Justify

by Kristin Harte

  “You don’t have to protect me.”

  If only she knew how untrue that was. “I do have to—not because you’re weak. You’re anything but. I have to protect you because if I lost you, I’d never recover. You’re mine, but only because you allow me the honor of having you. I’m yours either way, and nothing’s ever going to change that.”

  She stood silent for a long time, looking down at me. Practically trembling against me. Finally, she whispered, “Gage?”

  “Yeah, Katie?”

  “Eat some damned toast and take your medicine so we can go to bed.”

  I grinned up at her. “Is that an order?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I like taking orders from you.”

  She reached behind her and handed me the plate with the toast on it. But instead of taking it, I grabbed her and pulled her closer. Tucked myself against her curvy little body and clutched her to me with my head resting against her chest. “When I heal up, I’m going to spend an entire afternoon doing nothing but teasing that pretty cunt of yours with my tongue.”

  She gripped me tighter, her eyes going unfocused. “That sounds nice.”

  “Oh, princess, there’ll be nothing nice about it. I’m going to lay you down and spread those thighs wide. Pin you to the bed so you’re on display just for me.” I rose to my feet and kissed her, flicking my tongue against hers the way I longed to do to her little clit. The way that made her arch and gasp and cry my name. “And when you’re through—not me, because I could eat you for days—I’m going to sink inside you nice and deep. Fuck you slowly on that bed of yours. Make you shudder and scream just for me. You want me to do all that?”

  Her answer was an immediate, “Yes.”

  So I would.

  “Give me the fucking toast. I want you naked and wrapped around me in two minutes.”

  “No sex, though. Doctor’s orders.”

  We’d see about that. The SEALs had taught me to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I figured I had a good forty minutes after I took my pain pills before the drugs knocked me on my ass again.

  Plenty of time.

  Epilogue

  Gage

  Alder and Shye’s wedding seemed really chaotic, though seeing as it was the first one I’d ever attended, I didn’t have much to compare it to. I also doubted others would have seemed as harried considering I probably would have been a guest instead of the hired help.

  “Put that pan over there, please.” Katie pointed in the general direction of the bar area at The Baker’s Cottage before racing toward the kitchen with my dog on her heels. Somehow since Katie had moved in to my cabin with me, I’d lost control of Rex. He’d become Katie’s dog, following my girl around much like I did. Wanting to be with her every second of the day…again, much like I did.

  I’d always said he was the smartest dog in the world—his love for Katie only proved that.

  Mercy Bell, hardware store owner, single mom, and the person helping Shye coordinate the wedding, came striding through the restaurant with her clipboard in her hands. “We’ve got fifteen minutes to get everything done before it’s dress time. Let’s go, people.”

  I set the pan of appetizers where I hoped Katie wanted them and looked for my next task, because I knew there’d be one. My girl had been a basket case about this event for like three weeks. Ever since Alder announced he was marrying his girl in one hell of a quickie ceremony. Not as quick as Bishop had married his, though.

  Speaking of Bishop…

  “Hey, man,” he said, walking up beside me. “Nice tie. Seventies vintage back in style?”

  Jackass. “Katie bought me this tie, so you can fuck right off. Though I see you’re wearing those flat-bottomed shoes again. I thought we talked about that.”

  “It’s a wedding. You have to look nice.”

  Katie reappeared out of the kitchen, smiling when she saw me. My girl looked better than nice. She also looked like she was about to drop the large trays of food in her hands.

  “Princess, let me.” I rushed over, grabbing the pans from her hands. “Where do you want these?”

  “Next to the others.”

  “Got any more back there? I can lend you Bishop.”

  “I’m here for you, Gaines,” Bishop said, giving my girl a smile and using her original surname. She hadn’t changed hers from Baker, but Bishop didn’t care. He just liked seeing the smile that name put on her face. So did I. I guess he wasn’t always a jackass. Just…most of the time.

  “I’m fine, but thank you,” Katie said, still looking anything but fine. “There are just so many timing issues with the menu Shye picked, and the appetizers really need to be heated through before they go into the chafing dishes, which was something I had hoped we wouldn’t have to deal with. Not that I’m complaining, though, because I’m happy to make anything for her since she’s getting married today, and I want it to be perfect. It’s just a lot to plan and prepare, plus, I have to change and stand up in the wedding and try to look somewhat pretty in my dress—”

  I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her right off the ground, pressing my lips to hers in a kiss that had her moaning in about two seconds. She was so sweet, as if she’d been taste testing the icing on the wedding cake. I couldn’t stop licking into her mouth, going in for another treat. Another sample. Didn’t help that she had her hands in my hair, tugging me closer with every breath. Making me want to throw her down right there on the floor of the restaurant and show her just how pretty I thought she was. Not that she didn’t already know, especially in regards to her pretty pussy.

  Bishop’s laugh interrupted our moment, though. “Damn, you two, get a room.”

  I pulled back slowly, still holding Katie in my arms. Refusing to stop kissing her just because my best friend felt the need to interrupt us.

  “Better?” I asked when she finally smiled up at me.

  She licked her lips as if needing one last taste of mine. “I love it when you do that.”

  She didn’t…not all the time, at least. But sometimes, when her nerves got the best of her, it was a good way to settle her down. Though it certainly didn’t settle my dick. I was hard as stone right there at Alder’s wedding—pretty sure he’d be pissed about that if he found out.

  “I need to get these chafing dishes lined up real quick. It’s almost dress time,” Katie said after a moment, frowning.

  I shook my head and kissed her again before setting her back on her feet. “Why don’t you go get your dress on? I can take care of this.”

  She didn’t look too convinced of that. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” I patted her ass. “Go. I know you want to help Shye get ready as well.”

  With a grin and a quick kiss goodbye, she raced off for the alley with Rex at her side. The girls were getting ready over at Katie’s old apartment. We had men stationed in the alley and in both buildings just in case, though things had gotten awfully quiet for us since Sheriff Baker’s body had been found.

  Motorcycle clubhouses were hard to keep open when a law enforcement official’s body was discovered on their property. Especially one that looked as if it had been dead for a few weeks. Funny thing—motorcycle clubs like the Soul Suckers didn’t like cops, so when their members found a dead body in their parking lot, they tried to hide it. Tried being the operative word.

  The entire body drop and framing had been an ingenious plan Deacon came up with after the night I’d killed the good sheriff. He and Alder had taken care of hiding the body somewhere as they waited for their opportunity, then they’d disappeared for a couple of days to deal with Pistol—Shye’s former stepbrother and the man leading the charge to get vengeance on her and the entire town of Justice.

  I hadn’t been involved in that plan, though, so I wasn’t sure how those two had managed to take out the bastard without catching a lot of blowback from it. What I did know was that, if I ever needed a sneaky motherfucker to help me out, I was calling one of those two former Green B
erets.

  I also knew that the very next morning after the two returned home from their mission, Alder and Shye were engaged and planning the wedding happening in just under an hour. The man worked fast.

  Again, not as fast as Bishop, though. He’d come home from Vegas last week with a ring on his finger, a wife on his arm, and a baby on the way. Luckiest bastard in the world, that one.

  “Has anyone seen my wife?” Bishop asked, as if reading my mind and knowing I had been thinking about his Vegas wedding. He stood looking around the restaurant as if that leggy redhead would pop up out of a corner somewhere. I figured he just liked drawing attention to the fact that he already had a wife—he’d locked that shit down tight and fast. Faster than his older brother. A point of contention between the two that had led to some excellent mockery.

  “She’s probably over with the girls at Katie’s old place,” Deacon said as he strolled through the restaurant with a beer in one hand. “I’ve heard it’s estrogenpalooza over there.”

  “Don’t let the women hear you say that.” Alder came up behind his best friend, grabbing his shoulders and smiling bigger than I’d ever seen him do before. “Everyone good? We need anything over here?”

  I shrugged, not really needing anything but Katie. I pulled my phone from my pocket and shot her a quick text.

  Naked yet?

  It didn’t take her long to reply.

  Nope, though you’re going to love this dress.

  That caught my attention. I want pics.

  Patience. Just look for the brunette in blue.

  I don’t need to know the color, princess. I’d spot those tits from across a sea of people in two seconds flat.

  She replied faster than I would have expected. Such a charmer.

  And all yours.

  Always.

  I grinned at that last text, knowing she meant it. We might not have made things as official as Bishop and Anabeth had, or Alder and Shye were about to, but our commitment to each other was just as strong as theirs. Stronger, maybe. At least, in my opinion.

  I looked up from my phone just as Finn headed our way. The former addict appeared good—healthy and strong. Clean. But I darted a glance in Bishop’s direction just in case—there was still tension between the two brothers. A definite feeling of residual anger from Bishop because of Finn’s role in Anabeth leaving him over a decade ago, even though Bishop had recently gotten his second chance with her. I understood the ire and had even backed Bishop up as he’d given his younger brother a little taste of what he’d deserved for those actions, but today wasn’t the day for all that.

  “Hey, guys,” Finn said, reaching out to shake hands with each of us in turn. Even Bishop. “Congrats, Alder. I wish you and Shye the best.”

  “Thanks, man. Elijah and Lainie made it in yet?”

  Finn’s twin brother and the youngest Kennard and only girl in the family. “Yeah. They’re coming right behind me.” Finn turned to Bishop and gave him a careful sort of smile. “Congratulations to you as well. I wish you and Anabeth all the happiness in the world.”

  Bishop’s smile wasn’t as bright as it should have been, but it was there. “Thanks, Finn. I appreciate that.”

  Finn seemed to relax after that. “So…weddings and babies. You guys are getting old. Got your Viagra prescriptions yet?”

  And that was how Finn ended up being chased out of The Baker’s Cottage by his older brothers. Good times.

  Katie hadn’t been joking in her text—she looked fucking amazing in her dress. Low-cut, tiny little straps holding the fabric up over her full breasts, and a clingy sort of design that skimmed her hips just right. I loved it—I was going to love it even more when I ripped it off her to see what all was underneath it. If anything.

  Bishop sat beside me, his arm around Anabeth and his hand resting on her belly. A family of three right there. Just the sort of life my best friend deserved. Finn, Elijah, and Lainie sat in front of us, the three youngest Kennards all looking on with smiles as their oldest brother married the woman of his dreams with his best friend by his side. Camden hadn’t made it back to town for the event, but none of us had expected him to. There was a lot of anger and hurt still there. He’d come home when he was ready…at least, that was what we all hoped.

  And me? I watched Katie. Not that anyone would have expected anything different from me. I was always looking at my girl. How could I not when she was so damn beautiful?

  After the ceremony, I hunted down my girl in the kitchen of the restaurant.

  “Hey,” she said, grinning and looking ridiculously happy. “It was a beautiful ceremony, don’t you think?”

  I did, but that wasn’t what I wanted to talk about. Between Bishop and Alder, I only had one thing on my mind. “You want this?”

  Her smile turned a little questioning. “This what? The restaurant? Yes. You? Always.” She tucked herself against my chest, rising up on the balls of her feet so she could press her lips to mine as she ran her hand over my beard. The one she’d trimmed again a few nights ago before dropping to her knees and taking me in her mouth. A great memory, but not my focus at the moment.

  Later, absolutely.

  “I like where you’re going, princess, but I meant this. What Alder and Bishop have now. Rings and babies and all that.”

  Those hazel eyes I loved so much had never been wider. “Well, I mean, it’s fast, isn’t it? Though, I guess Alder and Shye were fast as well. But he loved her, like really really loved her. Not that you don’t love me, but aren’t guys more resistant to getting married? I don’t know. I love you so much, and I think we’re good together, but I don’t want to mess anything up. I don’t want to push you at all, so I—”

  She deserved the kiss I planted on her lips. Not because she’d found herself having a nervous fit once again, but because she said she loved me. I could never resist her when she told me that.

  Still, I didn’t let the kiss go on for long because I really needed to get a straight answer from her. So I broke it, and I stared down at my entire world wrapped up in the sexiest package ever imagined, and I asked one last time.

  “Do you want me, princess?”

  No nervousness, no babbling. Just one word filled with more confidence than anything else she’d ever said before. “Yes.”

  I dropped down to my knees for her, exactly where I should have been. Where I belonged…being grateful for finding her and knowing exactly how fucking blessed I was. “Forever, princess? Tell me you want me forever.”

  She nodded, her smile growing wider. Filling me with so much love, I thought my chest might break open right there. Thought there was no way I could contain it all.

  My girl. My world. Forever.

  “You want me, then you’ll have me. I’m an idiot for asking now because I don’t have a ring or fancy words, but I have this—I will never stop loving you, Katie Baker Gaines. Not for a single second. Not now, not fifty years from now, not ever. I’m yours, baby. And I’d really like it if you’d be mine, too.”

  “I’ll always be yours, Gage.”

  “Then let’s get married. You and me…forever. Our lives bound together right here in Justice.”

  Never had anyone looked at me with more love than she did right then. “Yes. Let’s get married. I want forever with you in Justice.”

  So she’d have it. Because nothing—not one goddamned thing—would ever come between me and my girl. Would ever threaten her happiness or her safety. Nothing bad would ever fucking touch her again.

  Me and the men I saw as my brothers would make sure of it.

  KEEP READING FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT REPARATION, BOOK FOUR IN THE VIGILANTE JUSTICE SERIES!

  Thank you for taking the time to read JUSTIFY. Reviews are greatly appreciated as they help other readers find books to read! And make sure to keep keep reading for a look at REPARATION, the fourth Vigilante Justice novel.

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  To secure Shye’s future, I needed to put mine in jeopardy. I need to do some killi
ng.

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  REPARATION SNEAK PEEK

  Everyone left threads untied in their lives. Mine just happened to be the kind that could trip you up, could make you fall flat on your face. Could leave a trip line handy for the type of people who would use it against you.