by Alex Grayson
I yank off my jacket and put it in the black trash bag I’d stashed under the front seat. I stop at a store and buy several stamps before dropping the envelope off at a random mailbox. After, the gloves get put in the trash bag and it gets dumped in a dumpster across town.
Pulling my car to a stop at the car rental return at the airport, I have two and a half hours left before my flight takes off. In line at TSA security check, I shoot JW a message.
Me: It’s done. Be home in a few hours.
I don’t get a response, but I don’t need one. I know he got my message.
Stopping by one of the bars, I order two shots of whiskey to dull the pain. It does the trick within minutes.
I slump down in a seat at my gate between a sleeping teenager with earbuds in his ears and an older gentleman reading a James Patterson book.
I’m fucking tired and worn out, plus there’s a suspicious pain in my chest. It’s imaginary or psychological, or whatever in the fuck doctors call it when someone’s in pain from heartache.
I’m going home, but a large chunk of me will stay in Kentucky until the people in possession of it finally come home too.
Chapter Thirteen
JUDGE
I WIPE MY MOUTH WITH MY napkin and toss it on my plate. My appetite hasn’t been worth shit lately, and it shows in the leftover food on my plate. Some would say my mood hasn’t been much better. The only reason I’m here is because JW threatened to castrate me if I didn’t lighten up and apologize to Eden. It didn’t go over well when I snapped at her yesterday after she asked me how I was doing.
Standing from the table, I grab my plate to take to the kitchen. Noticing Layla’s plate is empty, I grab hers as well.
“Was the meatloaf not good?” Eden asks across from me.
I offer the best smile I can, which is probably more a grimace. “It was fine, Eden. I had a big lunch.”
JW snorts and rolls his eyes. The fucker knows I can put away a shit ton more food than was on my plate. He also knows I only ate half of my BLT from lunch.
Glaring at JW as I pass by him, I take the plates to the kitchen, scrape my leftovers in the trash, and set to washing the dishes.
I’m drying the last plate when I feel arms wrap around my middle. I stiffen for a split second, then force myself to relax. Layla’s soft scent drifts around me.
She rests her chin on the center of my back and asks gently, “You okay?”
Setting the plate down on the counter, I turn to face her. I don’t wrap my arms around her or tug her closer, something I would have done in the past. Instead, she steps forward and leans her weight against me.
I’ve always found Layla exotically beautiful, funny, and down-to-earth. Her personality is the opposite of mine. She brings fun and lightheartedness to our relationship. Each of my women gives me something separately. My life has been full since we began our arrangement, and I’ve been more than satisfied.
Lately though, things have been dull. I’ve been restless and irritable. I’ve purposely stayed away from Layla, Jamie, and Gillian as much as I could. I haven’t told them our arrangement is over. The thought makes me feel like a bastard. I know they’ll understand, but I also know deep down, it’ll hurt them. That’s something I never wanted to do. Even if things don’t work out between Ellie and me, I won’t flaunt the women in front of her or Maisy. I’ve never cared about what other people have thought before, but with Ellie and Maisy, I do. I don’t want Ellie to look at me with disgust, especially because there was nothing disgusting about my relationship with my women.
My thoughts drift to Jenny, and the pain I always feel when I do, clutches my stomach. She always wanted children, and I always refused. Would she be happy about Maisy, or would she feel resentment toward Ellie for having something she always wanted? I toss that thought away. Jenny would have been ecstatic and would have spoiled my daughter rotten. She would’ve befriended Ellie like she did everyone and talked her way into being Maisy’s godmother. Age difference aside, she would have been Maisy’s best friend.
“Judge?”
Layla’s caramel-colored eyes stare up at me, worry lines appearing at the outside corners.
I shake my thoughts clear and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
“I’m okay. Just got a lot on my mind lately.”
The tip of her tongue peeks out as she licks her lips. Weeks ago, that would have stirred my blood, and I would have stolen a kiss. I feel nothing now, only a deep sense of affection for the woman who’s been a big part of my life the last few years.
“Is it Maisy? Are you worried about her?”
I let out a sigh and rest my hands on the counter behind me. “I just miss her. I barely got a chance to know her, and I had to leave her at one of the worst times of her life.”
“She’ll be coming here soon, right?”
“Yeah.”
Her gaze shifts away for a moment. “What about Ellie?”
I grip the edge of the counter. “What about her?” I keep my voice calm.
She brings her eyes back to me. She tries to hide it, but I still see the uncertainty.
“Are you two together now? I’ve wanted to ask you since you got back, because you’ve been acting so closed-off, but I haven’t had the opportunity.”
I straighten from the counter and place a palm against her cheek, my thumb rubbing circles on the soft skin.
“We’re not together, but I want to be,” I say gently. “Some heavy shit went down when things ended between us that I didn’t know about, so she’s skittish.” Her shoulders slump, and it makes me feel like a dick for putting her through this. But it needs to be said. I don’t want to lead her on. “You know what that means, right?”
She nods, and sorrow enters her beautiful eyes. “I’ll miss you,” she whispers.
I slide my hand to her neck and pull her forward to kiss her forehead. “I’ll still be here, and we’ll always be friends.”
Pulling back, she smiles at me, but it’s filled with sadness. “I know, but it won’t be the same.”
She’s right. It won’t be the same, but no matter what happens, I’ll always be there for her and the other two.
“Just do me a favor. Don’t tell Jamie or Gillian. I owe them an explanation myself.”
“Okay.” She tilts her head to the side. “I can’t wait to meet her. She must be very special.”
It’s my turn to smile. “She is. I know you’ll like her.”
Layla will be hurt for a while, but she won’t let that stop her from getting to know Ellie and Maisy. She’s too much of good person to let hurt feelings guide her actions.
“I know I will too. Only someone exceptional could ever capture your heart.”
I never said I loved Ellie. I never even let myself think about it. But the truth of the matter is, I never stopped. It only lay dormant the last twelve years. I still hold some resentment toward her for what she hid from me, but only because I missed so much of Maisy’s life, time I’ll never get back.
I don’t deny Layla’s claim, but I don’t confirm it either. Instead, I change the subject.
“Have you heard from your friend Holly?”
She reaches past me and grabs the plates from the counter. As she goes to the cabinet to put them away, she says over her shoulder, “I did finally. She said she had something important come up and apologized for worrying me.” After she sorts the silverware in the drawer, she leans a hip on the counter. “I wanted to see how you felt about something.”
“What?”
She picks at her nails nervously. “I wanted to invite her to visit. I know we don’t encourage people to come to Malus, but she’s become important to me and she has no other family left. Ever since she lost her parents, I’ve noticed a change in her. I’m hoping if she gets away for a while, it might help.”
Ordinarily, I’d give a firm no. We have too many secrets in Malus to have random people visit. Especially if there�
�s a chance they may stay a while. From what I’m hearing, she’s asking for several weeks, not days. Of course, she could decide to do it anyway. She doesn’t need my permission. No one is forbidden from inviting visitors. It’s just in everyone’s best interest if we don’t. Everyone here has secrets. Ones that could put most behind bars. Layla won’t invite Holly if I urge her not to, but looking at the hopeful expression on her face and knowing I’m the reason her life is going to change dramatically, it’s the least I can do.
“Fine. Send her an invitation. Just let me know when she’s due to arrive.”
Her smile lights up her entire face and it fractionally loosens the string of guilt I feel. I’m glad I can give her this.
“Thank you, Judge. I promise to keep an eye on her.” She presses her hands together, like she’s praying. “It’s going to be so nice to finally meet her.”
They’ve been friends for a few years. They met in an online grief group right after Layla moved to Malus. The abuse Layla went through was horrific, and her mental state wasn’t great. For the most part, she was closed off, not letting many people get close to her, and she didn’t like talking about her ordeal. JW suggested she join the group, thinking it would be easier for her to talk to people who didn’t know her.
Voices come from the doorway seconds before Eden and Remi, holding Elijah, walk into the kitchen, JW and Trouble flanking them with their plates. I step to the side to let them deposit them in the sink. Turning, I open a cabinet and pull out the bottle of whiskey JW always keeps stashed there. A glass appears on the counter in front of me.
“Sorry about yesterday,” I say quietly as I pour a couple of inches into the glass.
“It’s okay. I know you’re under a lot of stress. It can’t be easy being so far away from Maisy.”
I grunt. Understatement of the year. It’s fucking torture.
I toss back my drink. “Where’s Thea?”
“Staying with Brittney for the night.”
“How’s she adjusting?”
She frowns, worry pulling her brows down. “Slowly. What those… people did to her really scarred her emotionally. She’s too quiet for a girl her age, and too withdrawn. I was actually surprised when she asked if she could spend the night with Brittney.”
Thea is JW’s little sister. He didn’t know about her until several months ago when he hunted down his mom and brother to kill them. His brother, Trey, was JW’s primary tormentor during Hell Night. It wasn’t until he found them that he discovered that Trey wasn’t his brother, but his father. Apparently, his dad was infertile after an accident and his mom wanted another child. Trey volunteered. Warped, fucked-up shit. While he was there, he also found out they had another child, who they had also been abusing for years.
“Give her time. She’ll come to realize she has nothing to fear being here.”
She nods, a soft smile tilting her lips up. “She adores her brother though. Every time he walks in the room, her eyes follow him.”
Hero worship. Thea was homeschooled, so I’m sure JW was one of the first people she came across who didn’t hurt her in some way.
I turn when Emo walks up and snatches the bottle from the counter. He doesn’t bother using a glass, just lifts it to his lips and takes a healthy swig. He’s been more tense than usual.
“What’s crawled up your ass?” I ask, taking the bottle back from him and pouring myself another couple of inches.
“Grace has been gone a week. And you took my kill.”
“Call one of the other women, and I’ll give you my next one.”
I put the bottle in the cabinet, but he wrenches it back down. His throat bobs as he takes several swallows of the harsh liquid. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he replaces the bottle in the cabinet.
“I don’t want one of the others. Only Grace knows how to give me exactly what I need.”
My eyes drop to his hand. Scabs lace the already scar-covered palm. There’s no telling what his arms look like under his long-sleeved shirt.
“Where is she anyway?”
“Her father’s in the hospital. She’s in San Antonio with him.”
There’s a loud shout outside the window, followed closely by a gunshot. Emo and I sprint into action. We’re the closest to the door, so we make it there before the others. I hear someone yell behind me, telling the women to stay in the house and lock the doors. I round the corner of the house to the front yard, where the shouts came from. Night has fallen, so it’s dark, but the streetlight shows a small figure lying on the ground by the road with two others hovering over her. Even from a hundred feet away, I can hear the cries. It’s a female. I haul ass toward them with Emo on my heels.
I skid to a stop and drop to my knees beside a crying Brittney. Misty and Thea lean over her. I look at her cradled arm and see a dark spot on her bicep. My gut clenches. This girl is only eleven years old and she’s been fucking shot. She’s the same age as Maisy. The thought has my blood turning ice cold.
“Move over,” Trouble grunts as he kneels beside Brittney. I get to my feet.
JW appears behind Thea and pulls her to her feet. She tries to launch herself against him, but he holds her by her shoulders, his eyes running over every inch of her body. “Are you hurt?” he asks frantically. Not finding any injuries, he snatches her against him, where she burrows her face against his chest.
“What in the fuck happened?”
Misty, who’s watching Trouble check over her daughter with her hand at her mouth, tears running a river down her cheeks, looks up.
“Derek….” She stops and darts her eyes around, her body going stiff.
“Derek did this?” I demand heatedly.
Her eyes slam back to mine. “What?” she shrieks. “No! We were all going for a walk when someone stepped out from behind a car. They pointed the gun at us. Derek shouted at them to put the gun down, but a split second later, they pulled the trigger.” Her eyes move back down to Brittney. “They shot my baby. What kind of person shoots a child?” Her gaze moves to Thea. “And Thea could have been hurt too.”
“Where’s Derek now?”
Her head tilts back up. “H-he ran after whoever it was.” She points behind her down the street. “They went that way.” Her eyes squeeze shut. “Oh God! What if he gets hurt too?”
I turn to Emo, but he’s already taking off in the direction Misty pointed. I’m about to follow him when JW stops me.
“Take Thea to Eden, will you? Give the women a rundown of what happened.”
The deadly look in his eyes and the way his body is solid stone give away the immense rage that’s flowing through his veins. I want to go after the person that did this, but as it was his sister who could have been hurt, I leave him to it. If it were Maisy, there’s not a damn thing that would stop me from hunting the person down and beating the fuck out of them, and only then putting a bullet between their eyes.
JW pulls Thea away and pushes her to me. She tries to cling to him, but I put my arm around her shoulders and hold her still.
“Don’t leave me,” she cries, reaching out to her brother, but he’s already gone.
I turn her to face me. “Thea.” I say her name, giving her shoulders a slight shake to get her attention. When her frightened eyes latch on to me, I soften my expression. “He’ll be back, okay? He’s the sheriff. They need to catch the person who did this.”
Her bottom lip wobbles. “But what if he gets shot too?”
I gently grip her chin and force her head up when she looks down at her feet. “Your brother is tough. There isn’t anyone who can hurt him.”
There’s no way I can guarantee that, but JW’s smart and is the sheriff of Malus for a reason.
“I need to move her to my office,” Trouble says. “The bullet didn’t enter her. It was just a deep graze, but it still needs stitches.”
I tuck Thea to my side. She stays stiff but doesn’t try to pull away from me. From what JW’s said,
she’s not a big fan of people touching her. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, but she’s staying glued to my side until I get her in the house.
“I’m going to take Thea to Eden. Follow me and we’ll all go together. I don’t want you three out here unprotected.”
Trouble wouldn’t have a problem taking care of himself, but he’d have Brittney and Misty to worry about as well.
He nods, and carefully scoops up Brittney. The girl whimpers, the sound sending a jolt of pain through my heart. I keep my eyes peeled on our surroundings as we walk back to the house.
I tap on the front door and shout to the ladies, “It’s Judge!”
A moment later, the door opens to both the women’s worried eyes. The moment Eden sees Thea, she bolts forward. Thea allows Eden to pull her into her arms and collapses against her chest. JW isn’t the only person Thea idolizes.
“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Remi whispers, her eyes locked on Brittney in Trouble’s arms. “What on earth happened?”
I give a quick summary of what transpired, and a couple minutes later, we’re out the door heading to my car. It’s a tight fit with so many people, but we manage because we sure as fuck aren’t leaving anyone at home with a shooter on the loose. Misty tries to murmur soothing words to her daughter, but she keeps getting choked up. I can’t imagine the horror she must be going through right now. The wound could have been a lot worse. I hope like fuck JW, Emo, or Derek finds the fucker who did this. That’ll be the last mistake they’ll ever make. I’m already looking forward to putting them down.
Handing Elijah to Eden, Remi runs ahead, and using her key, unlocks the door to the office. She immediately goes about gathering what Trouble will need to patch up Brittney. Remi doesn’t have medical training, but she’s been here enough to know the basics. Since Jenny, who was a part-time nurse, died, Remi’s been helping Trouble and Susan.
Brittney’s cries have dulled to whimpers, but you can still see the pain in her eyes. Even grazes from gunshot wounds hurt like a bitch.
I step out of the room to where Eden and Thea are waiting in the hall.
