“On the day Ox was arrested, promised myself and my sister I was never goin’ to prison.”
His sister? She didn’t even know he had a sister. She’d have to circle back to that at another time. “You can’t guarantee that if you’re doing things that could put you there.”
“Ain’t doin’ shit to put me there.”
“Smoking pot.”
He shook his head. “Ain’t goin’ to prison for that. Get a citation at the most. Cops around here don’t give a fuck about dope. Hard shit? Yeah. Some grass? No. Gonna be legal for everyone one day soon, anyway. They got bigger fuckin’ fish to fry than someone smokin’ a joint, gettin’ mellow and eatin’ an order of fuckin’ loaded fries from Dino’s.”
Maybe that was true—though, she hadn’t tried the famous Dino’s Diner loaded fries yet—but she had done some Googling of what a Sergeant at Arms did in an MC. She had read several articles on motorcycle clubs. Not only because she worked for one but because Judge had been staying in her bed and spending time with her daughter. Before coming to Manning Grove, she knew nothing about MC’s. She still didn’t know a lot, but she did know what a club’s enforcer did for the most part.
“You enforce the rules.”
“What?”
“You’re supposed to keep everyone in line and punish those who don’t follow those rules. Do what you need to do to protect your club and brotherhood.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“I read about it,” she admitted. Though, she never would have if it hadn’t been for this conversation.
“Yeah, baby, that’s my job as the enforcer.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Could be.”
“It could get you arrested.”
“Could, if I do somethin’ stupid.”
“Like murder?”
His silence was telling. She turned but stayed toe to toe with him.
“Like assault and murder?” she asked again.
“Gotta do what needs to be done, Cass,” he said way too seriously. He grabbed her chin and tilted her head up higher. “Not just for my brothers, but their ol’ ladies and their kids. Current and future. The club’s one big family. They’re responsible for their own, but I’m responsible for all of them. Took my father’s former spot. Didn’t want it, took it anyway. Take the job seriously. Wanna do better, be better than him. Will do what I gotta do but keep my ass out of jail.”
“You can’t guarantee that.”
“Just gotta be smart.”
“Judge…”
“Baby, trust me. Ain’t gonna do shit to land behind bars. Swore to Jemma, I wouldn’t.”
“Who’s Jemma?”
“My sister.”
“We need to talk about her, too.” She needed to know everything about him. Not just bits and pieces.
“Not now.”
“Then soon.”
He stared down at her. “Yeah, soon. Right now, wanna fuck you. Got the babysitter stayin’, right?”
“Yes, until morning.”
“Want you to stay with me tonight.”
She wanted that, too, even though there wasn’t much left of the night. Sunrise was right around the corner. “Only...” Heat flooded her cheeks. This heat wasn’t from the tequila.
“Only what?”
“Only if you take me against the wall just like that couple back there.”
“Back where?”
“Where you came from with that woman.”
His head twisted in that direction. She knew the exact moment he realized what she was talking about.
Especially when he shot her a big grin. “Got plenty of wall space upstairs.”
“We also need to finish this conversation.”
“Promise we will. After.”
After. If she was still awake. After one round with Judge, she might not be able to stay that way.
“Then let’s hit it.” Holy crap, did that just come out of her mouth? It had to be the exhaustion and the tequila combo. “I’m fading fast. Especially after the booze. Where’s Jury?”
“Probably with Justice sleeping in Deke’s bed. Will grab her on the way upstairs.”
“He lives here, too?”
“Yeah, one of the rooms in the bunkhouse.”
“Guess I’m getting that tour anyway.”
“Gonna be quick and we’ll avoid the closed doors.”
“Your brothers actually close their doors?”
He snorted and tugged on her hand, directing her to the back corridor. “Sure they won’t mind if you wanna watch.”
“Only if you want me to compare.”
“Can compare all you want. Only one Judge.”
“Is that a blessing or a curse?”
“Blessin’ to other men, curse to all the other women out there who can’t have me.”
Cassie didn’t bother to smother her laugh. She let him hear it loud and clear.
But that laugh quickly disappeared once they got upstairs and he showed her just how right he was.
Chapter Nineteen
Another fucking week and nothing.
Christmas flew by and even though he loved spending every fucking minute of the holiday with Cassie and her girl, including watching Daisy’s face and reactions during the Christmas parade in town, all he had wanted to give Cassie for Christmas—besides his fucking dick—was her freedom from Lange.
He couldn’t give her that until he found the fucker. So far, he’d failed. Every time he tried, he came up empty and it made no sense how a financial nerd and gambling addict had turned into the Invisible Man.
Time was running out on him shacking up with Cassie in her sister’s house, too. The homeowners were coming home the day after New Year’s since both had to get back to work. That meant Cassie was back to sharing Daisy’s bed, unless he could find a place for her and her girl. They hadn’t discussed it, but it would need to be a discussion to have. And soon.
He considered moving them into his apartment temporarily, but it was too damn small for three people. Even with Daisy being pint-sized, her attitude was full-on adult.
Three people, one tiny bathroom and one bed wasn’t going to cut it. Plus, he doubted Cassie would agree since Melanie was heading back to college after the holidays and she’d be relying once more on Heather and Ty to babysit the kid while she worked.
This all added to his fucking frustration.
No Lange. And soon, for him, there’d be no Cassie.
And if he had to, he’d admit the sassy-mouthed Cassie clone had grown on him, too. He actually didn’t mind her waking his ass up to demand he make her dog-shaped pancakes or watch cartoons with her.
There was that, too. Jury had been sleeping in the kid’s bed every damn night. The girls, both two- and four-legged, had bonded.
It got him in the gut every time Cass went to check on Daisy, and he went with her to check on Jury, that Cassie’s girl slept with her arms wrapped around Judge’s girl.
Fuck. He might be losing all his girls. He definitely needed to do something about that.
His eyes tracked Cassie as she came out of the bathroom wearing something he never saw her wear before. Had she been holding out?