“Don’t gotta go nowhere.”
“Then leave me the hell alone. Let me have my meltdown in peace.”
A meltdown? “Why you havin’ a meltdown?”
Her loud inhale was broken by a soft sob. “N-no reason.”
“Bullshit.”
She reached for the ignition and started the car. “I have to go.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. I’m apparently trespassing. I’ll go.”
“You ain’t trespassin’. If you need to have a meltdown, then fuckin’ have it. Ain’t gonna stop you.”
She blinked at him. “Well, I’m not going to do it while you’re standing there inside my car door. Why are you here?”
“Saw your cage and got worried.”
“Cage?”
“Your Honda.”
Her brow furrowed. “Why do you call it a cage?”
“Because it ain’t a bike.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Not for you to get.”
“Why are you worried about me?”
“Because it’s late, you’re alone and upset.”
“Right. The only one of those you should know about is the first one. You shouldn’t be aware I’m alone or upset. That’s none of your damn business.”
“Here to meet someone?”
“Again, none of your business.”
He was making her his business. “Why you havin’ a meltdown?”
“Again, none of your business.”
Jesus fuck. She could go suck her fucking husband’s dick and choke on it for all he cared.
“You’re fuckin’ right, woman. Ain’t none of my business. I’ll go fuck off.” He slammed the door shut and spun on his heel. He strode quickly through the dark.
Fuck that bitch.
That was what he got for giving a fucking shit. Kicked in the fucking nuts.
Judge had to jump out of the way when she put it in reverse so fast, she fishtailed and almost hit him.
“What the fuck!” he shouted at her.
She slammed on the brakes and powered down the driver’s window. “I’m sorry.”
“Ain’t done nothin’ to you and... Just... Fuck you.” He kept moving, a muscle popping in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.
He heard the driver’s door open. “Hey!”
Without turning around, without stopping, he yelled, “Get the fuck in your car, lock your goddamn doors and get the fuck outta here.”
“I’m sorry!” she screamed. “I’m... I’m...”
Then he heard it. A loud sob.
Another one.
And then a third.
His pace stuttered.
Fuckin’ keep going, asshole. Don’t let her get to you. She ain’t nothin’ but trouble. She’s fuckin’ married to your target. She’s gettin’ his dick, she don’t want yours, you big dumb fuck.
“Thank you for checking on me.” It wasn’t loud, but he heard it.
Goddamn it. He stopped, dropped his head, took a deep breath and, after waiting a few seconds, he turned.
She was standing by the back of her CRV looking lost.
So fucking lost.
She looked the way he felt the day 5-0 took his parents away and Jemma clung to him, expecting him to be her hero.
He wasn’t a fucking hero. He’d been nothing but a dumb fucking kid who had no idea what to fucking do.
He’d been lost, too.
So, for fuck’s sake, he knew that feeling. That feeling where life just slammed you in the chest so hard that you couldn’t take a breath.
But you do anyway. And you figure it the fuck out.
Maybe Cassidy just needed to take a breath.
She quickly swiped at her cheeks which meant she was crying.
Goddamn it.
“I didn’t want Daisy to hear or see me. We share a room right now at my sister’s. If she sees or hears me having a meltdown, she’ll ask a million questions. Like you.”
Judge said nothing.
“Questions I don’t have answers for. And the ones I do, I’d have to lie about. I don’t want to lie to her if I don’t have to.” Her words ended on another soft sob.
“Sometimes lies are necessary,” Judge said more quietly.
Cassidy nodded. “And sometimes those lies come back to bite you on the ass.”
That was fucking true, too.
The crunch of tires on stones caught their attention and it was hard to ignore the bright spotlight being shone on them both.
Christ. Just what he needed.
He braced as the black-and-white cruiser stopped at a location where the spotlight blinded him.
Goddamn pigs.
He fucking hated that he had to make nice with them. But he did.
The spotlight went dark and the cruiser slowly moved forward until it was next to him with the driver’s side window down.
Inside were two of Manning Grove’s finest, Leah Bryson and Tommy Dunn. He knew them both well since they’d been on the force a while. Unfortunately, Judge knew the whole force better than he’d like.
“Leah. Dunn,” Judge reluctantly greeted them.
“Judge,” Leah greeted back from the passenger seat. “What’s going on here?”
He jerked his chin toward Cassidy. “She’s new in town and got lost.”
“Yeah?” the redheaded Dunn asked. “Heard the club sold this property a while ago. Reason you’re standing on it?”
“Like I said, Cassidy got lost and I was helping her get turned around.”
“That right, ma’am?” he called out of the open window.
Cassidy moved closer. “Yes, that’s right. I’m only learning my way around town and somehow, I ended up here. I’m heading home soon.”
“Pretty late, Judge,” Leah said.
He ducked down and caught her eyes. Was he suddenly sixteen again? He was fucking thirty-seven years old and didn’t need to be in bed by a certain time. “Sure is. Was headin’ home when I saw her, so figured she needed help.”
Leah’s eyes slid from him back to Cassidy. After a few minutes they sliced back to Judge. “Why is she crying?”
“Why do any women fuckin’ cry?” Judge asked her.
Leah’s lips twitched and she pressed her hand to her rounded belly over her maternity uniform shirt. “I have a good reason.”
“Brysons keep having babies, Dunn, you’re gonna lose your damn job. They’re gonna turn it into the Bryson PD.”
Dunn huffed, “I’ll be retired before all their kids are old enough. They want to do this thankless job, more power to them.”
“Turnin’ out to be a clan like the Shirleys.”
“Hey now,” Leah Bryson said.
Judge snorted. “Okay, you all ain’t inbred, so you got that on ‘em.”
“You going to be okay, ma’am?” Leah called out of her window.
Cassidy lifted a hand. “Yes, thank you. I’ll be fine.”
“He looks bad to the bone on the outside, but he’s just a sweet little kitten on the inside,” Dunn yelled out to her. Then he laughed and put the cruiser into reverse. “Head home, Judge,” he said much more seriously.