Free Bound by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon

force. The same slime with rougher packaging. She’d love to somehow tie him into her case.
    She ordered a beer for Boucher and a scotch for Hammond, then listened as they laid out what they’d learned, processing it thoroughly as her gaze lingered on Junior’s feathered boa.
    “This may sound strange, but does the club have an aquarium?”
    They blinked at her.
    “Never mind.” She tossed back the last of her drink. “This is off the clock, guys,” she began, and took a deep breath. “We need to talk about Max Savoie.”
    Boucher looked uncomfortable. Hammond stared at her boldly. “What about him? Other than the fact that he hides his illegal activities behind a designer suit these days, is some kind of fuckin’ werewolf, and gets away with both because he’s playing Hide the Sausage with you.”
    “Keep your voice down, asshole,” Cee Cee gritted out as she checked the surrounding tables to see if his words had carried above the hammering music and raucous conversations. No one seemed to be paying him any attention.
    Hammond’s hard eyes gleamed. “Calling me an asshole ain’t exactly the best way to get me to cover up for your boyfriend. You might try being a little nicer.”
    She leaned across the table. “Listen to me, and listen good. I don’t do favors for anyone. I’m only bringing this up because I don’t particularly want to find your empty head four feet away from the rest of your body and have to explain it to the brass.”
    “If you’re trying to threaten me—”
    “No. I’m telling you to wise up. You have no ideawhat you saw, and how many innocent lives could be affected by you opening your big mouth. I’m not trying to protect myself or Savoie. I’m suggesting you consider Joey and Babs, along with your own fat ass.”
    Boucher went pale at her meaning, but Hammond got even more belligerent. “He’s not going to take down cops. He’s not that stupid.”
    “He isn’t stupid at all. But you are, if you think grabbing a few headlines is worth the lives you’ll put in danger.”
    He rocked back in his chair. “I always wanted to do an ‘On the Scene with Karen Crawford’ interview. I bet she’d be willing to pay plenty to get goods like this. And maybe even put out.”
    “Listen here, you—”
    His hands slapped down on the table, bringing attention their way. “
You
listen, you hard-assed bitch. You’ve been breaking my balls since day one and I’m sick of it. I don’t care if you and the chief are all cozy— if I spill what I know, your career is gone.
Gone.
And so is that creature feature character you’re shacking up with. So you think about that, and get ready to listen to what I have to say when I get back from taking a leak.”
    He shoved up from the table, and elbowed his way to the back of the bar while Cee Cee sat rigid and ice cold in her chair. Not going well. Unless he changed his tune drastically on his return, she was going to have to seriously consider him an unacceptable risk. But could she live with that outcome?
    Could she afford to do nothing?
    “He really is an asshole,” Joey Boucher summedup mildly after a number of awkward minutes passed. “Maybe I’d better go after him.”
    “Maybe you’d better,” Cee Cee agreed quietly.
    Hammond held the future of those she’d promised to protect in his meaty hands, and he knew it.
    J UNIOR H AMMOND PUSHED open Newton’s rear door and stepped out into the alley. The men’s room was too crowded and his bladder couldn’t wait.
    The weak glow of the mercury light over the back door reached only a short distance through the gathering evening fog. The uneven bricks underfoot glistened with puddles, and he cursed as he caught his toe on one and fell against a ripely scented Dumpster.
    Then he heard something.
    Squinting blearily toward the heavy shadows, he saw no movement—but something was creeping around just out of sight. Something bigger than the usual rat or stray dog . . . probably just a couple