Page 7 of Judge's Justice

"Yeah."

"Fuck."

"Yeah."

Another pause. I hear Phoenix moving, probably standing from whatever chair he was sitting in, pacing the way he does when he's thinking. "The woman and the kid. They connected to anyone? Family in town? Friends?"

"No. She just got here."

"Why Millhaven?"

"Don't know yet. Didn't ask." I glance at the house, at the single light now glowing through the front window. "But she's running from something. I can see it."

"Can you protect them if the Vipers come looking?"

"I'm staying on patrol tonight. I'll keep eyes on the house. But long-term?" I exhale slowly. "Phoenix, if Demon decides she's atarget, if he decides to use her as leverage because he thinks she’s important to me, there's only so much I can do alone."

"You won't be alone." Phoenix's voice is firm. Final. "If the Vipers come for civilians, we shut it down. All of us."

"We're still nine men against forty-three."

"Doesn't matter. We don't let them terrorize innocent people. That's the whole fucking point of this club." He's quiet for a second. "What's her name?"

"Nora. Nora James. Kid's name is Grace."

"Grace." Phoenix repeats it like he's memorizing it. "Five years old, right?"

"Yeah."

"Same age as Maya."

I know where his head just went. Know he's thinking about his brother’s daughter, about what it would mean if she was caught in the middle of a war. About how he'd burn the world down to keep her safe.

"I'll keep them safe," I say. It comes out harder than I meant it to. A promise I'm not sure I can keep but I'm going to try anyway.

"I know you will." Phoenix sounds tired. "Call if anything changes. I'm sending Brick your way. He'll take the northern perimeter so you can focus on Oak Street."

"You don't have to—"

"Yeah, I do. You just painted a target on that woman and her kid because you protected them. That means they're our responsibility now."

He's right. I hate that he's right.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me. Just keep them alive."

He hangs up.

I sit on the bike in the darkness, engine off, watching the house. The light in the front window stays on for another ten minutes. Then it goes off. Another light comes on deeper in the house, a bedroom, maybe. Then that one goes off too.

She's putting the kid to bed. Trying to act like everything's normal even though her hands were shaking when she unlocked that door.

I wonder if she's crying. Wonder if she waited until Grace was asleep to let herself break down.

Still none of my business. Except I gave her my number, and told her to call if anything happens. And I meant it.

My phone buzzes.