Read Online JUDE: Book 2 The Justice Brothers Series by Taylor Lee - Free Book Online
Authors: Taylor Lee
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Sky admitted that it was one thing for Jared and the Judge to know about her father. That, she could handle. But now that the arrogant detective knew who her father was, Sky felt she’d been exposed, revealed as the oddity that she’d always known herself to be. To a man who had already relegated her to the lowly ranks of damnable, and worse, unappealing.
That assessment of her shared by her critically sarcastic father was one of the reasons she’d left his academic domain and fled to her anonymous harbor at the DEA. Even her choice of profession had been her way of breaking free from her father’s imposing shadow. Studying the darkest, most vicious layers of human behavior had been a violent refuge, as far from the emotionless study of mathematics as she could get. It hurt more than she cared to admit that thousands of miles away from Professor Hughes was a daunting man who shared her father’s dismissive views of her. Only Detective Justice’s views were even more hurtful than her father’s. Unlike her father, the detective seemed impressed by her criminology credentials. No, his problem with her was that she was a doughnut-eating, unappealing freak. So unappealing, that even the most profligate, least selective womanizer in town had disqualified her as a potential fuck.
“Are you all right, Squirt?”
Jude’s frowning question broke through her troubled musing. She brushed Jude’s hand off her arm. The conversation with his grandfather had been challenging, unnerving enough. She already felt vulnerable with Jude. But she could handle his dismissiveness better than she could his solicitousness. And the last thing she wanted to share with him was her father.
Reaching for the doorknob to the library where the Parker siblings were waiting, she glared up at him and responded curtly, “What makes you think I’m not?”
To her surprise, Jude put his hand over hers, not letting her turn the knob. “Because you don’t look all right.” His firm grip and narrowed gaze confirmed his concern.
Skylar looked down, refusing to hold his gaze.
When she didn’t respond, he said softly, “This is going to be a challenging discussion, Skylar. I need to know that you are up to it.”
Infuriated that he would question her professional ability, she tipped up her chin and snapped, “The one thing you can be sure about me, Detective, is that I’m more than up to this. Andthat you can always count on me to be professional.”
He studied her narrowly for a moment then nodded, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “That’s good to know.” His eyes darkened, and when he spoke a silky layer of danger coated his words. “And the one thing that you can count on from me , Ms. Hughes, is that when I ask a question, I expect an answer.” Jude let go of her hand and once again grasped her elbow as he opened the door to the library.
Skylar struggled to get her breath, stunned by the rush of sensations that flooded her. She didn’t have to see his lips quirk to know that Jude had felt her untoward reaction to his provocative threat. Startled, Sky realized that if Jude hadn’t been holding her she might have fallen. Her legs were that shaky.
Instead, Jude held her next to him for a moment, then still holding her arm, he ushered her into the room. The four people who were seated on the opposing couches in the library glanced up when they entered. Skylar had seen Blake and his sisters Charlotte and Marion when they’d come to the crime scene. She hadn’t seen the blond-haired woman seated next to Blake, but assumed she was Alicia, the person who had been the one to discover her parents’ bodies.
Jude moved toward Blake, who rose unsteadily to his feet. “Good morning, Blake, all.”
Blake started to answer but his words were lost in a soft groan. Jude reached for Blake’s hand then pulled the shaken man to him and held him for a moment in a one-armed bear hug. “Hang in there, buddy. I’m here now.”
He
That assessment of her shared by her critically sarcastic father was one of the reasons she’d left his academic domain and fled to her anonymous harbor at the DEA. Even her choice of profession had been her way of breaking free from her father’s imposing shadow. Studying the darkest, most vicious layers of human behavior had been a violent refuge, as far from the emotionless study of mathematics as she could get. It hurt more than she cared to admit that thousands of miles away from Professor Hughes was a daunting man who shared her father’s dismissive views of her. Only Detective Justice’s views were even more hurtful than her father’s. Unlike her father, the detective seemed impressed by her criminology credentials. No, his problem with her was that she was a doughnut-eating, unappealing freak. So unappealing, that even the most profligate, least selective womanizer in town had disqualified her as a potential fuck.
“Are you all right, Squirt?”
Jude’s frowning question broke through her troubled musing. She brushed Jude’s hand off her arm. The conversation with his grandfather had been challenging, unnerving enough. She already felt vulnerable with Jude. But she could handle his dismissiveness better than she could his solicitousness. And the last thing she wanted to share with him was her father.
Reaching for the doorknob to the library where the Parker siblings were waiting, she glared up at him and responded curtly, “What makes you think I’m not?”
To her surprise, Jude put his hand over hers, not letting her turn the knob. “Because you don’t look all right.” His firm grip and narrowed gaze confirmed his concern.
Skylar looked down, refusing to hold his gaze.
When she didn’t respond, he said softly, “This is going to be a challenging discussion, Skylar. I need to know that you are up to it.”
Infuriated that he would question her professional ability, she tipped up her chin and snapped, “The one thing you can be sure about me, Detective, is that I’m more than up to this. Andthat you can always count on me to be professional.”
He studied her narrowly for a moment then nodded, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “That’s good to know.” His eyes darkened, and when he spoke a silky layer of danger coated his words. “And the one thing that you can count on from me , Ms. Hughes, is that when I ask a question, I expect an answer.” Jude let go of her hand and once again grasped her elbow as he opened the door to the library.
Skylar struggled to get her breath, stunned by the rush of sensations that flooded her. She didn’t have to see his lips quirk to know that Jude had felt her untoward reaction to his provocative threat. Startled, Sky realized that if Jude hadn’t been holding her she might have fallen. Her legs were that shaky.
Instead, Jude held her next to him for a moment, then still holding her arm, he ushered her into the room. The four people who were seated on the opposing couches in the library glanced up when they entered. Skylar had seen Blake and his sisters Charlotte and Marion when they’d come to the crime scene. She hadn’t seen the blond-haired woman seated next to Blake, but assumed she was Alicia, the person who had been the one to discover her parents’ bodies.
Jude moved toward Blake, who rose unsteadily to his feet. “Good morning, Blake, all.”
Blake started to answer but his words were lost in a soft groan. Jude reached for Blake’s hand then pulled the shaken man to him and held him for a moment in a one-armed bear hug. “Hang in there, buddy. I’m here now.”
He
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