Judge (Shady Valley Henchmen 1)

“The fuck happened to them?”

“The Russians,” I said, shrugging. “We knew they were moving in, but the boss at the time thought the family had a stronghold, that no one could break in. The war was just starting to heat up when I caught my case.”

“Battery, right?”

“Battery Against a Law Enforcement Officer was the official charge,” I told him.

“He have it coming?”

“More than you know,” I agreed, nodding. “What?” I asked, sensing something hanging there in the air between us.

“My brother is a cop,” he said, making my brows raise.

“Christmas dinner must be interesting around your mama’s house.”

“Ma is dead. Dad’s… he’s got issues. My brother and I aren’t on speaking terms. But just thought I’d throw that out there. We’re not close. But he’s my brother.”

That was a warning without him actually saying the words.

“Don’t worry. I have no plans to be behind bars again anytime soon,” I said, shrugging. “Your brother has nothing to worry about from me.”

With that, I gave him a nod before moving back toward the living room area.

Slash was opening a new bottle of whiskey.

Crow looked like he was having some sort of serious conversation with two girls who didn’t quite seem to fit in with the others.

While all the others were in skintight and revealing outfits with giggly and eager personalities, the girls Crow was hanging with looked a little more bookish and serious than the others, wearing jeans, t-shirts, and sensible shoes.

I half expected to see one or both of them holding books on their laps.

As I expected, the two of them headed out instead of upstairs with Crow who seemed okay with the arrangement.

Detroit was still in the kitchen and Slash upstairs alone when suddenly, Sway’s voice cut through the music that had suddenly gone slower, more sultry.

“Her pussy is sweet, isn’t it?” he asked.

And, well, that got a man’s attention, didn’t it?

My gaze slid over to find one of the girls of his little harem up on her back on the air hockey table.

Her tits were out of her top, their pebbled, tan nipples on full display.

But that wasn’t all.

No.

Her skirt was hiked up around her waist, and her pink panties discarded on the floor.

And one of the other girls was leaning down over her, eating her out.

“Slower, go slower,” Sway instructed. And as soon as the girl followed instructions, the other girl’s back arched up off the table and her hands went to her breasts, squeezing, even as her hips started writhing.

And did I get lose at that moment? Did I call one of the other chicks over to suck me off?

No.

My stupid fucking mind went back to the deli, to a different woman spread on the table. For me.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

CHAPTER SIX

Delaney

What the heck was wrong with me?

I mean, sure, it was sort of a big deal to have sex for the first time. I even anticipated feeling weird about it after.

But not feeling some strange sort of bone-deep sadness.

“Are you sick?” Cillian asked after coming into my room for the third time that day.

As the eldest brother, and the one who had needed to step up and parent us when our father was killed when he was just nineteen years old, leaving the rest of us orphans since our mom had died when we were young, he was the one who pestered me the most when something was wrong.

“No.”

“Did the box come at the wrong time this month?”

“The box” meaning the period box he had shipped to me every month since I started at twelve because he claimed he didn’t know “what the fuck to do about all of that.”

“No,” I said, snorting as I curled tighter into my pillow.

“Are you depressed?” he asked.

Sort of, but not really. Not the way he meant, anyway.

“No.”

“Dell, you gotta fucking talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t say what’s wrong.”

“Maybe I can help,” a different voice said, making me look over to see Nyx standing near the doorway, looking a lot less done-up, but no less gorgeous, with her hair pulled back and wearing a black jumpsuit.

“Figured maybe it was girl shit,” a voice behind Nyx said.

That was Rian.

The middle son.

All my brothers were, well, unmistakably brothers. They were all tall and fit with dark, dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and strong jaws. Only their hairstyles and the exact shade to their eyes was different.

Where Cillian had light, almost translucent blue, Rian had a stormier shade.

“Alright,” Cillian said with a sigh, moving out of the room, and mostly closing the door behind him.

“Girl,” Nyx said with a deep exhale. “That bad, huh?” she asked, kicking out of her Docs, and making her way over to the bed to climb in.

When all that came out of me was a sort of noncommittal grunt, she clicked her tongue.