Judge of Hell (Hell Night Series Book 3)

by Alex Grayson

  Maisy’s having a ball with him. I haven’t seen her laugh so much in a long time. It’s been months since she’s been able to be a real kid, and I’m soaking up every second of watching her do something as normal as playing in a pool.

  “How are you settling in?” Eden asks, taking a sip of her ice water.

  “It’s been good so far. Malus is a lot different than where I grew up though.”

  Eden and Remi share a look before Remi brings her eyes to me. “Malus is a one-of-a-kind town, but it’s a really great place to live.”

  “I think I’m going to like living here,” I state truthfully. I haven’t had the chance to really explore yet or meet many of the townsfolk, but what I’ve seen so far, has been nice.

  “You’re lucky,” Remi says, laughing. “When I came to town, everyone gave me the stink eye.”

  Eden nods. “Same.”

  Confused, I ask, “Why?”

  “Because the people of Malus aren’t fond of having new people come here,” Eden explains. “It’s a tight-knit community and they don’t like outsiders coming in who could throw off the serenity they have here. You’ve been given an automatic acceptance because you’re a part of Judge’s past. The guys….” She pauses, her brows scrunching as she thinks. “This is essentially their town. They run it with an iron fist, but everyone respects them for it. Things are… different here.”

  “Eden,” Remi says, her voice a warning.

  She darts her eyes to Remi. “Don’t worry. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Wait, wait.” I sit up in my chair and face them fully. “What do you mean things are different here? Is there something I should know about?”

  Worry twines itself in my blood stream, making my skin feel hot.

  Remi reaches over and pats my hand. “There’s no need to worry. Everything is fine. Judge will explain things to you.”

  I frown, not liking her answer one bit. I look over and see Elijah hitting the water, splashing Maisy, Thea, and himself. Maisy’s lying back with her head resting on the edge of the pool, her hands covering her face, laughing.

  Did I make a mistake bringing her here? What could Remi and Eden possibly be talking about? And why in the hell are there so many secrets surrounding Judge?

  I open my mouth to ask them to explain more, but a screech comes from the side of the house.

  “Hi!”

  Looking over, I spot Sierra strolling toward us, her hand in the air waving dramatically. She stops at the edge of the cement slab.

  “Do you mind if I join y’all?” she asks, sounding chipper.

  “Not at all,” I say, pointing to a chair to my right. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “No thanks, I’m good.” She smiles, and I can’t help but smile back.

  She looks at the laughing kids. “That’s just so sweet,” she comments, her smile turning wider.

  “How have you been, Sierra?”

  She glances at Remi, and I notice something dark cross her face. The look is gone in an instant, and I wonder if it was just my imagination.

  She beams a smile. “Great! I start at the library next week. I’ll be taking over Greta’s position during story time while she’s on pregnancy leave.”

  “That’s great! I’ll make sure to bring Elijah by sometime.”

  She tucks one leg beneath her. “I’d like that. And you should bring Maisy by as well, Ellie.”

  “I think she’ll like that. She loves books.”

  Just then, the sliding glass door opens, and Judge walks out. He’s been in his office, taking care of business matters. His eyes light up when he spots the kids having fun in the pool.

  “Think we’ll ever get them out?”

  I laugh. “Probably not.”

  “Hi, Judge,” Sierra says, catching his attention.

  He offers her a tender smile. “Hey, Sierra.”

  She smiles shyly back at him, her eyes shining with affection. I’m surprised at the change in her demeanor. She went from bubbly and loud to quiet and bashful. It doesn’t take a genius to realize she’s got a crush on Judge. I’d be jealous if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s so young, and I know Judge would never mess around with someone her age.

  “You ladies staying for dinner?” he asks. “Should I call Trouble and JW and tell them to get their asses here too?”

  “Not me,” Remi answers. “Mae’s watching Elijah tonight so Trouble and I can have a night to ourselves.”

  “I can’t either. Caleb’s got friends coming over to watch the game and he wants me to host.”

  Judge’s gaze moves to Sierra, and something passes over his face. Worry? Concern?

  “How are things going with him?”

  She tugs on her lip with her teeth and looks down at her lap. “It’s going good,” she answers in a low voice.

  “Sierra,” Judge calls. When she looks up at him, he gives her a firm look. “You tell me if you have any more problems with him, okay?”

  She nods sedately. “I will.”

  “Promise me.”

  A slight smile forms. “Promise.”

  He searches her eyes for a moment, before he gives a clipped nod. What was that about? Caleb seemed like such a nice guy when I met him a few days ago. What kind of problem is Sierra having? I make a note to ask Judge later. It’s really none of my business, but I want to make sure it’s nothing I need to be concerned about since she’s offered to watch Maisy if I need her to.

  “What about you, Eden? You and Thea staying?”

  “Hmm….” She taps her lip with a finger. “Yes. We’d love to stay. I’ll call JW and make sure we don’t have any plans.”

  Thirty minutes later, we’ve wrestled the kids from the pool. Thea came out with no complaints. Maisy pouted, but didn’t make much of a fuss. Elijah, on the other hand, bawled his poor little eyes out. Remi says it’s past his nap time, so he’s due to be cranky anyway.

  As Eden and I cook dinner, it feels like there’s a permanent smile on my face as I watch Judge and Maisy interact with each other. Sometimes it’s still difficult to believe that we’re actually here with him. That Judge is back in our lives. Even without Maisy’s need for a kidney, I know with absolute certainty that it was the right decision to find him.

  I only wish I had made it sooner and for a better reason.

  Chapter Eighteen

  JUDGE

  I DIG MY THUMBS INTO the arch of Ellie’s foot before moving on to the sides and bottom of her heel. My mouth tips up at the corner when I hear a slight moan come from her. I used to rub her feet every night after she came to my apartment after work. She claimed I always knew just where and how hard to rub certain spots. I claimed she had the sexiest feet I had ever seen. She still does.

  I miss those days so damn much.

  I’m at one end of the couch with Ellie’s feet in my lap, while she’s lying down, her head turned to the side watching the television. She put something on when we first came in here, but I have no clue what it is, as my attention has been solely focused on her the whole time.

  My dick has been hard for the last ten minutes. Ellie doesn’t know because I’ve purposely put her feet where she wouldn’t feel it.

  “Tell me what’s going on with Sierra,” she asks, turning her head my way.

  Leaving her foot behind, I start to gently message her Achilles tendon.

  “A couple of months ago, JW found Sierra with a busted lip. She ended up confessing that Caleb gave it to her.”

  She hisses in a sharp breath, her leg twitching in my hand.

  “And she’s still with him?” she asks in disbelief.

  “Unfortunately, yes.” I move to her other foot. “But I don’t think he’ll be laying a hand on her again.”

  Her eyes turn suspicious. “What did you do?”

  “My brothers and I beat the fuck out of him.” I give her the truth.

  She’s quiet a moment before she says,
“Maybe I should feel sorry for him, but I can’t find it in me.”

  “Good, because he doesn’t deserve any pity.”

  “You know she has a crush on you, right?” I glance over and see one side of her mouth tipped up.

  “And that doesn’t make you jealous?”

  She shakes her head. “No. She’s too young to interest you.”

  I release a sigh. “It started about a year ago. She was only seventeen at the time. She’d flirt and gaze at me with adoring eyes, stupid shit like that. She’s still a fucking kid to me.”

  Ellie laughs. “I think it’s kinda cute.”

  I shake my head. The woman is crazy.

  She turns her head back to watch the television. I run my hands halfway up her calf and work on the muscle there for several minutes. Her skin is flawlessly smooth. When my fingers drift up to the underside of her knee, her breath hitches, just as I knew it would.

  I lift my gaze to her and find her eyes hooded. “Judge,” she breathes.

  She looks so Goddamn sexy right now with one hand on her stomach and her other arm thrown back, gripping the arm of the couch.

  “What?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

  Her eyes narrow. “Don’t play coy. You know exactly what you’re doing.”

  I smirk. I do know. I know that the underside of her knee is an intense erogenous zone for her. I know that if I caress the area just right, she’ll writhe and moan.

  My fingers linger on a spot and I lift a brow. “Want me to stop?” Please say no, my mind screams. They’ve been here for five days, and every night I’ve lain in bed, hard as a fucking rock, knowing Ellie was just across the hall from me. I feel like a damn teenager again with all the times I’ve had to jack off recently.

  I’m tired of feeling my hand wrapped around my shaft. I want to feel hers, along with her mouth and her tight pussy. But I don’t want to rush her either. What’s between us is about more than just sex. It’s about life and the future we could have together. I want her body, but I want her heart and soul more.

  She tugs on her lip as she thinks over my question. I allow my thumb to rub small circles beneath her knee. Not enough to turn her on, but just enough to remind her I’m here and waiting.

  After several agonizing seconds, she gives me a small headshake, and I swear to Christ, my heart damn near leaps from my chest.

  “You tell me to stop, and we will.”

  “Okay,” she whispers, her chest already rising with her shallow pants.

  My fingers hit just the right spot, and her body stiffens, then relaxes back against the couch. I watch her eyes, the silver swirls of desire, and my cock jerks in its tight confinement.

  Thanking Christ that she’s in a pair of sleep shorts, I leave her knee behind and slip my hand further up her thigh. Her legs are together, so I take the outside one and put her foot on the floor. The other gets wedged between my back and the back of the couch. It’s frustrating because the only light on in the living room is the lamp behind her on the table, so although she’s spread open to me, the shadows still keep her hidden.

  My fingers glide up until I reach the edge of her short black cotton shorts. I play with the hem as I look back in her eyes, silently asking for permission to continue. She doesn’t need to say a word; she begs me with her eyes to touch her.

  I slip my fingers beneath her shorts and skim my fingertips in the crease of her thigh, another titillating spot. Her back arches and she releases a low moan, her fingers digging into the material of her shirt over her stomach. A low growl rumbles from my throat.

  I palm my cock through my sleep pants, needing some type of relief. I’m as hard as fucking steel, and my balls ache for release.

  I hiss out a breath when my fingers touch her outer lips. She’s already soaked. “I see you still go commando when you wear nightclothes,” I remark huskily.

  Her hips buck up off the couch, and she moans, “You know I like being free at the end of the day. That hasn’t changed.”

  Halle-fuckin’-lujah for that.

  Catching the hidden nub between two fingers, I give it a slight pinch. She jolts, her mouth dropping open and releasing a shuddering breath.

  “Want me to stop?” I tease.

  As best as she can with her foot tucked behind me, she slams her knees closed, trapping my hand where it is. The hand on her stomach moves to my wrist, and she grips it tight.

  “Don’t you dare fucking stop,” she growls.

  I chuckle and flick my fingertip against her clit. She loosens her hold on me and her body eases back down. I rub from her clit down to her opening and swirl my finger barely inside. Her inner walls spasm.

  She whimpers when I pull my hand from her shorts. I need a better position, so I grip her thighs, slide her down the couch, then grab her hips and hoist her up so she’s straddling my lap. She lets out a startled cry at the sudden movement, but I quiet her with my mouth.

  Her hands tangle in my hair and she gives just as hard as she gets. My hands anchor around her hips, and I grind her down against my hardness. A deep groan forces its way up my throat. My body demands I yank her shorts to the side, slide my cock from my pants, and sink inside her warm depths, but I’ll only last seconds and I want it to last longer.

  I trail my lips down her neck and over the valley between her breasts, licking and sucking the delicious flesh. All night her breasts have been driving me crazy, jiggling when she made the slightest movement. Her nipples stick out against the material, and I latch my lips around one through her thin shirt. She throws back her head in ecstasy.

  Yanking down her top, I free the other breast and tweak it between my thumb and pointer finger. Her hips rock against mine, her arousal soaking the front of my pants.

  “Oh, God, we have to stop,” she pants, digging her nails against my scalp. “Maisy might come out and see us.”

  Damn it to hell. She’s right. That certainly doesn’t need to happen.

  Palming her ass, I hoist us up from the couch. Her legs instinctually wrap around my waist. My lips find hers as I stumble up the stairs to my bedroom. I kick the door closed and press her back against the wood.

  “Shirt off,” I mumbled, lapping at her neck.

  I lift my head just long enough for her to pull her shirt over her head, and I take a moment to stare at the treasure she revealed. I’ve always loved her breasts, but fuck if I don’t love them more now. They’re fuller than I remember and sag slightly, probably from giving birth to our daughter.

  Palming the bottom of one, I lift the plump deliciousness and curl my tongue around the tip. Keeping my eyes on hers, I tug on her nipple with my teeth. She hisses out a breath.

  “Want me to stop yet?” I ask, popping my lips free from her nipple.

  Her head, pressed against the door, gives a firm shake. “Give me more.”

  I grind my hips into her center. “More? What more do you want?”

  “All of it. Give me everything, Judge.”

  I move us before the last word leaves her mouth. Stalking over to the bed, I set her down on the edge. Reaching back, I yank off my shirt. Her eyes immediately devour my torso. She gets to her knees, reaching out to run her hands over my abs. I was fit when we were together before, but I’ve gained a lot of muscle since then. Apparently, she likes the added bulk.

  I’ve also gotten some ink since the last time we were together. It catches her eye, and her fingers trace over the cherry blossom on the side of my ribs. It was her favorite flower. I had the tattooist make it look like the edges were singed in a fire. The beauty of the flower represents her, and the singed part represents the pain of losing her.

  Her eyes glisten, but she blinks several times and the moisture dissipates.

  I groan when her tongue darts out against her lips. She looks like she wants to lick every part her eyes touch.

  “We do this, Ellie, and there’s no turning back. Once I have you again, I’m never letting you go again.”
Her eyes dart up at my warning tone. “You’ll only ever be mine. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  What in the hell I’ll do if she says no, I have not a clue. Go insane, probably. I won’t give up trying though.

  Her eyes hold vulnerability as she flicks them back and forth between mine. I hold my breath and wait.

  Thankfully, she saves my lucidity by saying, “I’m sure.”

  “You’ve got no damn clue how happy you just made me,” I rumble.

  She smiles. “I’ve got an idea.”

  My stomach muscles tighten and my cock stiffens more when her fingertips graze the edge of my pants. I grit my teeth and draw in a harsh breath. Her head lowers, her lips coasting over my pecs, and they jump at the touch. She moves to my tattoo and tenderly lays several kisses over the cherry blossom.

  I twine my fingers in her hair, looking down as her lips move to the small scattering of hair on my lower stomach. I’m precariously close to the edge, and if she goes much lower, I’ll lose it.

  When her tongue darts out and plays with the edge of my pants, I tighten my grip in her hair and pull her head back.

  “As much as I want your mouth on my cock right now, I’ll only last seconds. There’s something else I need more.”

  She gets back to her knees, her tits bouncing.

  “Your shorts. Take them off.”

  I watch as she shimmies her shorts over her hips and thighs, then tilting on her hip to pull them down her legs. Impatiently, I yank down my pants, my cock happily springing free.

  “I forgot how big you are,” she murmurs, her gaze falling on my jutting shaft.

  “That’s okay. I’ll help you remember,” I say slyly.

  Her lips quirk up at the sides.

  We each reach for the other at the same time. Her chest gets smashed against mine, and our lips meet in a heated kiss. Gripping the backs of her thighs, I lift her so she can wrap her legs around my waist. I tumble us down on the bed, never breaking our kiss, nestle between her legs, and feel like I’ve finally come home. This is where I belong.