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“This isn't over, you know. Not by a long shot. One way or another, I will take you all down. I don't care how long it takes.”
I answered him with a snarl, snapping my teeth at him like an animal. I was angry. Angrier than I had ever been. Today had been nerve-wracking enough without some crazy policeman telling lies and making things worse and the fact that he had broken into my home didn’t bear thinking about.
“Good luck with that. I'm going to make sure you aren't an officer of the law for much longer. If there's one thing I hate, it's dirty cops.” The Judge placed me back on my feet, but his hands remained around my waist, holding me close to his side. “Breaking and entering, stalking and assault. Should be enough, don’t you think?” He rolled his eyes. “At least choose a side.”
“My side is the opposite to whatever one you're on. You and Gio. I'll make sure–” He spat again. A heavy gob of blood fell on the carpet, and I turned away in disgust. I didn’t turn back until I heard the door slam shut behind him.
It was only then that the full weight of what I had just done hit me. I’d just assaulted a police officer. People went to prison for things like that. “I shouldn't have done that.” Wrangling myself free of The Judge’s arms, I began to pace. “I am not made for prison.”
“What are you mumbling about, Taylor?” Judge caught my wrist easily, stopping me in my tracks. “Why do you think you are going to prison?”
“I hit him.”
“Yeah, you did. Twice.” The Judge's voice was filled with pride. “The hottest damn thing I've ever seen.” He paused. “Well, maybe the second hottest thing I've seen. The first was when–” Shaking his head, he grinned. “I'm not happy that my favourite chess piece is smashed to smithereens, though it was worth it I reckon, just to see you in action.”
“I don't usually lose my temper like that.” In fact, I rarely lost my temper at all. Some people joked that I didn't have one to begin with. “But I couldn't just stand there and let him lie about me.” Finally, I lifted my face so I could meet his eyes. “You didn't believe him, did you?”
The Judge hesitated for a fraction of a second and my heart fell. “For a few minutes, yeah, I did,” he admitted. “But not for long. And deep down I knew…” He sighed. “I knew even if you didn’t love me, you wouldn't betray me like that.”
“Judge.” Rushing into his chest, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek into his chest. After a second, his arms went around me. “I–”
“Unless the next words out of your mouth are I love you and want to be your wife, I don't want to hear them. Just let me hold you, ok?”
I remained silent.
“Dammit.” He swore softly. “I really thought you were going to say it back.”
He sounded so sad, so like a lost little boy, that it snapped something inside of me. “I can't marry you, Christian. I'm sorry.”
He stiffened in my arms. “It's always bad news when you use my real name.”
“I can't marry you because there's blood all over my dress,” I countered. “And as for the other one–” I took a deep breath. I was about to take a huge risk. All I could do was hope that it didn't backfire on me. The Judge was a peculiar man, with an even stranger set of morals and rules. I didn't know those rules yet. But I wanted to.
I wanted to get to know everything about him. The real him. I wanted to get to know Christian and not the Judge and that meant getting to know him on my terms.
“I like you, Judge. You make me feel things I never thought possible. But…” reaching up, I tangled my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, “I think I could fall in love with Christian.”
“You mean that?”
“Yeah. I mean that. I’m already halfway there. But it can't be like it was before. We do this properly. No kidnapping and–”
He laughed. “Ok, no kidnapping, but how about some of the other stuff? Chess and–” His eyes glittered with mischief.
I couldn't help it. I laughed.
“I'll have to get a board. I don’t have one at home.” Reaching up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips to the corner of his mouth. “We will have to find something else to play tonight. Unless we pick one up on our way back.”
Silence. It stretched on so long that I began to feel uncomfortable.
“I mean–”
He cut me off. “You want me to come home with you?” Disbelief made his voice lower.
“Where else would you go? I think Christian needs some time in the real world for a change. The Judge can go on holiday or something?” I bit my lip. God, I sounded so lame saying it. Like a child.
“I'm sure Gio will give me some time off.” He chuckled. “I'll need to talk to him about what just happened, anyway. I don't think this thing with Kev is quite over. Well, it is for us. I’ll let Gio sort that out, but–” His lips parted mine, his tongue tracing my bottom lip, and I melted against him for a second. “If you take me home with you now, Taylor. Then I'm not leaving. I'll book this venue for one year's time, because in one year you will love me and want to be my wife.”
He was so earnest, so endearing, that I almost opened my mouth and told him I loved him already.
“You do that.” I kissed him again. “Live with me for a year in the real world and I'll happily be Mrs. Judge.”
“Mrs. Judge, huh?” He barked out a laugh.
“Yes, it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?” Cocking my head to the side, I smirked.
“Yeah it does. It really does.” Yanking my ponytail hard, he drew my head back. His lips smashed against mine in a kiss so hungry it took all the breath from my lungs. “Now take me home, Taylor.”
The End
