#romantic inturality

[cesabutterflywrites]

The Duke of the Bay: Part 6

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First Part, Ao3 Link, Next Part 

Story Warnings: Guns, threats, alcohol, homosexual slang used pejoratively and positively, internalized homophobia, ask me to add any if need be

Chapter Warnings: none different than the story warnings that I can think of

Chapter Word Count:   5683

Summary: Patton O’Hearty was a great detective. Most people didn’t take him for one at first glance, especially when he dressed casual. He was abnormally chipper; he thought everything was the cat’s pajamas. He had a smile for everyone he met. He was always tipping his hat at the dames and gents when he walked the streets of the Bay Area.

The only person he could never catch was the leader of the planted mob in Emeryville, nicknamed The Duke. The Duke was good at hiding his dealings and joints well, and he rarely had a snitch in his ranks. The few who tried, well, somehow they disappeared before they could give the police any substantial information. He was well hidden, but popular among the residents of the town. People talked boldly of his rambunctious parties, never revealing the locations though. He was hard to catch, to say the least.

So what happens, when instead, the detective is the one that’s caught?

-

Alice hadn’t meant to fall asleep when she had got to her room in Logan’s home, but could one really blame her? She thought she knew what a life on the run entailed when she had been forced to leave her parents at thirteen years old. Well, she learned her lesson after this. No more running for her. No more shady deals, no more hiding, no more selling pieces of her that shouldn’t be sold. This latest day had scared her straight.

 Well, maybe not completely straight. 

 She nuzzled into the soft pillow she was holding as she slowly woke up. She felt the smudged, caked texture of old makeup that she fell asleep rub along the pillowcase. That was enough to remind her to try not to stain her host’s pillows. 

 She rolled onto her back then opened her eyes. It was sunset, so she gathered that she hadn’t been asleep for longer than a few hours. She didn’t feel well rested enough to wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed, but her hunger for something to eat gnawed at her stomach harsh enough to finally push her out of bed. 

 She groaned as she sat up. She looked around the room she was in with bleary eyes. She was a bit more awake, once she was sitting up, to fully notice the details in the orange and pink setting sunlight coming in through the white curtains. 

 The room was a contrast to the brightness of the downstairs. The walls were painted a near navy blue, and the furniture was made of some dark wood that she couldn’t recognize. There were two paintings on the walls. Both smaller than the lighthouse in the main living room. 

The first was next to the door above the dark clothes dresser; a beautiful portrait of a beach in the night. The moon was full as it shone across the small waves that crashed into nearly glowing sand. It was oddly inspiring; invoking an emotion that Alice hadn’t felt since she was a small girl in Mississippi. That feeling one would get as a child when learning about the moon while it shone bright and full in the sky. It brought her back to her short lived youth, even though she had only been to the beach in the daytime.

 The second was of a bay, though not the San Francisco Bay. This one was painted from the view of a cliff looking down at a crescent shaped beach. There were a few grey clouds in the sky that reflected the moonlight; though not nearly as bright as in the first painting. It was impressive, and if Alice lived through this she’d have to ask Logan who the brilliant painter was, these works were amazing.

 She decided to climb out of bed. There was no use admiring a room when she was hungry. She was still in her dress that she had been wearing since she arrived, so there wasn’t much to be done other than wash her face to take the smudged makeup off  in the bathroom across the hall. She took her small pack of toiletries with her as she washed up. 

 After making sure she looked, well, not entirely better, but at least less disastrous as before, she made the trek down the stairs to see if there was anything in the kitchen that she could put together quickly. She was so focused on her growing appetite that she didn’t notice that there was company. 

 When she made it to the bottom of the steps she yelped when a man’s voice spoke from the living room. 

 “Oh, you’re finally awake.” He didn’t sound malicious, but he wasn’t either of the detectives. The voice was husky, deep, and definitely not familiar.

 She didn’t have any weapon but her fists, so she clenched her right fist as she turned into the room to see who had spoken to her. She wasn’t willing to go out without a fight. 

 Brown eyes met blue ones when she saw him. He looked familiar enough that he wasn’t a stranger, but stranger enough to not be considered a friend. His black hair was unkempt; it fell in his eyes, though he made no move to brush them aside. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t grimacing either. He was smirking at her- clearly amused by her suspicion. He was wearing a plain white long sleeve with black suspenders attached to dark trousers. His arms were crossed over his chest in nonchalance. His skin was a darker shade of olive, so maybe Italian.

 Italian? Alice immediately put her defenses up higher. Her face set in stone as she lifted her chin a tad to show that she wouldn’t bow down or surrender without a fight. She was a force to be reckoned with despite her femininity. Many men found it adorable-until they were met with clawed faces, black eyes, and broken noses. 

 “What’s it to you?” She asked, not meaning for her Mississippian twang to come on as strong. Usually it was subtle unless she was tired-which in this moment she was. 

 The stranger chuckled, seeming un-phased by her defensive stance. “Clearly,” he winked at her as he spoke in a deep voice, “Logan was blowing smoke ‘boutcha needing a guard. A tough dame like you doesn’t seem to need protection.” 

 Alice frowned. “Logan?” Damn her voice-betraying her as it wavered. She tilted her head. “Logan sent a guard?” she muttered, questioning herself more than the man across the room.

 “Yeah, I was surprised too,” the stranger chuckled, “I apologize for my lack of manners.” He stood up from the seat and walked slowly to Alice. He reached his hand out for a shake. “I’m Virgil, and you are…?”

 She eyed the outstretched hand warily. The majority of her was distrustful, but if Logan had sent a guard, it would be rude to decline the offer. Especially since it was better safe than sorry. 

 Well, she wasn’t one for manners anyways. 

 She crossed her arms. Her eyes squinted at how relaxed the stranger was acting about the whole thing-as if it were a joke she wasn’t in on-though there was a tiny bit of tension in his shoulders that she noticed. That told her some part of him was on edge as well.

 “I’m Alice,” she introduced herself with a cold tone. Her voice was tight as she glanced quickly around the room. “Where’s Logan?” 

 “I’m right here, Alice.” The detective’s calming voice spoke up softly behind her. It wasn’t enough to startle her. What was startling was how quickly she relaxed; she felt safer as soon as he was in the room. She felt her shoulders relax-she hadn’t realized they had been so tense. 

 Logan walked past her to stand next to her and Virgil. “Alice, Patton and I had to go together to go confront the captain.” 

 She tensed, the tone didn’t make it seem like the confrontation went well. She caught the glance he shared with Virgil. She took a deep breath before asking, “Where’s Patton?” 

 Logan avoided her gaze. “I wouldn’t know, I’ve been suspended for two weeks for insubordination. I had to leave before he did.” He grit his teeth in frustration. Alice thought she caught an undertone of emotional vulnerability while he continued, “I didn’t get a full confirmation that the captain is in league with the Duke, but the way he berated me for suggesting a plant at all was suspicious enough. Though I suppose I didn’t help when-” 

 Virgil put a hand on his shoulder. His expression was soft as he shared a fond look with the detective. Alice kept herself from raising an eyebrow at the way Logan gave a minuscule smile of gratitude to the taller man. Maybe she had been correct in her assumption about him from the night of the party after all. She swallowed a smile at the thought of being right about which way the young detective swung. She almost didn’t hear the rest of the conversation.

 “Logan, what’s done is done. You made a calculated decision that took the heat off of your partner,” Virgil rubbed his hand-a little too affectionately to be just friendly-in circles on Logan’s back. “You did the right thing, even if I’ll get a bit of heat from my cousin.” 

 Alice definitely raised her eyebrow then. “Uh, clearly I missed something juicy,” she paused as her stomach clenched as a reminder to eat. She put on an apologetic smile, “How ‘bout we catch up over dinner. Is there anything available or do I need to cook?” 

 Logan shook his head while sparing a grin. “No, I have dinner already prepared in the dining room. I had actually come here to gather you for the meal in the first place.” 

 Alice winked at the two men before she walked off. “Alright, boys, let’s get a wiggle on so I can get caught up in all the news.” 

 The party of three walked to the dining room in tense quiet. Though Alice noticed the tension wasn’t malicious. It was more...delicious. She watched the two men accompanying her share a few too many glances and grins. She smiled to herself briefly, excited to tell Lola about everything, especially about her theory that their dance partners were surely not straight. The thought of gossiping with her girl was enough to put a bit of pep in her step. 

 She wasn’t offended that Logan never came clean about it. There were still times she had to let go of her girlfriend’s hand no matter no matter how desperately she wanted to hold on. The world wasn’t ready. They weren’t exactly living in Harlem. 

 Watching the boys avoid the subject was hilarious. If there weren’t more pressing matters at hand, she’d press them about the matter of why they weren’t holding hands. She bit back a giggle.

 Dinner was a spread of baked chicken with russet potatoes and carrots glazed with honey. It looked expensive, and delicious. The smell that wafted into Alice’s nose was so heavenly that she couldn’t control herself lunging forward into the nearest chair. She almost stumbled, but thankfully Virgil had been close enough to catch her by the elbow. 

 She muttered a thanks as she took her seat. The dining set was beautiful. All of it matched with a polished white ceramic decorated with baby blue tulips above light green stems. The edges were trimmed with gold. Alice added another question to her mental list-where did Logan find a way to afford all of this? 

 Logan was extremely kind enough to serve them. That baffled Alice even more. Why would someone as well off as him do the work of serving his guests? For the first time Alice noticed a distinct lack of servants. Meaning that Logan was not just serving them-he must have cooked the meal himself. 

 Oh, yes, he definitely wasn’t due for a wife anytime soon. 

 Once they were served, Logan asked for Alice to lead them in prayer. She felt a lump rise in her throat. It had been so long since her last homemade meal. It had been even longer since she had to lead in prayer. She closed her eyes to keep the tears from flowing at the large reminder that she was in a safe place.

 “Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done 

In Earth as it is in heaven

Give us, this day, our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation 

But deliver us from evil 

For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and glory forever

Amen”

 “Amen,” the men echoed. If either noticed a tear or two drop from Alice’s eyes, they didn’t show it. 

 The trio spent the first few minutes eating before talking business. The chicken was divine. It was still juicy despite being baked. The honey glaze complimented the sweetness of the carrots while also blending with the savory flavor of the potatoes. In simple terms, the dinner was delicious. Alice resisted the urge to immediately reach for seconds. 

 It seemed no one wanted to bring up the difficult conversation first. She resigned herself to being the mature one in the moment, choosing to be bold and brash. 

 “So what the hell happened while I was asleep?” Her chin jutted out a tad forward in response to Logan’s admonishing look towards her language. 

 Virgil shrugged. “I had Mr. Doris at my home when Logan called to have me come over to make sure you were safe.” 

 She rolled her eyes towards Logan. “So,” she started sarcastically, “You and Patton didn’t want babysitting duty?” 

 “I-no,” Logan sputtered, “We both needed to go in to avoid suspicion.” 

 “Look how that turned out,” Virgil muttered. When the two looked his way, he muttered something unintelligible and bit forcefully into another bite of chicken. 

 “As I was saying,” Logan stated. Alice noticed the blush and small upturn playing at the corners of his mouth. “We went together. The captain...he was in a horrible mood. He grew overly aggressive when I suggested that there may be a plant, and when I pressed he put me on suspension. Especially since I told him I had evidence by-” he glanced at Virgil, who nodded encouragingly, “I told him that I had a member of the Duke’s gang visit me last night.” 

 The hairs on the back of Alice’s neck raised ever so slightly as she fixed her eyes on Virgil. She gripped her fork tightly to be ready to aim for his eyes if he made a wrong move. The man, Virgil, noticed and seemed to not care that she was staring at him. 

 “Relax, kid, I’m not very interested in family business.” His voice made it sound like he was brushing her off, but his body language was tense again. So it was clear that they both didn’t trust each other. Good.

 Alice chewed on her potato while she processed the information. She decided to temporarily table her distrust of Virgil for the sake of the question she really wanted answered. 

 “So, where’s Detective Patton?” she asked. Her voice betrayed her by cracking on the sweet Irishman’s name. She would hate herself forever if the kind man got himself hurt on her account. 

 The two men shared another, more concerned, glance. “I’m…” Logan’s voice sounded troubled as it dropped half an octave, “I’m not entirely sure. I left before he did, like I said, but he didn’t follow me back. I’m not entirely sure where to go from here without him.” 

 Alice’s stomach clenched with fear. Suddenly her appetite was gone. She looked at Virgil without really seeing him. “What do you know about all of this?” she whispered. 

 Virgil avoided her gaze. Alice’s anger rose with the force of ten hurricanes. “What do you know?!” she bellowed. Her voice echoed in the dining room. She slammed her fist on the table, causing the silverware to wiggle. 

 She reached for her fork and threatened Virgil by pointing it at him, but Logan nipped her rage in the bud. 

 “Calm down, Alice,” Logan pleaded softly. “I know you’re upset, but there’s no need for anger.” 

 She snapped her head to look back to Logan. A biting remark was on the tip of her tongue. However she held it back as she saw raw fear in Logan’s face. Gone was his calculated, even, cold expression. In its place was the glaring, frozen, unbalanced nature of fear. 

 She settled in a tiny bit. She kept her eyes on Logan as Virgil cleared his throat and explained his side of things. 

 “Well, to start, I should preface by saying I rarely talk to my cousin unless he needs me for  something. I comply because he’s family-but in terms of the business I couldn’t really give a-” he corrected himself at a glare from Logan, “I don’t care. All I care about is being left alone. The most I’ll do is occasionally attend a party. Yet last month I got a call from him telling me to tail Logan for him. Make sure he didn’t give away anything crucial or dig further.” 

 Alice let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She relaxed her shoulders and let herself settle into the chair while Virgil kept speaking. 

 “This morning Mr. Doris,”-Alice cringed at the memory of the scar faced man gripping her wrists- “came by to tell me he failed in catching you. He also mentioned that uh,” Virgil blushed. His tone was embarrassed, and he scratched the back of his neck. “That Patton was getting busy with the Duke.” 

 Alice would have spat out her drink if she had been taking a sip. Logan, she knew for sure, dropped pins. She could tell from a mile away that the younger detective was not into women. However, Patton? The man who seemed to latch onto her and pry and try to protect? Patton, a pansy? 

 That evidently was not the part of the sentence she should have latched onto. 

 “Well, Mr. Doris doesn’t seem to be the most reliable informant,” Logan observed dryly. 

 There was a brief moment of silence before Alice asked, “How do we know you are reliable?” 

 Virgil nodded solemnly. “I get your hesitation, I do, but I’m being honest when I say I don’t care about the family business.” He absently rubbed his shoulder. “I think nearly dying in a trench puts things into perspective, don’t you?” 

 Alice’s mouth dropped open. There was no way someone this young looking had been in the war. Unless he shipped in right at the end. 

 She hardly remembered what it was like; having the men at war. The world being thrown into utter chaos. It was a hard time for everyone. Luckily she had only been a toddler when the war ended. She felt the urge to hug Virgil close; but she didn’t on the suspicion that he wouldn’t appreciate it. 

 “I’d rather we use our resources to help the community instead of hurting it,” Virgil whispered loud enough for them to hear. His eyes were downcast towards the table, and his hand still gripped his shoulder. “My cousin has good intentions, I’m sure, but Mr. Doris uses his access to grip this town so hard he’ll end up choking it.” 

 Logan and Alice shared a glance, both thinking the same thing. The Duke, leader of one of the most notorious gangs in the Bay Area, having good intentions?

 “What do you mean, about your cousin having good intentions?” Logan asked cautiously. 

 Virgil snorted. “You kidding? All he wants is to show people a good time.” 

 “I see,” Logan murmured. “Well, that is good information that you’ve shared with us, Virgil. I appreciate you.” 

 Alice bit back a giggle at the fact Logan had said ‘appreciate you’ instead of ‘appreciate it’. She couldn’t wait to get Logan alone to grill him about him and Virgil, and she also couldn’t wait to dish it all out to Lola next time they spoke. 

 She picked up her fork and pointed it at Virgil, though not as threatening as before. “Okay, Sinister Sam, I’m trusting you, but if you betray us,” she pointed her fork for emphasis, “I’m not above murder like a certain detective in the room.” They all knew the threat was more of a joke. 

 Virgil threw up his hands with a smirk, “Good thing I have no intention of betraying that trust, Alice.” 

 “Glad we all agree,” Logan interrupted with annoyance in his tone. “Now, back to a more pressing matter-where is Patton?” 

 ------

 Patton didn’t feel like driving back to Logan’s and facing that fiasco, so instead he chose to walk around the town, which was mostly new warehouses and car factories. He walked along the road and watched as the men got off of work for the day. He saw groups of friends laughing together-completely unaware at the forces of good and evil fighting with their lives in the middle of it all. 

 That may have been too dramatic, but was it not the same as the fight between the devils in hell and the angels in heaven? Patton thought himself a morally upstanding man. Everything he stood for was good. He did his job with a smile on his face and faith in his heart. Everyone he came into contact with-he made them smile. He worked his honest way into the police force despite his heritage, just like his captain.

 The thought of his captain felt like a punch to the gut. Roman’s haggard face after sending Logan home was burned into Patton’s mind. He looked so helpless. Obviously Roman was under great stress. So of course if he got an offer to make his job easier he’d take it. Patton felt guilt over building him into a villain so quickly. Roman wasn’t bad, he was just stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 The sun was setting on the bay as Patton turned his way around to the park in between the warehouses and residential area. He watched the children play before suppertime. How he felt for Roman’s wife, Mrs. Rosalie de Rossi. If it turned out to be true-which at this point Patton was sure-then she would raise his son alone. A boy or girl would grow up without a father if Patton did his job the right way. 

 Would he sacrifice his best friend’s child for the sake of capturing one man? Would he take Roman in cuffs as he heard the first cry of his newborn child? Was this truly about stopping the crime in the town, or about Patton getting a pat on the back for capturing the leader of the crime? Was Patton willing to suffer his friend watching his child grow up behind bars? 

 Once upon a time the answer was simple. If it were a month ago he would have answered with a vehement ‘yes’, no matter why. Now things were twisted. Everything was knotted together where it was no longer a simple matter of good and evil; right and wrong were a mass of yarns tangled together. The world was covered in a gray haze that threw Patton for a loop as he tried to make some sense of it. 

 “It’s not so simple anymore,” he mumbled to himself.

 The detective sat on a bench facing the bay, which was within eyesight from the incline where he sat. He admired the beauty of the way the orange and pink clouds glimmered on the waves. Crashing to the shore, knowing where they were going. Eroding the rock into sand; the waves knew what they did. They were driven by the moon herself. The white foam born of the impact would fizzle as the only evidence that any destruction was being made. 

 Patton pondered once more about how far he was willing to go to put the Duke behind bars. The man was clearly a source of stress for Roman. Was there a way to spare the captain? Perhaps getting to the criminal through another source was key. Maybe he could make it so Roman would be spared in the storm that was brewing in preparation of the battle between the good detective and the sinful mobster. 

 He smiled at the thought of Roman being able to watch his son or daughter play at this park. Roman would swing his toddler on the swing set and chase a short child with black hair and brown eyes. Roman would be happy. He’d be free of the worries of a criminal operation. Patton would be the one to give that to him. 

  Patton was good with children. He could see himself there too, celebrating with his friends a birthday or summer’s day. When he first learned of Mrs. de Rossi’s pregnancy he had briefly wished that he would find a woman to settle down with to have children of his own. 

 Yes, there was that question again. Patton was thirty two years old. He had never looked at a woman with lust before. Before he met the Duke he thought it to be a great achievement that put him above his peers. Now, though, it had been brought into question. What was his romantic orientation? Could he actually see himself having a wife? Having children?

 Truth be told, if he were to be completely honest with himself, he didn’t hold any attraction to women. The terrifying idea of the alternative made his arms raise  goosebumps; tingling his senses. He felt his cheeks flush from more than the biting sea air. His lips vibrated softly as if ready once more for a forbidden kiss of forbidden fruit. As he watched the sun set he felt something open up in his soul in revelation. Beautiful, fearful, attractive revelation. 

 If the Duke weren’t a scoundrel, and if the world and God saw it fit, he would chase the rotten man a different way. 

 There was something about the two of them. A horror Patton couldn’t look away from. The Duke was an affront to God Himself. He could be the Devil incarnate; present to tempt Patton into committing unthinkable sins. It was so hard for the detective to delude himself any longer that he was immune to the allure. The call of danger. The tempting taste of the pomegranate that would doom him to falling to the underworld of the Duke’s domain was, in fact, an actual temptation for Patton. 

 He watched the bay waters move to give him answers. He thought of kissing the man. The kiss that had been so easy it had to be for more reasons than to seduce for evidence and information. He remembered with perfect clarity how much he had enjoyed himself with the Duke more than any woman he had kissed, those dames being few and far between. The gangster was an enigma. He was dangerous and chaotic and warm and so many things that seduced Patton. 

 What would the detective sacrifice to catch the Duke and kiss him once more? 

 He felt someone sit next to him. It was as if his thoughts had summoned the one man he wasn’t ready to see.

 “So, how is playing ‘good cop’ goin’ for ya?” the Duke asked cheerfully. 

 “I’m wondering to myself what I’m going to do with you, Duke.” Patton was shocked at the honest answer he gave. 

 A hint of red crossed the Duke’s cheeks before he recovered. “Hopefully devilishly delicious things.” 

 “In your wildest dreams,” Patton muttered. He was drained of energy. His fingers twitched for the cuffs in his pocket. He looked around to see that no other gang members were nearby. They were completely alone; the children had even gone home for supper.

 The Duke was open for capture, and Patton was hesitating yet again. 

 “Seriously, though, here I am open for capture and you’re hesitating,” the Duke observed. The echo of Patton’s thoughts made him shiver. It meant nothing, but it said everything.

 “Are you turning yourself in?” Patton asked sarcastically. “Or are you here on a personal call?” 

 The Duke’s lips curled into a smile. Patton’s heart fluttered at the sight. This smile wasn’t malicious. It wasn’t cruel or conniving. The Duke’s smile was warmth from a stormy night. A dip into cool water on a hot autumn day. With that smile, they were just two men-two people-in the midst of falling in, what would be seen by others, attraction. 

 He found himself leaning closer to hear what the Duke was saying despite the man not changing volume. His face felt numb as the breeze picked up. The Duke’s slicked back hair let loose a strand. 

 “I’m here because you have something of mine. A certain doll who owes me a pretty hefty fee.” The Duke leaned in close enough their noses were touching. 

 They were magnets. They were the opposite poles of the earth. 

 “Hm, I’m not telling you where Alice is, dear Duke,” Patton murmured as if he were in a trance. In some form, he was. 

 Fire flew through Patton’s veins so quickly. The words were losing their meanings in the tones. Their voice inflections were having an entirely different conversation at hand. Patton shuddered at the memories of being nearly pinned underneath the night before, no longer angry but enticed. 

 “Well, that’s a loss on my end then, dear detective.” whispered the Duke. “Guess we’re both at a stalemate.” 

 Ah, yes. The stalemate the forces of nature brewed between them. The laws of the world were putting a thorn bush between them to make their journey even harder as enemies than as friends. 

 “Indeed.” Patton agreed dreamily as he surrendered.

 They both came in for another kiss, be it softer than their previously passionate adjointments. The kiss was a sunset-an end to Patton stepping around the truth of his feelings, an end to answering hard questions with simple answers, and an end to pursuing his enemy at the cost of his friends’ livelihoods.

 His friends...Roman, Logan, Alice. 

 Alice. 

 Alice! 

 He pulled away and stood suddenly as if his body burned from touching an open flame. “No, no! You’re not blinding me this time, Duke!” he shouted. 

 Before he could reach for his cuffs the Duke had started running. His maniacal laughter trailing behind him. Patton raced to keep up once he realized what was happening. The moment in paradise melted away like a dream. The chase was back on.

 Not this time you damn fool. 

 They ran through the alleyways in between the deserted warehouses. The streets were darker. The sun was setting rapidly as the chase had continued. They wound around the large lots. They skirted the borders where other officers on the beat would notice. Somehow the mobster knew exactly where they were, too. The Duke was playing with him. He was torturous and wonderful and damn good at getting under Patton’s skin. He knew this had become so personal for Patton he wouldn’t risk calling for backup if it meant losing the trail. 

 A part of Patton detached and played their kisses over and over again. That piece of him wanted to tackle the man to the ground. Pin the gangster underneath him and succumb to the feral nature being brought out. He wanted to hunt the man down and ravish his soul to the point they would be on fire. He pumped his legs harder to keep up, not knowing what the outcome would be if he caught his target. 

  Patton’s legs were in a flaming pain as he watched the Duke cross a street. He ran out when a car suddenly squealed to a stop in front of him to block him from chasing farther.

 “No, no, no!” Patton yelled. He watched the Duke start to climb over the fence down away from him. 

 The criminal looked back towards him before hopping down the other side. He was shrouded in shadows. He resembled a crouched cat before it bolted. His eyes nearly glowed in the diminishing light. Then, in a blink of an eye, he was gone. 

 Patton slammed his fist on the hood of the car in front of him. He marched up to the driver’s seat only to be stopped by the sight of Alice, Logan, and the gang member who had been on Logan’s tail for the past month. 

 The very gang member who was in the driver’s seat of his partner’s car. The gang member that, for all Patton knew, was in cahoots with Logan. He was the subject that got Logan off the beat. He was somehow involved in all this and for once Patton didn’t want to ask how. 

 Hyped on his adrenaline and chaotic instincts, Patton reached for the gun on his belt when Logan hopped out of the other side and shouted, “Patton, no!” 

 Patton wildly looked at Logan. He knew he probably looked feral. His hair felt mussed, his body was covered in sweat from two chases in one day, his clothes were rumpled. He felt no words running through his mind. 

 In his mind there was only the need to run after the Duke desperately. His heart was pounding over and over. “Logan,” he gasped, “Logan, what are you doing? Interfering with an...an investigation…”

  He was ready to collapse now that he was still. Rational thought took over while his body felt like gelatin melting in the summer sun. He had pushed himself to the limits. 

 Logan slowly made his way to Patton, yet made it just on time to catch him in his slump. He gingerly helped Patton into the backseat of the cramped vehicle. Patton leaned on Alice’s shoulder as he felt the numbing defeat spread from his lips down his body. He played the meeting with the captain, the walk, the kiss, and the chase over and over in his mind. Where had he gone wrong?

  From there on out there were no holds barred. Patton would no longer play by the rules in his pursuit. The badge on his belt was no longer a barrier between him and his chase. It no longer mattered what was right and what was wrong-his heart needed vengeance against the  manipulative nature of his enemy. He would let himself be seduced then wrap the cuffs in one painfully swift movement. 

 Alice carded her hand through his curls. She hummed a soothing tune that washed over him as a cleansing shower after a long day. It was a backwards scenario-a young girl comforting an older man. If any of the passengers heard him softly sob once while a tear fell off of his face, no one spoke up about it.

 The sun had set, and with it the last remnants of upstanding, rule-following, by-the-book morality Detective Patton O’Hearty had left. 

 “Catch me if you can,” The Duke had teased. Oh, how he would.

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A/N:  Hi! I haven't abandoned this story, I promise! I have had a lot going on lately and have been absolutely zoned in on Prince in the Storm. I apologize again for making this so late. I hope you still enjoyed, feedback is appreciated.

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TAGLIST: @deceits-left-glove

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