Judging Judas (Tarnished Saints Series Book 3) (16 page)

“Mrs. Taylor, we’re done moving the furniture, is there anything else you want us to do today?”

She turned to see the McGill brothers and Charolette standing there with scowls on their faces and dirt on their hands and clothes.

“No, that looks pretty good for today,” she said, surveying the very crowded store. “But I’ll need you to show up every morning from now until after the car show to move things outside. I think they’ll sell better once people can see them. And I’ll need the upstairs room painted as I’m starting meditation classes soon.”

The boys grumbled and headed out the door, but Charolette lagged behind.

“Be h
ere at nine in the morning,” Laney called after them.

“This isn’t fair,” said Charolette, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her chin. “We’re being punished for something that was J.D.’s idea. How come she’s not here helping?”

“Now Charolette, you know you three were just as guilty as my daughter.”

“But since she’s the sheriff’s daughter she gets away with doing nothing?”

She’s not able to move furniture in her condition,” Laney explained. “And she has her own community service, as she’s watching kids right now.”

“Yeah, we heard all about it. She orders them around and they wait on her hand and foot. I want that job instead. I don’t think I’m coming back here to help again.”

“You will if you don’t want to end up behind bars,” came a voice from the open door.

Laney turned to see Judas standing in the doorway,
donned in his uniform and wearing his sunglasses and hat as well. He was intimidating and she knew Charolette felt that way as she looked to the floor.

“I was just hopin
g for a different job,” explained the girl.

“Fine,” agreed Judas. “Tomorrow you can go over to my brother’s place and shovel manure in the horse stable.”

“What?” Her head shot up and her eyes opened wide. “I’m not doing that!”

“Then maybe I’ll have to pay your folks a little visit and let them in on our secret of what you and your friends have been up to, won’t I?”

“No! Don’t do that. I’ll shovel the damned horse poop.”

“Wonderful. Now get going before I think up another chore to add to the list.” He moved aside and Charolette strutted out of the
antique shop with her nose in the air.

“You are good with kids after all,” said Laney walking over to give Judas a quick kiss.

“I’m not sure they’d agree. And I’m not good with our own, unfortunately,” he answered, putting his arms around her.

“How does the shop look?” she asked.

“Crowded,” he said, taking off his sunglasses and sticking them in his pocket and taking off his hat and laying it on a nearby table.

“I know. I’m going to have a sidewalk sale every day until the car show. I need to clear out some of these things before the end of the tourist season.”

“Why don’t you come to the town council meeting tomorrow morning?” he asked. “Maybe you can talk to Mrs. Durnsby and get her take on how to advertise. If nothing else, her big mouth will alert everyone you’re having a sale.”

“Good idea. Will you be there too?”

“No,” he said, pulling up a chair and having a seat. “I’ve got a meeting with the county police tomorrow and I’m stopping by Zeb’s new place afterwards to work out. He’s letting me keep all my workout equipment in his condo for now since we don’t have the room in the cabin.” He reached over and grabbed a leftover can of soda that Laney had gotten for the kids.

“Judas, I wanted to talk to you about the community service you’re giving those kids to do.”

“What about it? It seems to be keeping them out of trouble. I figure I’ll keep them busy til school starts again, then let them go on a once-a-week plan til I’m satisfied they’ve worked off their debt.” He popped open the can of cola and took a swig.

“Well, that is a good idea, except I don’t think it’s fair that J.D. is not really being punished.”

“What?” he asked, shaking his head. “You’re saying you want me to give your own daughter a heavier load?”

“I’m saying I think you’re being a little lenient with her because she is your daughter. Charolette told me that J.D. is taking advantage of watching Thomas’s kids by having them wait on her hand and foot.”

“I see your point. Maybe you’re right, Laney. But the reason I wasn’t hitting her with more community service is not because I was favoring her.” He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “It’s because I didn’t want to hurt you. I felt I’d already done enough of that in the past. Besides, she’s very pregnant. There’s not much she can really do anyway.”

“That’s sweet of you, Judas. But you can’t ignore your duty as sheriff just because she is your daughter. And you’re not going to hurt me. I think whatever you decide for her will be for the best.”

He was lifting the can to his mouth and stopped in mid-motion. “Do you realize what you’re saying?”

“I do. But J.D. needs disciplining and I have been struggling with it. She needs a male figure in her life. A father figure.”

“She won’t even acknowledge the fact I’m her father.”

“Then maybe she needs an authority figure in her life.”

“What she needs is a good swift kick in the ass.”

“Judas! You wouldn’t.”

“Of course not, sweetheart. It’s just a figure of speech.”

“Maybe you can start spending more time with her.”

“I’d like to. But with my job taking my attention it won’t be easy until I actually take some time off.” He lifted the can and continued to drink.

“Then why don’t you take her
to work with you?”

He about choked on the soda at that comment and spit it out in a spray from his mouth. “You have got to be kidding.”

“No, I’m serious. You can think of it as a father/daughter day at work.”

“Laney, I can’t.” He shook his head, the look of disbelief on his face almost amusing.

“Why not?” she asked. “Don’t they have those programs for civilians to do ride-alongs?”

“Well, sure
, but . . . ”

“So just think of it as something like that.”

“Come on, you’re not being reasonable.” He finished off the soda and crunched the can in his hand, pushing up from the chair.

“I think you’re the one not being reasonable. Now do you want to have any kind of relationship with your daughter or not?”

“You know I do.”

“Do I?”

He blew air from his mouth and looked up to the ceiling.

“Are you rolling your eyes just like J.D. does?” she asked.

“No. Damn it, you’re asking me to do something that . . .”

“That you don’t want to do,” she interrupted. “You are just as stubborn as J.D. when she doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“What the hell, I’m nothing like her. And damn it, I’m not going to let you trick me into agreeing to something I have no intention of doing.”

“And you swear just like her too. And are just as stubborn.”

He paused for a moment and she thought he was going to object again. But then after clenching his jaw, he blinked a few times and gave a slight nod of his head.

“Fine. But she’s not making
me late for my meeting in Paw Paw, so you’d better make sure she’s ready to go by eight o’clock and no later.”

“Thank you,” she said, r
eaching up and putting her arms around his neck in a hug.

“Don’t thank me for something you might be regretting later.”

“I’d never regret having our daughter spend time with her father. This means a lot to me, Silver.”

“Silver?” he asked, raising a brow.

“Sorry, it slipped,” she said, reaching up and kissing him. “You know I always called you that when we were in high school.”

“Only in the bedroom,” he reminded her.

“You didn’t seem to hate it then like you do now.”

“I don’t hate it when it’s coming from your mouth, Laney. When you say it . . . it kind of turns me on for some reason.”

“Really, Silver?” She reached up and ran her finger over his lips.

“Don’t do that,” he warned her, but she continued, knowing how much it used to excite him.

“Silver, Silver, Silver,” she said, and before she knew it, he’d taken her finger into her mouth and was sucking on it. “Now
you’re
exciting
me
,” she said.

“It works both ways, you little temptress.” He reached down and squeezed her bottom, pulling her into him as he did
so.

“Whoa, is that your night stick
or are you just happy to see me?” she asked playfully, giggling as she said it.

“Want to find out?”

“Here?” She looked around.

“I’m game if you are.”

“Not here, but upstairs.” She pulled him along and up to the attic, stopping and turning around and kissing him again.

He unbuckled his belt and laid his weapons
and equipment on a nearby sofa, and removed his radio and then his shirt.

“Your chest is amazing,” she said, running her fi
ngers over his pecs and then his nipples.

“So is yours,” he said, pulling her t-shirt over her head and unclasping her bra.

Judas was so turned on,
that he couldn’t stand the anticipation. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking of their night of lovemaking and wanting to do it again. He knew with J.D. in the house, they may not have many opportunities for a screaming orgasm, and he wasn’t going to turn down a chance to make love to his new wife whenever and wherever he could.

He felt her hands pulling at his buckle and before he knew it, his pants were open and her hands were bringing him fast to full arousal.

“Honey, if you keep that up I won’t be able to drag this out.”

“No need to,” she said. “I’m ready for you right now.”

That’s all she had to say. He saw a shiny, waxed dining room table right behind her with a bunch of trinkets and objects atop it. He reached forward and with one swipe of his arm he cleared the table and the objects crashed to the floor.

“Those were a
ntiques,” she told him. She was all over him again, and while they kissed madly, he raised her up and sat her atop the table.

“Are we really going to do it right here?” she asked with a giggle.

“Are you objecting?”

“Not at all.”

He played with her breasts and when she arched her back and moaned, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He laid her back and with one motion, ripped her jeans from her body and threw them across the floor. The panties followed next. Then he pulled down his own clothing, setting himself free.

He then slid her across the table toward him, and she r
aised her legs and put them on his shoulders as he buried himself to the hilt into her moist warmth. She screamed out, “Silver. Oh yes, Silver,” tilting her hips upward, and it took all his control not to spill his seed, but he wanted her to enjoy this as long as she could.

He pulled out and brought
her body toward him, and she sat up, clinging to his neck.

“Let’s try it this way,” he said, sliding her down his body
til her feet hit the ground. Then he turned her around and bent her over the table. He entered her again, holding her hips and screaming out his passion as he found his relief.

Then he
laid his body forward slightly, covering hers with his and whispered into her ear.

“Now that was some good stuff.”

“I agree,” she said through ragged breathing.

He stood up and went to help her when he noticed some kind of marking on her ass. He looked down and to his surprise it was a tattoo. It didn’t really bother him until he saw what it was.

A spider with legs out to all sides. And atop it were the words,
Laney loves
. And below it was the name he didn’t want to see at this moment. The name of the man she’d been to bed with more than she’d been with him. It was the name of her late husband. It read . . .
Spyder.

Chapter 15

Laney followed Judas back to the house in her car, not able to keep up with the squad he drove so fast.

She’d realized too late that when they’d made love she’d been
in the position that gave Judas a full view of her tattoo. The tattoo she’d been trying so hard to hide from him. But she knew now that they were married it would have only been a matter of time before he saw it anyway.

She stopped the car and jumped out, running after Judas as he made his way up the stairs and into the house.

“Judas, can you please stop so we can talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he growled, making his way to the bedroom and changing out of his uniform as they spoke. “Did you really think you could hide it from me, Laney? Didn’t you realize I was going to see it sooner or later?”
He unloaded his gun and locked it away, making sure to lock the ammunition in a different place.