Judge of Hell (Hell Night Series Book 3)

by Alex Grayson

  I grip his shoulder and press forward, knocking him from his past. A low growl rumbles from his chest, but he begins moving again.

  In the kitchen, he pulls out a pen and small notebook, tossing them on the table. As I write down the guy’s name and address, he opens the pantry and pulls out a small black duffle bag. I call his name to get his attention as he riffles through it, checking the contents.

  “In one piece, Emo. Don’t let this shit control you. This is important.”

  He gives me a tight nod before he goes back to rummaging through his bag. I sigh and shake my head. He’ll do what I asked, but the guy will go through hell. I’m all for the bastard suffering, but I want him coherent by the time I get to him.

  “How’s Trouble doing?” he asks, setting a pair of black leather gloves on the table.

  “Better. Thank fuck he was bitten right outside his office. Saved him a lot of pain, since we were able to give him the antivenin so quickly.”

  Trouble was damn lucky, in more ways than one. I have no doubt the person who put those snakes in his truck meant for him to get bitten multiples times, lessening his chances of survival, or at the very least intending major permanent damage.

  We’re still no fucking closer to finding the bastard and have no fucking clue where to even begin to look.

  Leaving Emo to prepare, I walk back through his empty house, get into my car, and head to JW’s house, where I left Ellie and Maisy.

  I’ve got a lot of shit on my plate to think about over the next couple of days. It won’t take Emo long to locate and subdue Billy. Three days max with travel time. In the meantime, I need to figure out a way to tell Ellie about the dealings in Malus. I promised her no more secrets, and I’m still keeping a pretty damn big one.

  Back when I broke things off with her, I did so because I didn’t think she would be able to handle what I had planned. I still have no fucking clue where she’ll stand. Will she threaten to leave Malus, taking Maisy with her? I don’t think she’ll turn us over to the cops, but she can definitely use that as a threat against me. As tempting as it would be, I can’t keep her against her will, and I can’t keep Maisy from her.

  In the end, I need to trust that what she and I have will be enough for her to overlook the harsh realities of my life and what we’re doing to preserve the innocent.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ELLIE

  “I WANT TO TELL MAISY ABOUT US,” Judge murmurs into the dark room. His fingertips lazily caress up and down my back.

  I run my fingers through the hair on his lower stomach. “Okay. We’ll tell her tomorrow.”

  I feel the radiance of his smile and let it wrap around me, warming me from the inside out.

  Judge has been tense the last couple of days. I don’t know if it’s from the death of that Earl guy, the fact I know about his affairs with the women, or if it’s something else. Any time I ask what’s bothering him, he blows my concern off, saying it’s nothing to worry about. But I do worry. I don’t like the troubled look in his eyes.

  I’m distracted from my thoughts when his hands wrap around my waist and I’m hoisted up until I’m straddling his waist and looking down at him. His hands take a slow journey up my ribs, and I bite back a moan when his fingers tweak my nipples.

  “You’re beautiful,” he says.

  “Thank you.”

  Every time I look at him, my breath catches. He’s always been the most handsome man I’ve ever laid my eyes on. He’s only gotten better-looking over the years.

  I ease back against him and feel his erection nestle between my cheeks. I can just barely make out his tattoos through the dark, and my fingers trace over the fine lines.

  “When did you get this?”

  He moves my hips back a fraction until the lips of my sex open and settle around his hardness. A low whimper escapes me and his jaw clenches, his hands tightening against my flesh. My fingers dig into his ribs, and I begin a slow rock back and forth, our combined climax from moments ago lubricating our movements.

  “A week after I ended things,” he groans huskily.

  His hips flex upward, pressing him more against me. Gathering my hair, he pulls it over my shoulder. The long strands tickle my nipple, beading the tip into a hard peak.

  “Why?” I clear my throat when the word comes out breathless. “If we were over, why mark your body with something I loved?”

  “For that very reason. If couldn’t have you, I still wanted a piece of you with me.”

  “Why the singed edges?”

  My breath hitches when his dick twitches, jumping against my clit.

  “It represents something beautiful but flawed. The beauty is you, the flaws are me.”

  He stuffs another pillow beneath his head.

  “You know what I see?” I ask quietly.

  “What?”

  “I see something beautiful and flawed, but also salvageable. We’re the flower, Judge. What we had was beautiful and magnificent. It wilted when we fell apart, but it didn’t die. We’ve made it bloom again.”

  His hands snake up my chest, fingers wrapping in my hair, and I’m tugged down. Our lips meet, and the kiss we share is ravishing and gentle all at once.

  “I love you,” he whispers a hairsbreadth away from my lips. I close my eyes, overwhelmed by the words I never thought I’d hear him say again.

  My eyes slide back open and lock on his green gaze. “I love you, too.”

  His lips tip up at the sides. Yeah, he knows I love him. Knows I never stopped.

  Lifting his head, he nips my bottom lip and arches his hips. “Now ride me, Ellie.”

  Sitting back up, I rotate my hips forward and backward, his cock sliding along my pussy, the head nudging my clit. The friction robs me of breath and my mouth falls open on a silent moan.

  I place my hand on the center of his chest, right where his heart beats beneath his sternum. Lifting my hips, I notch the tip at my opening and my eyes flutter closed as I slowly lower myself. His hands smooth up my thighs until he reaches the creases, and he uses his thumbs to spread my labia.

  “Damn,” he hisses. “So pretty and pink. I love watching you take my cock, baby.”

  My eyelids slide open to find his hooded gaze zeroed in on our connected bodies. I’ve always found it incredibly erotic when he watches his erection slide in and out of me.

  Lifting my hips until just the tip is inside, I glide back down. His hardness rubs against the tight inner muscles, eliciting a low cry from my lips. I repeat the move over and over again, lifting and falling faster and faster. Judge grips my hips and grinds upward each time I move down, hitting the hidden spot inside that always sends me over the edge.

  He sits up, crossing his legs behind me. Instead of moving up and down, I switch to moving back and forth. The new position sends all new sensations through me.

  “Oh,” I breathe, my head tilting back against my shoulders.

  Judge kisses along my exposed neck, the whiskers on his face deliciously abrading my sensitive skin. I lace my arms around his neck, plastering our sweat-slicked chests together.

  With Judge’s help, my movements become frenzied. Our rapid breaths, low moans, and the slick sounds of our joining fill the air around us.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chants, his fingers digging into the flesh over my hips. “So fuckin’ good.”

  My stomach clenches and tingles form in my limbs. Gripping his calves behind me, I lean back, my breasts jutting out.

  “Oh, Judge,” I moan, tipping my head down and locking eyes with him. His teeth are bared and sweat drips down his temples. He looks hot as hell as he looks back at me with lust-filled eyes.

  His fingers move to my clit and I clench around his cock. Using muscles I forgot I had, I rotate my hips in a circular motion. The slip and slide of him inside me hits something that has me seeing stars and my breath stuttering.

  “Right there,” I whimper. “Oh, my God, right there.�
��

  He growls, rough and deep, and grips my hips, lifts me, and slams me back down. Teeth latch on to one of my nipples and send sparks of pleasurable pain rushing through me. I chant his name over and over again as my orgasm strikes hard and fast.

  I’m yanked forward, and Judge devours my mouth like it’s the last kiss he’ll ever get. I steal the groans from his lips as he rides out the bliss of his release.

  Several breathless moments later, I lift my head. Judge pushes the hair back from my face, his head tipped back and his expression soft and adoring.

  “You’re spectacular,” he says in a low tone.

  I slide my hands from his hair and cup the sides of his neck. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  Leaning down, I peck his lips once. “Well, you’re pretty remarkable yourself.”

  His grin is goofy, and it has a laugh bubbling out of me. He twists us around until I’m on my back and he’s hovering over me. Our kiss is slow and lazy.

  “I’ll be back,” he murmurs against my lips.

  Using his fists, he hoists himself off the bed and strolls to the bathroom. I watch the tight muscles in his sexy ass flex as he walks away, my mouth watering at the delicious sight. The water turns on as he wets a washcloth.

  My eyes fall closed and I think, not for the first time, how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man in my life. I’ve had him once before and I lost him. Judge doesn’t know it, but there’s no way he could get rid of me again.

  MAISY AND I ARE SITTING on the couch with Judge perched on the coffee table in front of us. Maisy’s green gaze keeps flickering back and forth between us, curiosity widening her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” Her brows dip down into a frown. “Am I sick again?”

  “No!” Judge and I both shout at the same time.

  Judge grabs her hand, his eyes moving to me. I give him a subtle nod, letting him know he can tell her.

  He leans toward her, his elbows resting on his spread knees.

  “Your mom and I wanted to tell you something important.”

  “Okay. What is it?”

  She looks at me and I give her an encouraging smile, letting her know it’s nothing bad.

  “We wanted to let you know that she and I are together.”

  “Like boyfriend and girlfriend?”

  Judge smiles. “Yeah, like boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  “Oh. I already knew that,” she says with a shrug.

  Judge and I look at each other, both of our expressions showing shock.

  “Umm….” I clear my throat. “How did you know we were together?” I ask.

  She rolls her eyes, a smile pulling up her lips. “Because I’ve seen you come out of Dad’s room at night. I’ve also caught you two kissing in the kitchen when you thought I wasn’t around.” She giggles. “Y’all are really bad about keeping secrets.”

  Judge chuckles. “I guess we are.” His expression sobers. “And you’re okay with it? Your mom and me being together?”

  “Duh.” She draws out the word. “Why wouldn’t I be? It means we’ll be a family. Like a real family. Not like Stacy and her parents, where she has to go back and forth between her mom and dad.”

  He squeezes her hand. “I don’t know who Stacy is, but yes, we’ll be a real family.”

  She smiles brightly, her cheeks puffing out. “I’m super glad.”

  I stand, pulling her with me, and wrap her in my arms. I never worried that she would have an issue with Judge and me being together, so her reaction comes as no surprise. Except for the fact that she already knew. That, I didn’t see coming.

  Pulling back, I kiss her forehead. “Love you, sweetie.”

  Her head falls back to look up at me. “Love you too, Mom.”

  Judge swoops in and bear hugs her. She groans like she’s in pain, but we all know it’s fake. She eats up his attention every time she receives it.

  Just as he lets her go, his phone dings with an incoming text. He pulls the device from his pocket and checks the screen, his jaw twitching at whatever he sees.

  “Change of plans,” he says, looking up and locking eyes on me. “Maisy”—he turns to her—“how would you like to go to JW’s to visit Thea for a while?”

  “Yah!” She bounces on her heels. “Can I spend the night?”

  “It shouldn’t be a problem, but I’ll check with JW and Eden.”

  “Okay. I’ll go grab some stuff.”

  She flounces off, a bounce to her steps. Once she’s out of earshot, I regard Judge. “What’s going on?”

  We were supposed to be having dinner at The Hill, just the three of us.

  After typing something on his phone, he shoves it back into his pocket, leaving his hand inside. “Not yet. I want Maisy out of the house first.”

  I frown and a knot of dread coils in my stomach.

  “You’re worrying me, Judge.”

  From his tight expression, he looks worried as well.

  Pulling his hand from his pocket, he steps up to me, so close I can feel his breath fan my face. “You wanted to know what happened all those years ago. It’s time I told you, but I don’t want Maisy around when I do.”

  That does nothing to ease my anxiety, but I’m forced to store it away when Maisy comes running back into the living room, a backpack thrown over her shoulder.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Your mom and I will drop you off.”

  It doesn’t take us long to get to JW and Eden’s place, since they live less than a mile away. Out on the lawn, Judge pulls JW aside and they exchange a few quiet words. I’m saying goodbye to Maisy, but my eyes keep drifting back to the two men. The looks on their faces are kind of scary, and my worry mounts.

  By the time we’re back in the car and pulling away, my stomach feels like a shaken-up soda can.

  “Judge—” I begin, but I’m cut off.

  “Just wait, Ellie.” He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. The only reason I don’t protest is because it won’t take us but a couple of minutes to get back home.

  My hand is grabbed as soon as I exit the car. He holds on to it until we’re inside the house. He juts his chin to the living room. “Take a seat. I’ll be back.”

  Before I can utter a response and demand he tell me what in the hell is going on, he’s walking off toward the kitchen. Letting out a sigh, I go to the living room and plop down on the couch. He comes back a couple minutes later, two lowball glasses and a bottle of whiskey in his hands.

  My brows jump up to my hairline, and I direct my eyes to him. Whatever he’s going to say is obviously something very serious. I expected as such, considering his refusal to tell me before now. But holy hell, am I really going to need liquid courage to get through it?

  Taking a seat beside me, he pours a couple of inches in both glasses and hands me one. When I simply look down at the amber liquid, he taps the bottle to the glass and orders, “Drink.”

  “Jesus, Judge.” I move to put the glass down, but he forestalls me.

  “Drink the damn whiskey, Ellie.” He tips his own glass to his lips and downs the entire contents. “I promise you’re going to need it.” Depositing his glass on the table, he pours more, but doesn’t pick it up.

  With my lips pressed together, I bring the glass to my mouth. The harsh alcoholic smell reaches my nostrils first. I take a sip, biting back a hiss when the burn hits my throat. Seeing the look in his eyes, I roll my eyes and sling back the rest. I cough and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

  The glass is barely on the table when he starts talking.

  “I’ve told you about my childhood and the sick perversions the children of Sweet Haven endured.” I nod, the whiskey churning uncomfortably in my stomach. “What I didn’t tell you is that some of the adults got away the night of the raid.”

  He never went into much detail about his childhood and how the town was dismantled. What he did give left me so dizzy with nausea,
I never asked for more.

  “There were a total of thirteen who escaped. Thirteen people who preyed on children and played it off as God’s will. When my brothers and I left that night with Mae and Dale, we made a pact. One we would follow through with at all costs once we were able to.”

  He stops and leans forward until his elbows touch his knees, his hands dangling between them. His face tips to the side to look at me. The unholy look on his face sends shivers down my spine.

  “We all swore that we would hunt them down and kill them.”

  I suck in a sharp breath, my hands curling into fists on my thighs. I’m stunned speechless. He watches me for a moment before continuing.

  “That night, all those years ago, I had gotten a call from JW earlier that day before you stopped by, saying he found one of them. We were originally going to wait until we moved to Sweet Haven and made changes before we started our plans for vengeance. We had just put the petition in to have the town’s name changed, so it was supposed to be a couple of months before we actively started with our plans. JW happened to stumble across one of them. The opportunity was too great to pass up.

  “I knew as soon as I got off the phone with him, I had to end things between us. I didn’t want you connected to me if things went sour and we were caught. Not to mention, I knew you wouldn’t be on board with what we intended to do.”

  I reach over and grab the bottle of whiskey. Forgoing the glass, I bring the bottle to my lips and take a big swallow. The burn almost chokes me, but I ignore it and take another.

  I have no idea what to do with this news. Never in a million years would I have thought this was what he was hiding from me.

  “So… you just go out and kill people?” I ask, my voice rough from the alcohol and the enormity of what he just revealed.

  He sits up straight and wipes his hands down his thighs. “Yes. But, Ellie, these people are vile and cruel. The stories I could tell you about them would give you nightmares. The horrors they put children through, the horrors they put babies through….” He shakes his head, the muscles in his jaw flexing.