Page 37 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

His head fell forward, and slowly, as if in a dreamlike state, he stared at me, blackness taking over his eyes until it was nearly impossible to see where his pupil began and ended. Realization of what I was seeing, that I should be afraid, sank into me. But I was not. My palm burned where I held him, and I could feel something deep in my bones twisting, pulling, and then suddenly, Judge whipped back to the table.

“What’s wrong with his eyes?”

Judge smiled, so slowly that I felt like the movement drew me in closer. “You have all been judged and been found…lacking.”

“Fuck you,” the head idiot spat at Judge, shoving at his crew as they began to pile out of the booth.

The smallest one, who had been sitting on the end by me, stood and reached for me with a grunt. Judge didn't hesitate but sealed his hand over the man’s collar and lifted him off his feet.

Dangling him midair, Judge seemed to breathe man in, and then with a grimace, he tossed the man aside. He slid on the dingy tile floor a few feet before coming to a stop. The sound of his body hitting the floor had an odd effect on the others still waiting.

They froze, staring at Judge for a long moment, ragged breathing breaking through the silence.

Judge inhaled, the sound making a soft whine as he rolled his head back, the movement purely predatory. “He was the very best you had to offer and therefore is a waste of my time. Leave, all of you.”

They scrambled by, climbing over the backs of the other benches, stepping on each other's toes and hands as they frantically removed themselves from Judge’s sight. One of the last to leave leaned down, helping his discarded friend to his feet before they limped out together.

A moment later, the bell chimed over the door and they were gone, sprinting down the street, the shapes of their bodies illuminated by the streetlights as they stumbled towards their cars. When I looked up at Judge, I found him staring down at me, a curious expression on his face.

“Judge, I—”

Cheering had broken out around us, scattered and a little arrhythmic, but it surrounded us nonetheless.

Judge looked surprised, his blond brows high. “They are…pleased, I see.”

I shrugged, smiling. “I guess so. No one likes those guys.”

Judge’s eyes burned into mine. “I’m sorry if I acted incorrectly, but I couldn’t stand by and let him disrespect you like that.”

My hand was still neatly tucked into his. I squeezed it, which made a corner of his mouth twitch. Quietly, so no one else would hear, I asked, “Is the bond still there?”

Judge huffed. “It is.”

“Well, I’ve never had someone defend me, and now, you’ve done it twice in one week. You better watch out… I’m not going to be able to let you go.”

Judge’s palm was warm as he curled his hand towards his lips, bringing me along with it so that I bumped gently against his body. I gasped in surprise, and then my breath caught at the smirking enjoyment on his face as he brushed his lips over my knuckles.

“Perhaps it is I who does not want to let you go.”

We stared at each other, something between us changing, a strange sort of bond that seemed to grow within my chest until I was worried it might burst free and consume us both. But for the first time, it didn’t scare me. For the first time in a long time, this made sense. It chased away the worries of what this meant, this relationship that had gone so far off the rails that I wasn’t sure which way was up or down.

Only that I was beside him. And together we were stronger.

“Hey you two, quit mooning at each other,” Lizzy crowed from the coffee maker. “I’ll shut everything down tonight. You get home and enjoy your victory over the local scum of the earth.”

I giggled a little, forcing myself to take a step away. Rolling my eyes, I moved to walk away, to release Judge as I did. But instead, he strode after me, the quiet strength in his hand making sure that we stayed connected, even as we walked over to the lockers, where I gathered my few things and then headed out the back door.

All the while, Judge’s eyes burned into mine.

We tumbled into the cold evening air. Just before my ass threatened to hit the ground, Judge swept me up, pressing me against his body as once more he kept me out of trouble.

“You keep doing that…”

His face was so close to mine, I could see that his lashes were dark, thick. So at odds with the bright tone of his hair. “Doing what, exactly?”

“Saving me.” I observed him closely, the golden flecks in that eerie amber gaze. “You know, I’m quite resourceful. I’m not used to having a full-time guardian angel.”

He breathed out his nose harshly. “I’m no angel.”