Obviously, I enjoyed this tickle a bit too long because I heard Ty call, "Lex, what the fuck?" and my eyes went back to him.

He was standing in the open driver's door. He looked hot standing in the open driver's door of a Viper. He looked hot all the time but he looked smokin' hot standing in the open driver's door of a Dodge fucking Viper.

"Where did this car come from?" I forced out.

"Max brought it back to me the other day," he answered. "He was keepin' it in his barn while I was gone."

"It's yours?" I whispered.

"Yeah," he replied.

"It's yours," I repeated.

"Yeah," he repeated too. "What the fuck?"

"I knew you were good at poker but this... this..." I waved a hand vaguely at the car. "Did someone bet it or did you buy it from winnings?"

"I didn't get it playing poker. I won the pinks street racing."

I felt my mouth drop open.

Street racing?

"The guy sucked," Ty went on. "College kid up from Denver skiing. Came to a gathering, thought his car could do all the work not his driving. Bet me, lost, I got the Snake, he got his bud to call a taxi to get a ride back to his Daddy's condo."

I stared.

Then I asked, "You street race?"

"Not anymore."

"You used to?"

"Yeah."

"Are you good at it?"

He looked down at the Viper then back at me.

"You're good at it," I whispered.

"He sucked. Raced him in my Skyline GTR. That I won because I'm good."

"Where's that?"

"You're standin' in it. Sold it for a down payment on this condo."

"House," I corrected and his lips twitched.

"Condo, babe."

I studied him standing in the door of a kickass Viper, one hand casually laid on the top of the door, from his other hand dangled his travel mug of coffee. I didn't even know if he could fit his big body in that kickass car but, obviously, he could.

And as I studied him I thought Lady Luck was definitely feeling generous.

"Lex, you gonna get in or what?" he asked, his deep voice edged with impatience.

I was thinking "or what". I was thinking, my ass hit the seat in that car I might have a spontaneous orgasm. I didn't even want to know what would happen to me when he fired it up. And I wanted to save my orgasm for when Ty got around to giving it to me.

"You can't drink coffee in a Viper," I informed him and his lips twitched again.

"Why not?"

"It's against badass, muscle car law."

He dropped his head and looked at his boots but I could swear I saw his shoulders shaking.

"And we also can't take it to a garden center," I continued. "The steering wheel will lock you try to pull it into the parking lot of a garden center. We have to take the Charger."

He lifted his head and even across the expanse, I saw his eyes were dancing.

"Get in the car, Lexie."

"But "

"Ass in the car."

I stared at him. Then I moved across the garage to the passenger side of the Viper, muttering, "Don't blame me if she ejects us, we try to take her on errands at a garden center."

"Live wild, baby," he murmured and folded his big body behind the wheel.

There it was. He fit. A miracle.

I gingerly aimed my ass into the passenger seat. Then I got the door closed and my seatbelt on without incident. Ty hit the garage door opener and turned the ignition.

The Snake bit.

Another tingle, stronger. Nice.

I smiled at the windscreen.

"Fuck," Ty muttered, my eyes slid to his, he was looking at me and when I caught his gaze, he shook his head. I smiled bigger.

He placed an arm around the back of my seat, looked over his shoulder and pulled out, still shaking his head.

She growled through the condo complex, I allowed myself to feel her then when we were out of the complex, I pulled my shit together.

"Who's Max?"

"A friend, lives in Gnaw Bone."

"Gnaw Bone?"

"A town not too far away."

"There's a town called Gnaw Bone?"

Ty didn't reply because, obviously, there was.

So I asked, "Why wasn't he at the party?"

"Different set of friends," he told me. "Met him on a construction job in Wyoming. He was a good guy, we found we were both from around the same patch, solidified the connection. We stayed tight even though, back then, he wasn't around much. Now he's married with kids so he was around but I wasn't."

"Construction? I thought you were a mechanic?"

"Diversified. Job was short, hours long, money fuckin' great. Same kinda job took me to Dallas."

I took in a breath.

Then I tested the waters.

"And what led you to Shift?" I asked.

"Poker. I was in Dallas. Sat some games. He heard about me, thinks he's got a big dick. Called me out, I bested him. He went down and did it hard. Lied about collateral. Walked away from the table unable to pay up. That isn't my favorite thing; I needed to make my point. I did. He got my point. Promised a payment plan, started it, the job got done, I was back in Carnal, payments were supposed to keep coming and he knew they didn't, I'd be taking a vacation in Texas. I got framed, went down and Shift thought that was his good luck. Met a guy inside, he knew Shift, didn't like him, itchin' to teach him a harder lesson than the one I taught him. He's out in about a week. I got word to Shift, he didn't sort out his debt, he's first order of business when I got out. He gets a visit from me then he gets a visit from my friend. Shift saw the wisdom of sorting out his debt."

"Enter me," I whispered.

"Yeah," he whispered back.

"What'd you do to him?"

"You don't wanna know."

I looked to Ty. "Actually, I do."

He glanced at me then back at the road. What he didn't do was answer.

"Ty, I don't care about Shift. You know that."

He sighed. Then he stated, "Another reason to quit the game. Sometimes men fuck up, do that shit, you can't be the man who lets it slide. Not my favorite thing to do. With Shift, he's such a piece of shit, gotta say, I didn't mind but the effort it took. Didn't mess around, my message left him breathing if not standing. Delays getting my money I have to wait for the end of a hospital stay."

"I'm surprised about that," I said quietly to the windshield. "Ronnie usually took Shift's back."

"Can't offer you an explanation, baby," Ty replied quietly. "Didn't hear shit about Rodriguez when I was down there, that wasn't exactly my world but I'm at a table, I don't care whose money I'm taking just as long as they're good for it. Maybe he hid that shit from Rodriguez. Losin' that bad, he'd not wanna spread that around. He'd wanna keep it quiet, save his rep from takin' that hit."

"Yeah, that sounds like Shift."

"'Cause that is Shift."

I fell silent and experienced the smooth ride of the car, listened to the growl of the engine, eyes to the wide, two lane road ahead of us, the beauty of Colorado all around thinking he'd shared. As I sat there silent, I waited but he didn't ask for his take. I'd asked him a question, he gave me the answer and there it was.

Yes, Lady Luck was feeling generous.

Hesitantly, scared shitless the Lady would turn on me and strike, I pushed my luck.

"So, you made friends in prison?"

"One," he answered and I felt the beat of my heart ease because he answered.

"Just one?"

"Not a social club, Lexie."

"Right," I said softly.

And, surprisingly, he kept talking. "Name's Julius. Julius Champion, you believe that shit."

"That's a great name," I told him.

Ty didn't respond.

"What was he, um... in for?"

"Manslaughter."

"Oh God," I whispered and then I heard it.

Ty chuckled.

My eyes moved quickly to him firstly because I was shocked and secondly because I didn't want to miss it.

It was good I didn't miss it, his beautiful lips curved, his face relaxed in humor, amazing.

Still.

"Manslaughter is funny?"

"No," he stated firmly, all humor gone and my heart started beating hard because, before I left Texas, I knew this one thing about Ty. Shift had shared this. Shift had delighted in doing it because that was Shift.

I knew voluntary manslaughter was what Ty had been sent down for.

And he would not find that funny.

"Sorry," I said.

"I was laughin', baby," he started gently, "'cause Julius walked into his sister's house and saw her man takin' his fists to her. He lost his mind and beat the life outta him. You sounded scared. Men, they got reason to be scared of Julius. He'd never hurt a woman. I know this 'cause, on the outside, he's got three, they're all devoted, they all visit him regularly. The bitches fuckin' carpool."

This was so crazy, and funny, I felt laughter bubble up and then it bubbled out. I watched Ty's lips tip back up.