Page 52 of Justice

“Hi.” The angel before him spoke, her bell-like voice doing things to him he didn’t understand.

“My name is Drake. Please excuse me for being bold, but you are breathtaking.” Drake’s heart danced as a smile slowly grew on her face, something he vowed from this moment on would remain there.

“I'm Justice, Justice Hart.” Stepping closer to him, she reached up, placing her open hand on his face. “And you’re forgiven. You have such kind eyes.”

Drake leaned into her touch; his body coming to life for what he knew was the first time. He matched her steps, separating the remaining distance between them, placing a hand to her hip. He wanted to kiss her lips, brand her with his name, making it clear she belonged to him.

“Drake, this is the friend I told you about.”

Even the voice beside them couldn’t break the spell they were under. It wasn’t until a throat cleared behind him Drake blinked his eyes, the haze cleared slightly, but the feelings remained.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Justice. If you’re comfortable, I’d like to take you back to my home, get something to eat and drink if you're hungry, and further discuss the proposition I’ve offered to Molly.”

His eyes never left Justice’s. As she smiled and nodded her head, he took her hand in his, leading them off the plane and into the warm car. Wrapping his arm around her, he instructed Stetson to drive them home. Introductions were made, and Tobias told Molly the plates were inside the trunk on his lap. He offered to let her look at them, but she declined, saying she needed better light and something warm to drink.

“Are you hungry? I can get you anything you wish.” Drake whispered into Justice’s ear. He was dying to kiss her but felt the perfect moment would present itself inside his condo, where, if things led to where he hoped, they would wake up naked and sated in his bed.

“I am a little, I spent too much time in the bathroom on your plane.”

“Did you like it?

“I did, it’s very nice.”

Leaning his lips to her ear, “Then you’ll love the bathroom in my home, the tub is big enough for two.”

All too soon Stetson pulled into the entrance of his building. Tobias opened the door and carried in the wooden trunk he brought back from Georgia into the lobby. Drake smiled to himself as he recalled how obsessed he’d been an hour ago to learn if Molly could use the plates he hoped were inside the trunk. However, now his focus had changed and while he still wanted to know about the plates, he considered waiting until morning.

As the group stood inside the elevator, Drake wrapped his arms around Justice, pulling her back against his chest. He’d noticed her shiver as she stepped out of the car, and wanted to make her warm again. Holding her tight, he watched as the numbers on the board increased, and as he looked down at Justice, he found her looking at him, a smile on her face.

“What?” he questioned softly into her ear.

“You’ll laugh at me.”

“Cross my heart, I won’t laugh.”

Justice turned her head over her shoulder, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling him down to her. “When Tobias put me on the plane, I assumed you wanted to kill me for what happened to Deidre.”

Drake buried his nose in her neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her; even the mention of the bitches name didn’t sour his mood this time. “I didn’t know you existed until a news report about Glynn Stone’s death came on the television. Molly insisted she have your help in working for me, and I had planned on sending Tobias back to Georgia to find you.”

Fisting his hair in her hand. “So, no killing me then?”

“No, princess, killing you is the last thing I want to do to you.” Drake felt her stiffen and push away from him.

“Drake, if you care for me at all, please never call me princess.”

Not liking the distance between them, he pulled her back to him. “Tell me why, and I’ll never do it again.” Searching her doe eyes, she laid her hands on his chest as the elevator doors opened and the others stepped into his condo. She told him of the trial and how the last thing Red called her was princess.

“I’d kill him if he wasn’t already dead. Soon, I will have a term of endearment for you, one that won’t make you pull away from me.”

By the time they made it to the living room, Tobias had the trunk open and had set his computer up on the bar. Drake took one look at the screen and knew he was up to something big.

“The money is in the bottom. I didn’t take the time to count it, we had to get out of there before Marino woke up.”

Drake pulled Justice to stand beside him as he reached inside and removed the stacks of bills. After the second time he reached in, Justice reached in to help him. Once his coffee table was covered with stacks of money, he took out his phone; pulling up the program where he kept the serial numbers of the money he’d sent Red.

Tobias came over, pulling a white towel from the trunk and handing it to Molly. “Here are the plates.”

Molly unwrapped the towel, examining the plates from several angles. Her eyes squinting as she perused them carefully.

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