Judge

“I’m coming for you.” He gives me another kiss. This one is too quick, but I know I need to go.

“I know you will.” I give him one last look before I let the officers lead me out the door.

Chapter Nine

Nora

I sit in the back of the cop car, my unease growing by the second. Something is wrong. I can feel it. I think we’re going the wrong way. I’ve never been to the police station before, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the building downtown. Maybe there are different ones. This is a big city. There has to be more than one.

I chew on my bottom lip to keep myself from fidgeting and showing my unease. Maybe we aren’t going to a police station. At least that’s where I thought they would take me if I was going in to answer questions. I try and think back on if they’d said. I take a deep breath, getting my nerves under control. It’s fine. I know Smith won’t be far behind. I glance out the back window of the car to see if I can spot his car, but the road we turned down is empty. Old warehouses line both sides of the vacant street.

“You sure you want to do this, Alex? We could still change our minds,” the officer in the passenger seat says. I’m pretty sure I heard the other one call him Bull. I’m guessing it’s a nickname. It doesn’t fit him at all. I look over at his question, wondering what he’s talking about. He suddenly looks nervous, and it doesn’t help my growing anxiety.

“It’s all planned out. No backing out now. We’ve done worse for less,” Alex replies with a slight shrug. He’s the one who got lippy with Smith. I already know he’ll be regretting that soon enough. Unlike his partner, he doesn’t look nervous at all. His eyes flick up to the rearview mirror, meeting mine.

“She’s hot and all, but I don’t get why the judge and Harry are both so hungry for her.” I sink back into my seat even further now. They’re bad cops. The kind that give the good ones a bad name. My stomach tightens. Dread presses down on me. Smith’s face flashes in my mind. I want him so badly right now—my scary, gentle giant.

“Yeah, but this is fucking with a judge, man.” Bull shakes his head. “She must have good pussy if Harry is willing to pay us fifty grand each for this. I’m still dreading the beating we’re going to have to take so this all looks legit.” He runs his hand over his face.

“Fifty grand and you can beat the shit out of me anytime,” Alex says with a laugh. “Though I’m starting to wonder about her pussy, too.” He glances in the mirror again, this time licking his lips. My heart starts to pound in my chest.

“Where are we going?” I ignore their crude words, knowing even if I did say something about them it would either make them do it more or they’d ignore me. I know their type. Heck, I go to high school with their type. They’re bullies. They get off on making people miserable. Just like my uncle. I’m sure that’s where I’m going. Who else would pay that much money for me? The only other man that would is Smith, and you don’t have to buy what belongs to you. Smith would kill them. I know that without a doubt. He lost it over a boy giving me his number, and then he wanted to fight these guys when they said they only wanted to ask me a few questions. No matter what happens past this point, blood will be spilled. I didn’t want that for anyone. More than anything, I don’t want Smith to end up in prison because of me.

“If I were you, I’d keep that pretty mouth of yours closed. You’re just Bull’s type.” Alex winks at me. I pull my eyes away from the rearview mirror. I don’t want them to see the fear in my eyes, not just for my well-being but for theirs.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Bull punches Alex in the arm. “Don’t fucking act like you don’t like them young, too.” They both start laughing. I want to ask another question, but I keep my mouth shut.

“She does smell fucking good. I’d swear I could smell her innocence, but no way she’s innocent with the way Judge was acting with her. I bet he’s been all up in her.”

“That’s the thing about young pussy. Nice and tight all the time.” The both go back to laughing again. My skins crawls. This is nothing like when Smith talks dirty and crude to me. It’s unwanted and they know it. In fact, I think they are enjoying that they are only making me more afraid by the moment.