Page 23 of Judge's Justice

Judge makes me feel seen.

And that's dangerous. That's so dangerous I should be running in the opposite direction. Because men who make you feel seen can also make you feel destroyed when they leave. And Judge will leave. Of course he will.

Once this war is over, once the Vipers aren't a threat anymore, he'll go back to his life, to his club, to his brothers, and Grace and I will be a footnote. A random Tuesday when he protected some civilians.

That's what makes sense.

That's what I should be preparing for.

So why does the thought make my chest hurt?

"Mama." Grace tugs on my sleeve. "What are you thinking about?"

I look down at her.

"I'm thinking about how brave you are," I sign. It's not a lie. Just not the whole truth.

"I'm scared," Grace signs back. "But Judge said being brave means doing things even when you're scared. So, I'm trying to be brave like him."

"You are. You're the bravest person I know."

"After Judge though, right? He's the bravest?"

I look back out the window. At the man standing in the morning sunlight waiting for violence.

"Yeah," I sign. "After Judge."

Time moves like syrup. Thick, slow and suffocating. Every second feels like an hour. Grace has gone completely still beside me, her breath fogging the window, her hands pressed against the glass.

Judge hasn't moved. Hasn't checked his phone. Hasn't done anything except stand there and wait.

How does he do that? How does he stay so calm when I feel like I'm going to vibrate out of my skin?

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I jump so hard I nearly knock Grace off the couch.

It's my ex again.

**You can't ignore me forever.**

**Grace needs stability. You're being irresponsible.**

**I talked to a lawyer. You can't just take her across state lines without my permission.**

My hands start shaking again. The phone feels like it weighs a thousand pounds.

He talked to a lawyer. He's threatening me. He's trying to make this about custody and what's best for Grace when he never gave a damn about any of those things before.

When he couldn't even remember her birthday last year.

When he told me I was overprotective for wanting to learn sign language because "she can read lips, can't she?"

I should block him. Judge told me to block him. But what if he really did talk to a lawyer? What if he has some legal right I don't know about? What if—

Grace's hand touches mine. I look down at her.

"Is it dad again?" she signs.

I nod.