“Nice to meet you, Christian.” That wasn’t exactly true.
I didn’t like the man in front of me at all. Somehow he seemed even more dangerous now I knew his name. Like it was some kind of secret.
“His name is Christian.” Havoc stepped into the room. “But everyone calls him the Judge.”
Chapter Ten
Havoc
Ihated having him here. In my kitchen with his eyes on her. It didn’t matter that she was dressed like a homeless person; part of me hated the fact he was looking at her like her sweat pants were see-through lingerie.
He was the god damn Judge. Although judge, jury and executioner was more like it. If he decided that Darcie was guilty of crossing the family, even by association, there would be very little the club or I could do about it.
“The Judge?” Her voice didn’t shake like I had expected it to. She was either oblivious to the danger she was in - and if that was the case, I was glad of it - or she was a real good actress. “Is that like your road name?” She gave me a look, a question clear in her eyes, and I gave her the smallest of nods.
His laugh was condescending. “Do I look like a biker to you?”
She didn’t say a word as she pushed the bacon from the pan onto plates. “No, you definitely don’t look like a biker. Havoc definitely doesn’t take as much care of his appearance as you.” Her words were scathing, and yet somehow, they seemed more a dig at him than at me.
I hid a grin.
“Any eggs to go with this baby?” I let my voice carry. I wanted to change the subject. “And can you put a pot of coffee on? Fang is on his way. He wants to talk to Christian.” I stressed his name. Praying, he took the hint and kept his mouth shut. “In private.”
“Of course, then I’ll make myself scarce so you guys can have your manly talk….” Another butter wouldn’t melt smile.
She really was something else.
Darcie Summers deserved a god damn Oscar.
“In private?” The Judge’s voice dripped sarcasm, and I knew before he even opened his mouth that he was going to say something I didn’t like. “Don’t you think your beautiful woman should be in on it? After all, it’s me she has to convince.”
My hand clenched under the table.
Son of a bitch.
“Convince?” She wasn’t acting now. She was genuinely concerned.
“Yeah. It’s you who has to convince me not to put a bullet between your eyes.”
***
“You look pale Darcie.” Fang said it around a forkful of eggs and bacon. “Havoc been keeping you up and not letting you sleep?”
“Something like that, yeah.” She pushed her own eggs around her plate. She had moved the same mouthful of food around for the last five minutes. Her eyes strained on her plate.
“He should let you get some rest. We have a party tonight, and I don’t want you worn out before you get to meet everyone.” Fang seemed oblivious to the icy feeling around the table. But I wasn’t fooled. Just because it seemed he wasn’t paying attention didn’t mean he wasn’t. I knew Fang; not much got past him. Which was one of the reasons he was president. That and the fact he was a ruthless son of a bitch.
“Judge told her who he is.” My voice was deadpan. I wasn’t about to sugarcoat it. I had already tried that, and it had backfired. From here on out, I had to be honest with her. Even if it hurt her and put that scared look in her wide eyes.
She deserved that much from me.
“Oh, I see.” Fang placed his fork on the empty plate without a sound. Leaning back on the chair, I expected him to fix his eyes on the Italian, but instead, he speared Darcie to the spot.
“How you doing with that knowledge?”
She gave a shrug but finally looked up from her plate. “I’m not sure how to even answer that. I’m sat at a table with a man who just told me he was going to shoot me.”
“I didn’t say I was definitely going to shoot you. I just said you had to convince me not to.” Christian looked bored, and I had to fight back the urge to knock his too white veneers into the back of his head.
