Page 23 of Justice
All I knew was one thing—Justice.
Finally, he had me there again...coming for him a third time as he braced my face and whispered to my lips, “Open your eyes, Scarlet.”
I did immediately and was caught in his hot, intense gaze as we came together.
Time just stood still. All else remained meaningless except for this.
I knew now that I was in trouble. I belonged with him, to him. There would be no going back as I whispered, “I love you, Justice.” A tear slipped from my eye and rolled down my cheek.
Swiping it away, he stared at me in concern. “Baby, don’t cry. I won’t ever hurt you. I would rather die than do that.”
I stared at him and then I cried even harder. “No. I don’t want that!” I couldn’t seem to get a hold of myself. Crying like a damn baby.
He held me and rolled us over, so that I was on top of him. “We are going to get through this, Scarlet, you will see. We have a whole army behind us. Look at Prophet and Jewel. They lived through it and are here safe.”
My tears slowed as I sniffled a bit. “I-I’m, sorry. It isn’t just that. I’m scared that this...Between us, that it won’t last.” I laid my head down on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat.
“Babe, you don’t have to—”
“No, I do. Just let me get this out.”
Wrapping his strong arms around me, Justice stayed quiet.
“Like I told you before,” I explained. “I’ve had two relationships and they were so bad that I swore off men altogether.” I swiped another tear away and went on, “I just couldn’t take a chance at it again. And now, I love you and I want a life with you. So, being cursed like I am about having any kind of happy ever after, I’m afraid that in this exchange or this war with Deacon that I will lose you. I mean it would figure, right? You aren’t a crazy jealous stalker and you aren’t a man who would lie about… well, anything. So, the only way I would lose is for you to…” I couldn’t even say it aloud. I might lose him as soon as tomorrow if fate decided that this would be my three strikes out.
Gently smoothing my hair with his hand, he spoke softly, “Scarlet, you can’t stop living life or taking chances based on the past. I know people say that all the time, but let me tell yousomething my dad told all of us kids once…You have this one chance at life. Only you can decide if your life is worth living. The reason I named you all with the principles that matter in life is because at one point, I turned away from them and I lost everything. In you all, I have Fate, Liberty, Justice, Redemption and Glory. So, I will never lose those principles again. Take the chance on living life for all it’s worth or give up your names and be nothing.”
I listened to his dad’s sage advice and let out a long breath. “Wow.”
He nodded. “We never knew what he meant when he said he turned away, until we arrived here, and we realized he had turned away from his family, from the Walker’s Dynasty. He did it because he and his brother loved the same woman. He gave it all up and went somewhere else to build a new life.”
“That is so sad. I never knew…”
He sighed. “We didn’t know about that either. When we arrived at the ranch that very first time, we were all gobsmacked.”
“Why?”
“It is almost an exact replica of our home in Sugarland.”
“What?”
He slowly shook his head and explained it, “I mean down to that huge dining room, the verandah, the bedrooms, the furniture is different but the structure is the very same.”
“That poor man. It must have been hard on him. Being all alone in the world and having to give all that up because of love.”
Justice shrugged slightly. “We never knew about that. We never knew the Louisiana Walkers existed at all. He married our mother and had five kids. He made up for it, I suppose?”
“Maybe.” I nodded. “But he went for it when he got that second chance with Ma.”
“He did and that is what I am telling you. Take this chance on me, on us. Don’t turn away from it.”
I rose up and looked into his eyes. “I don’t think I have a choice. I became yours in the last twenty minutes or so.”
He chuckled. “Oh, yeah?”
I nodded.
“So what part won you over?” He gave me a wink.
