed as his partner carefully set the cowboy back on his feet. Throwing a glare over his shoulder at the Italian, Lundy limped over to the telephone, rubbing his backside with his left hand.

Joe watched impassively as the blonde reached the telephone and picked it up. It was all he could do to keep from letting out a semi-hysterical giggle, picturing in his mind's eye the cowboy sitting on the floor in that puddle of wax, frozen in shock. Snorting softly, he backed out the door then strode away from the house. When he reached the barn door, he held on tight and began to laugh. By the time Lundy arrived, Joe was strangled with laughter, holding his belly and almost sneezing in his attempts to repress his mirth. Levon stood watching him for a moment, then began to crack a smile.

He held his breath for a moment, then let it out in a bray of laughter of his own. "Joe, you coulda kilt me!" He gasped with deep, dry laughter.

"If you could have seen the look on your face!" LaFiamma dissolved in further strange sounds as he tried to keep from roaring with laughter. Finally managing to contain himself, he crossed to the blonde and let his hands stroke down the sweat slick arms, ending by catching hold of the wonderfully sensitive hands.

"Ok, I am sorry. Really. It was an accident to start with and then you just took off so fast, I didn't have a chance to warn you. I did call out, but it was too late."

Lundy nodded, clasping Joe's large square hands tighter for a moment, then letting go. "No harm done, 'cept to my dignity." He rubbed his hip," 'n mebbe to my butt."

Together they turned back toward the house. "You were right, thet was Dover. I asked him how he'd found my number, said Fowler had given it to him." Levon held on to the stair rail as his limped up the few stairs to the back door. He added over his shoulder, "Fowler was one of the managers who promised to keep an ear out about that attack on you in Austin, in the shower."

"So, what did Dover want?"

"Seems there's a big tourney of the WWFT here in Houston, in a coupla' days. He'd like to see the Stallion win there against a big name from outta state. Says he can arrange it, if I cooperate. Translate 'cooperate' to pay him a share of the purse."

"How much he want?" Joe asked curiously as he squatted next to the spill in the kitchen.

Lundy took up the mop applicator and began to push the excess wax around, spreading it out over the floor. "He said sixty percent."

"Really?" LaFiamma thought that over as he took a sponge from the bucket and began to soak up part of the remaining spill. "So what'd you say?"

"Said I didn't conduct thet kinda business over the phone. He agreed to a meet. Tomorrow, midday, at The Summit sports arena, in the ticket booth area.

"Nice, 's public there. You'll have to wear a wire."

"I figger we both better. You're not staying here alone, and I ken use the back up. 'Sides, he'd expect to see you along, kinda like a bodyguard fur me."

"Sounds good." LaFiamma squeezed the last of the slick mixture from the big sponge back into the bucket. Lundy had finished spreading out the wax, the floor looked good but wet.

"How about a shower, Levon? We can both use a little clean up after all this. Then you can call Joanne, fill her in?"

Lundy looked down at his worn work jeans. They were torn in several places, but that was old news, the streaks of wet wax covered most of his rear all the way down to the heels of his boots. The front was dabbed with bits of hay and sticky brown substances that he decided he didn't need to identify that closely.

He looked up. Joe was still squatting over there on the floor by the bucket. How does he do thet for so long, and stay so still? LaFiamma's sweat pants were splattered with damp from the spill. His sleeveless undershirt, all he had on over his torso, was damp with sweat stains, his muscled arms glistening with perspiration. His beautiful lover. "A shower," Lundy answered, "sounds good."

Joe rose gracefully, asking hopefully, "Together?"

Levon held out one hand to his partner, "Shore."

************************

Joe-Bill and Esteban arrived in the morning to put the wires on the two men. Lundy was getting awful tired of his white suit and Joe had suggested that it was time they expanded both their wardrobes. It was agreed that later in the afternoon, after the meet and depending on how it fell out, they'd do a little shopping for wrestler and manager street clothing.

Taping the microphones and wires in place, tucking the fanny pack receivers into their pants, Lundy and LaFiamma were both feeling some tension, the kind that comes from closing in at the end of a chase. If this meet went well, there was a good chance that this whole part of the case would close. At this point, that would leave the Buttoni connection and Jack Lorenzo. The fixing of matches was looking like small potatoes in a world that held the likes of the Buttoni family.

But neither Joe nor Levon felt any particular worry about the meeting, maybe because of it's low scale importance now. Both wore their guns, Beaumont had sent word to make sure they went in packing. Joe Bill and Esteban would be there in the background, available. Carol and Dale would be in a van on the street, listening to the wires. Ready to signal if they got enough to try to take down Ross and Dover.

It was nice having all this extra back up, Levon thought as he pulled out of his drive, the pale blue Caddie moving whisper soft and quiet. LaFiamma looked hot in the black leather clothing. Time to get him some lighter weight stuff, Lundy thought. Joe wasn't wearing his new hat today, had chosen to remain bareheaded as more in character for his role.

Lundy had his special white Stetson on, but kept the top up so that Joe would remain shaded in the intense noonday sun. He pulled up outside The Summit.

Joe could see the unmarked van, one of the HPD specials, parked only two spaces up the street on the same side. He nudged his partner and nodded that way briefly. Lundy tipped his head in acknowledgement as the two ambled toward the huge sports arena's main entrance.

At a distance, they could see Esteban suited out as a grounds keeper, snipping at the hedges that formed part of the landscaping nearby. Closer to, Joe Bill was visible, a sports paper folded in his hand, talking with someone at one of the ticket bays, just inside the open lobby entrance. Neither Ross nor Dover was anywhere in sight.

No one noticed the dark Ranger pull up behind the Cadillac. Guiterrez stiffened when he saw four men, all in dark suits emerge from the UV and form up together, moving fast toward the arena. He only just had time to call out a warning as he drew his 45. "Get down! It's a trap!"

Lundy had been in the lead and saw Esteban's change of expression and moves out of the corner of his eye. He reacted even as he heard the warning shout, pivoting and throwing himself on his partner.

LaFiamma had been scanning the area and at that moment happened to be looking away from Esteban. When his partner came suddenly flying back into him, he stumbled and fell over on his back, momentarily stunned.

The four men never broke stride, drawing large guns from within their jackets they were already firing as Lundy threw himself on top of his partner. Joe could here the sounds of gunfire, it sounded like an entire battery going off. It was the two jerks of Lundy's body over his that scared him to the core, though. Seeing Levon's face over his go suddenly blank, eyes closing, Joe cried out, "Lundy! Oh, Christ! Levon!" His arms going around his partner, he was rolling them over, putting himself between the cowboy and any further bullets. The firing hadn't stopped and Joe felt a tremendous thump against his back, like someone had tried to drive a spike into him.

At that point the direction of sounds changed. Now firing was coming from further away and there was the sound of running feet. Joe clung to his partner's body, eyes squeezed shut against the pain in his own back. Neither of them had had a chance to even draw a weapon.

Part 24: Punctures and Ruminations

--------------------------------------

Lieutenant Joanne Beaumont looked around at the MCU detectives in the waiting room of the hospital. Esteban had explained to her what happened since he was the only one in a position to have seen everything. Joe Bill, Carol, and Dale had all joined the action but hadn't seen the initial sequence. Both Lundy and LaFiamma had been hit, neither having time to defend themselves. Esteban told her that as soon as he spotted what was going down, he called a warning and Lundy was diving on his partner to get them both down. He hadn't been able to see them after that, was too busy with the attackers. When everything went quiet, the detectives had found LaFiamma on top of Lundy, both unconscious.

Apparently the four hit men were from out of town. All four were dead, no identification. The firefight had lasted an interminable 45 seconds from what she could tell. At the initial attack on Lundy and LaFiamma, Guiterrez had started shooting even as the first bullets hit Lundy. Joe Bill had run out of the lobby of the arena, firing as he came. Alerted to the sounds of shooting, and Joey's cry through the wire, Carol and Dale had burst from their van and created a flanking maneuver that finished the four assassins.

The Ranger was a rental and Annie Hartung, back at Reisner, was following the paperwork trail via computer. It didn't look too promising.

Meanwhile, her undercover team, Lundy and LaFiamma were in the emergency room. She thanked god that both had been wearing vests, something she had insisted upon, along with their weapons. Neither had seemed unduly concerned about the meet when she spoke with them by telephone, but she was the cautious type, and this time it had paid off.

Both had been hit, Lundy twice, but the shots had been body shots, directly into the vests. The shooters had been using heavy-duty ammunition, though and all three shots had penetrated the armor. The doctor had been out earlier, said that thanks to the vests, none of the shots had gone in deeply. It was just a question of profound bruising at entry points and minor bleeding, no organs had been hit, though Lundy had broken ribs from the impacts.

She finally told the others to go, get out on the streets and see what they could find out. Try to track down Ross and Dover, apparently they'd had a hand in setting up the injured detectives. Beaumont said she'd remain for a bit, in case anything else was needed. She'd see Levon and Joe in the morning since the doctor had told the waiting group of officers that the two men were resting, still asleep from the medication for the pain.

Before Carol O'Brien left, she asked to speak to Beaumont privately.

"Joanne, you need to have them in the same recovery room."

"For protection? Carol, I've got a unit of uniforms assigned to watch their doors here."

"No, Joanne. That's not what I mean. They'll both panic unless they can see each other, even if only one comes to for a while, they're going to need to be close by."

Joanne Beaumont studied her detective. There was a message here. O'Brien was willing her Lieutenant to see it without coming out with the words. Beaumont wasn't sure she wanted to hear this message, but the request was certainly simple enough.

"I'll go talk with the head nurse now."

Carol nodded, glad that arrangements would be made. Not certain that Beaumont really understood, but knowing that the two men would need to see each other was clear to Legs. She might still be the only one in the unit who knew about the way Lundy and LaFiamma had moved into a new relationship, so she felt an obligation to make sure they got what they needed. Each other.

**********************

LaFiamma woke in a white room. Hospital. He'd done this before. For a moment, he just let himself feel what was ok and what might not be. Shifting in the bed, he felt the sharp pain in his back. Not intolerable, but there. His head felt fuzzy, ached. Must be some painkillers and that whack on the sidewalk when he fell. No, when Lundy pushed him down, fell on top of him.

At that moment, it all came back. Lundy! Where was Levon? He lurched upward, looking around in a panic. There, beside him in another bed.

Lundy was still unconscious. But, no machines were hooked up to him so it couldn't be too bad. LaFiamma struggled with the side rail on his bed, unable to get it down, he simple slid over it and padded to the other bed, ignoring the draft at the back of the cotton hospital gown.

Lundy was pale, but his face was relaxed. He looked younger, the stress lines erased at the moment. There had been two hits, LaFiamma thought, lightly touching Levon's face, letting his fingers slide down the other's cheek and jaw. He took up one of his partner's hands and simply stood there, holding it, his thumb making little circles on the back of Levon's hand.

Levon felt the light touches and drifted back to awareness. Joey! His eyes flew open and there was LaFiamma, standing over him, holding his hand. He's ok.

Levon's brown eyes opened and Joe looked into them, smiling encouragingly. "Hey, partner, how ya feeling?"

The blonde didn't respond right away, except for squeezing his partner's hand. He was clearly doing an internal inventory, too. "Guess those vests did the trick. I ken feel my back some, but nothing too bad." He took a deeper breath and winced. "Mebbe a couple of ribs."

LaFiamma leaned down and placed a feather light kiss on Levon's mouth. "You know, you probably saved my life with that little trick."

Lundy smiled up at Joe. "What I wuz aiming for."

"You going to make a habit of this? Leaping in front of bullets meant for me?"

Levon blinked, could see the anger and fear in the Italian, just below the surface. "Joe, that's just the way it went down. You'd a done the same thing."

Joe sighed, then nodded, the tension easing. "Yeah. You're right." He put another kiss on receptive lips. "Thanks, Levon. But try not to get hit, if there's ever a next time, ok? I'd like to keep my lover intact, if you don't mind."

"Ok, Joey." Levon's eyes drooped and he closed them tiredly, though there was a small smile curving across his face.

At this point a nurse arrived and insisted that LaFiamma return to his own bed. She fussed over the railing, lowering it and agreeing to leave it down if the tall brunette would only get back in the bed he was supposed to be occupying. She found the handsome brunette attractive, but she could see he only had eyes for the blonde. No wonder someone had pulled strings to get them put in the same room, and a private one at that. It was only for one night, for observation, then both could leave in the morning. They evidently had a very close relationship. I didn't know they had any gays on the police force, she thought to herself, as she left.

*******************

LaFiamma was wakeful for the rest of the night, his back bothering him, but more than that, residual worry about his partner. Levon looked so fragile, lying there sleeping. His torso was strapped to brace the cracked ribs and hold bandages in place. Joey simply lay half-turned toward his Lundy and watched his friend sleep. He kept reliving the feel of Levon falling on top of him, the thudding impact of the two shots that jerked the blonde's body and left him lifeless, lying there on Joe. It was easier to remain awake than sleep and revisit that as a nightmare.

Near dawn, Lundy finally stirred again, blinking slowly and rotating his head to the side to face Joe. "Morning'."

LaFiamma smiled, the warmth in his eyes touching Levon. "Morning' yourself. Feeling any better today?"

Levon let his head fall back and tried to stretch. Stopping at the pull of stitches and the heavy pain of bruised muscles. "Not so's you'd notice, but guess Ah'll make it."

LaFiamma carefully lifted his arms, trying not to let the feel of the ache in his back interfere, and settled his hands, fingers linked, behind his head. Talking to the ceiling, he asked, "Do you think those guys were from Cantrell or Lorenzo?"

Levon cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "You have to ask?" He almost sounded amused. "Way they were dressed, acted, I'd put money on the mob, mebbe your Buttoni crowd."

"Ok, maybe. Yeah. But why now? Why not the other day?"

"More important, LaFiamma," Levon gritted his teeth against a twinge, "What happened to Dover? Wuz he part of it, or were they jest follering us? Was it a set-up, a trap, like Esteban yelled when he warned us down?"

Joe pursed his lips. Staring at the gessoed ceiling, he let his eye follow a crack in the plaster across the surface. Made him think of a book he remembered from his childhood. Madeline. Funny, remembering that one, really not even a book for boys, but his teacher had read it to the class. As the surface thoughts bobbed about, he waited. Knowing if he pushed, it would all disappear. Finally, he began to see the shape of an answer.

"Levon, you remember how the Lieutenant said that Lorenzo almost never was at his ranch in Lubbock? I asked the Lieutenant to have DEA check on that ranch. But if he's never there..."

"Yeah, so what?"

"She said he spent his time at places here, in Dallas, and in New Orleans."

"Ok, LaFiamma, I remember, but so what?"

"If we get a hold of his telephone records, maybe we can see if there's a connection between him and Cantrell, or even between him and Dover, Ross. Seems to me, those two might be working both sides of the street."

"Where you goin' with this?"

"You remember that question Legs asked the other night? What did drugs have to do with wrestling?"

"You think you got an answer?"

"Just think about those crowds, Levon. All those people, most of the folks backstage were itinerent, too. No settled community. Lots of money. Lots of noise, confusion."

"You think they're moving dope thet way?"

"Why not? If Lorenzo is following in the Buttoni tradition, then that's probably what he's doing, moving drugs. He can bring them in through the ports. He can use any wrestler or manager to move them throughout the Midwest, Texas, further. They're always on the road - well, hell, Lundy that's what we were doing, driving for hours to get to the next gig."

There was silence while Levon digested this. "You know, LaFiamma that makes a lot of sense. I been thinking 'bout that ranch. Those places ken have a lot of out buildings, some big for animals or feed storage. Wouldn't be so hard to put in a secret processing plant, cut the raw coke, make up the street-level mixes. You could even ship it out in feed bags or something."

Joe nodded, forgetting for a moment that Levon couldn't see him from this position. "I wonder if DEA has started checking into that place."

Lundy toyed with the side - railings. "Joe, that still doesn't explain the hit."

"What if," LaFiamma stopped, then continued, deep in thought, "what if Lorenzo's people had been paying Hoffsteader off to keep things real low key in the WWFT? You know the fight fixing and gambling rings would be pretty small fry. As long as no one spent a lot of time trying to find answers at the arenas, then the business of drug transactions and delivery / passage of the goods could continue. But then we came along."

"Yeah, and Hoffsteader needed us to show his boss at the Commission thet he wuz doing somethin,'" Levon followed his own thoughts, making lightning fast connections now, "but, he might'a even told Lorenzo or his people about us, too, ta keep in with them. They might notta counted on you bein' able to make it up the rankings without outside help. You won those first three matches strictly on your own, boy."

Joe thought about this. "That's right. And then Orchid gave me another boost. By then, I was part of the scene and had attracted the attention of good old Ross and Dover."

"So they're trying to get us to agree to fix some matches, meanwhile Lorenzo don't want no cops around while concluding his 'business' transactions at the meets. When Hoffsteader couldn't warn us off, mebbe that's when Lorenzo decided to go for broke."

"Maybe, Levon, but I bet he only heard our actual names real recently, or at least the real name of the 'Italian Stallion.'"

"How you figger?"

"LaFiamma is an unusual name. He'd have known my connection to Chicago then. And we stopped being a bother and became a target, at least I did."

"The blood feud?" Levon looked skeptical.

"Think about it Levon, this was a case of sheer overkill. If we hadn't had so much back up we'd be dead now. The shooters came from outta state - five'll get you ten, they're from Frisco. That's where Carlo Buttoni has his main operations."

Levon was silent. Joe waited. He knew the brilliant analytical mind beneath that sometimes rough exterior and respected what his partner could construct from a few wayward facts. But Joe knew the families and how they operated. And this was turning into family business, whether they wanted it to or not.

Lundy closed his eyes, unwilling to let his partner know how much he feared that LaFiamma was right. If Mafia politics were involved, they really were in trouble. Bad enough that they were trying to juggle two, mebbe three criminal conspiracies, but this was jest plain gettin' out of hand. Knowing he couldn't leave Joey hanging, he opened his eyes again. "LaFiamma, we got a possible crooked bureaucrat on the take, a tourney-fixing racket, and, what is beginning to sound like a drug cartel. And now you want to add in a blood feud? Ain't thet like pouring kerosene on a flamin' barbecue?"

Joe grinned at the ceiling, "You know, Levon, when you put it like that, may be it's time we had another chat with the Lieutenant."

Part 25: Outting

---------------------

When Beaumont arrived around nine the next morning, LaFiamma and Lundy had both been cleared by the doctor and were just finishing getting dressed. Joe was helping Levon on with his shoulder holster as she walked into their room.

"Looks like you boys are ready to leave."

"Hi, Lieutenant. Don't twist around like that, Levon, there, now just stay still while I lift it up over..." Joe was trying to keep his voice from going sharp with temper, he loved the man, but sometimes wanted to strangle him anyway. Now what would Dr. Freud say about that? he wondered. Snugging the straps over Lundy's bony shoulders, Joe let his fingers rest lightly on Levon's back, just out of Beaumont's sight.

Lundy ignored his partner and nodded to Beaumont. "Morning,' Joanne. Ken you give us a lift to get my Jimmy?"

"Yes, sure." Joanne looked him up and down. "How are you feeling, Levon?"

"I'll do." The short response told his boss and former partner that the cowboy was still hurting but not incapacitated.

She spared another look at LaFiamma who was cautiously stretching his own arms back now, trying to fish his double shoulder harness over his wrists. Before she could move to offer help, Lundy was there.

"Jest wait a dang minute, LaFiamma. You think you're bettern the rest of us? Don't need no help?" Despite the acid quality to his barked words, Levon's hands were gentle as he picked up the harness and eased it over the wrists and on up Joe's arms. In a moment, the dark leather straps were fitted to the Italian's shoulders and he was rolling them to settle the harness in place.

"Thanks, Lundy." Joe stood beside his partner now, holding his jacket. Both swung to face their Lieutenant.

"Joanne, we've been doing some thinking and talking."

"Yeah, Lieutenant, and we've got some ideas on the way this is all falling out."

"I've got news for you boys, you're off the case, as of last night."

"Now wait a cotton pickin' minute there, Jo', we-"

"Levon. You two became official targets for assassins yesterday. Your cover is blown. There is no way that Joe can go back in a tournament. Or you follow him into any arena."

"You found something out, Lieutenant?" Joe had slipped his hands in the belt loops of his black leather pants.

Skin tight, the pants did something for LaFiamma that she'd not noticed before. He usually wore stylish, but bulky trousers. Now she was seeing him in an altogether different silhouette. Um. Distracted, she took a second to re-gather her thoughts. "Dover and Ross? They're dead. DEA found them both out at Cantrell's bordello in Galveston."

Lundy folded his arms and looked up from under lowering eyebrows at his partner. "That means the case is over, LaFiamma."

"The hell it does, Lundy," the brunette growled.

Joe could be the most stubborn man she had on her team, Beaumont thought. Sometimes he'd get a burr and then go out and drive the rest of them crazy about it for days. Thing was, he also had a remarkable nose for criminal activity. She was charitable enough not to attribute that to his family background, but rather to very good cop instincts. "What do you mean, LaFiamma?"

"Did they pick up Cantrell? She say anything?"

"She's missing. They did find some evidence of drugs, but it looked like paraphernalia for use in the place, not for bulk trade. The two gofers - threateners were executed in a back room. A single shot at the base of the skull, for each of them. Both were gagged and their hands were wired behind their backs."

"Sounds like mob execution alright." Lundy grunted.

LaFiamma looked ready to explode. "Maybe, maybe not."

Beaumont raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well, ok, it does sound like it might be the Buttoni family, may be even Lorenzo himself and some goons. But, this is our case, Lieutenant! You have to let us finish it."

She shook her head. "Joe, it is finished as far as you're concerned. Dale and Carol are following up the bordello angle. Joe-Bill and Esteban are flying out to Lubbock right now. They'll join up with the DEA. They're getting a subpoena to search the Lorenzo ranch. Police in New Orleans and in Dallas are on the way to search the Lorenzo homes in those cities."

"And in Houston?" LaFiamma was like a dog with a bone, Lundy thought as he eased his aching back.

"Narcotics are handling it. When the DEA link showed up, Captain Phillips decided it was their baby and took it away from us."

"Satisfied, LaFiamma?" Lundy sounded weary.

Joe turned sharply to eye his cowboy. He saw the lines of pain on the finely etched face. Suddenly the case just didn't matter anymore. Without looking back at Beaumont, Joe said, "Ok, Lieutenant. We're off the case. Can we go home now?"

Levon raised his eyes to meet the blue ones watching him. He had to fight himself free of their attraction. Looking to his ex-partner, Levon asked, "Thet alright, Joanne? Ken we leave? Go home?"

Beaumont was confused now. Joe and Levon weren't putting up much of a fight about this. She had been ready for a major showdown. Even as she prepared to answer, Joe had stepped up beside Lundy and was slipping an arm around his waist. Stunned by this new casual and intimate image presented, Joanne Beaumont simply stared.

"Excuse us, Lieutenant. We aren't ready for duty yet, doctor's orders, got to go home and rest for a few days." Joe was walking towards her now, Lundy in the circle of his arm, and not objecting. She was speechless.

Levon took pity on his long-time friend. "Joanne. We'll be out at the ranch. Let us know how it falls out. Joe may still have a price on his head from this crazy Lorenzo." He stopped their forward progress for a moment, noting the white knuckles of his friend's hands where she gripped her shoulder bag handle. His warm brown eyes, slightly darkened with pain, met her wide-open ones. "Joanne, mebbe this is a good time to tell you that Joe'll be moving in permanent with me at the ranch."

Beaumont cleared her throat. She did not want to hear this. "Probably just as well for now, Levon, until we find out if there is a contract out on Joe."

"Joanne, I don't think you heard me." Levon was patient with her. LaFiamma's grip on his waist was comforting and supporting, sustaining him now. "I said permanent. We're gonna live together. Legs already knows about us, figgered it was time you did, too."

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her two best detectives stood in front of her and stared back at her. Neither looked embarrassed or scared. In fact, they looked relaxed, happy even. Living together. A couple? Joe? The ladies man from the mob family in Chicago? Levon? The Texas cowboy from Ranger stock? She stood there unable to think of anything to say.

This time it was the brunette who broke the silence. "Levon, go on out in the hall. I want to talk with the Lieutenant for a moment, ok?"

Levon straightened away from his Italian lover and partner. He thought about arguing but another look at Joanne Beaumont and he decided that if Joe wanted to deal with this, that that was just fine with him. Without a backwards glance, Levon walked on out.

LaFiamma sat down on the nearby hospital bed. He paused and when his boss didn't move, he gestured for her to take a chair.

He waited while she sank onto the seat. "Lieutenant. Joanne." That got her attention. She could never get him to call her that. "Joanne, Levon and I have come to an understanding. I think it might have happened soon anyway, but with this case, thrown together like we've been, it just happened now. We love each other. We want to keep on working. HPD doesn't have any policy against homosexuals in the workplace."

She was nearly twisting the leather bag in her lap now, eyes locked with the Italian's. He continued. "We aren't going to 'come out' to the world or anything. But we aren't going to hide it either. Levon telling you just now? That took me by surprise, a bit. I asked him to marry me almost a week ago now. He refused then. Wasn't ready. Guess he's ready to consider it now."

Joe studied his audience. She seemed to be relaxing finally. The scared, stunned look was fading. She still hadn't said anything, so he kept talking. "I love him, you know. He can be aggravating sometimes, and I know I get him angry at times, too, but we go deeper than that now. Joanne, you're one of his oldest, best friends. His old partner. I don't want you to hurt him, or reject him."

All of a sudden, the world righted itself for Joanne Beaumont. Joe LaFiamma was absolutely right. Levon was her friend. Her ex-partner. Her subordinate now. He was a good cop and so was LaFiamma. If this is what they wanted, that was their choice. "Joe." She stopped his spate. "I could never hurt Levon. You don't have to worry. If you two are serious and it certainly looks that way to me, then that's your business. You're good cops and that's all I need to know or do anything about. I'm..." she took a deep breath, steadying herself, "I'm happy for you, both of you."

Beaumont stood now and pulled back her shoulders, shaking out her hair with a toss of her head. One hand dropped easily to her side now, the other no longer throttling her leather strap. "Let's catch up with Levon, I want to tell him myself."

Joe's deep eyes, lids half down, seemed likely to swallow her whole. Then he nodded and led the way out the door.

Part 26: The Lady in Red

-----------------------------

The drive back to Reisner was a quiet one. Beaumont had handed them back their guns and they had silently slipped them in the waiting holsters before getting in her car. All three had plenty to think about. Joanne had told them that Lundy's truck was in the police impound lot temporarily to keep it safe, untampered with.

Levon rode in the front of the car with Beaumont, Joe in the back. She kept taking tiny glances at the men, not knowing what she was looking for and confused about the change in both of them. She simply could not picture them as lovers. It was sometimes difficult to even remember they were friends and partners when they got on a tear.

Joe was tired, he'd kept vigil over Lundy all night and now he was fighting off sleep.

Levon sat stiffly. He was sore, his ribs hurt, sent him little messages of pain whenever he took an incautious breath. He was reviewing the last half-hour, remembering how Joe had backed him when he'd told Joanne they were moving in together permanently. Wondering what Joe had said to her privately. She'd come out of that hospital room, Joe trailing behind, looking shaken and remorseful. Beaumont had come right up to Lundy and hugged him. Then she'd stepped back and told him that whatever he and LaFiamma did on their own time was their business. She considered them to be good cops and her good friends and nothing had changed any of that.

Levon had looked gratefully over Joanne's shoulder at the ex-Chicago cop. LaFiamma met his eyes with deep blue ones that rolled up as he quirked a quick smile.

Pulling into the entry area to the police impound lot, Beaumont waited while the two men climbed out of the car and waved thanks. She drove off as they walked up to the attendant.

Sometime later, Lundy guided the red Jimmy up his drive at the ranch. LaFiamma was sound asleep in the passenger seat, head bobbing to the bumps in the drive.

Levon had been thinking that he really didn't mind finding out from others how all these strange bits fit together to finish the case. He was glad to be home again, alive and with Joey safe beside him. Waking in the hospital, seeing Joe standing over him, safe. That had been a revelation to the blonde. Joe is mine now, he's my life. Without him, I'd just curled up and die. Worse than when Caroline went. So when he'd had the opportunity to show Joanne and tell Joe at the same time, that they were together now, he'd taken it. He wasn't sorry, neither.

"Joe!" The sharp exhalation of breath brought the Italian to alertness. "Git down, someone's in the house. Strange car in the drive." Levon was speaking quickly now as he dropped the truck out of gear and into park.

Turning off the ignition, Levon leaned over as if he was fumbling with something under the dashboard. Joe had slid to the floor at Lundy's command and was crouched there uncomfortably, eyes on his partner, guns already drawn. "Stay there a minute, LaFiamma. I don't think enyone could ha' seen you as I came up. Wait a minute for me to reach the porch."

LaFiamma nodded, wasting no words, he spoke softly. "Levon, be careful. I'll go around behind the house as soon as you're in."

Plan set, the cowboy opened his door and thumped out loudly, slamming the door behind him. He tramped up the walk and on to the porch. He was reaching for his key then opening the door.

LaFiamma could see nothing and strained to hear through the window that Levon had left open on the driver's side door. He heard the blonde mount the steps, then the sound of the door opening. He tried to hear more, but only the faintest of voices returned. Couldn't even tell if one was his partner's.

Ever so carefully, the Italian clicked open the passenger side door and threaded his body out the smallest opening he could manage, pushing the door to the lock without snicking it closed. On the balls of his feet, guns pointing forward, Joe dashed for cover. He heard no cries of alarm, felt no brush of bullet. Once away from the red truck, Joe circled the house and approached the back door, keeping to cover.

Listening at the screen, he could not hear anything. Slowly, he released the latch and with great care, used his key to unlock the all weather door behind the screen. Soundlessly he drifted into the deserted kitchen, senses on full alert.

"Come on in here, LaFiamma." The flat sound of Lundy's voice scared Joe. He hesitated, then decided to do as he was told. Letting the guns fit into the holsters, he stood and walked to the arch into the front room.

Levon sat on a hardwood chair at his desk. His hat was upturned on the desk. His hands were in plain sight on his knees. He was not looking Joe's way. The Italian followed the direction of Levon's eyes.

There sat the most beautiful mulatto women he'd ever laid eyes on. She looked something like Halle Berry but more buxom. She was wearing a red turban and a chicly cut red dress. It crossed over in a double wrap around on her chest, accenting the tall assertive breasts beneath.

She was holding a shotgun pointed directly at Levon's stomach, but she was looking toward Joe. "You must be the famous Italian Stallion?" She asked in a very melodic voice with the faintest trace of French accent.

Joe didn't bother to answer, walking into the room, ignoring her, he went directly to Levon. "You ok, partner?" his deep voice very contained.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Levon sounded disgusted. "She was in here waiting. Didn't see her in time."

LaFiamma nodded and turned to face their enemy. The shotgun now was aimed at the floor between Joe and Levon. LaFiamma didn't try to fool himself. She clearly knew what she was doing and he wasn't prepared to risk Levon to chance any foolish challenge.

"Yeah, they call me the Italian Stallion."

"Good, then you two are the ones I wanted to find." She lowered the gun further. "My name is Charmaine Cantrell."

The men exchanged silent looks.

"You have heard of me?" She looked surprised.

"Ma'am," Levon answered, "your name surfaced a while back in connection with two men we met, names of Ross and Dover."

"They are dead."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I did not kill them. I ran away when I saw what happened."

"What did you see?" Joe asked.

"The man, Jack Lorenzo, he came to my business in Galveston. A small establishment, you understand. Not enough money in it. Ross and Dover, they provided the extra financing through their activities in the wrestling world. Dover always told me it was clean, easy. Only this time, they brought back Lorenzo who said he wanted to talk."

"About what?" Lundy saw that the shot gun had come to rest on the floor. He flicked a quick check on his partner, saw that Joe was also aware of what was happening and was balanced high, ready to leap forward.

The woman, Cantrell, laughed lightly, bitterly. "That Lorenzo, he wanted us to stay away from the wrestling events. Me, I didn't care. But Ross, he got upset. Started to argue. It was a big mistake. They were thrown down by Lorenzo's two bodyguards. Dragged from the room."

She paled. "Then, this man, this Lorenzo. He puts his hands on me." She seemed prepared to wipe her hand down her body, then stopped. "He told me that he could bring new, different business my way, better than what Ross and Dover had."

"When was all this?" Joe interrupted.

"When?" She looked vague for a moment. "Yesterday morning. He stayed with me, kept talking about a new arrangement. Kept touching me." She shivered. "Then, after about thirty minutes, I heard two shots. The men that had gone away with Dover and Ross, those men returned alone. One of them gave some signal to Mr. Lorenzo. He pushed me to the floor. Kicked me." She looked angry now. "Then they left. No more talk. Just left."

"So, why are you here? What do you want from us?"

"You are police. I heard this from Lorenzo. He does not want you in wrestling world. He didn't say why. I think he thought that I....I had something to do with you. He wouldn't listen." She frowned. "When I ran, I was afraid to go to local police. They take payoffs from me. If they do that for me, I do not know what they might do for Lorenzo. I decided to come to you. If he doesn't trust you, you must be good police."

LaFiamma looked at Lundy, then asked, "How did you know where we lived?"

"Dover. He had the telephone number. He had called someone and had it traced. Knew you had a ranch here. He told me, before Lorenzo came. Dover thought that he could come out here if he needed to, to scare you. Make you do what they wanted."

In silence the partners absorbed all this. "Ma'am, we ken call and git some help for you, protection iffn yore willing to testify against Lorenzo, tell what you know. You'll have to talk about yore operation too."

She was already nodding, gun dropping to her side. "Yes, yes, anything. I promise."

LaFiamma was at her side in two long strides, removing the shotgun from loose fingers. "I'll stay with the lady, Lundy, why don't you make the call?"

**************************

That night, LaFiamma held his lover gently, careful of the bruised flesh, the bandages, the damaged ribs. Lundy lay comfortably within this loving embrace, smiling up into those hypnotic deep blue eyes. "Joe, you think it's over now?"

LaFiamma didn't pretend to not understand. "I don't know. The Lieutenant said she'd be turning everything over to Captain Phillips. Thing is, it keeps coming back in our faces. I don't think there's anything that can be proved yet. Even Charmaine Cantrell can't testify that Lorenzo did in Dover and Ross, she never heard him give any instructions and he was with her when she heard the shots."

Lundy rocked his head into a more comfortable position on Joe's bicep, close up against the heavy torso. He watched the rise and fall of Joe's chest. "Mmm. Phillips gave the local case to Narcotics, but this is sounding like homicide and mebbe conspiracy."

"Yup."

Levon grinned against Joe's taut flesh. Licked the nearest bit. There was a ripple of skin and muscle, a quiver in the body that surrounded him. "You practicing yore Texan again?"

"Yup."

Nuzzling the softly sheathed hard muscles, Levon spoke again. "Almost pass, now LaFiamma." He licked and sucked at the presented skin. Felt the tremors again. "Think it'll end up in our laps agin?"

Joe abruptly pulled his arm from under Levon's head and captured the provocative lips with his own, holding his lover's head firmly with two large hands. When he came up from breath, he said, "It already has. Cantrell landed on our doorstep tonight. Lorenzo's goons tried to kill us yesterday. Trust me on this, we aren't out of this one yet, no matter what Phillips and the Lieutenant may say."

Thoughtful brown eyes shown up at Joe. "Yore right, o'course. 'Spect we'll be hearing more right soon."

"So, let's enjoy tonight."

The cowboy smiled up at his dark lover. "Now yore talkin' sense, son."

Part 27: Finally the Finale

-----------------------------

Joe fought off the covers to reach the jangling telephone. It was on the nightstand on Levon's side of the bed, but he showed no signs of waking. The Italian lifted himself up on one arm and reached over with the other, to pull the cordless telephone to his ear. He sank back on the mattress, letting his free arm rest on Levon's stomach.

"LaFiamma."

"Joe? It's Beaumont. I know we said you could have a few days off to rest, but it doesn't look like this case is going to let you. We need you and Levon at the station. Now."

"At Reisner? If we're going back under, wouldn't it be better to meet somewhere else? How about the little café where you met with us back at the start of this thing?"

"Romeo's? Ok. I'll see you there in...forty minutes?"

"Better make it an hour, Lieutenant. Levon's still asleep. And he's not moving too fast just yet."

"Ok, LaFiamma. One hour. Romeo's."

The click in his ear ended the conversation. He turned to find large brown eyes on him, concerned and wary.

"That was the Lieutenant," Joe explained needlessly. "I guess we were right, it ain't over yet. She wants to meet with us at Romeo's, that little café?" At a nod from Levon, he continued, "in an hour. So, rise and shine, lover."

Levon groaned softly and rolled into Joe's arms. LaFiamma held him close and kissed the wide forehead with affection. "I'd love to be distracted, but she sounded impatient."

Joe felt a kiss on his Adam's apple, then Levon was pushing up, using Joe's broad chest as a base. "We kin save time iffn we shower together."

Joe gave him a look, part smirk, part incredulity. "Oh? I thought it always took longer that way."

"Well, save water, enyway." Levon sent a sly smile toward his partner as he clambered backwards off the bed, grabbing hands and pulling as he went.

The brunette allowed himself to be tugged out of bed and captured the blonde in his arms for another kiss before they went into the bathroom to shower.

**********************

Joe settled the dark Stetson on his wayward hair, pushing a lock of hair back under the brim. His black shirt, while not western, looked good with the new Levis' that Levon insisted he buy. He spared a glance down at his loafers. Next thing will be boots. My family would never recognize me. I don't recognize me.

Levon's hand rested on Joe's shoulder as they ambled into the small café. No one noted or commented on the two men. Joanne Beaumont was already there, sipping a cup of tea at a corner booth.

"Alright, Joanne, we're here. You got us outta bed and so this better be important." Levon sat down closest to the woman, sliding into the curved banquette, Joe moving in behind him.

Beaumont blushed. "I am sorry. I know we promised you both some down time. Trouble is it turns out we can't pin Lorenzo with anything. He's been way too careful." She looked down at her cup of tea, fiddled with the handle. "DEA found evidence of some sort of operation at the ranch, but there was nothing left, nothing that could be construed as only criminal activity. No hard evidence. The phone call logs built some circumstantial links, but nothing a judge would act on. The DAs in New Orleans and Dallas are putting their investigations on hold, pending what happens in Galveston and Houston."

"So, what have you got?" LaFiamma asked curiously.

"Nothing." She was clearly frustrated, angry. "Lots of dead-ends. We know what happened but we can't prove it. Can't prove anything."

"That's how the families operate, Lieutenant." Joe spoke quietly, feeling Levon lean back against him, providing comfort. "They always have middlemen, fall guys. You never find blood on the hands of a capo. Never find trails back to them."

"Then how do any of them ever get caught?" Levon asked.

Joe sighed. It was hard to explain Chicago to Houston, they just didn't talk the same language. He was only just learning 'Houston' now, but knew that these folks didn't really have a clue about the way northern cops and northern crime families worked. "Remember Al Capone? In the end, it took tax fraud to get him. Well, that's how it works. You have to look for an unanticipated weakness."

Beaumont nodded. "Yes. I've been talking to your old boss in Chicago, Joe. We both believe that you may be that weakness for the Buttoni family and Jack Lorenzo."

Levon stiffened and spoke harshly. "No! Ain't no way yore using my boy for bait!"

Joanne blinked and stared at her former partner. The statement had been so alien to what she'd ever heard from Levon before that she wasn't even sure of what he'd said.

LaFiamma's eyes were bright with amusement as he gathered his lover into his arms, pulling the the angry man back against his chest. Like holding a fighting cock, he thought, all ruffled feathers and claws. After a moment, the cowboy let his back rest on the brunette's chest. His anger had not subsided, but clearly Joey wanted to speak.

"Lieutenant, Levon and I will discuss this," he soothed the restless, thin body in his arms with a calming flat-handed stroking motion down Levon's stomach. "But I think you might be right. I figure that blood feud will draw Lorenzo out, may be even a few others from the Buttoni family. Trouble is, it may also bring down some of the Chicago families. Last thing you want is mob war on your doorstep."

"Joe, if we do this fast it will be finished before that can happen."

LaFiamma looked skeptical and Lundy still looked sullenly angry, though he was letting Joe pet him. Beaumont was actually finding herself grateful, seeing the tall brunette handle his partner so well. She had a flashback to the first meeting on this case. Levon had gone ballistic then, too. He'd been ready to chew nails and Joe had calmed him then, too, with a touch. That time he'd only held onto Levon's forearm, but it has stilled the Texan, then, too. Coming out of her thoughts, Beaumont added, "Levon, you'll have 100% backup. All of us. Plus Commission people and undercover agents from Narcotics."

"What you want him to do, Joanne?"

"Go back on the mats. One last match. Here in Houston, tomorrow at The Summit. It's a sanctioned WWFT meet, with lots of big names. The Italian Stallion is already on the program, it seems that Dover and Ross had entered Joe before they called."

"Guess they thought they'd have no trouble with us." Joe commented.

Beaumont nodded. "Yes, so it seems."

Lundy pulled himself out of the nest of Joe's arms. Put his elbows on the table and leaned forward over them. Beaumont was reminded of how dangerous Levon Lundy could be, how intense he could be. "Joanne, he will be a live target under the lights on that stage. He cain't wear no armor up there. Iffn he gits on the mat, he's a dead man."

This time she was ready for him.

*******************************

Joe fidgeted as Levon finished adjusting the wrestling costume, tugging at the layers on his shoulders. Good thing this arena was indoors and air conditioned, it let Joe wear his full costume which covered the widely spreading black, blue and purple patch near the center of his back, the place where the bullet had punched him through the lead-lined vest. "Jest stay still for a minute, Joe. There. You look fine."

LaFiamma could hear the tension in his manager's voice. He smiled into those deep peat-colored eyes, the different browns sparking. "Hey. This'll work, man."

Lundy sighed and fiddled with the slender bit of white satin ribbon circling his lover's throat. "You keep safe, you hear?"

"I intend to, and I'm bringing that ribbon back for you to wear tonight." Joe smiled suggestively.

The cowboy didn't even blush, just shook his head. "Ok, Joe-Bill just saw me out in the hall. They've ID'ed three possibles, and Lorenzo is here with someone who looks related." Joe looked up, interested. "Yeah, and Windgate thinks it's a Buttoni cousin, either Carmine or Ercole." Levon's reference to the San Francisco cop, Windgate, who'd been flown in to liaison on the Buttoni family players, was laden with suspicion. Even though it seemed Windgate was already proving his worth.

Joe was patient with the cowboy, he knew that if their roles were reversed, Joe would be having a hard time handling all this also. "So, do we have someone on each of 'em?"

Levon nodded. He let his fingers drop from the ribbon to lie loosely at Joe's throat, resting on his clavicle. "Can still change yore mind?" The hopelessness in the tone told its own story.

Joe just kissed him gently, lovingly on the lips, letting the contact linger regardless of who might walk in, see them. Levon relaxed as they pulled apart. He'd understood what Joe was trying to tell him.

Esteban came around a corner of the lockers, looking tense. "Well, amigos, it's show time."

"Joe's match?"

The Mexican cop nodded. "Next. Carol is already at the gate in, all dressed for the show."

Joe smiled encouragingly at Lundy, at least he would have Legs with him at ringside. Between the two of them, they could cover each other's backs. He stretched his back muscles. Levon had worked on him earlier, trying to ease the stiffness where Joe'd been hit in the back, punched through an armored vest only two days earlier.

***************************

The match was legitimate. Whatever Dover and Ross had intended, they'd never had a chance to carry out. The other wrestler was not from out of state, he was, however, a local favorite and high in the rankings. "The Abilene Kid" was huge. Most WWF wrestlers were large, but this man was enormous. He stood at seven feet but was not a giant, no deformities. Simply very, very big.

Joe stood on the mat at center ring, looking fit and agile, but not very big as the Kid vaulted over the ropes and into the ring to join him there with the referee. Lundy, decked out in his white manager's outfit that they'd never managed to change, and Legs in her spangles and sparkles, posed at ringside, eyes anxiously scanning the crowds for danger.

One look at the Kid, and LaFiamma knew he'd have no spare time to look around. This guy was definitely going to be a problem.

When the Kid had trotted down to the ring that night, the crowd surged to its feet, screaming, "Kiiiiiiiiid! Kiiiiiiiiiid!" What looked like silk-screened old-fashioned wanted posters on their shirts, the fans of the Abilene Kid had their own cheer. This time though, they were met by equally determined opposition from the fans of the Italian Stallion. Screaming in high pitches, the women fans all waved long white streamers. The overall effect was exciting enough to keep the local TV cameras rolling.

When the referee was finished with his speech of warnings, he blew his whistle and stepped back. From where Levon stood beside the platform, it looked like the Kid simply reached out and plucked LaFiamma into the air. Gulping his fear, Lundy resolutely turned back to scanning the crowds. Joe was on his own in there. He'd been ok so far in these matches, Levon would simply have to believe that would continue to be the case.

LaFiamma was trying to keep from getting dizzy as he spun in the air over Kid's head. The kaleidoscope of color and movement below him was very disorienting. He grabbed at the nearer arm and bunched his muscles, forcing his body forward and curling on the arm like a tree trunk. With a yell, the Kid had to drop the off-balance burden. Joe rolled into a corner and dragged himself up the ropes. Climbing higher he put a foot flat against the corner post and pushed off.

Flying out of the corner, LaFiamma aimed his body like a missile, going low. He scythed the giant to the ground by sweeping his feet out from under him. Crashing down on top of the Italian, the Kid swore mightily and twisted to grapple with the smaller man beneath him. LaFiamma had other plans and squirmed free and up to his feet. There he launched himself at the Kid's neck, getting an arm around it and pulling hair back away, he was throttling his opponent. The Kid lifted both arms and swept the annoyance off his back. Staggering to his feet he looked around, trying to locate his nemesis.

Joe took advantage of the momentary confusion to land a two-footed kick high on the Kid's chest. The lumbering man fell to one knee, rubbing his chest. Joe bounced off the ropes and dove high, knocking his opponent down onto the mats.

Jumping to his feet, the Italian leapt into the air and came down on his knees on top of the Kid's chest. This time the other did not throw off his harasser. Joe stood on the other and grabbed both ears, lifting the head of his opponent and then rapping it back down on the mat. Squatting like some strange gnome on the giant, LaFiamma repeated this attack three more times. The eyes facing his were now totally out of focus, the man clearly dazed. Dropping to his knees to keep down the gigantic shoulders, Joe looked toward the referee. The man in black and white was on his knees next to them, slapping the mat three times crisply.

Impossible though it seemed, the volume in the place increased. Joe was pulled up by the ref who held up the Italian's wrist and declared him winner. The Kid had crawled up onto all fours and was shaking a hanging head now.

Joe spun around quickly and looked for Levon and Legs. They were opening the ropes for him, pressing one down, holding up the other so he could get through. Levon looked relieved. Joe flashed him a wide grin as he slid though the ropes and down to ringside. Legs was throwing the tri-colored cape over his shoulders then, and Lundy was jerking his head to indicate over the noise the direction they would leave. Joe nodded and followed, wondering if the others had nabbed the representatives of the Buttoni family or Jack Lorenzo.

It happened halfway back out of the arena on the ramp. Fans were leaning out to touch the passing wrestlers, lights flew about, never staying anywhere for long as the next contestants were being announced at two other gates.

"Levon!" Leg's scream cut through the bedlam and Lundy turned back to see a medium sized bulky man, dressed well in dark clothes rise from one side of the seating and start toward LaFiamma. The Italian was tired and didn't appear to see the danger. The dark man was holding something in his hand.

It was like some slow motion horror film. Levon was just paces away, but too far. There was a flash and cracking sound and LaFiamma grunted and dropped to his knees. Legs was closing up the gap behind him, catching him with both hands, one slim hand emerging from under the Italian's arm pit, holding a derringer which she coolly fired point-blank at the gunman. He fell back toward the crowd that was largely unaware. By this time, Levon was there and things seemed to speed up.

Lundy ran to the gunman, tearing the weapon from his hands. He grabbed the man by the head and jerked hard. Carol O'Brien heard the sound of the neck snapping from where she was now sinking to the floor under the dead weight of LaFiamma. The cowboy dropped the dead hit man and scooped up the gun into a pocket before turning to Legs and LaFiamma.

Legs could see the complete despair in the blonde's eyes as he sank to his knees beside Joe.

"Ah, Christ, Joe. No." The moan was so low that Legs heard it under the swelling sounds of the crowd. Others were appearing now. Out of the seating came several undercover men and a woman, up from behind them came Guiterrez, and down from the exit gate came Beaumont and Joe-Bill. One light had frozen on the tableau now, a ripple of quiet racing out from the spot as the fans began to realize that real life had intruded, unwanted, on their world of fantasy, make-believe and fun.

Levon pulled the unconscious brunette into his arms while Legs grabbed a flag from one of the fans and folded it into a pad to press against LaFiamma's head where the bullet had left a deep groove, already drenching the man in blood.

Lundy hugged the unresponsive form against himself. He supported the lolling head on his shoulder, one hand cradling the dark hair. Face wet with tears, Lundy was sitting there now on his knees, rocking and chanting, "Ah, no, Joe, not you. Not you, too."

It took the four of them, Beaumont, Carol, Esteban, and Joe-Bill, to pull him away from Joe long enough to get LaFiamma on a stretcher and out of the arena. Wild with grief, certain that his partner was dead, Lundy was hysterical. They had to restrain him forcibly to get him out as well.

At the hospital, Lundy was tranquilized while the doctors took LaFiamma away for x-rays. Miraculously, he still lived.

************************

It was confirmed that the shooter had been Jack Lorenzo himself. They would later discover that the rest of the Buttoni family had no interest in pursuing the blood feud of a generation earlier. Jack had been kicked out of California and they had no intentions of helping him in Texas, either.

When he had seen his hired guns quietly disarmed and removed during LaFiamma's match, his cousin had melted away into the crowds, and something had evidently snapped in the mob boss. He'd tried to kill the Italian himself, in public. Now he was dead at Detective Levon Lundy's hands. Carol O'Brien, the only witness, insisted that Levon's actions had been part of wresting the weapon from the dangerous man, who might have killed innocent bystanders in the crowd if not subdued immediately. The fact that he died in the process was purely accidentally. IA bought the testimony and didn't even try to question Lundy directly, letting Lieutenant Joanne Beaumont and Captain Phillips know that it was a righteous killing as far as they were concerned.

That wrapped up the Lorenzo case as it became known. The dealers and peddlers, the transporters and the chemists at the ranch were all found and arrested following a search of Lorenzo's Houston penthouse apartment. There had been files on everything, meticulous records that named names. Charges were being filed.

The Gaming Commission finished its investigation of the fixing and gambling with the witness Charmaine Cantrell turning state's evidence. Ross' and Dover's tracks were exposed and three betting rings routed. Hoffsteader had disappeared before he could be arrested. There was a warrant out for his arrest.

Uncle Mikey called from Chicago. Told Beaumont that the families had made peace with the Buttoni and so Lorenzo's wildcat operation would not engender further retaliation or warfare. He wanted to know about the condition of his nephew. As soon as there was news, promised Beaumont, she would call.

**************************

Lundy sat slowing wringing his hat into a pulpy mess. He had surfaced from the tranquilizer in remarkably short order. Discharging himself upon hearing that LaFiamma lived, he now sat in the waiting room. He'd paced the waiting room for three hours and now sat numbly, waiting. Others from the Crime Unit had stayed and gone in relays, always someone keeping him company as they awaited word on Joe's condition.

When the doctor appeared in the doorway, twenty minutes later, she was covered in green scrubs, spattered with blood. "Mr. Lundy?"

Levon didn't even remember how he got from his seat to her side, but he was there. "I'm Lundy."

"Dr. Hathaway." They shook hands briefly. "Mr. LaFiamma is your partner, I understand, and there is no family here in Houston?"

Levon nodded, unwilling to speak before he knew more.

"Well, Mr. Lundy, Sergeant LaFiamma will be fine." She paused to give the anxious man time to absorb that. "He is conscious and asking after you. As soon as the nurses have him settled in a room, you may go see him."

"Thank you, doc." Lundy was having trouble breathing now, it was as if he'd been holding his breath for hours.

"He has a severe concussion. He is fading in and out of consciousness just now. He will be confused, perhaps, for a while. Be patient with him. I expect full recovery." She waited to see if the man in front of her understood all this. When she could see that he was listening attentively, she continued, "He'll need to stay here for the next few days. But I expect you can take him home by the end of the week."

A nurse appeared in the door and made a signal that the doctor appeared to understand. "This is Nurse Jennings. Follow her, she'll take you to see Mr. LaFiamma."

Lundy shook hands with Hathaway again and thanked her, then went after the nurse who led him to Joe's bedside.

O'Brien had been in the waiting room with Levon and after hearing all that was said, went off to phone Reisner and report the good news.

**************************

Levon swallowed harshly as he sat slowly down next to his partner's bed. Joe was pale. He had an large white bandage on his right temple, secured around his head. His dark hair fought free above and below the bandages. "Damn it, Joe, you got to promise this ain't gonna happen any more. Ah don't think ah ken take it."

Blue eyes opened and met Levon's. "Levon?"

"Right here, Joey. Right here."

"We get the bad guys?"

Lundy choked on a laugh, tears forming in his eyes as he reached out and plucked Joe's hand. Holding it like a lifeline, he answered. "Yeah, boy, we got 'em all. Lorenzo is dead, the others all in jail. Yore the ony casualty. Where'd you learn to duck, enyway, boy?"

"Not my fault, cowboy. I was looking at your cute ass."

Levon couldn't repress the smile that raised. He tilted forward so he could kiss Joe on the lips. "Love you, Joey. I love you, boy. Thought I'd lost you."

The hand in his tightened fiercely. "Never. You'll never lose me, Levon. I'm here for the duration."

"Good, 'cause I don't want ta hafta break in another partner."

Joe closed his eyes and smiled. "I'm the only partner you'll ever need, Lundy."

Lundy nodded wisely, tears streaming down his cheeks unnoticed. "You got that right, son."

************ End of "Finally the Finale" (Can't leave them like that!)

...so see - Part 28: Epilogue

Part 28: Epilogue

--------------------------------

Joe pulled back on the reins. The horse slowed. He looked up and grinned with delight at his partner. Lundy was sitting on the top rail of the corral. He held an open lariat in one hand, balanced on a knee. He grinned back at LaFiamma.

He called, "You keep that up, boy, and we're gonna make a Texan out of you yet!"

Joe swung from the saddle, easily now, after nearly two months of practice. He swatted the cutting horse on the rump and it ambled over to the water trough, ears twitching.

Dressed in western work clothes, in a pair of now broken-in work boots, Joe really did look like he might have grown up here on their ranch. Levon looked out at the next field where Fooler was grazing half-heartedly, her eyes clearly observing the scene with curiosity and interest. Matty, their new mare, was very quiet and got on well with Fooler, who had early on let it be known who was head mare on this ranch.

Joe pulled himself up next to Levon on the fence. His grin was a bubbling laugh waiting to happen. One arm came around and companionably draped over Lundy's shoulders. The two Stetsons bobbed as the men kissed casually.

When Joe sat back, he said, "Now remember, tonight you wear that new Armani suit I bought you, AND the slip on shoes."

"Promise." Levon said solemnly. Their plan to attend the concert at the music hall and then go to a Thai restaurant was for tonight. It was their two month anniversary.

Levon was proud of his lover and partner, the ex-Chicago cop was as close to pure Texan as anyone not raised here could be, as far as he was concerned. 'Course he WAS a tad bit prejudiced, as Joe-Bill had a habit of saying. Esteban was less of a tease, but on this topic agreed with McCandless, the Lundy-LaFiamma team had a definite blind spot when it came to each other.

Chicken had had them in for a grilling when Joey came out of the hospital, after the Lorenzo case. He'd been worried about some rumors he'd heard. He was at first flabbergasted, then happy when the men had confirmed that they were now a 'couple' not just partners anymore. Of all their friends, even Legs, it was Chicken who had accepted it most completely, the soonest and the most enthusiastically. The others all knew now. Some had taken longer to accept it than others, but when neither Lundy nor LaFiamma made it an in-your-face proposition, the surprise and disbelief gradually disappeared. Any disparaging remarks were quelled after some private conversation with one or the other partner. The men might be in love, might be lovers, but they were still cops and still tough.

Tonight was going to be very special for Joe because it would be the first time that his cowboy agreed to go public in something other than western clothes. Granted, Levon had a dignified wardrobe of eveningwear, Texan style, but Joey had asked and Levon had agreed to this. Joe, had, after all, been wearing, without complaint, western clothes for two months now. Not every day, mind you, but often enough so that no one at Reisner even commented on it any more when he came to work in boots, jeans and a Stetson on occasion.

The Thai waitresses were gathered together near the low screens that separated the different tables. The two men didn't even notice their audience. Hadn't had eyes for anyone else all evening. Both were dressed in the first water of elegance, they could have been models for a GQ magazine cover.

The blonde and brunette had quickly caught the interest of the serving staff who now watched in fascination as the brunette held the blonde's hand and placed a small jeweler's box on the other's palm.

The blush of pale rose gave a warm look to the blonde's face. He smiled hesitantly at the brunette, then reached into his own jacket and withdrew a slightly larger jeweler's box. Now the brunette flushed and ducked his head, a wonderful smile crossing his face. Two small boxes were lowered to the table as two hands sought out two faces to stroke and touch.

The waitresses giggled softly and chattered, trying to guess what might be in the two boxes.

Joe opened the larger, flat black box. Inside, lying flat and glinting in the light, was a belt buckle. Silver, with golden inlaid decorations. Two letter Ls entwined across the surface, filigree embedded with small turquoise stones set off the edges. He looked up and met the smiling brown eyes of his love. "This is beautiful, Levon. Thank you. I'll wear it whenever I dress western."

Levon now opened the small black box. Inside, lying together, were two rings of white gold. They had been hand-made, and resembled ribbons, with a slight enlargements at one spot on each where a knot was etched on the surface. Two white ribbons. "They're not satin," Joe said softly, "but they'll last longer."

He took one out, it was slightly smaller. Taking up Levon's hand, he slipped the ring on the cowboy's long ring finger, where it fit perfectly. "Measured you while you were sleeping," Joe said smugly.

Levon picked up the larger ring and placed it on his partner's finger. It, too, fit just right. Taking Joe's hand in his, Levon wove their fingers together, the two rings touching now. He looked up to find Joe watching him, blue eyes reflecting a thousand universes of possibilities and endless love.

Levon put his free hand over their clasped ones and pulled Joe across the table for a deep kiss. His brown eyes shone with warm love and peace as he met the blue ones of promise.

"Levon, I love you."

"I love you, Joe."

**************End of "The Epilogue" - Now what more would you have me say? That must be the end of this story. Sequels await another day.