Page 32 of The Prey
Gia wasn’t so certain she was good with change right now. Or ever.
Then he was right there, blocking their path. “Giavonna. You look…beautiful.”
The exact same words Anthony had said to her when he’d picked her up at the ranch. But…Anthonyhad not looked at her like that. Anthony didn’t make her shiver when he told her that. And Anthony didn’tlookat her just like that, either.
“I came with Hendricks Barratt. We’re representing the law school alumni association. Since his brother’s family isn’t here tonight. Considering what happened to their family, Mac and his parents chose not to attend.”
“I spoke with Powell this morning. She’s asked that I handle a few clients for her in the meantime. Until her fiancé is back on his feet and she’s comfortable leaving him alone. She said he tends to get into trouble if she’s not watching him closely.”
“Having met him several times, I’m sure Detective Erickson does. But I’m pretty certain Powell is the one who tends to cause the most trouble,” Anthony said, pulling Gia’s attention back to him. “Hanan, good to see you again.”
Anthony put his arm around Gia’s waist and tucked her closer. He sent Hudson a challenging look. One just designed to be provoking.
Oh, boy.
Anthony was the quietest of Ronnie’s brothers—but he had a beyond wicked sense of humor when someone got him going. And he was by far the most unpredictable of the unpredictable Lake brothers.
“I’m taking some of Mac and Mason’s, if needed. Mac called and asked me this afternoon. After you’d left.”
She’d left the office early to get ready for tonight, after having missed a few days in between due to what had happened to her family.
And to…well…escape him. The man had beenwatchingher, all day.
Just watching her from those devil eyes of his.
Not anything unprofessional, but when he had looked at her, all she could remember was kissing him. Twice. Or three times. Or…maybe a hundred, actually. She didn’t really remember now.
He looked perfect in his tux. His hair was a little longer than usual, though. It had a touch of curl. She suspected it was just as curly as his son’s. Whereas Ryan was utterly adorable…this man was not.
What he was,was on the hunt.
Damn him. He had changed everything.
What game was he really playing at?
23
It tookHudson over an hour to stalk his woman around the ballroom. Hudson kept somehow finding himself dancing with various women he’d met, but didn’t know well—most of them married. Half of them were from the table where Giavonna had been hiding. He suspected there was some sort of woman-led conspiracy against him at the moment.
Hendricks, a man he’d long considered a friend until this very night, was snickering at him most of the time. Until Hudson saw Hendricks withher.How interesting. Hudson just stood and watched Hendricks floundering for a moment.
The most terrifyingly strict woman to have ever sat the bench in this region of Texas was arguing with Hendricks off to one side of the table now, two beautiful young women who looked remarkably like her just standing there watching, wide-eyed.
Hudson shuddered as what he was seeing sank in—Judge Collins was a woman. An actualhumanwoman.
A terrifying one—but he would admit, she looked really nice in that slinky black dress that showed far too much Judge Collins for him to think about. Judge Collins belonged in black robes, not far too skimpy black cocktail dresses like that.
The last week in her courtroom—he had four cases including the one with Clarke in front of her now—had just proven that. But…she was fair and she applied the rule of law with rational, logical, ethical and effective precision. Razor sharp claws, though.
She just scared a man. That was all.
The idea that she’dreproducedmultiple times? That was terrifying to consider. And those definitely had to be her daughters, from the resemblance.
Hendricks looked all hot under the collar as she was saying something to him Hendricks obviously didn’t like. Two of Hendricks’s older sons were watching, too. They were obviously enjoying the show. Even Murdoch Lake, a detective Hudson had met many times before, and his wife were watching the spectacle. Lake was laughing like a lunatic.
Hudson finally headed toward the woman he wanted. He dropped into the chair beside her. “So…what’s that all about? What’s going on with Hendricks and Judge Collins?”
“Apparently, Scary Judge Collins—who utterly adores me, of course—knows Hendricks well. They havetangledbefore. And I don’t think it went well for him at all, strangely enough,” Murdoch said. “I can only imagine how. It’s going to be a very entertaining night…”
