by Jayne Blue
Rick cleared his throat. “Judge Key, huh?”
I hadn’t brought up her name. Damn. The fucking rumor mill really did churn fast around here. It was my turn to deal. I took the cards from Ben and started to shuffle. I was wound so damn tight I flipped a few of them into the air.
“What do you know about her?” I asked. Fuck. Now who sounded like a teenage girl?
Kyle raised a brow. “Man. I’ve been out of pocket a long damn time and you’re telling me I know more about the JILF than you do?”
“JILF?”
“Anyone need a refill?” Ben stood up and went to the refrigerator Rick kept behind his bar. I put up a finger. When I drove down to Columbus, I slept on Rick’s couch. I needed a good damn buzz on and two beers weren’t going to cut it.
“Judge I’d like to fuck,” Kyle helpfully answered. My fingers gripped the beer bottle hard when Ben handed it to me.
“Is that so?” I said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the vice grip I had on my beer. “Sorry, I was out of the loop on that one.”
“Did you meet her?” Ben asked.
I took a swig and nodded. “Yesterday.”
“So you are taking that job?” Rick picked up his cards and rearranged them again.
I shook my head. “Nope. I passed.”
“Probably for the best, Huck,” Kyle said. “Sounds like she’s shaping up to be a decent judge, but the word is she’s a hot mess in real life. Though she is definitely heavy on the hot side.”
“Why?” I tried to keep my tone casual. Part of me still felt protective of her. The other part of me was curious as hell. I would have needed to know everything there was about Jillian to do my job well, but I can’t deny that I didn’t also have a burning personal interest.
Rick called Hearts as trump and a quick look from Kyle told me we’d be screwed on this hand. I had nothing but spades.
“Oh, I’ve heard all kinds of different rumors,” Rick said. “But you gotta consider the source. A bunch of guys from the US Attorney’s office have tried asking her out. Frigid is the word I’ve heard. But I wouldn’t put much stock in that.”
“Maybe she’s just got good taste,” I said to a round of laughter in agreement.
“Still,” Rick continued. “There was some scuttlebutt about her appointment. Again, you gotta consider the source. It’s probably just some asshole who never had a chance with her trying to make himself sound more important.”
“But? Jesus, Chandler, you suck at telling stories.”
Rick chewed his bottom lip as he threw out another card and trumped my Ace. “Rumor was President Vance was fucking her and that’s how she snagged the appointment from him. There. Is that enough of a punch line for you?”
My backbone turned to ice. I gripped my remaining cards so hard they crumpled. Only Kyle saw. He narrowed his dark eyes at me and laid down another card. I couldn’t believe it. But I’d spent a grand sum total of an hour with the woman plus the time I watched her from the bench. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but she just didn’t seem like the type willing to fuck her way to the top. She looked like she belonged up there on that bench. The way she dealt with Jordan … she was cold steel.
Ben whistled. “I hadn’t heard that particular rumor. You know I work with a couple of the guys from Secret Service from time to time. That shit is way too juicy not to have made the rounds with at least one of them. Plus, if you’re getting that from the US Attorney’s office, you’re gonna have a bunch of them just straight-up pissed she got the job instead of them.”
“Well, whatever the truth is, a lot of people were surprised she even said yes to the appointment. She was making moves in her political party. She was some kind of city councilwoman up in Petoskey. President of the State Bar. Those are the kind of things people do when they’re planning to run for office, not take a spot on the federal bench. The pick was way out of left field. So, whenever that happens, people are gonna speculate.”
“Right,” I said. “So maybe we should just leave it there. Like I said, I’m not interested in the gig. Terry will come around. The final findings on Marvin Wayne are supposed to come out in a week or so. Then the rest of those assholes can go find somebody else to fuck around with.”
“Damn straight,” Rick said. Again, though his eyes darted to Kyle’s. I didn’t like it one damn bit. Normally, by this time of the night, I’d be feeling relaxed and chill. The tension in my shoulders made my fingers numb. I had half a mind to switch to liquor.
“Still, guarding that fine piece of ass would be my idea of a vacation. If you don’t want it, maybe you could put a good word in for me.” My jaw hardened until I saw Rick’s mouth curve into a shit-eating grin. He was fucking with me.
“Well, it’s a nonstarter,” I said. “It’s not a good fit for me. That’s it.”
“I don’t know, Huck,” Kyle chimed in. “Could be good for some brownie points. Chick like that could help you write your own ticket.”
“My ticket’s fine. Just as soon as I get the chance to get back to doing what I do best, chasing fugitives and cleaning up other people’s messes.” I slapped another card down and won the hand.
I knew I wasn’t doing myself any favors with them. They knew me too well and my short tone and attempts to change the subject off Jillian Key only tipped them off to how much I was thinking about her. She was one damn fine piece of ass and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have ripped on any one of them under the same circumstances.
“Well, I wasn’t kidding,” Rick said. “I’ll take that job any day of the week.”
“Are we here to gossip or play cards?” Again, my tone came out harder than I wanted and I knew I wasn’t fooling anyone. When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I damn near jumped out of my skin. As Kyle dealt a new hand, I pulled up the screen. I didn’t recognize the number but it was a 734 area code.
“Huckman,” I answered.
“Deputy Huckman, thank you for taking my call.” My back went rigid at the authoritative tone of her voice. She didn’t have to identify herself but she did anyway. “This is Jillian Key. Do you have a minute for me?”
Kyle shrugged his shoulders and gave me a stare. I put up a finger and pushed myself away from the table. Shit. I didn’t want any of them to know who I was talking to after the ball busting I just took. I bounded up the stairs and headed out Rick’s front door.
“Your Honor,” I said. “Is everything okay?”
“Look,” Jillian started. Once she did, her words kind of tumbled out like she’d rehearsed them. “I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. I’ve been told several times since our last meeting that you are particularly good at what you do. If I’ve misjudged you, I apologize.”
“Well, thank you for saying that, ma’am.”
“Of course. Now, I’m not going to pretend that any of this is comfortable for me. But again, as I told you … I’ve been told you are the man for the job. I’m willing to admit when I’ve been hasty. Perhaps I have been in your case.”
“Your Honor, I’m sorry if I’m interrupting here, but you wanna maybe tell me why you’re calling?”
“What? Oh. Of course. I’m hoping you’ll reconsider and come back to Ann Arbor to discuss some security issues.”
Fuck. I was afraid she was going to say that. My gut and my head told me two different things. This woman was a hot mess. That part of Rick and Kyle’s stories had to be true. But she was also in trouble. That was clear. I gripped the phone hard. I couldn’t help letting another vision form in my head. This one made me see stars and white rage. Had she really gotten her appointment on her back? Dammit. The thought of that slick fuck President Matt Vance putting so much as a hand on her had me simmering. The smart thing to do here yet again was to politely as I could tell this woman to find another guy. But as soon as I formed the thought, my mouth took over. The last thing I wanted was someone like Rick Chandler in her life.
“Judge Key, if you want me, you’re going to have to do some things fo
r me that might not make you comfortable. Do you understand that?”
She took a breath and another beat. “Yes.”
“Good. And those things are going to be non-negotiable.”
“I understand.”
“I’m going to need access. Total access. You’re going to have to open your life to me. One hundred percent. I need to know who you know, how you know them. Your routines. Everything.”
“I … I … Look, I’m not going to pretend I like any of this. But I’m willing to try. Certain things have been made apparent to me that I didn’t appreciate before. Now I do.”
“Total access. In all aspects of your life. Professional and personal. You sure you’re ready for that?”
When she let out the next breath I could almost feel it through the phone. “Yes,” she finally said.
“Good. We’ll start with your house. Text me directions. I’ll meet you there first thing in the morning.”
“My house? I’m not accustomed to …”
“Goodbye, Judge.”
“Wait. Okay. Yes. I’ll text you the address.”
My heart pumped as I gripped the phone. “Good. I’ll see you in the morning.” Then I clicked off before she had the chance to say anything else. Fuck. This was a bad idea. I knew it in my bones but it didn’t matter. Everything in me told me she’d be in real trouble without me. I didn’t want that on my conscience. That’s all this really was.
When I turned to head back into the house, the rest of the guys were already out on the porch. They’d heard every damn word and started to applaud. Fuck, they really were worse than a bunch of damn junior high girls.
Chapter Six
Jillian
My doorbell rang promptly at six a.m. He was punctual. That at least was something. I liked to arrive at the courthouse no later than seven-thirty so that wouldn’t leave us much time. On the other hand, there wasn’t much to see. Still, a trickle of sweat pooled between my shoulder blades as I reached out to open the door. I could see his silhouette in the beveled glass framing my front door. He had his back to me and stood with his shoulders straight. God, he was so tall. A man like that was built to make women feel safe. But I wasn’t some giddy fool. A man like that could also make a woman feel out of control.
I opened the door and extended a steady hand to shake his. Huck turned around and gave me a sly smile. He reached forward and shook my hand. Mine felt so small in his and his skin was rough. I pulled mine away before he did and opened the door wider to let him in. I found myself taking a steeling breath as he stepped over the threshold. In another second, he would see and start asking all the questions I hated. He would judge me.
The heels of Huck’s dress shoes thundered across the wood floor with no carpet and no real furniture to absorb the sound. He wore a blue suit with a paisley yellow tie. It fit him well, but strained just like he was Clark Kent with Superman's muscles beneath it. His marshal’s badge hung on a chain around his neck. He scanned the room with trained eyes assessing potential threats I couldn’t imagine.
“You live alone?”
“Uh. Yes. It’s just me.”
Huck went into the living room and saw all of the boxes stacked in neat rows lining the walls. His hand went to his jaw, freshly shaved. As his eyes took in the boxes, his expression betrayed nothing. I folded my hands behind my back and waited for the rest of his questions.
“Do you have an alarm system?”
“What? Um. No. I haven’t gotten around to that yet.”
He nodded. “I’ll take care of that. I’m not happy about your front door either. That glass around it isn’t safe. All I would have had to do was smash it with my fist and I could have gotten to the dead bolt. I took the liberty of walking the grounds around here too. You’re pretty wide open with the woods behind you. But I like that you’re up on the hill.”
“I’ve never had any problems. There’s a hiking trail back there that leads to a public park, but I’m not sure anyone really uses it.”
Huck raised a brow, clearly unsatisfied with my own threat assessment. He was right though. I was wide open out here. When I bought the place, the seclusion appealed to me. I didn’t want to live in some gated community on a cul-de-sac with neighbors all around.
“It’s going to be okay, Judge,” he said, his voice smooth, soft, and reassuring. Oh yes, I could see how most women would feel so safe around him. But those women weren’t me.
“How long has it been since you moved in?” His eyes went to the boxes again. If he went upstairs, he’d see more. My back went up and I had to take a deep breath to quiet the defensive tone I wanted to take.
“I’m renting,” I answered, knowing full well that wasn’t what he asked me.
“Uh huh,” he said. “That was my next question. I’m going to need to talk to your landlord. I need a list of everyone who might have access to this house. If the locks weren’t changed when you moved in, they need to be right away.”
“I doubt that will be a problem. My landlord is a family friend. And he’s pretty hands off. He won’t give us any trouble. Can I get you anything? I have coffee. I’m sorry. I’m not used to company.”
Huck put up a hand. “I’m good.” He moved deeper into the living room and put a hand on the nearest stack of boxes.
“Things have been kind of crazy since I took this appointment, as you can imagine. I mean, besides the death threats and all.” My weak attempt at a joke only got me a raised brow in response.
Huck nodded. “You’re wound pretty tight, aren’t you?”
“What? Look. I don’t mind you being here. I get that it’s part of your job and I’m grateful for that. But I don’t want you to think I’m going to allow you to be too familiar.”
Huck laughed. “Calm down. It wasn’t a judgment … Judge. It’s just you’ve been in this place for almost a year and you haven’t unpacked yet. I’ve seen your office. Everything’s laid out at right angles.”
My throat felt dry. I took a step back and crossed my arms in front of me. “Maybe this was a mistake.”
Huck put his hands up. “Probably. But as you told me repeatedly last night, I’m good at what I do and you need me. I don’t really care how bunged up you are, Judge. I’m just making an observation. The more I know about you and the way you operate, the better chance I’m going to have to find out where you’re vulnerable. And I get that’s what you hate more than anything. Being vulnerable.”
He took a step toward me, then another. Fire seemed to dance behind his eyes and my heart thundered in my chest. I didn’t like this feeling I had around him. I knew he was here to keep me safe but something about him screamed danger. We stood just a few inches apart from each other. My eyes went up and up to meet his.
“Can I trust you?” I asked. I hadn’t planned to say it so bluntly.
Huck’s luscious mouth curved into a smile, revealing that sexy dimple in his right cheek. This guy could be an underwear model if his stint with the Marshals Service didn’t work out.
“Judge,” he said, taking another step toward me. “Looking out for you is going to be my job if we can both agree to that. You might not always like how I operate, but I can promise you everything I do is aimed at keeping you safe. Now I don’t want to scare you, it sounds like somebody already did that. But there’s a real whacko out there who I believe, and the FBI believes, might actually try to carry out some of the threats you’ve received. I’ve never lost anyone on my watch that wasn’t a bad guy. I don’t plan on breaking that streak with you. So, yes, you can trust me to keep you as safe as I can, but only if you do what I tell you. I asked you this last night, and I’m asking you now … can you do what you’re told?”
My heartbeat seemed to hitch in my chest as his words skittered over me. Dangerous. Yes. That’s exactly what Ray Huckman might be for me. I believed he would protect me with his life if it came to that. But I also knew it would come at a cost. Having this man in my life the way he said he needed to be would disrupt everyth
ing. Every wall I’d carefully built around myself could come crashing down. And that was the truth of it. I was more scared of letting my guard down than I was over any psycho out there sending me threatening letters. The demons inside of me could be far more dangerous. If Huck stayed around, he’d see them too.
“I can try,” I said, giving him the most honest answer I could. “I’m not used to letting other people have that kind of control.”
Huck slid a hand into his pocket. His suit jacket pulled back, showing the hard lines of his chest muscles beneath his tailored white shirt. “I get that,” he said, hitting just the right tone of compassion and authority. “And we can take this a step at a time. I can’t promise I’m going to be able to take the time to explain every detail of why I do things the way I do. But I respect your privacy. Anything I see or hear goes no further. And I don’t really give a shit if you’re OCD enough not to have unpacked your stuff yet.”
I blinked hard. My skin flushed hot and I hoped Huck couldn’t tell. Letting him in would be so dangerous. If I believed Rhonda, not letting him in could be deadly. I concentrated on my breathing and felt the panic start to finally subside. I replaced it with resolve and straightened my back.
“Then I think we can come to some kind of working relationship, Deputy Huckman.”
He nodded. “Well, then you can start by calling me Huck. We’re going to be spending a hell of a lot of time together. I don’t want to be presumptuous but calling you Your Honor every five seconds is a bit of a mouthful.”