“Well, you did, you’d find out from him that I did.”
“Well, that’s fine. Wouldn’t want you steppin’ outta line, doin’ somethin’ stupid, needin’ to go back and finish your time.”
There it was. Under their thumb. He went right to it. Didn’t even beat around the bush.
Fuck.
“Got a wife. Got a job. Got a life I’m pickin’ up, Rowdy. Just seein’ to my business and mindin’ only my own. Might wanna try that sometime,” Walker returned.
“Not possible for me, seein’ as I’m an officer of the law. Sometimes I need to stick my nose places,” Rowdy replied.
“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.