Justice Read online

  “Competency hearing? That implies they believe she’s not of sound mind, correct?” Justice’s anger spiked. “Is he accusing her of insanity for loving you?”

  “Yes.” Fury’s hands gripped the chair tightly enough to make the wood groan. “She’s carrying our child and it’s obvious enough with her morning sickness that he would notice if he stayed with us for a few days. And they say she is being abused by me. She doesn’t need to be upset but I have to tell her about this. She will be angry and that will make me furious.”

  Tiger shot him a glance and his eyebrows rose. “You? Angry? Unbelievable.”

  Justice smothered a grin at the joke and relaxed. “Don’t tell her, Fury. There’s no need.”

  “She has to be told. They delivered a summons to the gate in her name and I always share everything with her.”

  “She’s your mate, living at Homeland. That makes her Species.” Justice leaned forward and crossed his arms to rest them on his desk. “Their laws don’t apply to us. They have no jurisdiction and they can’t enforce it.”

  Hope filled Fury’s worried gaze. “Are you certain?”

  “Yes. Don’t upset your mate.”

  “It’s her father. I’m sure he might mention it when she talks to him on the phone.”

  “You’re right. Inform her there’s nothing the outside world can do. They can’t enter Homeland and it’s a tactic to cause anxiety. It will blow over once her father calms down. Tell her those things before you give her the news about him being difficult.”

  “I wish the outside world had never found out about Ellie and me.” Fury softly growled. “It’s caused so much grief. Everyone believes I’m harming her or that she shouldn’t be with me. Why can’t they leave us alone?”

  “You two belong together.” Tiger shrugged. “Your love for each other is clear and perhaps they are jealous. Plus, humans can be really stupid when it comes to us.”

  Justice grimly agreed. “Your mate and unborn child are safe, Fury. No one can take them from you or enter our gates to take her away. Care for her, love her and be there for her.”

  “Always.” Fury rose to his feet. “I still wish the outside world had never learned about us. I watch it cause her pain sometimes and it tears me apart inside. I want to protect her but this is the man who helped give her life. I understand his disappointment but to accuse me of harming her or her being insane to love me is frustrating.” He glared at each man. “If you ever mate a human, protect her better than I have my Ellie. I’m going home now. I hate leaving her for more than a few hours.” He stomped out of the office.

  “Shit.” Tiger sighed, slumping in his chair. “I don’t envy him the conversation they are about to have. This is why I swore off women from the outside. They come with nosy families who seem to cause more trouble than having those associations are worth. It makes me feel lucky that we don’t have parents.”

  The thought of Jessie flashed through Justice’s mind. Her father was the senator who spoke at meetings for Species and fought in Washington for the rights they had. Worry began to surface. Would Jessie’s father have an adverse reaction if he knew his daughter had allowed him to touch her? How much trouble could he cause them if he did? He had real power, was not just some human who wanted to protest outside the gates or send them nasty messages. He slumped in his chair as he leaned back.

  “We’re lucky to be single.”

  Justice met Tiger’s steady gaze. “Are we? I think Fury would disagree. His Ellie is worth it to him. Their love is true.”

  “Yeah. You have a point but so do I.” Tiger grinned. “Let’s make a pact. We won’t tell anyone if we ever fall for a woman from the outside. Between humans thinking we’re twisted bastards who brainwash women into being with us and our own kind watching us to see what happens when we are with humans, let’s skip it and keep it on the down-low.”

  “The what?”

  “It’s a term I’ve learned from a human. It means keep it secret. It’s no one’s business and therefore they can’t start any trouble if they disagree with the relationship. The male said he did that with an undesirable female.” His face grew solemn. “He laughed when I commented that her looks should be irrelevant if she made him happy. I wasn’t sure how to take that but I think he cares too much for appearances. The term is the same though. It means being with someone and no one knows.”

  Justice stood. “I don’t like that term. Anyone who would dismiss a person because of how they look isn’t someone intelligent enough to learn from.”

  “You going home?” Tiger glanced at the clock on the wall before giving him a curious stare. “Are you not feeling well? You never leave this early.”

  “I’m tired. I didn’t get much sleep.” It was partially true. He hadn’t slept much but he wanted to see Jessie. “Don’t stay too late.”

  “Sure.” Tiger shrugged. “I still have some paperwork to do but I’m going home afterward.”

  Justice hurried out of the room, thoughts of Jessie distracting him. He wanted to protect her and avoid trouble with her father but that would mean not being with her at all. His teeth clenched in anger. It might not be an issue. She might have only wanted to share sex with him once.

  * * * * *

  Jessie jumped when the doorbell rang and realized she’d dozed off. She sat up and gripped the side of the tub to haul her sluggish body out and grabbed a towel. The doorbell buzzed again. Jessie cursed, dried and put on her boxers and half shirt. She ran for the front door. The doorbell sounded a third time.

  “I’m coming,” she called out. She hoped whoever was there wouldn’t leave. She yanked open the door.

  Justice wore a navy suit with a light-gray tie. His hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, away from his handsome features. His intense, dark gaze slowly lowered down her body to take in her damp skin, her attire. It hesitated over her breasts. Jessie glanced down to see what held his attention—her nipples were hard. She hadn’t dried off well so her clothes clung to her in places. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to blush.

  “Hello, Justice. I was in the bath. How are you? I didn’t expect anyone to come by or I’d have grabbed different clothes. How have you been?” Is that me babbling? Jessie wanted to kick herself. Justice was on her doorstep and he looked good enough to attack. She closed her mouth, took a breath and forced a smile. “Would you like to come inside?”

  His gaze lowered further and a smile tugged at his lips. “Are those men’s boxers?”

  She looked down again. “I steal them from my older brother when we stay at my dad’s at the same time.” She laughed, peering up at his face. “The fly is sewn shut and they are comfortable to sleep in. Dad had them in his plane with some of my stuff he brought to give to me the next time we saw each other.”

  Justice stepped inside the entryway and closed the door softly behind him. Jessie noticed how much taller he was since she was barefoot. Her boots gave her a few inches of height. It made him appear bigger than life in her opinion.

  “I came to welcome you to Homeland and see how you are doing.” His focus trained on her hair. “Are you in pain?”

  “Not anymore. I took a pain pill not long ago.”

  He hesitated. “May I see your injury?”

  “Sure. There’s really nothing to see except a bandage.” She turned, presented him with her back and reached up to her hair to pull out the pins.

  Justice’s fingers brushed hers, stilling them. “Allow me.” His voice came out barely a whisper.

  Jessie’s heart pounded at the husky shift of his voice. It sounded pretty sexy to her. She inhaled and nearly groaned aloud. He smelled so good it made her want to turn and bury her nose in his shirt. Whatever cologne he used was money well spent. It reminded her vividly of the night before when they’d been naked and touching. An image of sinking down on his cock flashed through her memory and heat spread between her thighs. She started to ache.

  Stop it, she ordered. He came to check on me and wel