Free Junkyard Dog by Bijou Hunter

me.
    “I’m assuming you haven’t eaten,” I say, focusing on
Moot rather than the irresistible blonde giving me a raging hard-on.
    “Not today.”
    “Drink up and I’ll take you out.”
    “Want to bring your assistant?” Moot says, giving
Candy the once over again. “She can take notes.”
    “I said, ‘no’ already,” I growl possessively.
“Don’t make me say it again with the bat.”
    “You really are grouchy these days,” Moot says and
then downs the coffee. “Thank you, ma’am.”
    Candy takes the empty cup and nods at him. I set
the bat on an empty table and follow Moot to the door. Before I head outside, I
stop and study my assistant.
    “What happened earlier isn’t over,” I tell her.
    “We’ll see.”
    “Something’s happening here,” I insist, hating her
cool exterior.
    “Yeah, but is it a love affair or murder/suicide?
Might want to consider how you’re the murder victim in that scenario, boss.”
    “Think you can take me?” I ask, arching a brow.
    “Without breaking a sweat.”
    “Then I guess I better hope it’s a love affair,
huh, killer?”
    As Candy laughs, I walk outside to where Moot
waits.
    “She’s a looker,” Moot says. “How long you been
boning her?”
    “Shut the fuck up.”
    “So not long, huh?”
    “She’s Honey’s sister,” I say, pissing all over his
good mood.
    “Not cool, asshole.”
    Smiling, I climb into my truck. Moot joins me,
still frowning about the mention of Honey.
    “Where do you want to eat?”
    “What’s still open?”
    “Everything. I keep my town running smoothly. Want
steak?”
    “Sounds good. A cold beer sounds better.”
    “You’re out early. Whose dick did you suck to make
that happen?” I ask, pulling out of the parking lot.
    “Hell, if sucking dick would have gotten me early
parole, I’d have hit my knees within weeks of arriving at the shithole. No
amount of pride is better than being locked up.”
    I think of how loyalty got him locked up for so
long. Despite what he says, Moot has a lot of pride to keep his mouth shut for
so long.
    “So what’s the deal with you getting out early?”
    “Don’t you read the papers? It was in the Nashville ones.”
    “Those are run by Commies, so no, I don’t read
them.”
    “Commies. You’ll be spouting the same shit in fifty
years. You never change, man.”
    “So what’s the big story?”
    Moot grins at me, clearly proud of his story. “I
saved a guard who was getting his ass whooped by a few cons. They were planning
on doing more to his ass than that too. I’m a big fucking hero. The warden
worked his magic and got me out a year early for taking a beating to save one
of his guys.”
    “Did a good deed and got rewarded. I hear that
happens sometimes. Never seen it before but good for you. Why not call and have
me pick you up? The true answer this time and not that shit excuse you gave
back at the office.”
    “The truth was I didn’t know if you’d care. I
figured if I showed up unannounced, you’d have to fake a smile for me.”
    “I sent you money,” I mutter, bothered by him
thinking I didn’t remember his sacrifice.
    “I know.”
    “Got you a nest egg set up too.”
    Moot taps his fingers against the window. “It’s not
about what you do for me, but whether you’d still want me around. I did get
busted for something stupid.”
    “Saving a whore from her boyfriend was pretty fucking stupid.”
    “I still can’t believe she jumped me after I saved
her like that.”
    “How’s your head?”
    Moot rubs the top of his head and rustles up his
wild blond hairs. “Still got a knot where she nailed me with the beer bottle.
Cunt testified against me too. What a bitch.”
    “I offered to take care of her.”
    “Killing chicks is cold, man.”
    “So is ruining the guy that helped her out.”
    “True.”
    “Well you’re out, and I’ll get you set up.”
    “No handouts. I’m willing to work.”
    “Stop acting like a prison bitch.”
    Moot gives me a dirty