"Careful of that," Walker said low. "Junkyard dogs might bite it off."

His chest puffed up and he leaned in half an inch. "That a threat, inmate Walker?"

"Not an inmate anymore. I'm free. Hooked up with my parole officer. Hooked up with a job. Got a wife who knows my every move. Not gonna step out of line. Someone thinks I do, sees somethin' they didn't really see, got someone at my back to tell it as it is."

And there he was. Right into it. Not beating around the bush.

And Lexie heard.

And she understood.

He knew this because she froze solid behind him.

Lexie got it, Rowdy, being Rowdy, didn't.

"Just doin' the good citizens of Carnal a favor, visitin' a new ex-con who lives local, makin' sure he knows he needs to mind his P's and Q's."

"Did you say 'mind his P's and Q's'?"

That came from Lexie.

Walker looked down at her but not before he caught Rowdy's eyes slice to her.

"That's what I said, ma'am."

"Okay," she whispered but the switch was flipped, the light flooding out even though he couldn't see her face fully as it wasn't tipped to him.

Then she tipped it to him and he saw her eyes were dancing.

Then she full out smiled.

"P's and Q's," she whispered and he felt her body start shaking against his and he knew she was about half a second away from bursting out laughing.

"Babe, get a handle on it," he warned.

"Okay," she choked out then her face disappeared because she shifted so she could shove it in his back.

Then he heard her snort.

Fuck. She was a goof.

He looked at Rowdy who clearly didn't like being laughed at.

"My wife's a goof," he explained, that got another snort and he felt her fingers fisting in his sweaty tee at the back.

"Not sure what's funny here, Walker, this shit's serious business," Rowdy snapped and then Lexie suddenly wasn't at his back anymore.

She was at his side.

And she was no longer amused.

"You're right. There's nothing funny about a police officer showing up on Sunday morning on the doorstep of a man who did his time and is trying to get on with his life, simply, it would seem, to harass and threaten him. That isn't funny."

"Lex," Walker whispered, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side.

She didn't take his warning. She kept throwing sass.

"And, by the way, the good citizens of Carnal threw a huge-ass welcome home party for Ty when he got back. They know he's here and they're happy he's home. So, I don't think you have to worry too much about the good citizens of Carnal. I expect they don't need your kind of favors."

Fuck.

"Lexie, shut it," he growled and her head shot back so she could look up at him.

"Well, it's my Sunday too and Sunday's are good days and he's ruining it. It's still morning! He's ruining it right off the bat," she snapped.

"Lexie."

"It's true."

"Yeah, babe, but get a handle on it. You stop yappin', he'll be gone and we can get on with what we were doin'."

Color hit her cheeks, her mouth formed the letter and said the word, "Oh," softly then she shut it and looked to Rowdy.

So did Walker. "We done?"

Rowdy scowled at him. "I think you get me."

"You're not talkin' in code though you think you are. I get you."

Rowdy continued to scowl at him. Then he scowled at Lexie. Then he stomped to the steps.

Walker shut the door and locked it.

Lexie pulled out from his under his arm, took three steps back as he turned and the minute his eyes hit hers, she whispered, "Got a wife who knows your every move?"

He didn't answer that. Instead he crossed his arms on his chest and advised, "Promised none of my shit would blow back on you. I can deliver on that but I see you gotta help me do it and the way you can help me is not gettin' in these motherfuckers' faces and settin' yourself up as a target. News, Lexie, no man likes a woman laughin' at him. More news, that man's an ugly fuck who'd thank his lucky stars he dips his wick in skank pussy, he'll like it even less when the woman laughin' at him looks like you."

She ignored that and repeated, "Got a wife who knows your every move?"

Walker remained silent.

She stared at him.

Then she said, "He's dirty."

Walker didn't reply.

Lexie kept going by guessing wrong, "He's the one who lost to you at poker."

Walker still didn't speak.

Lexie did. "You're paying fifty grand for an alibi."

Yep. He was right. She caught it.

He again didn't speak.

She again stared at him.

Then he watched her pull in a deep breath and when she let it go, she spoke softly.

"This is the only time I'll ask, the only chance you'll get to tell me. You think it's not my business, I'll know where I stand."

That wasn't a good opening.

She finished it. "What's going on, Ty?"

He didn't speak. She held his eyes. He still didn't speak. This went on a long time.

Then she dropped her head at the same time her shoulders sagged. Defeat.

She was giving up on him.

No, strike that, she was giving up on them.

Two weeks ago, sitting in his cell wondering who he'd walk out to, he would never have guessed he'd walk out to a them. But he did. Lexie knew it. So did he. He hadn't had her pussy yet but she gave him all the rest. He'd pushed it away. But right then, he knew she was giving him another shot. If he wanted it, he'd have it all.

And, him not taking that shot, she was giving up on them and his silence and distrust was forcing her to do that.

And, fuck him, he couldn't take it.

"You know Tate?" he asked, her head shot up and her light flashed, hope so bright it blinded him.

There it was. She was giving him another shot and she wanted him to take it.

And so did he.

So he took it.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"He's a bounty hunter."

"Okay," she whispered slowly.

"Used to be a cop."

She didn't reply.

"For the Carnal PD."

He watched her body go still.

He kept talking. "His captain, Arnie Fuller, now Chief of Police, was an asshole. Tate didn't like workin' for an asshole. Fuller was also on the take. Tate liked workin' for a cop on the take a lot less than workin' for an asshole. He quit and became a fugitive apprehension agent."

She nodded slowly.

"Fuller likes to play poker."

Her eyes flared but she remained silent.

"He likes it but he's not good at it."

He watched her swallow.

"He's also got a lot of opinions he don't mind sharin'."

When he said no more, she prompted carefully. "And those would be...?"

He answered immediately. "He likes a certain kinda people. Only that kind. His kind. Which means other kinds, like gays, liberals, hippies, he don't like. He also don't like color. Top of the heap he don't like is color."

She closed her eyes slowly then opened them and locked hers with his.

"Fuller's got a brother," he told her.

She pressed her lips together.

Walker continued, "Cut from the same cloth, Fuller and his brother."

She stopped pressing her lips together and he saw her clench her teeth.

He kept going. "Fuller's brother is a cop in LA."

She closed her eyes slowly again but this time she dropped her head, reached out a hand, took a step back, her hand hit island and she leaned into it. Then she sucked in another breath, lifted her head, opened her eyes and caught his.

He went on, "Don't know yet why. Just know the California Fuller had a problem. His brother offered me up as a solution."

"Ty," she whispered.

"Got his boys in on it. Recruited outside help. I didn't have a prayer."

"How?" she asked quietly still leaning into a hand, this news weighing on her. He could see the weight. She was barely holding up.

"There are about three clean cops in the Carnal Police Department that's how."

"But... California? You said you'd never been there."

"My word against theirs. Rowdy Crabtree made a statement that he heard me talkin' in Bubba's about hitting a game in LA over Labor Day weekend. Witnesses in LA corroborated I sat that game."