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 pu**y 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, f**k 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 ass**le. Tate didn’t like workin’ for an ass**le. Fuller was also on the take. Tate liked workin’ for a cop on the take a lot less than workin’ for an ass**le. 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’.”