Unlawful Justice

by K. Langston

  In the near distance I spot Prichard as he stands in the mass of hatred, catching sight of what’s happening to Terrell. I wait for him to come help, hoping for the extra support but the son of a bitch turns his head and goes in the other direction.

  Fury propels me forward. I reach Terrell with my fists swinging, sending blow after blow to the bastards. One of them manages to strike me in the face with some sort of object he had hidden under his robe. Whatever the hell it is, it makes my head ring and has a metallic taste filling my mouth. It also pushes me past my breaking point, and I strike out harder than I thought possible. I don’t give up until the three of them are on the ground unconscious, my arms heavy and limp.

  Draping Terrell’s left arm over my shoulder, I manage to get us through the madness quickly and back up the steps and into the courthouse, leaving the destruction behind us.

  I deposit him down on a nearby bench. “Hey, buddy, look here,” I instruct, taking in his battered face that’s still swelling. His lip is busted, with blood oozing from the wound, and his right eye is damn near swollen shut. “You okay?”

  He nods, pulling in some deep breaths. “The motherfuckers.” He grunts. “Where the hell did they come from?”

  I shake my head, swiping an arm across my mouth to wipe away my own blood. “I have no idea, brother. No fucking idea.”

  Since when the fuck has there ever been any Klan around here?

  He wheezes out, still trying to catch his breath. “Jesus Christ, Taylor, the bastards just started a war out there.”

  We sit in silence, mulling it all over, both of us having no words for what just went down.

  Prichard comes storming through the door a few minutes later, and that white-hot fury boiling beneath my skin comes rushing back with a vengeance. “Backup’s here. We managed to clear most of them out.” He pants, trying to catch his breath. He looks at the two of us, taking in Terrell’s state. “You okay, Johnson? Did you get caught up in shit out there?”

  His cavalier attitude pushes me right over the edge and sends my fist to connect with the side of his jaw.

  “What the fuck?” He staggers back, completely caught off guard.

  “Holy shit, Taylor, what the hell are you doing?” Terrell asks from behind me, shocked by my response.

  I don’t answer him. Instead, I grab Prichard, my fingers curling around the collar of his uniform shirt as I slam him against the wall. He stares back at me with wide eyes. “You’re a fucking liar,” I grit, my face only inches from his. “You turned your back on him. You saw he needed help and you fucking left him there.”

  “I didn’t see shit! I was busy trying to do damage control. I nearly got my own ass kicked out there.”

  “You’re lying.” He shakes his head, denying it again, but I won’t let him. “I fucking saw you. I watched you turn your back on him.”

  Silence surrounds us as he stares back at me, his face twisting with anger.

  “C’mon, Grayson,” Terrell says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “He’s not worth it, man.”

  Leaning in closer, I keep my voice low but no less threatening. “I’m on to you, Prichard. This isn’t over. Not by a fucking long shot.”

  I shove myself away from him, and he takes the opportunity to straighten up and fix his shirt. “You’ve got it wrong, but I don’t have to prove shit to you. You’re not even on the fucking job anymore, Taylor. Remember that the next time you assault an officer,” he replies arrogantly, before walking out the door.

  As soon as he’s out of sight, I punch the wall next to me, wishing it were his face again. “Fuck!” I immediately regret it as a sharp pain shoots up my arm.

  “It’s all right, Taylor,” Terrell says. He looks a hell of a lot calmer than I feel. “Maybe he’s telling the truth? Maybe he didn’t see me.” By the look on his face I know he wants to believe that, but I know what I saw. “Thanks for having my back, man.”

  I shake my head, hating he feels the need to even say it. “You don’t have to thank me. I always have your back. You know that.”

  “Yeah, I do,” he says, blowing out a weary breath. “Look, I better get back out there and assess the damage. You comin’?”

  Since it’s under control now, I decide against it. If I go out there and see that bastard I’ll lose my cool again.

  Terrell nods in understanding and claps me on the back. “Go see Liv. I’ll keep in touch and fill you in when I know what’s happening.” He walks out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  As much as I want to see Liv right now, I can’t. The anger pumping through my blood is overwhelming, something I don’t want her to see. I need to be alone to collect my thoughts. Pulling my phone out I shoot her a quick text, letting her know I’m okay and that I’ll be by later.

  I manage to escape the reporters and everyone else as I make it to my truck. Driving toward Clover Hill, I think about everything that went down, and try to figure out what the hell is going on. I spend the next several hours processing it all, and while I’m still not sure about what to do next, one thing remains certain…

  There’s an overpowering presence of hate in this town, simmering just below the surface, hidden in a place I never thought to look—in the faces of everyone I thought I knew.

  CHAPTER 18

  Olivia

  Pacing the front porch, I clutch my cell phone tightly, wondering where Grayson could be. The knot in my stomach hasn’t loosened since leaving him this afternoon. It’s only gotten worse since nightfall.

  I just need to know he’s okay.

  I take a seat on the swing, bouncing my right foot up and down as I check my phone again.

  Nothing.

  I sent Tania home after supper. She’d been worried about Terrell and anxious to check on him. I still haven’t heard from her either. The waiting is driving me crazy.

  Pap went to bed an hour ago since he needs to be up early in the morning. He tried to get me to come inside but I can’t, not until I see for myself that Grayson is okay. He texted hours ago and said he would come by. Surely if he changed his mind he would have let me know. I’ve been debating on texting him but I don’t want to bother him if he’s busy. I nearly give in to the urge but then see headlights in the distance. Jumping to my feet, I rush down the steps as he parks the truck. He barely shuts the door before I throw myself into his open arms.

  He grunts with the force of my affection but doesn’t miss a beat, catching me easily and hugging me tight. “I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay?” I’m on the verge of tears as his signature scent invades my lungs, sending overwhelming relief to soar through my body.

  “Yeah, Liv, I’m okay,” he replies quietly, but I can tell by the sound of his voice he’s far from it.

  I lean back to look at him and gasp. A dark shadow darkens one side of his face but the dim porch light is bright enough for me to see the cut above his eye and his busted lip. “Oh God, you’re hurt,” I say on a choked whisper, my fingers fanning gently on his bruised jaw.

  “Just some scratches, nothing I can’t handle,” he says, but his eyes tell me a different story. They’re dimmer than usual, troubled. He looks almost…lost.

  It completely breaks my heart.

  I shake my head, my throat growing thicker by the minute. “Come on, come inside. I’ll clean you up.”

  “I’m fine, Liv. Really, I…” He trails off when I give him a silent warning not to argue. Then a soft, sexy smirk transforms his face, making my tummy flip. “All right, baby, let’s go inside and you can fix me up.”

  After he places me on my feet, I take his hand and lead him inside the house. “Go on and take a seat.” I point to the kitchen table. “I’ll be right back.”

  He does as instructed while I grab the first aid kit from the bathroom. As I walk back in the kitchen and get a better look at his face, my heart aches all over again. Pulling up a chair in front of him, I get to work. My hands shake when I open the small gauze packet, wetting it with alcohol and
applying it to the nasty cut above his eyebrow.

  “Who did this to you?” I ask, trying to keep my emotions in check.

  He watches me carefully, his eyes roaming my face, but I continue to focus only on his wounds. “I don’t know,” he answers quietly. “There were a few of them, and their faces were covered because they’re a bunch of fucking cowards.”

  My eyes shoot to his at the fury pouring from his voice. “It got worse after I left?” I voice it as more of a question, even though the answer is obvious.

  He nods, his expression hard. “Yeah. It did.”

  I drop my gaze from his, not wanting him to see the tears threatening to fall. My eyes land on his right hand. It’s even more battered than his face, proving he threw some punches of his own. My breathing grows heavier as I struggle to hold in the burning emotion fighting to erupt. I shield most of my face with my hair, thankful it’s loose from its usual braid as I dig through the kit, having no idea what I’m looking for.

  Grayson’s other hand reaches up, brushing my hair aside and cupping the side of my face. “Liv, look at me.”

  I shake my head as hot tears track down my face and onto his hand. No matter how hard I try to hold it in, I can’t. The dam breaks free and my forehead falls to his injured hand as an uncontrollable sob spills from my lips.

  Grayson leans down, bringing his mouth close to my ear. “Hey, come on, baby. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.” He pleads. “Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  I shake my head. “No, I don’t think it will be, not anymore. Every time I think it can’t get any worse it does, and after what I saw today I know it’s nowhere near over.” I hiccup, trying to catch my breath. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’m so tired. I haven’t slept in weeks. Every sound I hear I think it’s them, coming back to finish what they started,” I admit for the first time, fear sneaking up my spine with heated ease. “I hate that I’m so afraid. But with Reggie pleading not guilty and everything that happened today… I’m scared, Grayson. I’m terrified what this means for us all.” I cry harder, clinging to him for comfort, because right now he’s the only peace I know.

  He’s been the burning candle guiding me through all this darkness.

  “Liv, look at me.” He doesn’t give me a choice. He lifts my face, forcing my gaze to his. “Listen, I know things are bad right now, but you need to stay strong, just like you have been. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’d never let anything happen to you.” He leans in closer, eyes fierce and determined. “No matter how bad this gets, no one will ever fucking touch you again. I promise you that.” His extreme confidence quiets the anxiety I feel and my tears begin to subside. “Trust me. Trust me to keep you safe.”

  “I do trust you, completely. When I’m with you I feel safe, but when I’m not…” I stop myself, not sure how to explain it. The fear of leaving the house and never knowing what I’m going to encounter, especially after what happened today, leaves me anxious. And what about the men who are still out there, the ones who had a hand in my attack—do I pass by them and not even know? The thought instills an incredible fear inside of me.

  “Don’t hold out on me now, baby.”

  Exhaling a deep breath, I shake my head. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. I guess it’s just going to take some time before I feel safe again.”

  Grayson’s eyes hold mine, so many emotions raging in their blue depths. Remembering I was in the middle of cleaning up his injuries before my meltdown, I instantly feel guilty. I reach for the bottle of alcohol again but Grayson gently pulls it from my hand. “Wait, what are you—” I gasp as he stands and picks me up off the chair, cradling me in his arms. “What on earth are you doing?” I ask, winding my arms around his neck.

  “Where’s your room?” My eyebrows shoot up at his question, causing his sexy lips to lift in a smirk. “I’m going to lie down with you until you fall asleep.”

  Oh.

  My face heats with embarrassment at my assumption. “But your injuries. Let me finish cleaning them.”

  He grunts. “I’m fine, Liv. You need to sleep. Let me do this. Let me hold you.”

  The thought of falling asleep wrapped up in his arms sounds like heaven right now, and my eyes immediately grow heavy with the thought. Nodding, I point in the direction of my room. “Down the hall, second door on the right.”

  He heads that way, carrying me in his arms as if I weigh nothing, and I can’t help but think about his words earlier.

  Trust me. Trust me to keep you safe.

  My room is bathed in moonlight as he enters. He lays me down on my bed before closing the door quietly, then shuffles next to the bed, removing his shoes. His eyes stay with mine, making silent promises. The bed dips with his weight, and I turn on my side to face him. His arm curls over my waist, pulling me in close to his hard body.

  I soak up the intimacy and the warmth he offers without hesitation. His mouth is but a breath from mine. Reaching up, I gently touch his wounded lip with my finger. “I don’t like seeing you hurt,” I whisper, feeling my throat clog with tears again.

  “I’m fine, baby. I promise.”

  I contemplate asking more about what happened after I left but decide against it. We’ve had enough heaviness for one night. Perhaps even a lifetime.

  My fingers hover above his lips, tracing the outline, remembering how they moved against mine with such effortless grace.

  With his intake of air, I lift my eyes, seeing his darken with desire. “Stop looking at me like that, Liv.” He warns.

  “Why?” I don’t want to stop. I need to feel his lips on mine as much as my next breath.

  “Because if you don’t stop I won’t be able to control myself.”

  Desire pulses through me, my heart leaping in my chest. I’m desperate for his kiss, his touch. Rising up, I place a kiss to the wound on his lip, tender and slow.

  “Liv, I’m serious, you need sleep.”

  I push forward, ignoring his warning.

  “No. I need you to kiss me.”

  With a curse he moves in quickly. His hand racing around the side of my neck, aligning our mouths in heated bliss. Blood ignites inside my veins, desire flooding every part of my mind and body. The need rushing through me is something I thought I would never feel again, and Grayson seems to only intensify it.

  I latch on to my craving for him, unwilling to let go, and throw a leg over his hip to bring myself closer to him. His steady hand coasts up and down my bare thigh, drifting to my hip before pushing me onto my back, covering me. I wind my arms around his neck, sighing into his mouth as he continues his delicious assault, his tongue tangling with mine in a fevered pitch of give and take. The hardness between my thighs begs for the lift of my hips, seeking more of him. I whimper when the hard denim of his jeans graze my wet panties.

  A groan erupts from him before he rips his mouth from mine to trail his lips along my throat, sucking and nipping the tender flesh. My sweater slips down one shoulder as he continues to rain warm kisses across my collarbone, coming to a stop just above the swell of my breast, silently awaiting permission.

  “Yes.” My breath locks in my chest as his fingers slip the straps of my nightgown past my shoulders, baring me to his stare. My nipples pebble beneath his heated gaze, straining for his touch.

  My imprisoned breath is released on a gasp when his hand brushes across one sensitive bud. “So pretty,” he whispers, “just like I knew you would be.” His mouth moves to my other breast, sucking my aching nipple while his fingers tweak the other.

  With a whimper I arch up, threading my fingers through his hair as I revel in the pleasure he brings me. Lifting my hips, I seek friction, the ache between my thighs growing painfully intense. “Grayson, please.” I beg, completely unashamed of my need for him.

  A primal growl rumbles from his chest as he looks into my eyes. “What do you want, Liv? Tell me, baby. I need to hear you say it. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

  I quickly
realize he’s being cautious—holding back—but he doesn’t need to, not with me. Especially right now when I’m desperate to remind myself of the woman I am and not the victim I have become. “I want you to touch me.”

  He moves his hand to the center of my thighs. “Here?” he asks, gently skimming his fingers over the center of my panties. A shiver ripples through me, bringing with it wave upon wave of desire. “You want me to touch you here?”

  I nod, unable to speak for fear of the sounds that will come out of my mouth.

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” he says, a playful grin tugging his lips.

  His hand reaches between us, slipping inside my panties and swiping his fingers through my wet flesh. “Oh God!” The words are spoken on a hot whimper when he finds my swollen clit.

  “Shh, easy, baby,” he croons. “I don’t need Walt coming in here with his shotgun.” I sink my teeth into my bottom lip in an effort to stifle my moans, but continue to move my hips with his skilled fingers. He leans down and kisses me, continuing to stroke me where I need it most. “God, Liv, you’re so wet. So hot.” His words are tight with restraint, and I can feel him hard against my leg.

  I move my hand down to his belt buckle, wanting to touch him too, but he backs away from me. “No.” He shakes his head. “If you touch me I won’t be able to stop. And when I finally take you, Liv, there will be no keeping quiet. Not from either of us. Tonight is for you.” His fingers speed up, his pressure intensifying, bringing me to teeter on the edge, and he senses it. “Give it to me, baby. Let me feel it all over my hand.”

  Those words send me flying over the edge. His mouth covers mine, devouring every single tremor and moan that escapes me. Although his fingers slow, they continue drawing out every last bit of pleasure until I’m boneless and content beneath him.