The harsh knocking on Jo's front door should've been her first warning. The sound carried with it the brute force of someone trying to beat through the wood in an effort to gain entry into her home. She retrieved her pistol from the end table and approached cautiously. All the while, the incessant pounding continued, never stalling in its strength nor rhythmic striking.

Raylan stood on the other side, looking none too pleased, which would've been her second warning, had she not grown accustomed to his perpetually perturbed nature. "Put that away," he barked, taking note of her weapon in hand, and forced his way into the home. His terse tone was her third warning, and this one she picked up on.

Returning the gun to its previous station, Jo turned towards him, arms crossed. Raylan's eyes fluttered around the living room and through the kitchen, searching for something.

"What can I do for you, Raylan?" He chuckled at her question, but there was no humor behind it. His gaze ceased its exploring, in favor of pinning her down with a scrutinizing stare.

"I saw Ellstin Limehouse tonight. Now, I believe your paths have crossed a time or two. Given Mr. Limehouse's predilection for helping young girls in a spot of trouble." He stepped closer to Jo with each word spoken until only a breath remained between them. "So, I imagine you know what he deals in, and I'm not talkin' about swine or money."

Her face was expressionless, but her heart was rapidly beating beneath her chest. She wouldn't have been surprised if he could hear it, standing as close as he was. "Limehouse deals in secrets," Jo muttered underneath his watchful eyes.

"That's right," Raylan announced, leaning towards her, their eyes level. "And, do you wanna guess what secret he divulged tonight?" His jaw was clenched as he glowered at her in challenge. To her credit, Jo didn't flint away, didn't bow her head in chagrin, she just stood stiffly in front of him. Giving no indications that she knew precisely what secret he was referencing.

Raylan huffed and took a step away from her. Looking off in the direction of Jo's bedroom, he announced, "either you get him out here, or I'll drag him out myself." There was no joshing in his voice, and the hands firmly planted on his hips conveyed just how serious his demand was.

Jo wavered for a moment before turning her head and lightly calling Tim's name. The younger Marshal stepped out of the bedroom fully clothed, thankfully. If he had appeared dressed in anything but Raylan was certain he would've lost all sense of composure at the mere sight.

"Smart," Raylan scoffed, his eyes bouncing back and forth between the two. "Parking your car around the block. I would've missed it had I not known what I was lookin' for."

Her mind raced, grasping for any explanation that would halt his growing fury in its tracks. Limehouse was an opportunist criminal, but he wasn't an insipid liar, so there was no way she could convince Raylan his words bore no truth. Plus, Tim's presence in her home late at night was all too telling.

No, this was the inevitable storm they'd both had coming their way. They'd just have to bear down and hope they'd make it out the other side alive.

Tim had finally come to stand next to Jo in the living room, placing a reassuring hand on her lower back. Observing the gentle contact had Raylan scowling at the pair.

"How long?" He pressed behind clenched teeth. "How long have you two been sneakin' around behind my back?" Jo audibly tsked at his words. Leave it to Raylan to assume the whole world revolved around him.

"Long before you ever came back to Kentucky," she countered, matching his hostility.

Raylan floundered for a moment, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, like a fish suffocating outside the water. Suddenly, a light switch flicked on in his mind. The truth was finally illuminated with dazzling clarity. She watched the realization strike him. Saw Raylan's lips fall into a firm line, but was too slow in reacting.

His fist shot out so quickly that neither she nor Tim had time to react before it came colliding with the junior deputy's left cheek. For a moment, Raylan marveled at his clenched right hand in such surprise that you would've thought it had acted of its own volition. However, once the momentary shock wore off, a hardness set into his eyes. Behind them, a fire that could set ablaze even a frozen tundra with just one look.

Tim took a half step back upon being struck but otherwise held his ground stoutly. If this was the indemnity due for his sins, then he was going to take what was coming to him like a man.

Jo swiftly inserted herself between the two Marshals, pushing back on each of their chests, trying to create some distance. Raylan got one hit in, which was fair, all things considered, but he wasn't going to get a second.

"Stop it, Raylan," Jo hollered while trying to contain him. Tim wasn't struggling against her pressuring hands, but her brother still was.

"You've been fucking around with my sister for more than a year?" He seethed. This was a betrayal of the highest order. A man didn't mess around with another man's family, that much was gospel, and Raylan didn't take the inherent disloyalty lightly.

"It's not like that," Tim tried to assure, but Raylan simply lunged at him again. Only Jo's firm hold halted his progress. Stopped him from beating the shit out of his coworker in her living room.

"That's enough!" Jo shouted, shoving Raylan back with all her might. "If you wanna talk about this, then we'll do it like adults!"

He started chuckling beneath his breath, his eyes firmly set on Tim. "I've known Jolene her entire life. She loves nothing and no one. You're a fool, Gutterson," Raylan surmised with a taunting smirk.

Jo was tired of it, his indignant attitude, and his holier than thou conviction. "Tim, I'm gonna need you to step outside," she implored, her eyes never straying from Raylan's imposing figure.

"No, I don't think I should," Tim answered carefully. He was willing to take Raylan's aggression on the cheek, literally, but leaving the raging Marshal alone with Jo wasn't ideal.

She gave him a soft smile over her shoulder and guaranteed, "it'll be alright. Just take a break out back."

Despite his better judgment, Tim found his feet leading him out the screen door, and into her backyard.

When they were finally alone, she set a glower upon Raylan and demanded, "what's your fucking problem?" He looked beyond bewildered at her question.

"What's my problem? You can't be serious? I just find out you've both been lyin' to me for months, and you ask what's my fucking problem?"

She was deadly serious, however. Jo had sat by while Raylan ran amuck with witnesses, with his ex-wife, with random bartenders, and now he had the audacity to pass judgment on her life choices. She'd had enough of it.

Steeling herself, Jo responded, passively, "the existence of a lie is predicated upon a preceding question. You never asked, so we never had any cause to lie."

Raylan swelled up in anger at her sanctimonious answer. "Don't play lawyer with me, Jolene!" He shouted, waving a disapproving finger in her face. He was rapidly falling off the rails, and though Jo was confident he would never hit her like he'd done Tim, there was no limit to what he might actually do when so incensed.

"No. You don't get to charge in here, guns blazing, and tell me what's what. This isn't one of your crime scenes, Raylan Givens. Now, you wanna be an asshole to me, that's fine. I set all this in motion, but the buck stops there." Her words took a second to resonate with him, and once the insinuation behind her subtle command settled in his mind, a sarcastic chortle bubbled from his chest.

"My god. You like him." Raylan realized she was fine taking the brunt of his anger if it got him off his fellow Marshal's back for the time being. Now, seeing the situation for what it indeed was, they could finally get to the crux of the matter.

Jo dismissed his observation entirely while watching him from behind narrowed eyes. "What're you gonna do, Raylan, huh? You gonna forbid us from seeing each other? You're not my father. Hell, you're not really even my brother. So, how do you think this is gonna play out?" The assertion stung them both, her to say it and him to hear it. They weren't family, not biologically anyway, but they'd always felt closer to each other than any of their blood relatives had.

Raylan's eyes were dangerous as he towered over her, his grin anything but playful. "No, Jo. I'm not gonna do that. I'm just gonna wait. You'll manage to screw this up all on your own. Let's not forget, I know you better than anyone. You'll bail long before you ever have to tell him the truth. It's just who you are." Spinning on his heels, he stalked out the front door, slamming it in his wake. The house shook from the force, then lay grimly quiet.

The squeaking of a screen door told her Tim had reentered from the backyard, but her eyes remained focused on the spot Raylan had previously occupied. He did know her better than anyone else. She couldn't deny that, so maybe he saw her intentions clearer than she could see them herself. The notion sat heavy in her mind, drawing out all the doubting voices she had worked to suppress.

Tim lightly calling her name, shook Jo out of her reverie. She finally got a good look at him since before Raylan had made his grand entrance. The deputy's cheek was already swelling and slightly discolored from the punch he received. No one had ever taken a hit for her, and the realization made her heart clench.

"Come on," she said, grabbing ahold of Tim's hand. "Let's get some ice on that cheek. We wouldn't want it ruining your good looks."

He resisted her attempts to drag him into the kitchen, though. Pulling her back towards him, he examined every inch of Jo's face with a concerned look held upon his own. "Look, you can be mad at Raylan all you want, but you can't shut me out," he beseeched her in earnest. That wasn't a promise she could keep, however. No matter how much they willed it otherwise.

"I'm assuming you heard all that," Jo asked even though she already knew the answer. Of course, he'd been eavesdropping at the back door. She would've done the same if their roles were reversed.

Tim nodded deftly in concurrence, which caused her to expel a hefty sigh. Shaking loose of his hold, she simply announced, "I'll get the ice." Before wandering into the kitchen and away from his questioning eyes.