by Alex Grayson
He opens his mouth to protest but snaps it closed when I narrow my eyes at him. The very last thing anyone would think to call me is a push over. What I say goes and everyone who knows me knows that, including Kevin Timmons.
“Yes, Judge.”
I pick up my gavel and slam it down on the sound block, calling the session over. Grabbing the case file, I get up from my chair as Deputy Sanchez walks over to Kevin to escort him next door back to his cell.
I take a seat behind my desk once I’m in my office. Well, I guess it’s technically called my chambers, but I’ve never been one to follow proper protocol. Like the ‘Your Honor’ shit people call most judges. It’s stupid as fuck and sounds high and mighty. Yes, I may be the one who decides a person’s future, but I’m no different than them. What right do I have to demand they call me something that suggests my status is above them? Pompous assholes. That’s what the government is.
I toss Kevin’s file on top of the only other file on my desk. It’s not often I have to hold court against a member of Malus. Crime rarely happens here, and when it does, it’s petty shit like thievery or kids causing ruckus or a dispute between neighbors. It’s the way I like it. It’s part of the reason why my brothers and I decided to rebuild Malus. To provide us and anyone who lives here a safe place to live.
My phone dings on my desk, and I snatch it up. Excitement builds in my chest as I open the email I’ve been waiting a week to receive.
The package has been delivered. Below is the video confirmation.
No signature. Not that I need one. I know who it’s from and what I’m about to watch. I’ve got a collection of these videos I’ve been gathering the last few years. This one will be added to the same external disk drive as the others. After I watch it, of course.
I grab the bottle of bourbon and glass from my desk drawer and pour a couple of inches. I click on the link in the email and wait for the video to pop up. Sitting back in my chair, I bring the glass to my lips as I wait for it to load.
A smile forms on my face when the screen turns from black to a view of an office. There’s an older man sitting behind a desk, much smaller than the one I’m at now. It’s a side view of him looking at his computer monitor. I can’t see what’s on the screen, but I don’t need to. Even if I didn’t know what he was watching, I could tell by the horror on the man’s face that it’s not something he wants to be watching.
Sweat slides down his rapidly paling face. What I wouldn’t give to have been in the room with him as this was taking place. I bet I would have heard his heart beating from several feet away.
A couple of minutes later, the man slams the lid closed on his laptop and bends over the trash can beside his desk, emptying the contents of his stomach. I laugh at the sight and sound of his retching, more than pleased at the results. Once he’s finished, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and sags back in his chair. He looks like shit. Each video I get of him, he looks worse than the one before.
The video turns black. All I needed was a video of his reaction watching the clip I sent him. More will come later. Much more. Building anticipation is a wonderful thing, and I’m damn sure enjoying it.
I pull out the external hard drive, hook it up to my computer, and transfer the video file. Once I’m finished, I delete the email. Finished for the day, I shut down my computer, grab my keys, wallet, and phone, locking the door behind me as I leave.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Beverly,” I call to the receptionist as I pass by her desk.
“Have a good night!” she says back.
A few minutes later, I’m greeted to a damn good smell when I walk into the house. My keys and phone get dumped onto the counter as I come up behind Layla and lay a kiss on the back of her neck.
“Something smells delicious,” I rumble and take a step back.
She tosses me a smile over her shoulder before turning back to stir whatever she’s cooking in a pot.
“It’s a recipe Remi gave me. Homemade beef stew.”
I yank at my tie and pull it from around my neck. “How was your day?” I ask, starting on the buttons of my dress shirt.
She taps the wooden spoon on the side of the pot before setting it down on the stove. “It was good.” Going to the fridge, she pulls out a bottle of beer for me and a bottle of wine for herself. I take the bottle of wine from her. As I take care of the cork, she continues. “I had a talk with Katelyn’s parents. They’re going to reconsider letting Katelyn apply to Parsons.”
“That’s great. The girl’s damn good. I’m sure she’ll have no problem getting in.”
Katelyn Monroe is seventeen years old and is set to graduate next year. She’s brilliantly talented when it comes to art. She’s so good that several people in town already have her paintings hanging from their walls. Layla actually has some up in the living room. Layla feels Katelyn can hone her skills and become even better if she were given the opportunity to attend an art school. The only problem is, the school Katelyn dreams of attending is in the U.K. Parson School for Design is one of the top art institutes in the world, but her parents are reluctant to let her go so far away. I can’t say I blame them. It’s hard to let a child go, especially halfway around the world, but if she were to get accepted, her future could be so much brighter.
“I think so, too. I just hope she’s given the opportunity.”
I pour Layla a glass of wine and hand it to her. She takes a quick sip, sets the glass down, and walks over to me. As she moves her hands to my chest, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her to me. I lean back against the counter with her wedged between my thighs and her bottom half plastered to mine.
Stretching my head down, she meets me halfway until our lips meet. She tastes sweet, like the wine she just drank.
“Mmm….” She moans. “I’m glad you’re here.”
My tongue darts out and licks across her bottom lip. “Me too,” I whisper.
I tug her bottom lip between my teeth then slip my tongue inside her mouth for a better taste. It’s been two weeks since I’ve had Layla. I’ve missed her. I always do. Just like I miss the others when I’m not with them.
Come next Monday, I’ll be staying with Jamie for a week. The week after that I’ll be with Gillian. I’ll repeat the schedule the week after that.
Yes, I have three mistresses. No, I don’t give a fuck if people care or not. It’s a system that works for all four of us. I care about all three women. I’d give my life to protect them. I even love them. Just not in the forever kind of way. They don’t love me that way either. They each know of the other, and are even close friends. I treat them with the respect they deserve, and I give one-hundred percent of myself to the one I’m with that week, in mind and body.
They each have a house of their own with their name on the deed. One I’ve provided for them and one they’ll keep if our arrangement comes to an end. They have jobs they enjoy. Not because they have to work—I would happily provide for them if they chose to stay home—but they’re independent and choose to work. They don’t wait on me hand and foot. Yes, they enjoy cooking for me, but I return the favor by cooking for them some nights too. In almost every sense of the word, we act as happily married couples do.
My only hard limit is children. It’s not that I don’t like kids. I just have no intentions of settling down. I like the arrangement I have with Layla, Jamie, and Gillian, but I know it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring a child into that kind of life.
My cock hardens beneath my slacks, and I grind it against Layla. Her nails bite into the flesh of my pecs. Breaking our kiss, I grab her waist, hoist her up, spin around, and set her on the counter. Her legs open, and I step between them.
“How long before the food is done?”
Her legs lock around my waist and I’m tugged closer until her tits press against my chest. My hands rest on the counter on either side of her.
“A couple of minutes,” she answers throatily. “Are you hungry?”
Layla’s a be
autiful woman. Shoulder-length blonde hair, wide light-brown eyes, olive complexion, nice sized tits, and a round ass. She’s also highly sexual.
“Hungry, yes,” I answer. “For food, not so much.”
Her breath fans across my lips when she giggles. “Give me a minute to turn the stove off and put a lid on the pot. Meet you in the shower.”
I nip her lip once before stepping back and helping her down from the counter. My gaze lingers on her ass, clad in a pair of tight jeans, before heading toward the stairs, working on the rest of the buttons of my shirt as I go.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As always, I want to first thank my kids and husband, who have suffered the most while I spent time writing BITTER. I love you both with every piece of my heart. Thank you for always being there.
Now comes the hard part; making sure I don’t miss anyone. If I happened to miss you, please know it wasn’t done on purpose, and I truly appreciate you.
Marie, my amazing good friend. Thank you for all the hilarious and helpful notes. Thank you for being my title and name picker partner. Thank you for just simply being there. Love you hard lady!
Emma, who is not only my editor, but also my dear friend. Thank you for being my sounding board and a listening ear when I needed one. And thank you for helping me tweak plots for BITTER!
To Erin and Kaila, my proofreaders. Thank you will never be enough for helping me polish my book baby, but I’ll say it anyway. Thank you!
Next is my Jaded Angels. You all truly brighten my day, even when I’m not as active in the group as I want to be. Thank you for the unending support!
Marisa and Alissa with Cover Me Darling. Marisa, once again, you’ve brought another story to life with your mad designing skills! And Alissa, you seriously have to be the best assistant ever!
JW with JW Photography and Covers! It wasn’t done on purpose, but I still get a kick out of JW’s name. Lol. Thank you for another beautiful image to work with!
Taras, the wonderful model on the cover. I know the image wasn’t planned for BITTER when you posed, but I couldn’t have found one more perfect! Thank you for unknowingly becoming JW for me!
Jessica with InkSlinger. You are absolutely amazing! Thank you for all the hard work you’ve done for me! As always, it’s been a wonderful experience working with you!
To the blogs who participated in any way getting BITTER out into the world. My heart is so full from the gratitude I feel for you!
To all my authors friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You make me smile single every day.
To the readers. There’s no way I could continue to do what I love without your support. You are my superheroes!
OTHER BOOKS BY ALEX
The Jaded Series
Shatter Me
Reclaim Me
Unveil Me
Awaken Me
The Jaded Series: The Complete Collection
The Consumed Series
Always Wanting
Bare Yourself
Watching Mine
Hell Night Series
Trouble in Hell
Bitter Sweet Hell
Judge of Hell
(Pre-Order - Releases April 4th)
Key to Hell
(Releases June 27, 2019)
Standalones
Endless Obsession
Whispered Prayers of a Girl
Pitch Dark
The Sinister Silhouette
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Grayson is the bestselling author of heart pounding, emotionally gripping contemporary romances including the Jaded Series, the Consumed Series, and three standalone novels. Her passion for books was reignited by a gift from her sister-in-law. After spending several years as a devoted reader and blogger, Alex decided to write and independently publish her first novel in 2014 (an endeavor that took a little longer than expected). The rest, as they say, is history.
Originally a southern girl, Alex now lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, two cats and dog. She loves the color blue, homemade lasagna, casually browsing real estate, and interacting with her readers. Visit her website, www.alexgraysonbooks.com, or find her on social media!
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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION
DISCLAIMER
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue
Judge of hell sneak peek
Prologue
Chapter One
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
OTHER BOOKS BY ALEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
