"You're doin' Lexie a favor," he said quietly.

"Yeah, it was just for Lexie until you opened, Tyrell. I still don't give a fuck about you but you made it pretty fuckin' clear you give a fuck about her and I spent years watchin' her be with a man who didn't so, in a roundabout way, I'm also doin' it for you."

Jesus.

"Pena," he felt it necessary to warn, "you do not know what you're up against."

"Tyrell," Pena fired back, "I know exactly the filth I'm up against. You got your color, I got my own so I know. And I figure, with Jackson's nosin' around, he's given you the head's up so you know I ain't stupid and, I'll confirm, I ain't. I figure you aren't either but I'll still remind you not to be and I'll do it because of where her Charger is, what bed she sleeps in and those petals she stares at doin' the dishes. I like my life so I don't waste it so I won't waste it tryin' to talk you out of whatever you're gonna do. But I'll remind you to think of those three things you got that other men would kill to have and I'll advise you that someone like me can get a fuckuva lot further in this mission than someone like you."

"You're from Texas," Walker reminded him.

"A cop's a cop, Tyrell, in Texas, in California, in Colorado or on the moon," Pena returned.

Walker stared at him. This wasn't true. Those boys pissed all over their patches, did it regularly so no one could mistake the smell and, no matter you carried a badge or not, they let in only who they wanted to let in.

Then again, what Tate said about this guy's tactics, he had balls, who knew what he could do?

Finally, he said, "No one calls me Tyrell."

Pena stared at him. Then he grinned.

Then his grin died and he asked quietly, "How's she doin'?"

"Ella, Bess and Honey just left after spendin' two weeks with us," Walker answered.

"Jesus," Pena muttered, "So she's happy as fuck but you've been in hell."

Yeah, he made it his business to know Lexie.

"Somethin' like that," he muttered back.

Pena hesitated. Then he pushed it.

"She make a beautiful bride?"

Fuck.

And fuck him. He gave it to the bastard.

"Magnificent."

Pena nodded but he'd asked a question the answer he already knew.

Walker was now officially done.

"They burn you, I don't know you but more importantly, Lex doesn't."

"I told you, I ain't stupid."

"And I'm tellin' you, you stick your nose in this, it blows back on my wife, ex-con versus cop or not, you got a problem. Am I understood?"

Pena held his gaze. Then he didn't grin. He smiled.

Then he whispered, "Waited a long time to see that woman with a man who gave a fuck. I see you haven't missed I wanted to be that man. What you don't know is, the kind of interest I have in Alexa Berry Walker, I don't care who it is just as long as he does."

"Then we got somethin' in common, 'cept of course, I'm that man," Walker replied.

Pena nodded on another smile.

No hard feelings.

"Stay sharp," Walker told him, turning and folding into the Viper.

"Same to you," Pena replied and Walker slammed the door.

Then he fired up, pulled out of his spot, glanced at Pena strolling back to his pickup and hoped to Christ the man knew what he was doing.

Then he put her in first and headed the fuck home.

Walker hit the top of the steps but he heard the music before he hit the utility room. Mood music. Alicia Keyes. Their wedding presents from Lexie's family were definitely more for Lexie than for Walker but the shopping expedition had one plus for him. Lexie hit a record store and stocked up on decent music. And it wasn't just so her family would have the soundtrack to their visit they enjoyed, it was for him.

Another way she gave.

He rounded the railing and dropped his workout bag there, looking first to the kitchen.

Around this time of day, she'd be thinking about food but mostly she knew his schedule and he knew she wanted to be close when he arrived home so she could greet him, something she always did, pressing into him and tipping her head back for a kiss. This was whether he came back from the garage or the gym, sweaty or not, his woman didn't care.

And another way she gave.

She wasn't in the kitchen so he looked to the second place she usually was, thinking he liked their deck furniture, it was the shit and it looked good. But it cost a fucking whack. He didn't mind the money, never did if it was nice shit and looked good. But he minded it even less because she used it all the time. When her family was there, they ate out on the back deck. Before they came, his days off, he noticed she had her breakfast and coffee out there and she did it like she did it all the time so he knew she did it all the time. Other times, she'd wander out there with her Kindle to read or her iPod to listen to while she stared at the view. Colorado was new to her, she liked it, she liked their view and she gave it her time, as much as she could when she wasn't giving that time to him.

So he turned his head to look at the deck and froze solid.

This was because she was curled in the loveseat, legs bent and fallen to the side, heels tucked close to her ass, beer in hand resting on the side of her thigh, head thrown back because she was laughing.

And stretched opposite her in that loveseat was an enormous black man who was turned away from Walker, in profile but Walker could see him smiling.

Lexie righted her head, caught sight of him, her face grew bright and she aimed a shaft of her blinding light right a him as she cried, "Ty! Look who's here!"

Then, his fucking wife, total fucking goof, like an excited teenager bolted up to her feet on the loveseat, walked to the footstool and hopped down, running through the open door to him as he forced himself unstuck and walked toward her.

In her excitement, she hit him on the fly, her soft body colliding with his, her arms, even with one hand holding a beer bottle, sliding around him, her feet bare necessitating her bending her head way back to beam her smile at him.

"Julius!" she declared elatedly yet unnecessarily.

He looked down at her face then lifted his head to see Julius had angled out of the loveseat and was grinning at him as he sauntered into the house.

Such was their bond, anytime, anywhere, it was safe to say he would be happy to see Julius Champion. Happier by far to see him for the first time wearing faded jeans, a tee and breathing free.

Except that time.

He tipped his head back down and muttered, "Kiss, mama."

Her smile went brighter, if that could fucking be believed, she went up on her toes, he bent low and touched his mouth to hers as her arms gave him a squeeze. When he lifted his head, she let him go, took a step away and he turned to Julius who had made it close and also had a beer in his hand. He extended his other one and Walker took it.

"Walk," he muttered as they gripped and locked eyes, no shaking, no hug, the strength of the grip and the communication through their eyes was all they needed.

"Champ," Walker muttered back.

Julius grinned. Walker grinned back.

"Oh shit, I'm gonna cry," Lexie announced and the men let go and both looked to her to see she did look like she was going to cry.

"Get a handle on it, Lex," he murmured, still grinning.

She nodded and visibly deep-breathed, whispering, "Right. Right."

Walker shook his head and looked to Julius to see Julius was now smiling at Lexie.

"Okay!" she announced on a clap and Walker looked back at her. "Time for dinner!" Her eyes came to him. "You doing a shake, honey, or are you going to eat with me and Julius?"

"Powder and water then I'll eat with you," Walker answered.

"Excellent!" she approved, tossed a dazzling smile to both of them, turned and headed to the kitchen.

Walker looked back at Julius. "Gonna hit the shower, brother. Be right back."

Julius jerked up his chin and replied, "I'll keep your woman company while you're gone."

Walker bet he would. He had three women, each constant, each committed, each had been in his life for years but that didn't mean he wasn't still recruiting. But Walker also knew he'd try nothing with Lexie. That said, he was not a man who wouldn't take an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful woman even though he knew it was look but don't touch.

Walker headed to the stairs. Julius headed to the kitchen.

He was nearly done in the shower when she came in. He watched through the glass as she put the big, plastic cup with the screw on lid filled with protein powder mixed with water on the vanity. Her eyes came to him before she left then she took herself four feet out of the way just to press her hand flat to the glass and give him another smile.

No physical connection through that glass but a connection, the kind of shit she did all the time. The smile was brilliant; she was pleased as fuck for him his friend was there. The protein drink delivered was yet another way she gave. She did that all the time too, mix him a drink or blend him a shake and it was sitting on the vanity by the time he got out if she wasn't in the shower with him.

She waited for it, he gave it to her, jerking up his chin then, with no words, she headed back out.

After his shower he dressed in track pants and a white tank, sucking back the drink as he headed to the stairs. Rounding the railing on the second story landing to make it to the mouth of the stairs down to the first level, his eyes hit the office. Then, even wanting to get to his woman and Julius, his feet moved him to the office door.

Lexie didn't have a lot of shit. Most of her furniture was still in her apartment in Dallas that Honey had moved into. And she didn't unpack everything when it arrived. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, shit like that. A couple of frames of her girls on the mantel downstairs. She'd printed, framed and put the photo of them at The Rooster in their bedroom. But she'd set up her computer in the office, added a few more frames from home, mounted an unusual print that he liked at the back wall, put her stationary, address book and other shit like that in the drawers of the desk.

He wandered to the right bedroom where they put her bedroom furniture from Dallas. Queen-size bed with feminine sheets and comforter, white background with stark swirls of green stems leading to big flowers of multiple shades of blue and pink. Feminine but good taste. Pure Lexie. One nightstand with lamp. A dresser. More prints on the wall. A guest room, where Ella slept, now Julius's black leather duffle was sitting on the floor by the closet.

Then he wandered to the other bedroom. She still had some boxes piled against the wall but she'd made this her room. A big table with plastic, multi-drawered organizers on top and baskets filled with craft shit. Some shelves with more craft stuff. A sewing machine with a chair in front of it. An armchair in the corner with a standing lamp beside it where she could work comfortably. Surprised the fuck out of him but his wife was craftsy. It wasn't just the petals in the window. She got that sewing machine set up straight off and, even with her girls there, when he was at work one day, he came home and they had huge, new toss pillows on the couch. He liked them, the fabric was nice but they were comfortable as all hell and there were a shitload of them he could shove behind him when he was watching a game.

He walked out and down the stairs, seeing Tuku's pen and ink on the wall as he moved. The thick, matte black frame was the shit, the work was huge, he'd only had a segment of it inked on his body because he'd need four bodies his size to get it all on. It was good to see it displayed again, every time his eyes caught it, and it was hard to miss, it reminded him of Tuku, good memories. He'd been stunned when Lexie took him to the frame shop, felt that thing pierce the left side of his chest, sharper, the pain passing exquisite to be something he didn't know, never experienced, but he knew he'd never forget that feeling or that moment, not in his life.

All this had hit him when it happened, Lexie making his house their home, never knowing when he walked in what would be added, what she'd give him next but it hit him differently this time with his brother there, seeing through Julius's eyes his house, his life, the flowered sheets he'd sleep on in the guest room.

His wife.

And when it hit him then, something settled in Walker. Settled deep. Something weighty but not heavy. Something warm. Something welcome.

This was on his mind as he took a swallow of his drink, hit the bottom of the stairs and turned to see Lexie at the stove, Julius at a stool at the island, both of them talking with relaxed faces, Julius already at home because Lexie made him feel that way. A huge man. A huge black man. A huge, black ex-con, at home, relaxed, welcome because Lexie made him feel that way.

Her eyes came to him then her head turned to him.

"Go, commune with your brother." She jerked her head to the front deck. "I'll finish this and we'll eat at the outside table."

"You kickin' me out, baby doll?" Julius asked and Lexie twisted to grin at him.

"I'm giving you time with Ty so you can talk about how great my ass is," she returned, Julius chuckled and Walker moved to his wife.

He bent to kiss her hair and muttered, "Legs, Lex, your ass is fine but you got fuckin' great legs. So long, wrap around my back twice."

She tipped her head way back and caught his eyes then leaned around him so she could roll hers at Julius.

His friend chuckled again.

Walker turned away from his woman and looked to Julius. Then he motioned outside with his head before he moved that way, Julius shifting off the stool and following.

They settled at the railing beside one of Lexie's flourishing pots of flowers.

"Good to see you, brother," Walker whispered.

"Good to be seen," Julius whispered back.

"All good?" Walker asked.

"Yeah. My bitches, though, all over me. I'm here to get a break. Got out, all three of them fell on my dick. They nearly killed me."

This was bullshit. By Julius's reports, all three gave superior head and one of them had awesome command of her kegel muscles. He'd served a nickel too and was just as ready as Walker to get himself some, and by some Walker meant as much as Julius could get.

No, Julius was here because he was checking on things that couldn't be checked on over the phone, not to Julius's satisfaction.

Walker didn't call him on it. Instead, he finished his drink, twisted and set the cup on the railing away from him.

When he turned back, Julius was looking into the house. He felt Walker's eyes and he looked to him.

"Okay, Walk..." he paused then said slow, "shee-it. What the fuck?"

Walker felt his lips twitch.

Then he told him, "Walked outta that hole straight to a miracle."