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The in private things Gio wanted to talk to me about turned out to be important indeed. He had found someone to take the fall for me, or more accurately him, and that was good, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the cost. I would have been able to get myself out of it, without his help. Hell, I'd been getting myself acquitted for longer than he had been head of The Family. I was good at it.
What he had done weighed heavily on me. Gio was fundamentally a good man. Deep, deep down and he would do anything for the people he cared about, me included it would seem, but this? This was maybe going too far. It reeked of something his family would have done before he took over.
“Working with them is a bad idea, owing them a favour is even worse,” I finally managed to say. “What he will want from you is not going to be something you enjoy giving him.”
Over the table and his steaming mug of coffee, Gio frowned. “I know, but it is done.”
“Gio, it's stupid. You have a kid on the way.” Without thinking, I reached out my hand, totally ignoring the coffee, and curled my hand around the decanter sitting at the side of the table. I poured myself three fingers without even looking. “What are you going to do if he asks for the kid?”
“He's not going to ask for my child, Judge. I would never let that happen.”
“You best hope he doesn’t, because everyone knows he has been looking for a new bride for years and marrying into your family will elevate his status. Probably more than we should allow. If he–” I shook my head. “Keeley will kill you, Gio. She will kill you fucking dead if that’s what you promised him. She may even kill me as well. Your wife has a temper.”
He laughed. “Oh, I know all about her temper, believe me. But it’s not my child he wants…”
He trailed off, and I knew without having to ask that whatever deal had been made, hadn't been vague at all or at least not as vague as he was making out. It was common knowledge that marrying into Gio’s family came with certain perks. Perks that everyone wanted.
“Oh, fuck no.” I shook my head as the realisation hit me. There was only one person in his family who was old enough to get married and free to do so. His sister. The one he hadn't spoken to for years. The one who was wild and free and hated us all. “Aria will carve off your balls and feed them to you, Gio. You can't be serious.”
“It will be her choice, Judge. I'm not going to force her.”
I eyed him, my eyebrows knitting together. “No?”
“No.” He met my eyes without blinking. “I’ll just make her see how it’s a good match.” He shrugged. “She needs to settle down. I always thought you and her would have made a good match.”
I blew out a breath. “God no, I would never trust her not to slit my throat in my sleep.” Chuckling, I downed the amber liquid in my glass. “It would be a brave man indeed to even attempt to domesticate Aria. Does he even know what he’s let himself in for by even asking?”
Gio shrugged again. “He has no clue, but...nothing is set in stone. Plans change all the time and so do alliances. Are you sure you know whatyouhave let yourself in for with Taylor?
“She’s sweet and beautiful.”
“And not of our world, Judge. That could come back and bite you in the ass. I mean, what do you actually know about her? Apart from that your dick wants her?”
Frowning, I slammed the glass back on the table. “I know enough and the rest I'll find out soon enough.”
TAYLOR
Something warm and slightly calloused brushed against my skin. It felt good, nice in a comforting sort of way. And I needed comforting because I felt all kinds of awful.
I grimaced at the stickiness of the shirt I was wearing as it was peeled away. My arms were lifted by strong hands so it could be slid off and discarded, and I was glad to see it go.
“Annie?” I mumbled. God, I felt out of sorts. Half drunk and half hungover – it was making thinking impossible. “Did I pass out?” I wasn’t exactly a big drinker, but it had been years since I had gotten so drunk that I'd passed out. Embarrassment flooded me. Annie was my friend, and I knew she wouldn’t judge, but I was mortified. What kind of grown ass woman got so drunk that she had to be undressed by her best friend and put to bed like a child? And I had vomited on myself. I could smell the cloying disgustingness of it on my clothes.
“Up you get.” Again, the heavy fingers brushed against me, trailing down my sides this time. They helped me to sit up, keeping me there as my bra was unclasped and fell down my arms. Cold night air washed over my breasts and my nipples pebbled up impossibly hard as I shivered.
“Good girl.” The hands on my sides didn’t move, but they didn’t need to. Heat flooded me. They weren’t Annie’s hands. Annie’s hands were small, smooth, and she wouldn’t be holding me like this. She most definitely wouldn’t be calling me a good girl in a pussy clenching, velvety voice.
The person who was holding me, undressing me, was male, not female.
It all came flooding back in a rush. Club Kudos and its darkly dangerous owner, Gio. He had asked me to go with him, and I had agreed.
He had wanted me to go and meet with–
My eyes flew open and I started to struggle because I knew who was touching me.
“Don’t. Oh my God.” Panic gripped me, forcing away any alcohol fuelled brain fog that had been clouding my judgement. “He said–” A strangled cry ripped its way out of my throat.
“That you would be perfectly safe.” The Judge's voice was calm. But his hands on my body trembled, almost like it was taking everything he had not to reach around my body and touch me properly.
