“Jesus, Judge! You knew what she did to me, and you didn’t have her arrested or something?”

“There was more to it than that, and I was managing her. I felt it would be better to have her where I could keep an eye on her. That was clearly a mistake.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. Why did you move me in here? Why the extra security?”

“With Abel having attacked Ivy like he did, I didn’t want to take a chance he’d come after you, too.” It is true. I have considered it. And I think this will be less frightening for Mercedes to deal with than knowing the brother of the woman she killed is out for revenge.

“Abel? He won’t come after me. Why would he?”

“You’re Santiago’s sister. Not to mention you can testify against him to The Tribunal.”

“Abel doesn’t scare me.”

Cupping her chin, I tilt her face up to mine. “Well, I’m not taking any chances with you. I will do what I need to do to keep you safe, little monster, even if I have to lock you away to do it.”

“That was actually starting to sound sweet and then just got creepy.”

I cup the base of her skull and pull her close. “I mean it, Mercedes. Seeing you like that the other day, feeling fucking powerless to fix it, it fucked with me.”

“Be careful, Judge.” She turns her huge eyes to me. She’s so close that I see faint rings of gold inside them, and fuck, she’s so beautiful, disarmingly so. “You don’t want me to get the impression you care.”

We look at each other for a long moment, and I know what she’s waiting for. Confirmation. But nothing has changed between us. Nothing can change. I won’t marry her. I can’t. And she’s right. I can’t give her false hope.

So I change the subject. “Georgie’s gay.”

She searches my eyes, and I see her disappointment, but then she grins. “It took you a really long time to figure that out.”

“Why did you let me believe you two were together?”

“I didn’t. You believed that all on your own.”

“You certainly didn’t correct me. And those texts. Any man would believe what I believed.”

“Haven’t you ever just had a really easy, fun friendship? Someone you don’t have to be all intense Judge-like with?” That last part she says with a mock-serious tone.

I don’t know why I’m taken aback by this. Almost confused. My friendships are serious. They always have been. I’ve never had a relationship with anyone like what I have seen between Mercedes and her friends.

“Oh, my God, you haven’t. That’s actually kind of sad, Judge,” she says without a note of mockery.

Before I can reply, my phone vibrates. “I need to take this.” I get up, grateful for the interruption.

I unlock the phone and read the text. One sister. Lana Douglas. Whereabouts unknown.

Fuck.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. Are you hungry?”

“You keep so many secrets.”

“Says the woman with a second life. Hungry?”

“You’re going to tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Nothing’s going on. Come on,” I draw the blanket away and hold out my hand. “Get dressed. We’ll have dinner downstairs.”

Tags: A. Zavarelli The Rite Trilogy Erotic
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