"Yo, Walt." It's like slow motion as I walk through the crowded bar, bodies pressed against each other, the smoke hovering in the air weaving in and out of the stained glass above the dark wooden tables. Michael has his hand up and his face shines bright with a smile as if he is waving to his long lost best friend. I make my way to him and he slings his arm around my shoulder although I tower over him.

He sticks two fingers in his mouth and lets out a shrill of a whistle and his targeted audience falls silent as Michael hoists his beer in the air, "Walt, these are my boys, boys this is Walt, the man with balls big enough to tame my sister."

They whip up a cheer and there is ruckus laughter as some guy who looks like he stepped out of The Godfather presses a cold beer into my hand. He introduces himself and it sets off a chain reaction. I can't keep up with the names but I'm pretty sure I met four Joey's, five Mikey's, three Bobby's and one Al. All the guys seem like a good fit for the Moretti's and most of them, as you figured, are cops.

Vic, the senior, takes the stool next to me.

"So, Walter, you really sure you want to do this thing?"

I look at him waiting for him to finish his sentence but I realize he is done speaking.

I raise my voice just a bit over the loud hum of the bar, "If you mean marry, Vic. Yes, I'm absolutely sure."

He doesn't show any emotion on his face. He stares back at me, poker face, all the way.

"Walter, I am concerned for my daughter."

"Why?"

"I don't like her being so far from her family. I don't like that she is divorced. I don't like that she is lying to me."

The last part, the last part got my attention.

My eyebrows try to meet each other in the middle, "What do you mean, lying?"

Victor studies my face. He is serious but so am I as he purses his lips, "Are you lying to me, too?"

"No."

"You know, Walt. Omission is a form of lying?"

"Listen, Victor, I don't know what you are referring to and I'm not a liar by any means. Just ask me what you want to know. I don't have anything to hide from you."

Just as the last word comes out of my mouth I feel a hard slap on my back, the forces of which, moves me forward just a bit forcing me to bump into Victor.

I turn in time to see a full face, "Hey, I'm Bobby Davollano. Nice to meet you….ah….what did you say your name was again?"

I already want to punch this guy out but I think my natural anger is just below the surface because Senior thinks I'm lying and worse yet he thinks Vic is lying to him.

Ignoring Bobby, I turn back to Victor, "Can we go outside and talk about this Vic?"

"You aleady kissing up to Vic. Gheez man give it a rest"

There's a time and a place but this isn't either.

Bobby walks away and Vic offers up, "That was Vic's boyfriend through high school. He's always been in love with her. "

"You don't like me do you?"

"I like you fine. I like you a lot actually but I want to know why you think you gotta lie to me about my daughter?"

Perplexed, I stand at the bar looking dumbfounded. Vic reads my eyes, like all good cops do, and decides to let me in on the secret lie.

"My wife believes that the only reason you are here is because Victoria is pregnant you are trying to do the right thing by marrying her."

"Pregnant?"

He nods his head.

I have to yell over the noise of the crowd and I question, "She's pregnant?"

At that, I feel the hard slap on my back again and Bobby's hot beer soaked breath passes my ears, "Vic, pregnant! Is the ink even dry on her fuckin' divorce? I knew she was a fuckin' whore."

I don't think Bobby saw it coming and it doesn't really matter because he was never able to focus once I had him pinned against the wall squeezing the air from his throat. His hands clasped around my arm, his face turning red, as Michael tries to talk me out of killing Bobby in the middle of the bar.

"Shut your mouth."

The point made, I let go of Bobby, and he collapses to the floor trying to catch his breath as I walk out of the bar onto the sidewalk trying to get my bearings because I have to get back to the Moretti house.

Victor, strolls up beside me, "That Bobby was always an asshole."

"Hey, I'm sorry for that back there."

Vic nods as an acceptance for me and for the situation, "He's a douche. He deserves it."

"Listen, I need to see Vic, would you mind if I hitched a ride with you?

"You really don't know do you?"

"No, but I need to find out, Victor. I need to find out now."


Next update will be next week. Thank you for your patience. Enjoy the chapter. #LongLiveLongmire