by Taylor Lee
***
Needing a breath of air and determined to shake off the bevy of women who had been chasing him since he’d arrived late to the party, Jude headed outside to one of the secluded alcoves on the Mansion grounds. He and his brothers had grown up in the Justice Mansion. Jude smiled, remembering their countless hours of imaginative play chasing one another through the lush acres of gardens, forests, and hidden paths. He headed for the ‘jeweled pond’ as Jake had named it. Their talented Japanese gardener had conceived the lighted pool filled with colorful rocks, exotic plants, and mysterious fish. Niko had even constructed a whimsical bridge from one side of the pond to the other.
Assuming he was alone, Jude was surprised to see an unfamiliar woman on the bridge. She was leaning over the railing, staring into the colorful pond as if enraptured by the flickering lights and lush vegetation.
Not recognizing her, Jude shook his head in mock dismay. Christ, was it possible there was a woman at the party that he hadn’t slept with? She was facing away from him, but the back view was more than enough to pique his interest. She was slender, but curvy as hell. Her dress ended six inches above her knees, revealing a tantalizing view of smooth, toned thighs. A pair of sensational high heels showcased her shapely ankles and calves. Even at this distance, Jude’s pussy antenna—make that his cunt antenna—flared. When she turned toward him, he reeled back, struggling to breathe. It was as though the ground opened up and a vortex of whirlwind emotions sucked every molecule of air from his lungs. His muttered curse grabbed the last bit of air he had. “Well, I’ll be a goddamned, fucking son of a bitch!”
His brother’s low chuckle behind him confirmed that he agreed. “You said it, brother! Dammit, I told you, bro, but you didn’t believe me, did you? It serves you right, asshole.” Jared’s challenging rebuke was soft, reproachful. “Just goes to prove, buddy, you’ve been banging the Jerri Juggernauts so long you can’t recognize a prime piece of real estate when you see it. You should have listened to me, dude. You might actually have had a chance. You’re as quirky as she is. But after tonight, she’s gonna have to wear three pairs of thick plastic lenses and a fucking chastity belt on the outside of her cargo pants to keep away all the randy dicks that’ll be banging at her door to get a piece of that sweet little ass.”
Chapter 15
When her friends had finished with her, Skylar knew she looked good. The shiny goop they added to her already puffy lips made them glisten seductively. They had polished her cheeks with a mix of blush and bronzer that accentuated her high cheekbones and classic face structure. But it was her eyes that won the prize. Hailey had approached the tanzanite wonders the way a master artist would a blank canvas. Armed with more powders and shiny paints than Sky knew existed, Hailey stroked, buffed, and smoothed a paint box of colors onto her lids. With a mascara brush and touch of brow tint, Hailey skillfully made Sky’s already lush lashes and brows a sensational backdrop for her gorgeous eyes.
Even her crazy hairdo looked chic, almost like the picture in the fashion magazine Sky had used as a guide when she had chopped off her shoulder-length curtain of shiny black hair. The assault on her academic-looking pageboy was the final nail in the coffin for her outraged father. He’d thrown up his hands in disgust at what he called her determination to look like a goth freak. The problem was that even Sky thought her hair looked silly. She’d finally given up trying to make her chopped hair look like the model in the trendy magazine. Leave it to Mitzi, the least hip cop on the force, to whip out the mousse and make Sky’s spiky locks look stylish as hell.
But it was her dress that stole the show. Looking at her reflection in one of the Justice Mansion’s many bathrooms, Sky congratulated herself for being courageous enough to buy the dress and for letting her friends convince her to wear it. According to her father, this was the kind of dress her wanton mother had worn. Pirouetting in front of the mirror, Skylar thanked her in-absentia mother for bequeathing her a curvy figure with great legs, a tight round bottom, and a pair of decent boobs. Sky had spent her entire life hiding this side of her personality, but upon seeing her reflection she had to admit that she could grow to like it.
She’d seen Jude when he arrived. Fortunately, he hadn’t seen her, but then how could he? When he stepped through the doorway, he had been swarmed by a hive of tall, leggy women. The eager throng even included the Parker sisters. As much as she hated the adoring pack, Skylar couldn’t blame them for surrounding the commanding man. Eschewing his usual jeans and tight black t-shirt, Jude had given into the couture demands of the evening. His stylish, open-necked pin striped silk shirt underscored the modish Christian Audigier jacket that hung on his six-foot-three muscular frame as if it had been made for him—which Skylar knew was probable. Likewise, his tailored trousers hugged his powerful thighs and sculpted butt to perfection. As always, his tousled dark collar-length hair hung loosely over his forehead in sexy disarray. But it was his gleaming emerald eyes that caught the attention of anyone brave enough to approach him. His stern jaw and narrow gaze signaled that Detective Jude Justice would rather be anywhere but this elegant soiree. But apparently his disdain made him more popular than ever among the flock of women jockeying for his attention, each one certain that she would be the one to capture the elusive hunk’s attention.
Before Jude arrived, Skylar began scoping out Charlie Berkley. She stood to the side of the patio, trying to get a read on him. He had to be feeling uneasy, given that his almost-ex-wife’s parents had been gruesomely murdered. But other than keeping a safe distance from the Parker sisters, who were holding court under the gazebo on the main patio, the burly, blond-haired former NFL football player seemed remarkably at ease. Standing among a group of men where the topics of discussion included everything from Troy Merritt’s chances for a repeat at Quicken Loans National to the latest pro football and basketball rosters, Charlie cheerfully participated in the jock talk banter.
On her winding approach to get as close as she could to Charlie Berkley without making him think she was focused on him, Skylar had to run the gauntlet of comments from eager men. Good God, she’d never known the effect a thigh-high dress with a stretchy, strapless top could have on a bunch of supposedly upright men, regardless of their age or marital status. It was a tad painful to accept that the dozens of men who approached her as though they had never met her had been to at least three or four of the parties she’d attended since she came to Northwoods country. So much for her ability to carry on an erudite conversation. If she were in the relationship business, she would advise any young woman interested in attracting men—lots of them—to forget academics and get a boob job.
Blake Parker was the exception. When she met him before the awful murders, Blake had seemed sincerely interested in her. Not necessarily as a woman, but in her career and expertise. He was intrigued how she used her intelligence analyst skills to help the police identify criminals from clues that beat cops often missed. Never one to tout her expertise, Blake had asked enough pertinent questions about her field and only referred to her famous father once. She thought his interest was sincere.
Seeing her from across the patio, he immediately came over to her and reached for her hand. “You look beautiful tonight, Skylar.” He quickly corrected himself, “I apologize if you’d prefer that I call you Ms. Hughes. I don’t want to be too familiar.”
Sky laughed. “No, Blake, Skylar is quite all right.” Thinking about the disparaging nicknames Jude routinely called her, she added, “Trust me, I’ve been called a lot worse.”
Blake smiled. “That’s the problem with being a beautiful woman in a male-dominated work environment. I’m a lawyer and only tangentially involved in law enforcement, but I’ve seen enough of how women are routinely treated in that chauvinistic arena to know how challenging your job must be.”
“Frankly, given my father and the erudite academic community he was a part of, the law enforcement community is refreshing. At least they tell you to your face what they think of you
instead of whispering behind your back.”
Blake laughed appreciatively before his expression grew serious and tears filled his eyes. “I…I hope you understand the pressure my sisters and I are feeling. It’s just that I felt badly about some of the things that my sisters said the other day to you…and to Jude. They were…were unkind and I wanted to apologize to you. It’s just that we are all so upset…don’t mind me...” He swiped at his tears and blurted, “I promise I won’t impinge on your need for confidentiality, Skylar, but is there anything…anything new in my parents’ murder…investigation?”
Skylar shook her head and did her best to reassure the troubled man. “No, Blake, the minute we have a break of any kind you and your sisters will be the first to know. Please understand, both Detective Justice and I are fully aware of the terrible strain you and your sisters are under. I also appreciate that all four of you sent me a list of names of people who may hold a grudge against your parents—”
Blake broke in. “But Skylar, I hope you know that even though I gave you three names like Jude requested, I don’t for a moment believe that any of them would ever do something so…horrible. God, not even Charlie, although he is understandably angry with my family.”
At that moment, a solemn older couple started to come over to give Blake their condolences. Skylar took advantage of the opportunity to move away from Blake, but before she left she quietly said to him, “Remember, I’m available to talk any time. Just text me and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.”
Blake squeezed her hand and murmured, “You have no idea how much that means to me,
Skylar. Thank you.”
As she crossed the room to make her way over to Charlie Berkley, Sky saw—or more accurately, felt—the hard glares that Blake’s three sisters were sending her way. She met their frowning gazes and nodded pleasantly. Skylar had a moment of catty delight wondering if the venomous women recognized the Ana Sui original that she was wearing. Given the way they’d sneered at her the day before, she hoped that they did. But to be fair, she did look a little different tonight than she had when they met with her and Jude.
Forgetting about her clothes, Skylar tucked their angry glares away into her computer-brain. When she had time she would need to pull out the Parker sibling file and process it. She’d noticed that the sisters were more than a little protective of their younger brother. She conceded that this was likely because compared to them, he was more open about the pain and horror he was feeling. The primary emotion Sky felt from the Parker sisters was anger. That it was directed at her and Jude for what the sisters perceived as their incompetence didn’t help. Sky reminded herself of the incredible strain all four siblings were feeling. She admitted they deserved credit. It took guts and a carefully cultivated sense of entitlement to attend an event like this. Particularly when they had to know that the main topic of gossip circulating in the elite crowd was the horrible, sexually-explicit assaults their parents had endured.
Sidling over to the bar closest to Charlie, Skylar made a point of dropping one of her earrings. Grabbing at her ear as if just realizing that she had lost it, Sky got down on her hands and knees and reached under the chair closest to Charlie. No fewer than four men, including Charlie, rushed over to help her search. She surreptitiously pushed the earring in Charlie’s direction and was glad when he spotted it.
The big man bent down and reached for the earring. When he stood up he wavered unsteadily for a moment. Seeming to regain his composure, he held out the earring. “Here, miss. Is this what you’re looking for?”
Skylar gave him a relieved smile and quickly rose from her compromised position. “Yes, thank you. I borrowed these earrings from my roommate and would have been horrified if I lost one.”
While Charlie smiled at her, Sky noticed that his expression was strained and his eyes had an odd, glassy look.
“I’m glad I saw it drop. By the way, my name is Charlie Berkley. I don’t believe I’ve met you before. Are you new here?”
Skylar smiled, knowing that she had been to at least three other parties where she’d seen Charlie and on two occasions had been introduced to him. Once again she conceded how unmemorable she was. How had Jude put it? Unappealing. Gazing up at Charlie, she said, “I’m not really new. I’ve been here for several months. My name is Skylar Hughes. I work with the Duluth Police Department.”
Charlie frowned and asked warily, “Are you a police officer?”
Seeing his distrust, Skylar was straightforward. “No. I’m what they call an Intelligence Analyst. I could never carry a gun. I’d be afraid I might shoot someone.”
Charlie dismissed her attempt at humor. “Are you involved in the Parker murder investigation?”
Sky decided she had nothing to lose by declaring her position. “Yes, I am, as an analyst. I’m working with Detective Jude Justice, who’s leading the investigation.”
Charlie’s frown darkened and his response was sharp. “I thought I might have seen you before. You’re a friend of Jared’s, aren’t you?”
When she nodded in agreement, he scowled. “Then you must know that I’m Charlie Berkley, the soon-to-be divorced husband of one of the biggest bitches that ever walked this earth.”
Startled at his angry retort, Sky stepped back. To her surprise, Charlie closed in on her. His eyes were blazing and his voice was low, grating, filled with scorn. “Correction. Make that the four biggest bitches the devil ever created. They include my soon-to-be former wife, her two sisters, and their cunt mother. It shouldn’t surprise you that getting away from that depraved bunch is the best thing I’ve ever done!”
Having heard him talk pleasantly to a group of men less than twenty minutes earlier, Skylar managed to hide her surprise at Charlie’s vulgar attack on his in-law women. Given the strong smell of alcohol on his breath, she chalked up his intemperate response to overindulgence.
That assessment was confirmed when he leaned closer to her and spit out, “Let me tell you something else, Miss Intelligence Analyst, and you can pass this on to every goddamn one of the fucking Justice brothers. As much as I would’ve loved to have killed that thieving son of a bitch Hank Parker and his cunt wife, someone beat me to it. But you gotta know, sweet stuff, I’m far from the only one in this fucking city who feels that way! And you can take that bit of ‘analysis’ to the bank.”
As the angry man weaved his way to the door, she saw him almost run into Jude, who was just entering. Sky waited to see if Charlie might take Jude on given the way he’d lashed out at her, but he apparently decided against it and stormed out of the house. Skylar debated if she should go over to Jude to tell him what had happened—the conversation with Blake and more importantly, Charlie Berkley’s fit of rage.
Sky decided her report could wait until morning when she saw the lineup of beautiful women waiting for an opportunity to flash their wares at the dark-haired superstar who happened to be her boss. And, she admitted, the only man who’d ever made her question her declared vow of celibacy. Seeing Jerri Ross, wearing what looked like a white leather jumpsuit that could have been sprayed on her lush body, lean up to whisper in Jude’s ear after sneakily pushing another young woman aside, Skylar decided she’d had enough.
She walked through what she thought was a door to the front of the Justice Mansion planning to retrieve her Spider and head for home. She hoped that the gaga young valet who had taken her keys and parked it for her hadn’t peed in the red and black leather interior. He’d looked that excited at the opportunity to touch, much less park, her three hundred thousand-dollar plus automobile.
Unfortunately, she missed the turn to the front of the mansion and ended up in a quiet garden alcove. Thankful for the opportunity to clear her head, she spotted a pond in the center of the recess. It was lit by an array of softly colored lights. Walking over the charming footbridge that crossed the pond, to her delight Skylar discovered a truly masterful Japanese garden. Intrigued by the artful mixing of esoteric plants, unusual rocks, and gent
ly streaming water, Sky soon became absorbed in the surprisingly tranquil retreat. She didn’t know how long she leaned over the railing of the bridge, charmed by one unexpected element after another, when she thought she heard someone behind her.
Turning toward the sound, she was stunned to see Jude standing at the edge of the alcove staring at her. Clearly as surprised as she was, she heard him mutter, “Well, I’ll be a goddamned, fucking son of a bitch!”
Skylar thought she heard Jared say something from behind him but the expression on Jude’s face blocked out his brother’s words. She’d seen Jude angry, but this was something more. He was glaring at her, a mix of anger and amazement contorting his disbelieving expression. He stood stock-still, staring at her for a long moment, before striding toward her. In seconds he was on the bridge mere feet away, palpable heat emanating from his fierce body.
Glaring at her, his eyes were hard narrow slits of emerald heat. As if not believing what he saw, he reached for her and snorted in a rough mix of righteous anger and laugher. “Jesus Fucking Christ, it is you!” Grabbing her arm, he jerked her up next to him and said in a dangerously low voice, “Damn you, Skylar, for the brat that you are. I ought to spank your ass for this. In fact, goddammit, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”
Chapter 16
It took Skylar a full ten seconds to overcome her shock. Her rational mind tried to imagine what she could have done to warrant Jude’s angry attack. At the same time, his scandalous threat to spank her flooded her distinctly irrational body with a mass of fiery sensations. No one had ever looked at her the way he was, and no one had ever threatened to spank her. She tried to back away, fighting against the relentless cascade of fiery sparks lighting her core, but his looming presence was impossible to evade. His eyes were gleaming with anger and fiery passion. More than anything, he looked like a powerful animal poised to strike.