The Ruthless Heir

Judge’s [POV]

As I sip my coffee, I scroll through Mercedes’s old phone, looking for any clues I missed. Anything at all. No new threats have come in. It’s quieter than I expect, which is worrisome.

Vincent Douglas knows by now that Mercedes survived his attack. So why hasn’t he sent another message? Another threat?

According to Ezra, Douglas is a steelworker at a company in Baton Rouge. He’s quiet, keeps to himself, and they’ve never had trouble with him. He shows up for work, does his job, and goes home.

A few weeks ago, though, Douglas quit without notice and simply disappeared. I’ve had men at his apartment, a small, basic accommodation. Cleaner than I expected. He had paid rent for the following month, according to the landlord. For a small fee, however, he was willing to let us into Douglas’s apartment where his things still were, including photos of himself with his sister. A lot of photos. They were close. Further investigation into Lana’s life proved that. They grew up together in foster care. Close enough in age, they managed to stay together until Lana turned fifteen and Vincent sixteen.

That’s where there’s a hole in Vincent’s history. A sealed record. One I was able to access given my position. And the story is one I’ve heard too often. The trouble with a foster parent for Lana. Vincent got involved. He was getting to be a big guy by then. The parent was beaten badly, and both Vincent and Lana were removed from the home. Vincent spent the next two years in juvenile detention while Lana went to another home.

Once he was out of juvie, she ran away, and I imagine they lived together. She was almost eighteen by then. There are blips in their lives over the next few years. Working odd jobs to get by. Neither of them had friends. And then Lana came to work at the Cat House, and Vincent stayed in Baton Rouge. One letter that had been ripped apart and then taped back together tells of their deteriorating relationship. His disapproval of her choice of profession. Her apologies. That was more recent than I liked, and I have a feeling he came to see her and found her apartment empty. It would have been cleaned by then. And somehow, he’s figured out what happened to her. And Mercedes’s role in it. Although he can’t know for certain. But that won’t matter to someone like him. This man is not a man to reason with. He’s become violent when protecting his sister before. And I don’t believe, for a second, he’ll walk away from this.

Men with nothing to lose are the most dangerous of all. And I get the feeling Vincent Douglas has nothing to lose.

“Sir?” Raul enters the dining room, where I’m drinking coffee as I wait for Mercedes to come down after her shower. “I have what you needed.”

He hands me a plain brown paper bag.

“Thank you, Raul.”

“No problem, sir.”

I pocket the phone, set my coffee aside, pour a mug for Mercedes, and head upstairs to my bedroom. The shower is still going when I enter, so I sit on the bed to wait. The door is open, but it’s so steamy she doesn’t see me as I watch her silhouette.

I need to be careful with her now. I’ve already gone too far. I had when I touched her at all because even in those first days, she was different from any other. I knew it all along. Maybe before I even took custody of her.

But what happened in the punishment room? And in the hours following? That was just fucking irresponsible if not outright stupid. She’s not on birth control, and I should know better. But the image of her on her knees before me, my cock stuffed down her throat as mascara ruined her perfect face? Fuck. It’s burned itself into my memory, and I’m hard at the thought.

The water switches off, and I blink out of my reverie. I get up to grab a towel. She is momentarily surprised to see me, then smiles warmly up to me, eyes soft, her expression open. I’m not sure any man or woman has seen this side of her. Well, outside of Solana and Georgie at least.

“Hey,” she says as I drape the towel over her shoulders. She sets her wet hands on my shoulders to balance on tiptoe and plants a kiss on my mouth.

That’s another thing. I kissed her. And I find myself kissing her again now. I don’t kiss women. Ever. I fuck them. We both get what we want out of it, and I leave. But Mercedes? Kissing is an intimacy I need like air when it comes to her. And if I’m not careful, she will destroy me.

Would it be some comfort to her to know this? I doubt it.

“Mercedes.” I break our kiss.

She looks confused, a little hurt. But then she grins as her hand finds my erection, and with a groan, I drag her off.

“No.”

“Really?” She raises her eyebrows.

I secure the towel around her and walk out of the bathroom to get her coffee and the small bag. She is wringing water from her long hair when I reenter.

“Coffee.”

“That was thoughtful of you,” she says, her eyes moving to the paper bag. Her hair tumbles down her back when she releases it to take the mug. “I’m thinking black tonight, by the way. What do you think?”

“Tonight?”

“Vivien’s cocktail party.” She rolls her eyes. “She’s turning twenty-six.”

“Oh. That’s right. I’m sure you’ll look lovely in anything you choose.”

She gives me a look, then glances at the bag. “What’s that?”

I take the pill out. There are more inside, but I set the bag on the counter as she looks at the plain packaging. Raul picked it up for me at a pharmacy out of town.

She raises her eyebrows and gazes warily now.

“Morning after pill. I wasn’t careful with you.”

It takes her a very long minute to drag her gaze to mine. Even then, she doesn’t speak right away. She searches my eyes for something I can’t give her.

“There are a few more in the bag. One should be enough, but to be safe…” I trail off.

“Oh. Okay, thanks, I guess.” She takes the pill and sets it on the counter.

“Don’t you want to take it?”

She forces a smile. “Are you going to watch me be sure I do?”

“Mercedes, I came inside you. Multiple times.”

“I know how it works, Judge. But I also know my cycle, and you don’t have to worry.” She shifts her gaze slightly as she says it, and suddenly, I am worried.

“Take the pill.”

“You know I wouldn’t trap you. That’s not who I am,” she says to her reflection as she applies moisturizer to her face. I recognize Solana’s label. I still have the bag she gave me on my bathroom counter.

I take her arm and turn her to me. “I won’t let you ruin yourself.”

She tugs out of my grasp with a snort. “Are you afraid Councilor Hildebrand will pin a scarlet A to my chest and make me stand on a scaffold in the courtyard? Shit, you know what? I wouldn’t be surprised.” She pops the pill out of its packaging and sets it on her tongue, then drinks a swallow of coffee. She opens her mouth to show me she swallowed it. “Satisfied?”

“This is for your good, Mercedes.”

“Because you’ll never marry me.”

“I’ll never marry anyone.”

“Can you go? I need some privacy.”

I brush her cheek, but she pulls away from me. “I care about you. You know that, right?”

“I do, Judge.” She turns to me. “You just don’t care enough.”

That cuts deep, but it’s no less than I deserve. I open my mouth to speak, but the phone in my pocket dings with a message. I reach for it but catch myself because it’s her phone. Mine is silenced. Mercedes rolls her eyes and turns away from me.

“You’d better get that. I’m sure it’s important. Close the door on your way out.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Mercedes-”

A second message makes it chime again. I walk out of her bedroom to dig the phone out and read the new texts.

Cunt, you see how easy it was to get close to you? That was a trial run. The big event will be much more… hands-on.

By the way, that girlfriend of yours is pretty smokin’. She should know better than to leave her windows unlocked. People are too trusting these days.

“Fuck!” I text Raul to bring the car around and dial Ezra as I climb in. “The apothecary,” I tell Raul as Ezra answers.

“Judge? What is it?”

“Is security still in place for Solana and Georgie?”

“Yes, they’ve each got a man watching.”

“And where are they? Where’s Solana right now?”

“Just a minute,” he says, and I hear him have another quick conversation before coming back on the line. “They’re both at her shop.” I’m guessing Solana and Georgie have figured out that I have soldiers watching them, but I’m not sure they realize why. As far as they know, what happened to Mercedes was an accident. I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I’m also not taking any chances.

“You’re sure?”

“I just confirmed. Why?”

“I want more men on them. And I need someone at Solana’s house. I just received a text from our friend. He made a comment about her I don’t like. We need to search the house. Make sure no one’s been in there and make certain it’s secure. We may need to change the locks.”

“Have you discussed this with her?” Ezra asks cautiously.

“No, of course not.”

“Do you think you should?”

I sigh. Christ. “Just get some men there and have a look around. I’ll let her know about the locks.”

“That’s a good idea, Judge.”

When we pull up to the apothecary, Georgie is just getting ready to leave. But when he sees me climbing out of the Rolls, he stops.

“What are you doing here?” he asks after peering into the car and seeing I’m alone.

Looking around, I note the man sitting in his sedan with its tinted windows across the street. When I turn back to Georgie, his eyebrows are raised.

“They’re about as subtle as a UFO,” he says.

After I glance up and down the street once more, I gesture to go in. “I need to talk to you two.”

His expression grows serious, and we enter the shop where Solana is finishing up with a customer. She falters when she sees me, then smiles at the woman and locks the door behind her once she’s gone.

“Is Mercedes okay?” she asks.

“Mercedes is fine.” I see her as Douglas would for a moment. She’s petite and would be easy to overpower. Georgie very clearly works out. And he has a toughness to him. He isn’t a stranger to the streets. “Can we sit down?”

“Sure. Do you want coffee or something?”

I shake my head. “Mercedes doesn’t know I’m here. I’d like to keep it that way.” We sit at the same table as last time, and I remember that day. The terrible moments of powerlessness as her throat closed up.

“Judge? What the fuck is going on?” Georgie asks.

“The man who delivered those beignets, he thinks he knows Mercedes.”

“What?” Solana asks.

“It was on purpose?” Georgie asks. “Someone hurt her on purpose?”

“You can’t talk to her about this, do you understand? I don’t want her scared.”

“She has a right to know if she’s in danger.”

“She knows enough, and she’s safe at the house. Outside of it, I won’t let her out of my sight. But I’m here because of you.” I look at Solana.

“Me?”

“To draw Mercedes out, I’m afraid this man may target you.”

“Solana?” Georgie asks.

“I have men at your house now. We’re taking a look around.”

“What? He was at my house?”

“You’re staying with me tonight and for the foreseeable future,” Georgie says.

“I think that’s a good idea,” I tell Georgie.

“But-”

“I’ve increased security. I think it will be good for him to see the guards, so I’m sending more.”

“More guards?” Solana says, and I have to remember she’s not part of our world. She lives in a bubble of perceived safety.

Georgie, though, just nods. He’s not as carefree as he appears when the three of them are together.

“My house is alarmed,” he says. “She’ll be safe there.”

“I’m not hiding away.”

“You shouldn’t. You should go on with your life. It’s Mercedes he wants. But I’d rather be on the safe side.”

“Well, that’s a first,” Georgie says.

“What is?”

“I agree with you.”

I smirk at him and turn to her. “Solana, if I can have a key to your house? I’ll make sure the locks are good.”

“What?”

“Here,” Georgie takes a ring of keys out of his pocket. “This is Solana’s. Her locks are shit. I’ve been telling her to change them for years.”

I take the key.

“Who is he?” Solana asks.

“Just someone who thinks he can get something from her.” They see the lie. But when Solana opens her mouth, Georgie puts an arm around her and tugs her close.

“He’s been to my house?” she says again.

“Don’t worry. The judge is right. Creeps like that guy are cowards. I’m sure he said it to get exactly this reaction,” he says, but I know he is only doing it to reassure her, and I give him an infinitesimal nod.

I set two cards on the table. “This is my cell phone. You call if you see anything strange or need anything.” I stand. “Not a word to Mercedes. Are we in agreement on that?”

They both nod.

“When can we see her?” Solana asks.

“We’ll see.” My phone rings. It’s Ezra. “Call if you need anything. I will bring you the new keys myself later today.”

“Thank you,” Solana says. “I’m glad she has you to take care of her.”

“I’m glad she has you for friends,” I say before I can think about what I’m saying. They’re as surprised as I am as I walk out the door and take Ezra’s call.