Page 87 of Judge's Mercy

“Here.” I toss him the remote.

“Any requests?”

“I’ll probably fall asleep, so just turn on whatever you want.”

“Say less.” He turns the TV on and needs no explanation on how to access my streaming services. “Have you been keeping up on all the drama on that reality show where they don’t see the person they’re talking to before they marry them?”

I grin at his excitement. “No, can’t say that I have. Been busy murdering awful men.”

“Ha! I heard about that.” He picks up Ryder and, in a baby voice, says, “Your mama is a badass too. Just like you.”

Shaking my head, full-on smiling now, I face forward and pull the covers up high, expecting the white noise of the TV to lull me to sleep. Except, that’s not what happens. Two hours, a bag of microwavable popcorn, and a Diet Coke later, I’m sitting up, shooting the shit with Tigger over my new TV addiction.

I gasp. “Oh my god! She didn’t!”

“If the woman I just married tried to leave me for the husband of another person on the show, I’d murk his ass, and boom. Problem solved.”

“Like you wouldn’t be suspect number one.” I toss a piece of popcorn at his head, and Ryder takes it as a threat, wiggling his little body and pouncing on the kernel.

Tigger’s gaze drops to his lap, and even though he’s smiling, it’s forced, and there’s a distinct shift in his mood. “Yeah, guess so.”

“What just happened?”

“What do you mean?” He removes the popcorn from Ryder’s claws before he can eat it.

“We were laughing and having a good time. Now you’re all contemplative and shit.”

His features are pinched when he looks over at me. “What does it feel like to kill someone?”

My eyes widen at the unexpected question. “Why do you want to know?”

“I haven’t ever done it, but at some point, I know I’ll have to. You know, to be in the club.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Tigger. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can set that boundary.”

“The Sons don’t want some kid who can’t pull the trigger when it’s necessary.”

“Then don’t patch in.”

He scratches his brow. “I want to. And it’s not like I care because they only kill when it’s necessary. It’s just that I don’t like to go into situations without having an idea of the outcome, so I thought if you told me how it felt, I’d be prepared.”

I reach over to the remote and press the mute button. “The men I killed were disgusting pieces of shit, so it wasn’t hard for me. But I think as long as you know you’re doing it for the right reasons, you’ll be okay.”

“Yeah, okay. Makes sense.” He strokes down a sleepy Ryder’s back. “Do you regret the whole revenge-plot thing?”

“No.” My answer is out before he’s finished asking the question.

“Even though this happened to you?” He motions at me.

“I’ll never regret trying to stop disgusting men from exploiting women and children. I might fail a time or two, but I can sleep at night knowing I tried.”

“That’s cool,” he says simply.

Smirking, I turn the volume of the TV back up and settle in for more of our show. “Yeah, it is cool.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

JUDGE

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