Page 12 of Darling Psycho

“Christie?” he knew that name and recognized her face. “You’re tapping Arson’s mom?”

“We’re together.” Judge croaked.

Shit. Maybe Lawless left the kid alive and let Arson kill him.

Taking pity on him, he dropped his throat, and Judge sucked in air like a dying fish. Lawless didn’t give him space, though. Bracketing him in against the wall, he dropped his head. “What part of your duties didn’t you understand?”

“I don’t—”

“Need I remind you what I said I’d do if you so much as broke one rule?”

“I haven’t. Angie’s safe, boss.”

“Is she? Is she really?”

Lawless didn’t like to toy with his food.

Until he did.

And he was in the mood to pluck the veins out of Judge’s fucking body.

“If Angela is so safe... a job I paid you for...the only job you have, why then is she working for Benz? Go ahead, Judge, I’ll wait.”

Spoiler alert. He wouldn’t fucking wait.

He was on the edge as it was, and if he didn’t get a satisfactory answer why this little fucknut hadn’t done the one task he was hired for, Arson’s mom was about to become single very fast.

“This is about the casino?”

The kid was astute.

“She likes to gamble. It’s not about Benz, boss. I know she’s not old enough yet, but she flashes her fake ID, and I wait outside until she’s done.”

“Are you fucking stupid? Or did you lose a pound of brain cells while you’ve been distracted going balls deep in Arson’s mom?” When Judge’s lips opened to speak, Lawless growled and leaned in. “You’d do well to shut the fuck up, Son. I’m not in the mood to listen to dogshit reasons of why you fell on the job and didn’t know she’s been working there for the last few months. You had one assignment, Judge.”

“Jesus Christ, I didn’t know, Lawless, I swear it. You know I tell you everything she does, even the boring shit, where she goes, who she talks to.”

“And that’s the problem, isn’t it? You should have known. You should have known to nip it in the bud, and you didn’t. So, tell me why I don’t just kill you now, as I promised. Because I hired you to guard her, not to let anything harm her.”

“And I haven’t!”

“Yet you watched her walk into a viper’s den. You fucking drive her there, Judge.”

“To fuckinggamble, that’s all she said.”

The shock on his face said Judge thought he was telling the truth.

“Then you got played by a little girl smarter than you. It was your role to be at her side 24-7. To walk into her goddamn bathroom stall if that what was needed to doyour job.”

“Fucking Hell, Lawless. I didn’t know. I swear it, you know I took it seriously. I was with Angie all the time. I’ve done everything to make sure she was fine.”

Stepping back, Lawless brushed a flake of snow from his coat and turned to leave. “I’m very disappointed, Judge. This isn’t the last you’ve heard about it, either. And for your sake, keep your trap shut about seeing me here tonight.”

“Boss!” He called out in a hushed whisper, probably not to disturb his sleeping siblings inside. “Boss? What you gonna do?”

Lawless ignored him.

It was petty of him, but Lawless smirked as he climbed onto the seat of his motorcycle.

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