Judge

by KJ Dahlen

  She didn’t know where she was at first. Then she felt huge arms wrap around her and his scent hit her like a wakeup call.

  “Are you okay?” Judge asked from behind her.

  Sage sighed and sank back on the bed. Runt who’d been sleeping on the end of their bed crawled closer to lay next to her. Judge laid on the other side and caught between the pair of them she felt smothered for a moment, then realized what she was feeling was protected. “I’m sorry. I forgot where I was for a moment,” she offered an explanation.

  “That’s ok Angel,” Judge replied. “I imagine this is all so strange for you and you did go through a lot in the last few days.”

  “Do I want to know if Deke found my mom’s record book?” she whispered in the dark.

  “Yeah baby, he found it.”

  “And the body in the basement? Did he find that too?”

  “Yeah, he found that too.”

  Sage waited for him to continue and when he didn’t she had a feeling there was something he wasn’t telling her. “What else did he find?”

  Judge didn’t want to tell her but he knew he had to. “He found the remains of three other bodies. They were stuffed inside a wall in one of the bedrooms upstairs.”

  Sage sucked in her gasp of surprise. “Oh, my god!” she whispered as the implications hit her. “The three women... she murdered them.”

  “That’s what we think.” Judge agreed with her suspicions.

  “How could she do that?” Sage felt tears roll down her face. “They didn’t do anything to deserve that. They were the victims!”

  Judge wrapped his arms around her tighter. Runt whined a bit and snuggled closer. His dog’s action made Judge frown a bit. Runt didn’t like too many people but for some reason he took to Sage right off the bat. He didn’t even tolerate his family this well. “Sage, maybe you should look at the situation like this, your mom saved them a world of pain. They might have been kidnapped but we know they were going to be sold to the highest bidder for god only knows what. Her actions saved them from that much anyway.”

  Sage swiped at the tears. “But she could have just let them go. She didn’t have to kill them. God, my mom murdered three innocent people?”

  Judge shook his head. “I don’t think your mom would have thought about that. She couldn’t take the chance the girls would tell the authorities what happened. She wasn’t just protecting herself she was also protecting the Lords of the Devil’s MC.”

  Sage turned her head to look at him. “But why would she protect them?”

  “We found evidence that she was a member. She was Aiden’s ole lady at one point.”

  Sage gasped but no sound left her throat. Then she was remembering another man, much like Simon who used to visit her mother from time to time. He’d scared her more than Simon did and Simon was not one she’d want to piss off. “Who is this Aiden anyway?”

  “He’s the president of the Lords of Devil MC.”

  Sage trembled in his arms.

  Judge felt her shiver and wondered why. “What do you remember baby?”

  “I remember he was big and mean and I don’t think he liked my mom too much. He was like Simon and he hurt her all the time.” She paused then added, “I knew enough to stay away and hide whenever he came to visit. I used to lock myself in my closet whenever any of them came over in case he broke into my room.”

  “Did he come to your mom’s house often?”

  “Lord, I don’t remember. I was a kid back then. Once would have been too often for me but he always brought boxes he left behind then a few days later he would come back and collect money from my mom.”

  “Did he ever see you there?” Judge hated to ask but he needed to know.

  “Yeah, he saw me there. A couple of times but not by my choice. He’d come at all hours of the day and night. When I heard their bikes coming up the driveway that was when I went to my room but I couldn’t always hear them when they got there. Sometimes they drove trucks and then I couldn’t get to my room so I hid the best I could.”

  “Did he or his men ever hurt you?”

  “No,” she whispered softly. “There were so many places to hide in that old house that half the time they never knew I was even there.”

  She was silent for a long while, so long in fact that Judge thought she went back to sleep. Just as he was about to go back to sleep himself, she whispered in the dark, “What’s going to happen next? Do you have any idea?”

  Rather than answer her question, he pulled her on top of him and kissed her long and hard. Hoping to distract her, he continued his amorous assault. His hand slipped into her underwear and cupped her ass while he rubbed her core against his hardening cock. He could feel her getting wet and he loved it. She fit him so well.

  He tore her t-shirt over her head and began licking and nibbling on her full breasts. She moaned and rubbed herself against his pelvis and then it was his turn to groan. Catching one nipple in his mouth, he bit down gently on it.

  She seemed to still suddenly.

  Judge felt she wanted more and didn’t know how to ask. “What do you want baby? Tell me...”

  “I want...” she hesitated then said, “I want more, I want to feel you inside me, but I also want to feel you prepare me. L-like you did before?” She leaned her forehead on his. “Oh god is that wrong?”

  Judge grinned. “No baby that’s not wrong, its very right. Let me show you how to feel...” With that, he rolled her over onto her back and then his lips latched on to her breasts and using his teeth, his lips and his mouth he assaulted her senses making her feel everything he wanted her to feel. He loved her neck, her shoulders, her chest and he forged a path down her belly to her core. When he got there, she was soaked and she wanted more.

  Her scent drove him to the prize and he tasted her essence. Growling with anticipation, he lapped at her opening and licked her clean then started over as his fingers sought her core.

  “Oh wow. I never knew...”She bucked her hips and opened her legs to him. “Please,” she begged. “I need you inside me.”

  Judge growled and surged deep inside her. She hissed when she felt him and then she moaned as her pleasure took over. His cock was hard and so ready for this coupling. He rammed inside her over and over again and again.

  So lost in the pleasure, they both missed the fact that Runt had crawled off the bed and was standing at alert at the bedroom door. He laid across the doorway and kept watch. His eyes kept going from the doorway to the window and back again.

  Judge could feel her body respond to his demands and he couldn’t think of anything else but completion. His body was ready to fill her. But he loved this feeling too much and tried to hold himself back and he could feel her body tightening as well. He slipped his hand between them and as soon as he touched her button, she flew over the edge. He roared as he joined her in oblivion and they both came down hard.

  Judge could barely roll off her and to her side but Sage couldn’t move at all. She was out of breath and her heart was racing for a good few minutes or so before it slowed down.

  A few minutes later she closed her eyes and groaned. “Is sex supposed to feel that way? Every single time?”

  Judge grinned. Knowing that it didn’t feel like that for most. “Baby, if that was as good for you as it was for me... then yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to feel every single time.”

  “Wow.” Was all she said as she snuggled into his embrace.

  They were silent for the longest time before Sage reminded him, “You never did answer my question, what happens next?”

  Judge sighed. “Because I don’t have any answers for you yet,” he admitted. “We’re trying to line our ducks up, all in a row but we need to know more about who and what we’re dealing with before we can do that. That shit your mom was into with the Lords? That was some bad shit. That could take a while to get straight. The bodies at the old house you lived in? That needs explaining but not to the police around here. As you pointed out, they work
for Nelson Nichols, not the state of New York. Those strangers in town? We have to find out who and where they belong before we can move on them. Which one of the situations is going to break first, we have no idea. Then there’s your situation with Luke to consider as well. You were right in assuming he’s out to possibly kill you. What we don’t know is why. We also don’t know why Nelson Nichols is still in office and what he plans to do with Troy. We don’t think whatever it is, is going to be good for the people who live here.” Judge paused then ran his fingers through his long hair and beard. “There are too many questions and not near enough answers yet. As hard as it is to wait, we have to find out shit first, then we make our plans.”

  “Ok,” she replied after taking a moment or two to grasp what he was telling her.

  Judge felt there was something else she wanted to say but didn’t. “What else is on your mind, Angel?”

  Sage shrugged and was silent for a few minutes.

  Judge waited then asked her again, “What?”

  She looked at him and quickly looked away. Taking a deep breath she asked, “I was just wondering what’s going to happen to me? What’s going to happen to me when this is over? Will I be able to live in Troy or will everyone hate me for bringing Nelson Nichols down?”

  Judge was stunned by her questions. Apparently, she didn’t understand what his claiming her meant. “Angel, you’ll live here with me, you’ll be part of my family.”

  Sage turned her head slowly and stared at him. “Really? Do you really mean that? I wasn’t sure if that was true or not. I mean no one has ever wanted me before. I just wasn’t sure you would keep me when this was over.”

  “Aww baby,” Judge groaned. “Of course, I’m keeping you after this is over. I’ve got no reason not to. I told you that you belong with me now. I want you with me.”

  “Please don’t be mad at me,” she whispered. “It’s just that I thought I would live alone for the rest of my days, then you came along and said I was yours and while I was happy about it, I never know what is true anymore....I mean I have nothing to compare this to. I didn’t have people around me who were together for a long time, you know? I just didn’t know how long it would last.”

  “It will last forever and a day,” Judge whispered in her ear. “That’s how long I want it to last.” He hoped she would believe this. If not, he would just have to keep showing her.

  Chapter Eleven

  With a cold grin on his face, Simon lifted his boot and kicked in the door to Luke’s house. As the door flew open, he stepped through and found Luke and his friends staring at him in confusion.

  “What the fuck are you doing back here?” Luke asked with a frown. “I thought our business was concluded for now. You gave me twelve hours to find Sage and it’s not up yet.”

  “Oh, I think you and I have much more to talk about than where Sage Billingsly is residing right now.”

  “And what would that be?” Luke snapped.

  Simon growled and stalked closer to him. His fingers curled into fists, as he got right up in Luke’s face. He wasn’t afraid of this whiny pissant or his father and Luke was about to find that out, the hard way. “You don’t scare me little boy.”

  “I’m a man full grown and you can’t touch me,” Luke taunted him.

  Simon just smiled and swung at him. His fist landed solidly and Luke went flying.

  The other four men scrambled to get out of the way but Rowdy and Hammer weren’t letting them off the hook.

  Pure chaos, spurts of blood, groans of pain and broken bones reigned for a long twenty minutes.

  Then finally, Simon took a breath and leaned over the downed body of Luke. He looked pitiful lying on the floor. His nose was broken and swelled to double its normal size, both eyes were swollen and bruised while his face was bleeding from several places. He was breathing hard and groaning in pain from banged up ribs.

  Simon knelt down beside the broken man and asked, “How does it feel to be on that side of the beatings, huh?” Simon sneered. “You’ve given enough of them to Sage over the years haven’t you? Beating women is all you know. Taking on real men just isn’t your forte is it?”

  Luke tried to spit at the other man but the saliva didn’t clear his lips, instead it dribbled out of the corner of his mouth. “Fuck you, you bastard.”

  Simon shook his head. “I’m not the one all busted up, you damn dummy.”

  Luke groaned. “What the fucking hell do you want with me? You told me twelve hours to find her and you only gave me two. I’ve got men out on the street looking for her but she knows how to hide. I just need more time.”

  Simon sneered as he pushed on Luke’s fractured ribs. He enjoyed the whimpers of pain from the other man and he wanted to make a point. “Actually, I didn’t come here about Sage. I came her to find out if you might have taken a key off her mother the night you killed her.”

  Luke frowned at the Simon’s question. He got a look in his eye that meant he was scheming.

  Simon had no clue what he might be up to but right now, he didn’t give a shit.

  “I didn’t take no fucking key from Brandi.” He gasped as he took a deep breath. Glaring at the other man, Luke snarled, “My dad is going to have your hide for this. No one beats the hell out of me without getting the same done to him.”

  Simon just scoffed at his threat. “You’re daddy ain’t gonna touch me or my brothers. He’s more afraid of us than you are.”

  Luke snorted, “Maybe not so much anymore.”

  Simon frowned and glared at Luke. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  “Fuck off, bastard!” Luke spit out.

  Simon got to his feet and kicked the downed man in the side.

  Luke groaned and curled up into a ball of pain.

  Simon walked over to Kyle and glared at him. “What the fuck did funny boy mean by that?”

  Kyle looked up through red eyes. He had bruises all over his body from the beating he’d received from Rowdy and Hammer. He didn’t want to answer the question but when Simon reared back his foot, Kyle whispered, “His dad invited some Russians here to set up a shipping route to transport their drugs and weapons. He’s hoping they’ll run the Lords out of the state.”

  Simon growled at the news. He turned and snarled at Luke. “That is an unwise decision on your old man’s part, junior.”

  Luke didn’t say anything, just glared at the other man.

  Simon turned back to Kyle. “Do you boys know anything about a key?”

  Kyle and Harry shook their heads. Milo was passed out cold from the beating so he couldn’t answer anyway.

  “Do any of you know where we can find Sage?”

  The boys shook their heads again.

  Simon got up and walked back over to Luke. “By the time you wake up, you’ll have even less time to find her, so I don’t suggest you sleep too long boy.” Simon reared his boot back and kicked Luke in the head, knocking him out completely. Then he looked over at Kyle and Harry. “You boys best try and wake him up real soon. You tell him to bring the girl to the south side gym, but she better be alive and in one piece or I’ll hunt all you bastards down and make you really hurt, you get what I’m saying?”

  Kyle and Harry nodded slowly.

  Simon headed out the door. Rowdy and Hammer followed him.

  ~*~

  Only when they heard the bikes roar to life did Kyle and Harry try to move.

  “Fucking hell!” Kyle swore as his whole body protested his movements.

  “I hear you man,” Harry grumbled as he hauled himself up onto the sofa then wipe the blood from his nose. “What are we gonna do man?”

  Kyle took a moment to catch his breath and he checked to find he had a loose tooth now. “Well, first off we’re gonna wake Luke up, then we’re gonna find Sage and get the pair of them over to the gym then I don’t know about you but I’m leaving this fucking city and never coming back. The Lords killed my dad, I’m not going to put myself in a position to let them do the same
to me.”

  Milo groaned and opened his eyes. For a moment, he couldn’t focus on what just happened. Then he turned his head and saw them sitting on the sofa. “What the fuck just happened?”

  “Simon Grant that’s what,” Kyle told him with a grimace.

  Milo groaned as he rolled over to his side and sat up. When he looked around the room and saw Luke beaten to hell and unconscious, he turned to stare at Kyle and Harry. “What the hell did Luke do to warrant this kind of attack?”

  Kyle scoffed then spit out some blood onto the floor. “He couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut, that’s what. He’s always got to act the spoiled fucking brat. Well, Simon showed him he wasn’t immune tonight.” He shook his head and glared at Luke. “Immune isn’t the word that should be used here, entitled is a better word. Yeah, Luke is always acting like a big shot, thinking he has protection from his dad. Well, his protection failed miserably tonight didn’t it?” Kyle looked down at the other man on the floor. “Do you know anything about a key? From the night Brandi died? Simon was asking about a key and Luke couldn’t keep his big mouth shut.”

  Milo seemed confused but shook his head anyway. “Never heard of any key. What are we supposed to do about him?”

  “We’re supposed to wake him up and find Sage,” Harry informed him.

  “Oh, ok.” Milo shrugged. “Any idea where she might be?”

  “My cousin Tommy lives on her block,” Kyle suggested. “I’ll call him and see if he saw anything this morning.”

  While Kyle made his call, Milo joined Harry on the sofa. “What are we going to do now?” Milo asked.

  “I have no fucking clue but I think it might be time to take a long vacation.” Harry looked over at Kyle who was glaring back. “Simon knows about the Russians now. If the Lords come to do battle, I don’t want to know which side wins. All I want to know if how far away from here I can get before the bloodshed begins.”

  When Kyle finished his call, he looked grim.

  Milo looked between him and Harry then burst out, “Well what did you find out? Did Tommy see something this morning or what?”