Hard Justice(26)

She flattened a hand to the middle of his back.

Muscles flexed under her palm; the man was so hard all over.

Then a guy behind her shoved past in excitement, saying, "Fight!" as if he relished the idea.

A woman pushed in front of her, separating her from Justice while pressing close to his back.

Someone else wedged past her, then more people-and more. In a matter of seconds, she couldn't even see Justice. Uncertainty gripped her as she got jostled left and right.

Thinking it might be a good idea to get out of the main flow of bodies, she edged to the side, hoping to stand against the wall until Justice came back for her.

She almost made it, too, until someone shouldered her hard and she lost her footing. Her purse got jerked off her shoulder. She stumbled.

Without even realizing she was near the stairs, she went down them, nearly taking a few other startled people with her. Her hip hit the rail, her shin cracked against a step.

At a short landing where the stairs took a turn before continuing down, she finally crashed into a corner wall, her body in a disheveled heap. Somewhere along the way, she must have clunked her head because stars danced in her vision. In a daze, she struggled to get her bearings.

"Hey now." Tom crouched down in front of her. "You okay, honey?"

His big body blocked others from crowding her. "Justice..."

"I'm sure he's coming." He put a hand to her shoulder when she started to stand. "How about you hold on just a sec? Catch your breath and let me see if anything's hurt?"

Honestly, everything hurt, especially her pride. People who'd given up on the escalator continued to gawk at her as they passed down the stairs.

She brushed her hair back and winced. Looking at her wrist, she saw the bruise starting.

Tom took her hand and gently turned it. "Did you brace yourself as you fell?"

"I don't know. It happened so fast."

She heard an enraged shout and a second later Justice shoved Tom aside. "Fallon? Ah, shit." He touched her face. "Baby, what happened?"

Feeling like an utter fool, Fallon reached for him.

He drew her up and against him.

"I fell," she said with a hot blush. She wished there weren't so many people around to witness her embarrassment.

Scowling darkly, Justice asked, "Down the steps?" He looked back at them.

"Yes. Don't ask me how. It just...happened."

He slowly tipped up her face. "Banged yourself up, too."

He didn't know the half of it. Her hip ached, her shin throbbed, but at least the twirling stars were gone.

Tom stepped close again. "Got her purse."

Fallon gave up her stranglehold on Justice, limped as she put her weight on her leg, and attempted a smile. "Thank you, Tom." She took her purse from him. "Stuff went everywhere-"

"So did you." Like Justice, Tom appeared furious. "I think I got most of it."

Justice kissed her temple, then said to Tom, "Sorry if I-"

"No worries." Tom bent to look at her. "You seemed a little loopy when I first got to you. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes. Just humiliated."

Tom said, "Want me to lead the way?"

Nodding, Justice kept her close as they continued slowly down the stairs, following the flow of people out a side door into a near empty lot.

"We're parked around front," Justice said with a frown. "Can you walk okay?"

"Of course." The brisk air helped to revive her and after a few more steps, the pain in her hip eased. To get the attention off her, she asked, "Was there a fight?"

His expression carved in stone, Justice said, "No. Just two idiots arguing." He continued to watch her closely, proving her ploy hadn't worked.

"Does that happen often?"

Tom answered her. "I've seen a few crowd disputes but they're usually over before they really get any steam."         

     



 

"You've got a bruise on your cheek."

"I do?" Surprised by Justice's growl, Fallon touched her face.

He caught her hand and moved it down. "Don't prod it. We need to get some ice."

"Want me to go back in and grab an ice pack?" Tom offered.

Fallon answered before Justice could. "That's not necessary. I really am fine."

Neither man agreed.

Even after they reached the parking lot, they both looked far too grim.

Why was Tom still hanging around? "Are you parked close to us?" Fallon asked.

He shook his head. "Got a second?" he asked Justice. "I mean, maybe after you get her seated?"

Justice's expression tightened even more, and he nodded. He treated Fallon like breakable glass as she got into the car, then he closed the door and walked a small distance away to where Tom waited.

Knowing they deliberately excluded her irked Fallon. She wanted to protest, but even more than that, she wanted to take inventory of her injuries.

She found a large purpling bruise on her shin and a peek in the visor mirror showed a nasty swelling on her cheekbone. Checking her hip would have to wait until she had privacy. She wasn't about to pull down her pants with people so close to the car.

She glanced up and found Justice watching her intently as he listened to whatever Tom said. By the second his expression darkened until he looked quietly enraged.

The two men finished their conversation, briefly shook hands, and Justice started her way.

Ho, boy. Fallon didn't know what had made him so angry, but she assumed she was about to find out.



SOMEONE HAD PUSHED HER.

Justice still couldn't wrap his mind around it. Why would anyone want to hurt Fallon? And how the hell did Tom know what Fallon didn't?

He'd already demanded she tell him what had happened, but she repeatedly insisted that she'd lost her balance in the crush. No one, she promised him, had pushed her.

He wanted to believe that-only Tom had been adamant. He claimed he saw it, Fallon struggling to reach the wall but two men had deliberately corralled her nearer and nearer to the steps, then shouldered her hard.

Picturing it put Justice in a murderous rage.

He'd fucked up, letting her out of his sight, and that pissed him off, too. They were almost to her house when he growled in accusation, "You were supposed to be holding on to me."

She stiffened with indignation. "I was until people got in front of me. How could you have not noticed that I was gone?"

"I felt a hand on my back and I thought it was yours."

She snapped back, "Great to know I'm indistinguishable from the crowd."

Justice drew a slow breath, reaching for calm. "You're distinguishable, believe me."

"Oh, really?"

With that sarcastic tone, she sounded as pissed as him. "Yeah."

"So when exactly did you realize I wasn't with you?"

He cleared his throat. "When the chick cupped me from behind."

Fallon went rigid and in a deadly whisper, asked, "She did what?"

Shrugging, Justice explained, "Reached down between my legs and grabbed a handful. I about jumped a foot." He glanced at her. "Knew right then it wasn't you."

Agitation narrowed her eyes. "Of all the-"

"She only copped a quick feel. Then I saw you were gone..." His own anger edged back in. "You could have been killed," he muttered.

"That's ridiculous. Bruised, yes. Dead? Doubtful."

Justice pulled to the side of the road less than a mile from her home.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to talk to you." And touch you. "I want this resolved before I let you go tonight."

"Justice." She softened her tone. "I promise, I'm fine."

Taking her hand in his, he kissed her sore wrist. "I should have protected you better."

A little breathless, she whispered, "It wasn't your fault."

He didn't remind her that she'd just been blaming him for not noticing sooner how they'd gotten separated. "Whether Tom is right or not, I want you to be careful."

"I'm always careful."         

     



 

No, she wasn't. Her exuberance kept her wide-eyed with absorption, but not caution. At times it seemed to Justice as if she rushed to soak up as many new experiences as she could, as quickly as possible, as if she thought the opportunity would only last so long.

In doing so, she also gave him a new perspective. He began to notice things he'd long taken for granted.

Thanks to Fallon, he had a new outlook on life. Accepting the necessary changes he'd made came easier than expected. Hell, he was starting to feel as if he'd only just discovered what he'd always meant to be.

Featherlight, he brushed his fingertips over her bruised cheek. "I'm sorry." It pained him to see her hurt. He wanted to hold her close, and he wanted to rage.

If it had been deliberate, he'd damn well find out.

She leaned into his palm.

That simple show of trust did crazy things to him. "Fallon..."

"Hmm?"

Using care, he tunneled his fingers into her silky hair, then nudged her closer. Trying again, he said, "Fallon."

She stared at him with those big, dark eyes, making him hard with need. "Yes?"

"God, you tempt me." There, let her deal with that.

Her eyes widened in surprise, then grew heavy lidded in understanding. She looked at his mouth-and did the unthinkable.

She leaned toward him in silent consent.

"Damn," he whispered, already dragging her closer and pressing his mouth to hers. He started slow and easy, but when she made a small, hungry sound, his good intentions snapped. He tilted his head, nudged her lips open, and tasted her with his tongue.