Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“I know your reputation,” the judge answered, his tone fearful. “You–You wouldn't turn away an innocent just because she is related to me. I—” He glanced at me speculatively for a moment, then sighed and went on. “I don’t have the ability to keep her safe. I trust you to…care for and protect her.”
“She can certainly trust me more than you,” I growled. “That’s for damn sure.”
“I know. You’ll…keep her safe?”
“Always,” I replied firmly.
That’s what Cash had been after. He wanted the judge to assure Kiara she was safe with us, and to resign himself to the fact I wouldn’t be returning her. He was trying to avoid a fight when all this was over.
“Kiara? Sweetheart?” The second the judge addressed his daughter, his whole demeanor shifted. To my surprise, his tone was gentle and eyes went soft, filling with love. It wasn’t something that happened a lot, a bad guy who loved his family. You wouldn’t think they would be capable, but it happened. Usually when…
I bent my head and whispered into Kiara’s ear. “I need to talk to your dad, baby. Can you stay here with my brothers? That’s Cash. And a few of our enforcers are guarding the door.”
She reluctantly nodded and untangled herself from my hold. I passed her off to Cash—even though it almost killed me to do it. Then I glared at Judge Timkins. “We need to talk.”
His expression turned wary, but he pivoted and walked to the next door on the left. When I entered his home office, I was struck by how normal it was. Everything was clearly expensive, but it wasn’t over the top or in your face. It just made my theory even more plausible.
“How did you get in so deep?”
He didn't hesitate, knowing exactly what I was after. “I took money in exchange for something small and insignificant. No one got hurt from it, so I didn’t think it would matter.”
“It was a hook.”
“Yes. Once I’d taken the first bribe, they had leverage over me. Word got out in darker circles, and I knew I’d never be free again.” He shrugged. “Except for when I was—” He cut himself off abruptly. “Anyway, I regret that Kiara got caught up in this mess.” I narrowed my eyes, sure that he’d been about to reveal something, but the stubborn angle to his jaw made it clear that even if I got him to fess up, it wouldn’t be easy. And I didn’t have time for that shit.
“Tell me who is after you now,” I demanded after he circled his desk and dropped heavily into his chair.
“I can’t tell you that,” he denied.
“Bullshit,” I snarled, taking an intimidating pose with my feet braced apart and my arms folded over my broad chest.
“He’ll kill me just for—”
“He’s gonna kill you anyway if you can’t give him what he wants, right?” I interrupted.
The judge winced and looked down at the desktop where his hands were clenched together. “He won’t kill me. He’ll go after Kiara.”
“The more I know about what I’m up against, the better I can protect your daughter.”
He pressed his lips together, but then his gaze strayed to a frame perched on his desk. It was a picture of Kiara. Probably a few years old because she looked younger.
She was smiling brightly, carefree and happy as she posed in what looked like some kind of dance costume. I only knew that because of the kids of my brothers who liked to dance all over the clubhouse.
Finally, he leaned back and gave me a summary of what had happened earlier. The more he told me, the angrier I got. But I forced myself to think of my girl and not how much I wanted to hunt that evil bastard down.
When he concluded, the judge turned around and pushed out of his chair. Once on his feet, he removed a painting from the wall, revealing a safe. I would have rolled my eyes at the cliché hiding spot. However, he’d chosen the best one available. It was known for being unbreakable.
After scanning his eyes and fingers, he blew into a little tube. The safe verified his identity, then he punched in a code. When the door swung open, I saw stacks of files filling it. The judge removed them and set them on the desk. Then he rummaged in a drawer for a second before producing two very large, heavy-duty rubber bands. He secured the papers on all four sides, then took a deep breath and held them out to me.
“I kept notes on everything. Everything. Most of them are pretty much untouchable, but this man…he’s like Teflon. Nothing sticks. These are the best I can do to help protect my daughter.”
Nodding, I accepted the stack and turned to leave but paused and pivoted around for one last thing. “You won’t hear from Kiara or the club again until I’m satisfied that she’s safe. I guarantee you’ll be watched and your phones tapped.”