Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Not enough for Cassie, either.
She missed him as much as he missed her.
Fucking crazy for him to fall so fucking hard for a woman he’d only known for about six weeks. Cassie said the same.
That’s why she was in no rush to move from under her sister’s roof. Plus, she was still putting money away. He hoped it was so they could get a shared place and not one on her own, but it would be up to her.
He wouldn’t rush her. Not only because of her but because of her girl.
He got it.
But it still sucked.
He had hoped she’d spend the night tonight since she was on days-off from Crazy Pete’s, but her sister and brother-in-law had some work thing to go to and couldn’t watch Daisy.
So, he’d gone over after closing up Justice Bail Bonds for the night, had dinner with her and Daisy and left once his girls had settled in to watch Frozen for the millionth time.
He could do a lot of things but watching Frozen again was not one of them. Especially when Daisy, while dressed like Elsa, sung at the top of her little lungs to the point where he wanted to jam pencils in his eardrums.
He sighed. It was time to go inside, thaw out his own balls and maybe spend a little quality time with his Fleshlight and his imagination.
As he rose from his seat, his cell phone went off, playing Cassie’s ringtone, which was not the fucking song Let It Go. He swiped the screen and put it to his ear.
Maybe she was calling to have phone sex. He could get on board with that.
“What’s up, baby?” At first, she didn’t answer, making the back of his neck tingle. “Cass.”
But it was her whisper that made his heart stop. “He’s here.”
“Who’s there?” he shouted, already knowing who the fuck she was talking about. He glanced at Sig. “Take Jury in with you.”
Sig dropped his feet from the railing to the metal landing and stared at him with concern.
“Dennis,” came the shaky whisper.
“Jesus fuck. Where?”
“In Daisy’s room. He’s sitting on her bed, talking to her.”
“What? Did you let him in?”
“No!” she whisper-shouted. “I have no idea how he got into the house. But he’s in there. I went to check on her and he was just… there.”
“Where are you?”
“I closed the bedroom door before he saw me and called you right away.”
“Where are you?” he barked as he ran down the steps, Jury on his heels. “Get Jury!” he shouted up at Sig.
The man ran down the steps, grabbing the bulldog by her wide collar and holding her as Judge jumped into his Expedition, which was parked at the bottom of the steps.
“In Heather’s room.”
Judge pressed the Ford’s Start button and the engine roared to life. His cell phone’s Bluetooth automatically hooked up. “Will he hurt her? You?”
“No, I don’t think so,” came her shaky voice through the vehicle’s speakers. “He’s just talking to her, but I have no idea what he’s saying.”
He shoved the shifter into Reverse. “Fuck.”
“Yes, fuck, Judge! What do I do? Call the cops?”
“No, I’m on my way. If he tries to take Daisy with him, you hang up with me and call 9-1-1. You got me?”
He could barely hear her “Yes.”
“Keep your shit together. If you approach him, stay calm, yeah? If you can, try to keep him in the house ‘til I get there. If he leaves, do not let him leave with Daisy. If he tries leavin’ without her, make sure you get the description of his vehicle and plate, yeah?” He sped down the rough farm lane, past Trip and Stella’s house and toward County Line Road.
“Okay.”
“Only stop him from leavin’ if you can do it safely. Do not put yourself at risk. We don’t know what his fuckin’ mental state is.”
“He’s upset. I think he’s getting Daisy upset, too, because he’s crying.”
“He’s fuckin’ cryin’?”
“Y-yes. I think so.”
Jesus Christ.
“Want you to text Deke right now. Don’t hang up with me, but text him and tell him what the fuck’s goin’ on. You keep the line open with me so I can hear everythin’, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll text him now.”
“You get his vehicle description, text it to both of us.”
He got no answer, so he assumed she was doing what he told her. A few seconds later, she returned with, “Okay, I texted him.”
“He text you back?”
“Not yet.”
“He will. Don’t worry. Gonna shut up now so you can listen for him. Make sure he does not take Daisy, Cass. Do not let him leave the house with her.” He could not say that enough. Judge was worried Lange might use her in a standoff. Or for ransom. Or, worse, as a shield like his father did with Jemma that night over twenty years ago.
“I won’t. He’s not taking her. No way.”