Blood & Bones: Judge (Blood Fury MC 3)

At the time, Cassie couldn’t have been happier. She had a loving husband, a baby on the way and a good job that made use of her vet tech degree. She thought things were perfect.

And they were.

For a little while.

She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself, deal with the hand she was dealt and find a way to move on. However, there was no going back to New York, her job or her marriage.

And, apparently, the disgraced daughter couldn’t go home to her parents, either.

With a sigh, she stuck her hand into another shopping bag and pulled out a can of cranberry sauce. One that had a huge dent in the top. She rubbed her finger back and forth over the indentation, thinking about the big biker who had approached her in the parking lot.

Judge.

She’d only been in town a week and she’d already run into him twice in just as many days.

She turned to Heather who was putting away a couple boxes of cereal. “Do you know anything about some sort of local motorcycle club?”

Heather closed the cabinet door, turned and leaned back against the counter. With their similar looks, there was no doubt Heather was her sister. Both were tall, blonde, and curvy like their mother. Daisy would end up the same.

“In the last year, there’s been talk about them and I’ve seen them around town. So far, they haven’t created any trouble. At least, not that I’ve heard. Did some of them bother you?”

“I saw a bunch of them yesterday in town and Daisy ran up to one to introduce herself.”

Heather snorted. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

Cassie sighed. “Yes, this is why she’ll end up being abducted from right under my nose. She’ll flag down the da— darn van and hitch a ride just so she can tell them stories or tell them how they should drive since at five she’s already a backseat driver with all her years of driving experience.”

Heather’s smirk died as she slid closer along the counter and asked softly, “Were they rude?”

“Who? The bikers? Besides a couple of catcalls, no. But I only really talked to one.”

“The one Daisy ran up to?”

“Yes.”

“You talkin’ about Judge, Momma?”

“Judge?” Heather asked, frowning.

“Yes! Judge is my friend now. He’s gonna let me pet his face.”

Heather’s eyes shot to Cassie’s. “He is, huh?”

Cassie pinned her lips together and gave her head a little shake.

“Yes! Momma said I wasn’t allowed to last time because we only just became friends. But next time, I’m allowed.”

“You are?”

“Yes!” her daughter shouted needlessly.

“Why would you want to pet his face?”

“’Cause he’s got allllllllll this long hair just like a dog! And Momma won’t let me have a dog!” She ended her complaint on a loud huff.

“Well, young lady, I don’t think petting a man’s beard is appropriate,” her aunt told her.

“I don’t care if it’s not a... pah... apopiate.”

“Do you even know what that means?” Heather asked, clearly smothering a laugh.

“No, an’ I don’t care, ‘cause I’m doin’ it next time I see Judge.”

“You need to ask me first, Daze,” Cassie reminded her spitfire of a daughter.

Daisy rolled her eyes.

“And if I give the okay, then you’d have to ask Judge after that.” But it would never get that far because there was no way Cassie was giving Daisy permission to touch a stranger like that.

Her daughter turned back to her coloring and said, “He’ll say yes.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

“Mommmmmmma!”

“Oh good lord,” Cassie groaned. “If he says no, then that’s the final answer.”

“He won’t.”

Cassie hmm’d.

“He won’t!” Daisy screamed.

“Inside voice, please.”

“That is my inside voice.” Unfortunately, that was true more often than not.

Cassie sighed and turned back to the last of the groceries.

Heather reached out and stopped her. “That can wait.” She jerked her head toward the door to the back porch.

Cassie glanced at her daughter. “Aunt Heather and I have to run back out to the car. You’re going to sit right there and color, right?”

“Mmm hmm,” came the answer.

Cassie made a face and Heather slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laugh. They headed out the rear kitchen door and stepped into the attached sunroom.

“Seriously,” Cassie started as they stepped away from the door so Daisy wouldn’t hear them. “She’s not enough to make you want to rip out your womb?”

Her sister laughed. “She’s a trip.”

“Just wait a couple more weeks and you may stop trying to make one of your very own.”

“She’s no worse than we were.”

“Were we like that?” Cassie asked, surprised.

“You tell me, you’re the older sibling.”

“I don’t remember being so outspoken.”

“Cass, you’re no introvert. Neither of us are. We’re just like Mom.” Heather walked to the other side of the small sunroom and turned. “Have you heard from him at all?”

Cassie grimaced. “No. And I really doubt I will.”

“Damn. This is crazy.”

“I know. And until he signs the divorce papers, I’m stuck. All our assets were frozen, my car was taken, our house was taken. I have no money! Not even my own. And I’m afraid if I start a new bank account, that will be frozen, also.” Why she was rehashing all this, she didn’t know. But sometimes she needed to vent, otherwise she might crack.