Page 49 of Justice for Radar

“Come take a swim with me,” I asked, kneeling beside her lounger. She met my eyes and a flash of fear chased by want went through hers.

I held out my hand and with perfect trust, she took it and I helped her to her feet.

“Have fun, you two,” Hope called after us and I waved over my shoulder.

“What if someone says something?” Jussy asked nervously as we trudged through the sand toward the water.

“Then I whoop their fucking ass,” I answered dryly, and she jerked back in surprise and looked at me.

“You’re serious!” she said, voice soft with wonder.

“As a fuckin’ heart attack,” I said.

“You… you would do that for me?” she asked.

“In a fuckin’ heartbeat,” I said without hesitation, putting my arms around her.

“You wouldn’t be scared?”

“Of what?” I asked.

“Getting hurt or…”

I shook my head. “Been in plenty of fights and will probably get in plenty more. It’s part of my job, honestly.”

She blinked and thought about it. “I guess I’ve never thought of it that way.”

I smiled. “It’s okay. We’re still learning about each other.”

She smiled and nodded, and I tugged at the knot at her hip.

“Time to lose this, the water is just over there,” I murmured. She looked at the few people bobbing in the surf and over her shoulder at a few more nearby.

“Hey,” I said softly, and she turned back and looked at me. “Fuck ‘em. Any of ‘em. Only person on this beach that matters what they think is you.” I poked her lightly in the chest with a fingertip and she swallowed hard and stood a little straighter. With a nod, she fumbled at the knot of the wrap at her hip, her hands shaking, and you know what? So, what if she was doing it for me more than she was doing it for herself – which I could totally tell? The woman couldn’t keep any thought she had off her face or out of her eyes.

It was endearing to me, but I knew it’d been weaponized on her most of her life. It said something that she somehow managed to stay soft despite it.

I loved her for that.

It hit like a serious shock to my system as she let the wrap flutter to the sand and reached for my hand. I took it, keeping my eyes on hers and smiled, my heart stuttering in my chest.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asked, and I felt my smile grow. I shook my head.

“Absolutely nothing, beautiful.” I kicked off my flip-flops and she shrugged her feet out of hers.

“Hey, Lightning!” I called up the beach. He turned and gave me a chin lift. “You mind?” I asked, picking up my cut off my bare chest.

“No, man! I got you!” He came jogging over and took it from me and met Jussy’s eyes and gave her a nod. “Looking good, Jussy,” he said, and he trotted back up the beach to put my cut where it was safe.

“What was that about?” she asked.

I turned back to her from where I watched Lightning’s retreating back and asked, “What?”

“The whole having him take your vest,” she said.

I chuckled.

“First, it’s a cut, not a vest… and it’s my colors. You don’t let your colors hit the ground and you guard that shit with your life,” I said, leading her to the water’s edge.

---