Page 20 of Prince Charming

Judge reminded Tag of himself when he prospected, and Preacher got him running all over creation trying to break him.

It’s no easy feat to get in with theSouls.

It’s hard, laborious work that tested a man’s mettle.

“The nuns have gotta be horny as fuck. I’d try anything once, boss.”

Not so much now he’s taking care of his siblings and acting as a bodyguard to an obstinate college student.

Even without a flashlight, Tag knew the way like the back of his hand. He weaved through trees, climbed embankments while Judge jogged and huffed behind him. “Man, this place is scary as fuck.” He remarked. Tag would agree if he hadn’t grown up in the Colorado mountains. His dad joked Tag was part mountain lion.

“Scarier than a job from Lawless?”

Judge snorted. “Maybe not. I keep thinking I’m gonna mess up and he’ll break out of prison to set me on fire.”

Not an impossibility for Lawless.

Cutting a side glance, Tag asked. “You breaking any of his rules?”

“Nah, man. Just wanna do right for the kids, you know? They like it here. Would suck if I got canned now, and we had to crawl back to the Ohio slums.”

“That won’t happen if you do what you said you’re gonna do. Are you keeping Angie out of trouble?”

“Man, I’m trying. I fucking hate her college campus. It’s full of pretentious dickwads. Caught this one guy eyeing her up like a slab of raw beef. Gave him a friendly warning with my elbow in his throat, and then I keyed his Mercedes.”

Tag chuckled under his icy breath. “Is that protector or jealousy?”

Even in the dark he saw Judge blinking.

Angie was a cute girl with a sad past. It wouldn’t be out of the realm if Judge caught some feelings for her. He’d forged a friendship with her on purpose. Angie spent a lot of time with him and his siblings when she wasn’t at school in Denver.

“You think I’m into Angie?” He asked, almost strangled.

Amused. Of course he had to fuck around a little. “Well…”

“Fuck,man. You gonna tell Lawless that? He’ll rip my fucking gizzards out. He’ll string me up and slice me like pastrami.” The list of torture went on for a minute, so long in fact they arrived at the bunker. “Fucking hell. I promised the kids I’d take them into Denver to visit Santa next month. Well, R. I-fucking-P me. He ain’t gonna believe me if I say I’m not into her. He’ll cut my fucking head off and shit in my neck.”

Tag couldn’t hold in his chuckle.

“Didn’t know you were taking a college drama class, prospect. Definitely Oscar worthy, but save the theatrics for award season.” And then he sobered when he clapped a hand on Judge’s shoulder. “But if you are feeling her, you better learn to run fast, you get me? And not only from the enforcer. That girl is family to us and we’re particular which motherfuckers get near our family.”

Air wheezed out of Judge, it practically clanged like icicles. He looked worried for a second, and then he laughed, echoing through the woods.

“The other prospects warned me you guys are hardasses. Didn’t think you’d be handing me mine at 4 a.m. You mind waiting until a decent hour, I like to be alert for an ass fucking.”

Smirking, Tag stepped up to the door disguised with foliage.

A handprint and a passcode later, it electronically opened.

Judge didn’t deny it, he noticed. The kid might have to safeguard his gizzards.

An hour later, they locked the new chief of police’s shady secrets away along with all the others. And theSoulsbenefitted from another society bottom feeder.

Because it was close to dawn, he cut Judge free, knowing the guy had to get his kids to school and then backtrack to pick up Angie.

Time would tell if Judge earned hisSoulspatch.

The longer serving prospects would get their patches soon.

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