“Damn it,” she mutters and tips her head back to the sky. The slender column of her neck mesmerizes me. All too soon, she brings her head back down.
I hand over her license and registration. “Give me a couple of minutes, then follow me into town. I just need to make arrangements for a place for you to stay.”
“Whatever.” She snatches the papers from my hand, yanks open her door, and drops down into the seat. That’s a big fucking mistake for someone with sore ribs. She sucks in a sharp breath and rests her head back against the headrest.
I close her door for her and lean my hands on the edge. She opens her eyes to slits and glares at me.
“We’re having your ribs looked at too.” I hold my hand up when she opens her mouth to spew whatever shit she’s come up with. “Not up for discussion. You’re obviously in pain. You need to make sure there aren’t any broken or cracked.”
“Fine,” she grumbles and snags her glasses from the middle console and slides them back over her eyes.
I pin her with a look. “Two minutes and then follow me.” I push off from the door. “The name is JW, in case you were wondering.”
Without waiting for a reply, I stalk back to my car, climb behind the wheel, and pull up Judge’s name on my phone. He answers on the third ring.
“What?” he grunts.
“I need a favor.”
There’s a couple of taps on his end then he grunts again, “What?”
“I’m bringing in a woman. She’s in trouble and needs a place to stay. I need you to call Jenny to see if she minds having company for a few days.”
“Who is this woman?” he asks, a hard edge in his tone.
My jaw tenses, but I unsnap my teeth. He’s going to be pissed, but fuck if it’ll make a difference. Eden will be staying in Malus for a few days whether he likes it or not.
“Someone I caught speeding just outside of town. Before you get bent out of shape, she’s staying here, so you’ll just have to deal. Her ex has already done a number on her. Apparently, he’s looking for her and she has nowhere to go. I’m going to look into the situation.”
There’s a loud bang, and I can just imagine his fist hitting his desk. Next comes his muttered curse. Judge takes the protection of Malus and its citizens very seriously. My brothers and I do as well, but Judge takes it to another level. Nothing and no one are more important. While that’s the case for Trouble, Emo, and myself most of the time, we also recognize there may be situations where risks need to be taken. Most of the time we’re just an ordinary town, so the chances of our special brand of justice coming to light are extremely slim.
“Find out whatever you can quickly so this shit gets taken care of in a timely manner,” he grinds out. “I’ll give Jenny a call.”
I slip my aviators back on and turn over the ignition, my eyes on the back of Eden’s car. “Got it. And thanks.”
He doesn’t bother to say goodbye before the line goes dead. Not that I expected it. Judge is a man of few words.
As I roll past the red convertible, my eyes slide to Eden, who’s sitting stiffly in her car. My gaze moves to the rearview mirror, and my body relaxes back in the seat when I see her pull away from the side of the road. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she had whipped a u-ey as soon as I rolled past her and hauled ass in the opposite direction. I’m just glad I didn’t have to chase her down.
Because I would have.
Eden Delmont may not want my help, but that’s exactly what she’s going to get.
EDEN
I SIT RIGIDLY ON THE BUTTERY soft leather sofa with my hands buried in my deep blue skirt as the sheriff who pulled me over speaks to a blonde-haired woman. She was introduced as Jenny. Her eyes keep flickering to me, a look of concern bringing a frown to her face. It irritates the hell out of me to have them talking about me like I’m not even here. It also irks me for some bizarre reason how close he’s standing to the pretty blonde. And that only pisses me off even more, because, really, why would him being close to her bother me? I mean, yeah, he’s gorgeous. And I admit, his voice is deliciously deep and gravelly. Not to mention he’s got a killer body made for a woman to do sinful things to. But I don’t know this guy from Adam. And anyway, none of that should matter in my current situation. I’m literally running for my life, for God’s sake.
The woman faces JW again and gives him a nod. He smiles, and damn it, it only adds to his appeal. Especially the dimple that dents his cheek. I’ve always been a sucker for dimples.
Stupid, Eden. So stupid.
How stunning this man looks isn’t something I should be thinking about right now. I’ve got more important things to worry about. Like why I’m even in this town; in this stranger’s house. I shouldn’t be here. I need to keep moving. The longer I’m in one place, the more of a chance he’ll find me. I’ve no doubt once he does, he won’t let me live. I’ve seen too much.
I should be concentrating on how I’m going to avoid kicking the bucket.
JW and Jenny walk back into the living room. Jenny smiles and takes a seat on the love seat, while JW comes to sit on the couch with me, keeping one of the cushions between us.
“Jenny’s going to let you stay here for a few days to let you lie low while I check over a few things.”