“I apologize, Judge,” Devil said before laying a hand on Judge’s shoulder. “I’ll admit, trust outside of the family still comes hard to me. Gabby is always calling me her work in progress.”
Judge could concede that Gabby had indeed done wonders for Devil. For the first time in more years than Judge would like to admit, Devil appeared more human than monster. And it was all Gabby’s doing. The question was, was it enough for Judge to trust his brother with Charli’s safety?
The decision was taken from his hands when Charli’s demeanor suddenly changed. Her body tensed and her face fell as she collected her winning chips. As she stood from the table, her shoulders slumped.
“Chaos was right. I see nothing but guilt,” Viper stated.
Judge’s beast demanded he go to her and fix whatever had caused such negative emotions. But something stopped him. He watched as she cashed in her chips and headed for the exit.
“What are you standing there for, Judge? Stop her!” Devil demanded.
Instead Judge did something else. He followed her, both his brothers joining him out in the cool night air. He had no idea exactly what he was doing, but his heart told him he was doing the right thing. He watched as she climbed into the SUV containing Gabby’s guards. Fortunately he had been in such a hurry to find his mate, his car sat in front of the hotel. Rushing toward it, he barely heard Viper agree to remain at the hotel with the girls.
Following the SUV, with Devil sitting beside him, Judge recognized the route. They were heading back to the hospital. Devil confirmed as much as he shared messages between himself and the guards. Racing on ahead, Judge wished to be parked before Charli arrived.
Still unwilling to enter the hospital until his mate did so, both Judge and Devil remained hidden, the night-blackened sky and building shadows allies in their pursuit. Finally, she arrived, but still they held back, not announcing their presence. Judge watched as her eyes scanned the foyer. She was searching for someone. His body tensed as hers relaxed slightly. He followed her line of sight and was surprised by what he saw.
“What the fuck!” Devil announced his own surprise quietly beside him.
They had just witnessed Charli hand her winnings over to the woman in the foyer before walking toward the lifts. Everything within Judge told him that the woman hadn’t just shaken down his mate. But still he moved to stand over the woman, determined to gain the answers he sought.
“Excuse me, sister,” he said, trying to show respect for the habit the woman wore. “Could you please tell me why that woman just handed over about two grand in cash?”
“Do you know that woman? She didn’t steal this money, did she?”
Quickly responding before Devil could claim that she had, Judge said, “No, that money is hers to give you. And yes, we know her. She’s my girl, and I was alarmed when she headed here with that kind of money on her.”
“Then you know what sort of heart she has,” the nun said, looking up to the heavens as if in thanks. When her gaze returned to Judge’s, she added, “Charli finds it in her heart to give lumps of money to the orphanage the church runs. Without her generous donations, the children would be sleeping under the stars. Our roof collapsed and without Charli’s money we wouldn’t have been able to afford to have it repaired. She’s an angel sent from God.”
“That she is,” Judge agreed. He didn’t realize he could have admired and respected his mate any more, but he was wrong.
“How often does she give you money?” Devil, it would seem, wasn’t as convinced.
“That’s the thing,” came the nun’s reply. “There’s no regularity about it. But it always happens in clumps. This week alone she has given me four thousand dollars, including this money. The time prior, which was only a few weeks ago, it was nearly ten thousand. Then it had been months between visits.”
“How did you meet?” Devil asked.
“Just over a year ago I was here visiting one of our children who broke their leg climbing a tree. We were both leaving the hospital. That was when she asked me about the orphanage. Next thing I knew she was handing me about two thousand. Since that night, she rings me when she has some money for the orphanage.”
“Do you always meet here?” Devil asked.
“Yes, she insists on it.”
“So how much has she donated over this year?” Devil queried. Finally, Judge was catching on to his brother’s line of question.
“Believe it or not, in excess of forty thousand dollars,” came the shocking reply. “Without it, we would have definitely been forced to close our doors.”
“Thank you, sister, you have been a great help.” Devil handed her his card. “Please, if you have a need for anything, don’t hesitate to call. You can reach myself and any one of my brothers through this number.”
While Devil effectively dismissed the nun, Judge performed the simple yet worrying calculation. If his mate had been handing over her winnings to the orphanage, then she would have had to have visited the casino floor at least twenty times over the last year. With the two visits this week, Judge knew of only seven times she had entered the casino within Celestial Desert Paradise Hotel and Casino.
“Where the hell has she been gambling?” he demanded.
“I believe that’s a question for your mate, my brother,” Devil stated, slapping him on the back. “I’ll catch a ride back home with the guards, since I’m assuming they won’t be needed for the rest of the night.”
“No, they won’t. Thank them for me and let them know I’ll assign Charli and Emily their own set of guards as of tomorrow.”
“Will do,” Devil replied, grinning. “Good luck with your mate. I thought Gabby was unpredictable, but damn, she’s nothing like Charli.”
Judge watched his brother walk away whistling. His mate’s actions may have raised more questions than provided answers, but it would seem they had eased Devil’s suspicions somewhat. Now to discover a little more about his mate.
Chapter Seven
Charli sat beside her sister’s bed, her heart a lot lighter than it had been earlier. It was always the way. Whenever Emily was admitted to the hospital, Charli felt the urge to gamble. It would become too overwhelming that no matter how hard she tried to fight it she always found herself on a casino floor, winning money. It was money she had no need for, nor desire for. Fortunately she had found someone who did need it in Sister Mary. Each time she handed over her winnings to the orphanage, the bindings around her heart eased. If only the feeling would last longer than a day or so.
Another sensation hit her. One she knew all too well. Tingles spread throughout her head, warning her of what was to come. Her sight grew cloudier as the images in her vision became clearer.
She found herself in an unfamiliar bedroom. A man stalked toward her.
“Judge,” she gasped as she took in his impressive body. He took her breath away.
His chest was dusted with hair, calling to her. Below the crisp strands lay a solid mass of muscle. Reaching up, she tangled her fingers through the hair as she kneaded the flesh beneath. A long, soft hiss whispered past her ears, telling her Judge liked what she was doing.
Since her experience with naked men was lacking, she let her instincts lead her. Leaning forward slightly, she was eager to explore his chest with more than just her hands. Her lips found one of his nipples. It was his turn to gasp. The sound urged her on as she sucked his nipple deeper into her mouth. A hand came up, holding her head to his chest, encouraging her to continue. Like she had the ability to stop. This man tasted magnificent, welcoming her home from the long journey she had no knowledge of being on.
Every sound he made and each touch of his free hand had her excitement soaring. It was reaching for the skies and the heavens beyond, promising the kind of euphoria only this man could offer. The very thought of it had her climbing higher.
A thick finger found her clitoris, flicking it. The sensation sent electricity throughout her whole being, awakening every nerve ending within her
body. Her mouth came away from his nipple, dislodged by the gasps and moans escaping past her lips. The noises she made seemed to carry her closer to the unknown. Light blinded her as her body shook, sending her catapulting over the edge. A silent scream stuck in her throat as she came.
She was pulled unceremoniously from her vision by a hand on her shoulder. “Sorry to disturb your daydreaming, Charli. But there’s a guy asking to come in and see both you and Emily,” the nurse explained. “He says he’s your boyfriend.”
“Um…” Charli mumbled, attempting to shake off the residual effects of the vision. “Did he give you his name?”
“Judge Martin,” came the nurse’s response before a blush covered her face. “Is he really a judge? Because if he is I might have to consider taking up a life of crime.”
Laughing, Charli shook her head. “No, he owns a hotel and casino.”
This sent the nurse out of the room, the woman’s excitement at Judge’s appearance obvious for all to see. Charli could understand her reaction to him. She was having the same trouble fighting the effect he had on her. The very thought of him had her pussy leaking.
A hiss sounded behind her. “I can smell your flowing juices, kitten.” Judge’s voice sounded by her ear before a kiss landed on her cheek. “They’d better be for me, mate!”
“W-what…” she stuttered in an attempt to avoid his question. Of course turning to face him didn’t help her arousal. “What are you doing here?”
“Where else would I be? I’m sure I told you I would be back either tonight or tomorrow.” It was true. He had messaged or called her every day to share his plans and ask after Emily. “Don’t think that changing the subject will get you out of answering my question. Who is your pussy wet for?”
Embarrassment swamped her. Did he really expect her to answer such a question? Never before had anyone spoken to her so openly about sex. She had no way of knowing how to respond, except with the truth.
“You,” she said, sighing.
“Thank you, kitten.” Again he kissed her cheek. “But why are you so embarrassed by your reaction to me? We are mates!”
How could she make this beautiful man, who no doubt had women falling at his feet, understand that she lacked the experience to fulfill him in the bedroom? Was she even contemplating a relationship with him, especially with the danger that lurked in every shadow she cast?
In reality, she knew somewhere in her heart she craved the sort of relationship Judge was offering. It was the reason the fates had just shared that vision with her. She had to have accepted it on some level otherwise the vision couldn’t exist.
Knowledge of the future was only gifted to psychics once it was set in concrete and decisions were made. It told Charli that no matter how often her brain screamed at her to run in order to protect Judge, she had somewhere along the line accepted what he was to her and in turn, accepted him as her mate. Otherwise that vision that had left her hot and bothered could only be put down to her imagination. And she didn’t have a very good one, just ask her high school English teachers.
A vibrating sounded behind her, pulling her from her ponderings. Judge was looking down at his phone, smiling. When he raised his gaze to her his eyes were full of laughter.
“It would seem that the girls have harassed poor Viper into inviting you to a girls’ lunch tomorrow at the hotel. It will be the first outing Nikki has been on since her attack, and she wanted you and Gabby to be with her,” Judge explained. “Are you free tomorrow or do you have clients to meet?”
“I rearranged everything as soon as Emily was admitted. I’m free, but what about Viper, won’t he want to be with her?”
“He’s been banned and so has Devil. They have both been accused of hovering over Nikki too much.”
“Viper I can understand, but why Devil. Isn’t he Gabby’s mate?”
“Yes,” Judge said as he sat in the other chair in the room. “But remember, his vampire blood now runs through Nikki’s body too. He knows what untrained vampires are capable of, and he won’t allow anyone in his family to experience the aftereffects. It’s not a pretty thing to go through.”
“Oh,” she replied, still unsure about Devil. He scared her. “Well if it’s just going to be the three of us, that I can handle. I would love to see how Nikki’s doing.”
“Just a warning, it might not just be the three of you. Our little sister is due back from her holiday any day now. If she’s back, she’ll be invited too.” Judge smiled. “You’ll love Jewel. Though I do fear what trouble the four of you could get into.”
“Well don’t expect me to tell you if we do,” Charli teased. For something she rarely did, it felt natural with Judge.
“Oh you will be telling me, mate. Tomorrow night over an early dinner before we check on Emily.”
“Since when are we having dinner?”
“What, you didn’t foresee that?” Judge joked. “Actually I have a proposal that will definitely offer you protection as well as provide Emily with a little bit of normalcy in her life.”
“Really? Now I’m intrigued.”
“Then you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow?” Judge asked. If she was reading him correctly, he was slightly nervous about her response. This strong, beautiful man, who could have any woman he wanted, was worried about being rejected by her.
It was now or never. Was she going to continue lying to herself about where her future lay or was she going to trust in not only her own visions but Emily’s as well? Her little sister had confirmed that Judge was the man she had seen in her visions. The man whose future intertwined with Charli’s. She could almost renounce fate, but the one thing she had yet to find the strength to do was deny Emily any glimmer of happiness.
“I’ll have dinner with you, Judge. And not just because I’m interested in this proposal of yours.”
She felt surprise at how much she truly meant her words. Excitement raced through her as her mind flicked through her wardrobe choices, trying to find a suitable outfit for her date. To her dismay she couldn’t find anything that would have her holding her head up proudly as she walked beside this man.
Her clothing had always been worn to serve a purpose. To help her blend in with her surroundings. None of the colors of the rainbow were represented in her wardrobe. Instead the book Fifty Shades of Grey came to mind. She needed to do some shopping and fast if she was going to be suitably dressed for lunch with Nikki and Gabby, plus maybe Judge’s little sister. Then dinner with the magnificent man who was currently entertaining the now-awake Emily with the exploits of the children in his pride.
The truth was, she had no idea of even where to begin shopping in Las Vegas. She decided a call to Nikki tomorrow morning was on the books. Surely she would be able to point Charli in the right direction. With a plan in place, she turned her attention to her little sister just in time to hear the sweet giggle erupting from her mouth.
Chapter Eight
Smoothing down her dress, Charli took one last look at her reflection in the large glass paneling at the entrance of the hotel. She was running late for lunch with Nikki and Gabby and had no excuse except for the fact that she had somewhere along the line forgotten what it was like to be a young lady.
She’d visited the shopping complex that Nikki had suggested and completely got lost in the labyrinth of female clothing outlets. Colors she wouldn’t normally consider wearing called to her, asking her to lash out and take them home. She did exactly that, spending more than she’d anticipated and offering a splash of color to her otherwise dull wardrobe.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, rushing to the table that Nikki and Gabby currently occupied. “I lost all track of time this morning.”
“Don’t apologize.” Nikki got up to hug Charli. Once she was seated, she added, “Gabby and I both know what it’s like to lose ourselves in those shops. Next time we’ll have to make it a girls’ day out. Maybe when Jewel gets back from her holiday. She’s going to be upset that her plane got delayed.”
“Yes, and you can show me where you got that dress from,” Gabby added before rubbing her stomach. “I could probably still pull it off for at least another month. And this woman needs some ravishing from her mate rather than constant protection.”
“Aww, is poor Gabby not getting any?” Nikki teased.
“Oh I’m getting it, just not the dirty stuff I want. Lately Devil has been so gentle with me it’s beyond frustrating,” Gabby whined. “What the hell happened to my aggressive mate?”
“Oh he’s still there,” Charli muttered quietly, remembering her first interaction with the man. He still scared the crap out of her.
Gabby reached over the table and patted Charli’s hand. “Don’t worry too much about Devil, Charli. I’m not going to say his bark is worse than his bite because that’s simply not true. But he would never harm anyone he considers family.”
“But I’m not a member of his family, Gabby. I’m just a thief in his eyes.”
“No, you’re Judge’s mate.”
“Yeah, about that. How did you two deal with being mates to Devil and Viper?” Charli asked. “I’ve heard the term mating bond before but know very little about it. And I never would have dreamt I had a mate out there. Hell, I’ve never been on a date, let alone become serious about someone. I feel like I’ve been thrown to the lions, quite literally!”
“If you’re judging your reaction against ours, then that’s normal,” Nikki replied, grabbing Charli’s free hand. “Gabby and I felt the same way when our fellas proclaimed us as their mates. Baptism by fire is the way I like to think about it.”
“By hellfire, in my case,” Gabby added dreamily.
“Sorry, Charli, this pregnancy is playing havoc with her emotions,” Nikki apologized. “But in a sense Gabby’s story is closer to yours than mine is, if what I’m hearing from you is correct. Devil took Gabby’s virginity, though he didn’t know at the time that she was inexperienced and his mate.”
“It was still hot as hell,” Gabby chimed in. “Until he kicked me out of the hotel room with a bunch of money.”
Mated to War Page 5
