Reese turned to him with a frown.

Holding up a hand, Rowdy stalled his objections. "You said you wanted it by the book, so I'm trying." Bracing that hand on the dash, Rowdy turned to fully face him. Tensed muscles showed along his arm, his shoulder. "But now you have to do the right thing, too."

Reese narrowed his eyes.

"You have to let me check out Killer Designz."

CHAPTER TWENTY-.

THREE.

NEEDING SOME AIR, Reese got out of the car and walked toward Rowdy's beat-up truck. Was it stolen? No, he didn't think so. Put to the test, Rowdy was certainly capable of boosting a ride, but he'd only do so if necessary to keep his sister-or probably any innocent-safe.

This wasn't one of those times.

When Rowdy joined him, Reese said, "How many vehicles do you have?"

"Five. I told Pepper to pick one to drive." Hands in his back pockets, he gave a small grin. "Logan looked ready to blow a gasket."

"You weren't offended?"

"That he loves my sister enough to feel territorial? No."

Good attitude. "He doesn't want to change the dynamics of your relationship. He just wants Pepper to have a better life."

Rowdy laughed. "Save the pep talk, Reese. Logan doesn't need your help, and I don't need you to explain things to me."

Two women walked by, cutting close to them, full of sly looks, their hips rolling in an attention-grabbing sway.

Rowdy smiled at them, said, "Ladies,"

and then dismissed them. "So, tell me, Reese. You going to make the smart move here?"

Before he could answer, a dark-haired woman lifted her cell phone and took a pic of them. Rowdy looked her way, and she blew him a kiss. Her girlfriend giggled behind her.

Rowdy just winked.

"Un-fucking-believable."

With a lift of his shoulder, Rowdy discounted the attention. "Focus, Reese.

You need to let me hit up that tattoo place. The assholes inside have already seen me in the area, so they won't think I made a special trip to check them out.

And even if they're suspicious, they won't be after I meet with the chick tonight-"

"Not happening."

"-at my own damn bar."

After soaking that in, Reese strolled over to stand in the shade. Cash would probably like this place. He saw other people with dogs, some of them chasing Frisbees. "So you bought it?"

"Yup." Rowdy sat on the front bumper of the truck and continued to check out the flirting women. "There are drugs at the bar already."

"Most bars." Did he dare let Rowdy walk into danger?

"Yeah," Rowdy agreed, "but Avery says it's a big problem there."

"Avery?" That got Reese's attention.

Rowdy turned away. "She'll be the new bartender."

Since when did Rowdy Yates avoid eye contact? "A woman as bartender?"

"Your sexism is showing."

That was so ludicrous that Reese laughed. "Who is she?"

"I told you. She's a waitress who will replace the bartender." Suddenly Rowdy looked struck. "Son of a bitch."

That whispered curse alarmed Reese.

"What is it?"

"I just realized..." He turned to face Reese. "Avery was telling me the women she wouldn't date."

"What?"

He waved that off. "Inside joke. She's not gay, thank God."

"Okay." Where was Rowdy going with this?

"The thing is, she pointed out the smokers and the complainers-and a woman with unusual tats. I didn't see the tats because, at the time, it didn't matter to me. But Avery described them as 'not pretty.' She said the woman had her calf and her shoulder inked."

This was getting too close for comfort.

"At the bar you just bought?"

"Yeah, and Avery said the drug use there was an issue." He shook his head, saying in an aside, "I promised her I'd clean that up, but I never imagined...."

"Your bar could be an exchange point."

Quick to change the subject, Rowdy pushed off from the truck. "The thing is, I'm to meet DeeDee there tonight, and I officially own the place. So this is on me, whether you like it or not."

Damn it, he hated feeling like things were out of his control. "You know, DeeDee is setting you up."

"Yeah, probably. But I can handle myself. And maybe the plan is just for her to feel me out a little, to see if I'm onto them. The way I figure it, I can lead her on, admire her tattoo and tell her that I've been thinking of getting one, too.

Maybe she'll tell me what it means, but probably not. Either way, it'll explain why I was at the parlor, looking around, maybe throw the hounds off the scent a little, you know?"

Though it had merit, Reese hated that plan. Unfortunately, he didn't have a better one. "Normally I'd want you to sit on meeting with her, at least for a day or two. Give me time to look into it, maybe set up something so we could throw out a net and get everyone involved. Not just the muscle, but the main people, too."

"Yeah, I know. And if everything wasn't coming together this way, I'd agree. But with Cheryl calling, we need to gain some ground before Alice gets compromised."

"That won't happen." Even thinking about it set Reese's muscles in spasms and made his chest feel too tight. "I won't let it."

"I know." Hands low on his hips, Rowdy said, "But I'll be helping to keep an eye on her all the same."

He surprised Rowdy by saying, "Appreciate it." Hell, the way he felt right now, he wouldn't mind having the National Guard standing at her door.

After everything Alice had been through, he knew he'd gladly give his own life to ensure she never got hurt again.

"I'll hit up the tattoo parlor in a bit,"

Rowdy said, unaware of his dark musings. "Then I'll meet with DeeDee tonight and, hopefully, we'll find out something useful before Cheryl calls Alice back."

It was a horrible conflict for Reese.

Never in his life had he turned a blind eye to injustice. But the idea of Cheryl reaching out to Alice made him sick with an urgent need to shield Alice from any and all possible danger-especially the danger posed in assisting a desperate young woman.

He couldn't take the phone from Alice; not only wouldn't she allow that, but it could be the only lifeline left to Cheryl.

Neither could he insist on answering the call himself, because they all knew Cheryl was a tool being used to get to Alice.

His head throbbed, and his vision tried to narrow to Alice, only Alice. He was a damned cop, a detective, and he had a duty to serve and protect.

But in every second, Alice dicked with his concentration.

When two of the flirting women walked past again, eyeing him without reserve, Reese gave them an absent nod of greeting.

They reacted as much over that as they had Rowdy's attention, and he frowned.

He preferred that they keep their sights on Rowdy and off him.

In an effort to focus, he said to Rowdy, "You know I should be paying you."

Rowdy barked a disbelieving laugh.

"Fuck that."

But Reese couldn't let it go. "Police work with civilians all the time. And we pay."

"I said no."

So damn proud. Off to the side, Reese saw the women plotting. Shit. Rowdy wasn't the only one familiar with flirting females. Before Alice, he might have relished the fun distraction.

But now...it was a mere annoyance.

Before they interrupted, he said to Rowdy, his tone surly, "You think it's any easier for me? You think I like asking for your help? That I like owing you? Well, I don't."

Taken aback by the quiet attack, Rowdy scowled. "Didn't say that."

"Then let me even it up a little."

"Given the drug deals Avery told me about, it looks like you and Logan will already be lending me a hand. I can only do so much to keep out the criminal element." He grinned, because not that long ago, he'd been considered part of that element. "The rest is up to the boys in blue."

"That's my job. It's a given that I'll be there for that." He gave Rowdy a direct stare. "You know, with your background what it was, you might not realize this, but people-good people-like to lend a helping hand to those in their inner circle. And now, with Pepper marrying Logan, who happens to be my best friend, that circle includes you."

"Inner circle, huh?"

"Whether you like it or not."

With a half grin, Rowdy gave it considerable thought before making a quiet admission. "I have plans to renovate the bar. Right now, it's pretty shitty. Buying it didn't completely strap me, but it's going to be tight for a while." He gazed off at the playground area where kids kept the swings going high. "When I was solely responsible for Pepper, I couldn't..."

"Cut it too close?" Reese offered. He knew that Rowdy had looked out for his sister in every way imaginable, including keeping a store of cash on hand in case they needed to make a fast getaway.

"Yeah." The grin widened. "I never wanted to be caught without an escape plan."

Because Pepper had depended on him.

But who could Rowdy depend on?

Back then, no one.

At such a young age, a ton of worry had been dropped on his shoulders.

He'd had to grow up fast, and overall, he'd done an inspiring job-with everything. "I'm impressed you had enough for a cash deal. Few could swing it. As to manual labor, count me in."

"You like to sweat, do you?"

"Do I look like I avoid a workout?"

Reese was big enough and muscled enough that not even Rowdy-who wasn't a physical slouch himself-could downplay his strength.

Rowdy laughed. "You're a fucking hulk and you know it." He nodded toward the women. "Seems to me they're noticing, too."

Reese ignored that reference to their female audience. He plain and simple didn't care. "Once Logan knows your plans, he'll want to help, as well, and since Dash owns a construction company, he'll probably have all kinds of useful input."