without hurting her, so he kept it there. Let her nails bite into him. “I’m just trying to figure out what Walker is setting me up for now.”
He shrugged. “It’s about time you pay for your crimes.”
Callen was about to respond when Grace let go of him. Sick freak that he was, he missed the contact even if it was a bit violent for his liking.
“Okay. You guys win.” She stood up and picked her bag up off the floor. “Since you two seem to want to fight, you can do it without me.”
Callen caught the edge of her shirt before she could turn and race off. “Where are you going?”
The question came out rougher than he intended, but she didn’t flinch. “Wherever you two aren’t.”
“I have questions for you,” Walker said.
She tugged her shirt free from Callen’s grasp and nodded in his direction. “You two seem determined to talk right over me. Fine. You can talk to each other for a change.”
Then she was gone. She walked past the staring diners. Said hello and kept going until she pushed the door hard enough to make the jingling bells hooked to the top fall off and clang against the tile floor.
The whole exit took about five seconds. Perfectly timed and executed. Callen had to give her credit for making a scene and looking like the victor, which she was this time and most others. While she acted like a grown-up, he beat back the anger and frustration festering inside him. Or he tried. Tried and failed.
“Smooth.”
Walker’s voice brought Callen back to the problem in front of him. “I’ve made her angrier before.”
And that was the sad truth. She had a low tolerance for stupid, and at the beginning of their relationship—if he could even call it that—he would do shit like take an extra work shift and not call to tell her he wouldn’t be home. He’d drink too much. Drink when he said he wouldn’t.
“Then congratulations on being a dick.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t news. He’d wallowed in that state for a long time. Grace helped him break out of it, and then that fell apart, too. “Believe it or not, I don’t care what you think about me.”
Walker pushed his mug to the side and got in close enough for his harsh whisper to carry but not far. “Don’t fuck with her.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
Once again he got cast in the role of villain. Callen understood the act Walker had going here, but why play it now when it was just the two of them? People leaned in too close and watched without trying to hide it, but there was no real audience to be impressed with his big FBI role right now.
“You sic her on me and then—”
“What?” Walker sat back against the booth hard enough that the man behind him turned around.
“Be a man and stop hiding behind her.” That was what pissed Callen off the most about Walker. Well, one of the things.
Callen had made a load of mistakes in his lifetime, but he owned them. He tried to make amends and fix what he could. Walker, the guy with the badge and the big office, didn’t do his own dirty work. No, he used Grace for that.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Walker asked.
The confused expression and tone were nice touches. Callen refused to buy in. “Why are you in Sweetwater?”
“To prove you are just like your dad.”
There it was. Walker unknowingly drilled down and hit Callen’s greatest fear. There was only one way to handle someone who got that close to the horrible truth—evade. “You’re an idiot.”
Walker shrugged. “You asked.”
“Fine. Why is she here?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know she was until I walked into Mallory’s store this afternoon.”
He sounded sincere. The shock and the frowns. Callen tried to hold on to the idea that this guy was trained. That he fooled people for a living. Went undercover and played a part. That had to be what he was doing now.
“I’m supposed to believe you?” Callen asked.
“Again, I don’t give a damn what you believe. I just want
He shrugged. “It’s about time you pay for your crimes.”
Callen was about to respond when Grace let go of him. Sick freak that he was, he missed the contact even if it was a bit violent for his liking.
“Okay. You guys win.” She stood up and picked her bag up off the floor. “Since you two seem to want to fight, you can do it without me.”
Callen caught the edge of her shirt before she could turn and race off. “Where are you going?”
The question came out rougher than he intended, but she didn’t flinch. “Wherever you two aren’t.”
“I have questions for you,” Walker said.
She tugged her shirt free from Callen’s grasp and nodded in his direction. “You two seem determined to talk right over me. Fine. You can talk to each other for a change.”
Then she was gone. She walked past the staring diners. Said hello and kept going until she pushed the door hard enough to make the jingling bells hooked to the top fall off and clang against the tile floor.
The whole exit took about five seconds. Perfectly timed and executed. Callen had to give her credit for making a scene and looking like the victor, which she was this time and most others. While she acted like a grown-up, he beat back the anger and frustration festering inside him. Or he tried. Tried and failed.
“Smooth.”
Walker’s voice brought Callen back to the problem in front of him. “I’ve made her angrier before.”
And that was the sad truth. She had a low tolerance for stupid, and at the beginning of their relationship—if he could even call it that—he would do shit like take an extra work shift and not call to tell her he wouldn’t be home. He’d drink too much. Drink when he said he wouldn’t.
“Then congratulations on being a dick.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t news. He’d wallowed in that state for a long time. Grace helped him break out of it, and then that fell apart, too. “Believe it or not, I don’t care what you think about me.”
Walker pushed his mug to the side and got in close enough for his harsh whisper to carry but not far. “Don’t fuck with her.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
Once again he got cast in the role of villain. Callen understood the act Walker had going here, but why play it now when it was just the two of them? People leaned in too close and watched without trying to hide it, but there was no real audience to be impressed with his big FBI role right now.
“You sic her on me and then—”
“What?” Walker sat back against the booth hard enough that the man behind him turned around.
“Be a man and stop hiding behind her.” That was what pissed Callen off the most about Walker. Well, one of the things.
Callen had made a load of mistakes in his lifetime, but he owned them. He tried to make amends and fix what he could. Walker, the guy with the badge and the big office, didn’t do his own dirty work. No, he used Grace for that.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Walker asked.
The confused expression and tone were nice touches. Callen refused to buy in. “Why are you in Sweetwater?”
“To prove you are just like your dad.”
There it was. Walker unknowingly drilled down and hit Callen’s greatest fear. There was only one way to handle someone who got that close to the horrible truth—evade. “You’re an idiot.”
Walker shrugged. “You asked.”
“Fine. Why is she here?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t know she was until I walked into Mallory’s store this afternoon.”
He sounded sincere. The shock and the frowns. Callen tried to hold on to the idea that this guy was trained. That he fooled people for a living. Went undercover and played a part. That had to be what he was doing now.
“I’m supposed to believe you?” Callen asked.
“Again, I don’t give a damn what you believe. I just want
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