by Alex Grayson
Nothing could have prepared me for the feelings currently slamming into me as I watch her take the first step toward me. Her sleeveless dress is white and hugs her chest, while the waist down flows out in soft waves against her legs. I can’t see how her hair is from the back, but it’s up with a few loose pieces around her face.
Some days I still can’t believe she picked me to spend the rest of her life with. I’m the luckiest bastard in the world.
Our eyes don’t leave the other’s as Charles leads his daughter down the aisle. My chest swells with pride as she gives me a small smile. When they’re standing in front of me, Charles hands me Eden’s hand with his shaky one. I couldn’t tell you how the man feels in this moment because I only have eyes for the woman in front of me.
I frown when I notice the paleness on her face.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she whispers. “I got sick on the way here.”
My frown deepens. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Her smile is gorgeous as she gazes at me with the same love I feel for her. Her next words just about knock me on my ass.
“Morning sickness,” she giggles. “Well, more like afternoon sickness.” She leans toward me, lowering her voice even more. “I’m pregnant.”
I stand there stunned for a moment, probably looking like a complete idiot, before her words register.
“You’re pregnant?” I ask, wanting to make sure I heard her right.
“Yes.”
I’m doing it ass backwards, but I’m fresh out of fucks to give. I wrap my arms around her waist, lean down, and press my lips to hers. She opens willingly, like she needs the intimate touch just as much as I do.
A throat clearing has us pulling apart way too soon.
“Shall we begin?” Pastor Phillips asks, amusement lacing his tone.
I lean down for one more quick kiss and when I pull back, Eden’s eyes are sparkling with euphoria.
I turn to the Pastor. “Yes, but make it quick, please.”
Eden’s giggles can be heard all over the room.
AS I LOOK DOWN INTO A SET of beautiful blue eyes, I understand why it’s so easy for Eden to change her favorite color depending on her mood and surroundings. My favorite color just changed to baby blue.
It’s still strange to think I have a little sister, but I love the feeling it gives me. It brings out the protective side in me. Thea has quickly been added to my list of people I would die for. And I know my brothers feel the same way. She’s not only my little sister, but theirs as well.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” I ask Thea as we gently sway to the music.
She tips her head back, and although she smiles at me, I still see pain lurking behind her eyes. The look is always there.
“Yes. Eden looked so pretty today.”
“That she did. So did you.”
“Thanks.”
I twirl us around, and I’m happy to hear the laugh escape her lips. This girl has been through hell and back. I love knowing I can bring some light into her life.
I stop us after a couple of spins and look down at her, my expression sobering. “I know all these changes are hard on you, Thea. I know the pain Mom and Trey put you through, because I’ve felt that pain too. It’s hard to believe now, but it gets easier. Especially because of all the people here who care for you. You aren’t alone anymore. You’ll never be alone again.”
Her lip trembles, tears gathering in her eyes, before she’s launching her small body against mine, her face pressed to my stomach. I close my eyes and wrap my arms tight around her shoulders.
When she pulls back and looks up at me, I wipe away her tears.
“Thank you, JW. I’m glad I have a big brother.”
I clear my throat and hope like hell I don’t start crying like a fucking baby.
“I’ll always be here to protect you,” I promise her.
She doesn’t know what I did to our parents and she won’t know for many years to come. I won’t keep it from her forever, she has a right to know, but only when I think she’s ready.
When I took her all those months ago and brought her back to Malus, I did some digging. Apparently, Mom and Trey stayed true to Sweet Haven form and never registered her. Through my contacts in San Antonio, I was able to obtain a birth certificate for her, along with starting the adoption process. As of three weeks ago, Eden and I are officially her parents. That day was very emotional for the three of us. Eden and Thea have become very close since she came to live with us in Malus.
When the song ends, I escort her off the dance floor. Brittney, another eleven-year old, is waiting for her to go get another piece of cake. Within a week of Thea arriving, they were friends. Brittney’s been handed her own shitty hand in life. I think because of that, they’ve formed a sort of bond.
As I watch the two girls walk off, fingers lace themselves between mine. I turn and look down at my wife, putting our laced hands behind her back and tugging her close.
“Hey, wife,” I whisper.
“Hello, husband,” she whispers back with a smile.
“Or should I say, hey, Mama?”
She laughs and the sound goes straight to my heart, just like it always does.
“How’s your mom holding up? I saw your dad trying to take away her wine glass.”
It’s usually the father you have to worry about threatening the groom during the speeches. Not Eden’s though. It was her mom who threatened to chop off my nuts and wear them as earrings if I ever dared to hurt her daughter. Of course, she did this stiltedly with the amount of wine she’d consumed. Eden was embarrassed while I barely choked back my laughter. Melanie Delmont loves her daughter fiercely and without reservation. I can’t fault the woman for looking out for her only child.
“She’s fine, but she’ll be regretting it tomorrow. Dad just left to take her home.”
Laughter has both of our heads turning. Thea, Brittney, and Hannah are sitting at one of the tables, their heads down as they look at something on Hannah’s phone. Eden’s friend, Millie, surprised Eden by showing up for the wedding with the two kids they watched over from the shelter they volunteered at. Apparently, the children’s mother was caught trying to sell her kids for an eight ball of cocaine. When Millie found out the kids would be put in foster care, she spoke with her husband and they decided to apply for an adoption. It’s not official, but their lawyer said there’s no reason they would be denied. Eden was ecstatic when Millie gave her the news.
I look back at Eden. “Do you have any idea how happy you make me?”
“Hopefully as happy as you make me,” she answers and slides her hands up over my shoulders.
I tighten my arms around her waist and pull her until our stomachs meet. I can’t wait to feel hers once it starts to grow with our child tucked inside.
“More.”
The soft tendrils of loose hair sways when she shakes her head. “Impossible.”
I smile and lean down to press my lips against hers. “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”
Even though we’re not on the dance floor, I begin to move us to the rhythm of the soft music.
“I love you, JW,” she says, staring up at me with love shining in her eyes.
“I love you too, Gypsy. More than you’ll ever know.”
This woman is my life. She completes me in a way I never knew I needed, but I know I won’t ever be able to live without.
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TURN THE PAGE FOR THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS IN JUDGE OF HELL, BOOK THREE IN THE HELL NIGHT SERIES
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JUDGE
The Past
“WHAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE, Mitchell?” I he
ar mom ask as I slowly walk down the stairs. My whole body hurts and I’m stiff from the brutal way I was treated tonight. My hair’s wet and dripping on my shirt from my recent shower, but I still feel dirty. I always feel dirty, no matter how much I wash away their disgusting scent.
When I round the corner to the living room, I come to a stop. It’s four in the morning, but it’s Hell Night, so it’s not unusual for my parents to still be up. Dad’s at the window, staring out into the dark night. Mom’s standing a few feet behind him, dressed in her night clothes, her hand clutching her neck and her face pinched in concern.
Dad looks away from the window, darting his eyes first to me then to my mom. “I don’t know, dear, but whatever it is, it isn’t good.”
I know exactly what’s going on, and my nerves jump with excited anticipation. Mae and Dale warned us only yesterday what was going to happen, but it feels like I’ve been waiting years. I guess in a way, I have been. Fourteen years to be exact. Since the day I was born.
Just then, a loud yell comes from outside. Dad turns back to the window, and I rush over to the other one. Across the street, there’s a man on his stomach, struggling with another man on top of him. They’re under the streetlight, so we’ve got a good view of them. The man on top digs his knee into the one beneath him then pulls a pair of handcuffs from his side and cuffs the guy. Another man approaches them, and when he steps into the light, I see the gun he’s holding.
It’s started and it’s about damn time.
I back away from the window and turn to leave the living room. I need to find the others so we can meet Mae and Dale at The Hill.
“Kayn, go up to your room,” dad calls from behind me.
I turn back toward him and lift my chin. “No.”
His brows lift. “Excuse me?”
“I’m leaving,” I tell him and turn back to the doorway. I just pass through before I’m yanked back around.
“You’re not going anywhere, son. It’s not safe out there. Now do as I told you and go to your room.”
I jerk my arm from his hold. I can’t stand for him to touch me. It may not be safe for him and mom, but even if the authorities find me, I wouldn’t be in trouble like they will be.
“I’m leaving,” I state again, my voice firm.
“And where are you going?” mom asks, coming to stand beside dad. “It’s four in the morning.”
“To find my brothers.”
Dad barks out a laugh. “Like hell you are. You’re aren’t leaving this house until we figure out what’s going on.”
There’s a gun shot outside and mom yelps in surprise. Her eyes shooting back to the window as she edges closer to dad.
I take a step back and smirk at them both. “I know exactly what’s going on.”
Dad’s hand darts out and snags me around my wrist again. “What do you know?”
When I try to pull away, his fingers tighten. I’ve grown a lot over the last year, but my dad is still bigger and stronger than me. Even so, my anger and determination are much more than his. Because of that and the pain still coursing through my body from Hell Night, when I rear back and clock him on his chin, he lets go and falls over the coffee table. I’ve never really hit anyone before, so I’m surprised at the pain in my hand. I shake it out and glower at dad and mom, who has rushed to her husband’s side.
“What in the world is wrong with you, Kayn?” Mom demands.
“I told you, I’m leaving and neither of you will stop me.”
I turn around and rush from the room. I need to leave and get to my brothers before it’s too late. I hear mom and dad yelling my name as I slip through the back door. I ignore them both. I don’t care what happens to them, as long as I get to my brothers and we all get to The Hill. Mae and Dale are supposed to help us leave Sweet Haven. The note they got yesterday said there was going to be a raid. Mae and Dale knew we would be separated if the cops found us. I can’t imagine not having my brothers around. The thought causes a weird feeling to form in my chest.
The back yard is dark as I sprint across the wet grass. I’m barefoot, so the blades stick to my feet. I was just getting out of the shower when I heard a loud bang outside. I rushed to put on my clothes and get downstairs. I’ve been anxious all day because we didn’t know when the town was going to be raided. I had hoped it would be before Hell Night began, so when it didn’t happen and we came back home, I thought something went wrong. Or the note was just some cruel joke.
I’ve never been more happy to be wrong. I hide behind a tree when I see a couple of shadowed figures sneak around the side of Mr. and Mrs. Moore’s house. I stiffen when I feel someone come up behind me.
“Where are the others?” I relax at JW’s whispered words.
I keep my eyes on the house and watch the dark figures move inside as I answer JW. “I’m not sure, but I’ve got a guess.” I reach back, grab his shirt, and pull him behind me.
The plan was for me and JW to meet up and go to The Hill together. Trouble and Emo were to do the same. That was the plan, but I’m changing it. I’m not going to The Hill without making sure Trouble and Emo go as well. Trouble I’m not worried about. It’s Emo who concerns me. He told us earlier today that he heard Rella, Trouble’s eight-year old sister, screaming. It’s ridiculous and impossible. Rella died a week ago from slitting her own wrists. When my brothers and I found her, she was already dead, the wood floor beneath her soaked with her deep red blood. Emo won’t leave until he looks for her. Trouble and Rella’s house is where we’re headed.
I stop us when Noah Vincent runs toward his car, only to be stopped by the cops.
“Halt! This is the FBI! Put your hands behind your head and get on your knees!”
I pull JW in another direction, away from the cops and Noah. I’m forced to stop again when JW digs in his heels. I turn and find him looking in the direction of his house. His mother’s screams pierce the night air.
“JW,” I hiss to grab is attention. “We gotta go.”
He turns back to me, a look of satisfaction on his face, and he nods.
We dodge a couple more dark figures slipping through the shadows when I bring us to a halt behind another tree. Someone’s on the ground up ahead, moaning in pain. I whip my head around when someone shouts behind us. I move us both to another tree. Thank goodness for all the big trees in town or we’d be shit out of luck.
We both stay real still, holding our breath as a man in dark clothes approaches the person, his hand raised with a gun.
“Sandra Milton, you are under arrest for child sexual assault and abuse.”
JW and I watch in fascination as he handcuffs Sandra and pulls her to her feet. She’s crying; the sound is pathetic. There’s not an ounce of pity I feel for her. She and her husband have both participated in the horrors of Hell Night. Tonight, they both forced their eleven-year-old daughter Regina to touch them in disgusting ways.
Once they are out of sight, JW and I are moving again. A couple of minutes later, we spot Trouble and Rella’s house. I want to slap both Trouble and Emo when I see them in the road facing the house, out in the open.
JW and I race over to them.
“We gotta go now,” I tell them, out of breath from all the running. “Shit’s going down fast and if we don’t want the Peterson’s to get caught in the crosshairs, we have to leave. They’re waiting on us behind The Hill.”
Trouble nods and turns back to Emo, whose attention is still held captive by the house in front of him.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for him to look away and say with a dark tone, “Let’s go.”
We dart through yards and across streets. I keep looking back to make sure the others are still behind me. There’s no way I’m leaving this horrible place without them.
I have to draw JW’s attention away when he stops at the Moore’s window and peers inside. We all hide behind a tree when shots are fired followed by more yelling.
“I wonder if that was Mr. or Mrs. Sanders,” JW comments.
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“Doesn’t matter. Either would be fine with me. Or better yet, both of them,” I say quietly. Once the figures are inside the Sanders’ house, I whisper, “It’s clear.”
Worry has me throwing looks all around us to make sure we’re still unseen. Any place would be better than the hell we’ve lived our whole lives, but I’m still scared that we’ll be caught.
It’s not until we round the corner of The Hill and see Mae and Dale’s van up ahead that I start to breathe easier again. Excitement replaces the worry, making my heart race for an entirely different reason.
I briefly wonder what happened with mom and dad, but the thought isn’t important. For all I care, they could be one of the people being shot. The only people I care about are my brothers, Mae, and Dale.
My brothers and I are finally going to be free of our living nightmare.
JUDGE
I SIT BEHIND THE BENCH and give a nervous looking Kevin Timmons a stern look. “Mr. Timmons, you know thievery is not tolerated in Malus, but since this is your first offense, I’ll go easy on you. You’ll spend one month in the town jail.”
“I wasn’t stealing it,” Kevin grumbles. “I was only borrowing it.”
“Typically, when you borrow something, you ask the owner first. And when you get done, you return it. How long did you have Mr. Syke’s weed eater?”
“Two weeks,” he admits, his eyes dropping from mine, embarrassment coating his cheeks red.
“And how did you get the weed eater?”
He blows out a breath before answering. “I picked the lock on his shed.”
“Why didn’t you just ask if you could use it?”
“Because I knew he wouldn’t let me borrow it. He’s a greedy bastard.”
I cock a brow. “That’s not helping your case, Mr. Timmons. In fact, it’s only pissing me off.” Wisely, he keeps quiet. “On top of your one month stay in jail, you’ll also mow Mr. Syke’s yard for a year, starting when you’re released.”