AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Little darlin’, you need to answer Judd. He’s really big on verbal answers.”
16
Damn it.
Judd nearly winced at Hux’s words as her eyes went wide. Was she scared of him? Did she think he was going to be upset with her? He was aware that he hadn’t made the best first impression. He tended to speak first, then think later.
And he still wasn’t sure about this girl. They didn’t know her that well. She could betray them.
But there was only one way to know her better. And he had to admit to being attracted to her. Ester had been tall for a woman. Curvy. This girl . . . she looked tiny even against Hux who was far smaller than him or Beck.
It was hard to believe that she was the same woman they’d first met. That woman had felt so far above him, that she was unreachable. She’d been perfect in every way. Her clothes without a wrinkle, not a hair out of place, her make-up flawless.
But here she was, her mascara smudged, her hair nearly completely loose from the bun and her clothes dirty. There was a rip in her shirt.
Fury filled him at the sight and he had to work hard to push it down. He hated the idea that those assholes had touched her. Hurt her.
Was this the real Chloe? Or that other woman? Maybe this was Chloe with her shields ripped down. It made him want to tear at those shields until they were completely down.
She’d buried her face back into Hux’s chest and Judd reached out to lightly touch her back. She startled and he drew his hand away as though it had been burned.
She didn’t want him touching her.
“It’s not you, man,” Hux said. “She’s on edge right now and you probably startled her.”
Judd stared at him in amazement. They’d only been gone an hour. How did he know her so well? Hux reached over and grabbed his hand, placing it on her back again.
This time she didn’t flinch or pull away. Judd rubbed his hand up and down. Shit, he swore he could feel her ribs. He needed to make sure he was careful with her.
Hux leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. “Tell Judd how you’re really feeling, little darlin’.”
“I’s okay.”
He stared down at her in shock at the words. She sounded so . . . young. Was she a Little? Then he realized that he’d been treating her like one without thinking.
“Little one, what did I just say, hmm? I think someone needs to learn that it’s all right to say how she’s really feeling.”
And he was angry at whoever had taught her that it wasn’t.
“Look at me, little—”
His phone buzzed, interrupting him. Shit. He pulled it out.
Fuck. He’d forgotten about His Lordship. He nearly scowled. There was no way he wanted to go deal with that pompous asshole when Chloe needed him.
She doesn’t need you. She’s not your sub. She’s not even your charge at the moment, she’s Hux’s. His Lordship is who you’re meant to be guarding.
But he wanted to tell that self-centered asshole where he could stick his demands. Although, he had surprised him by pushing him to go downstairs and make sure Chloe was all right. So perhaps he wasn’t all bad.
Perhaps he did care about Chloe.
That was surprising.
Moving away, he answered the phone quickly, assuring His Lordship that he’d be up soon. When he turned back, Chloe was standing. She was looking around frantically.
“What is it?” he asked, worried by the manic look on her face. They needed to get her checked over by a doctor. Although he would rather wait until they were safely in the palace. As long as there was nothing majorly wrong, which there didn’t seem to be. She was moving around without any sign of pain.
In fact, he wanted to get her back to the palace as soon as possible. It didn’t feel safe out here anymore. Something he never thought he would think. Escana had always been such a safe place.
Something had to be done about the Purity Party. They were rising in numbers and they’d seemingly gone from being peaceful to acting like a mob overnight.
“Where’s my handbag? I’ve lost it.”
“You might have dropped it when we were surrounded,” Hux said to her, watching her with concern. “I can go look and see if it’s there.”
“I need to go find it.” She moved toward the door at a fast walk. “I need it.”
“Whoa there, little girl. Nope. You’re not going anywhere.” Judd wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her close to him.
“She’s constantly trying to run off,” Hux said, moving over to them. “It’s a problem.”
“Hmm, seems like someone might need a leash when she’s out of the house,” Judd said.
She gasped. “I’m not an animal.”
“Leashes aren’t just used for animals,” he told her. “They can be used for naughty Little girls who keep trying to run off.”
