Page 71 of Bleed Me

Lynx shook my shoulder. “You’re a good kid. Stop believing you don’t deserve some good in your life.”

I swear they are Jedi mind readers.

By the time we reentered the hallway, Saint’s door was shut and most had gone back to their rooms. Dagger, Torque, and Justice were waiting for us.

Lynx tossed a bag to Torque. “Split that up for whoever needs some.”

“You got it, boss.” He went to his room.

Lynx laid a full bag in front of Saint’s door. “I’m headed to bed. Did Elle listen and go back to sleep?”

Justice shook her head. “Nope. In the kitchen for more tea bags.” She smirked at her brother’s hands. “But it looks like you have the herbs she truly needs.”

“Night, ya’ll.” He walked toward the Barn.

Justice’s eyes bugged out when I held up our bag. Her lips fought a smile that wanted to take over her face. She asked, “You wanna smoke with me?”

By her reaction, I told myself that I would have to thank her brother when I got the chance. “Yeah, I’d love to try it with ya.”

“Okay.” She smiled, surprisingly bashful, touching my growing beard before walking back into our room.

She placed an ashtray on the bed and told me to sit. I grinned as she lit candles. “You plannin’ on seducing me?”

“Nah. But I plan on fucking you.”

I grabbed my chest as I laughed louder than I should with people trying to go back to sleep. “Jesus, you kill me.” When she came to sit in front of me, crossing her legs, I followed suit and teased, “It may be a bit late to ask, but are you on birth control?”

Her smile fell. I mean fell. Justice’s whisper was full of broken dreams. “No… Not needed.” She sprinkled some pot in a little piece of paper and began working it into a roll.

“Babe?”

She sighed. “Giver, everyone has a past. Mine happened to have taken the chance of being a mother with it.”

“Will you tell me what happened?”

She licked the edge of the paper. “Another day?”

Leaning forward, my hand slipped under her long dark hair. I loved feeling her shaved sides. “Another day.” I kissed her. “I love you.”

As I sat back, she said, “That’s why I think that baby is yours. Maybe God is giving me a gift. I know it's not my baby, but maybe your beautiful green eyes will get to live on.” Her greys watered. “That’s enough for me. Ya know?”

If she didn’t already own me, through and through, she would’ve after that.

A joint lingered between two fingers and a lighter in her other hand. “You sure?”

I pointed around the dark room. “Not going to light it with a candle?”

Justice suddenly got giddy. Another side of her I’d never seen. “I love being high during the night. It’s when I smoke.”

Now I was understanding how this became a thing between Dick and her. “If you love it, I hope I love it, too.”

Church Eyes bored into mine as she slowly put the joint to her mouth and raised the lighter. After lighting the tip, the lips I had just kissed now opened to inhale air, forcing the smoke down into her lungs even deeper. It was seductive in a way, the smoke dancing near her sweet pink tongue. She watched me the whole time. Then, she leaned forward, her mouth hanging in front of mine. So, I opened…

Justice blew the smoke into my mouth.

Wanting to have her exhale—any part of her she was willing to offer—deep inside me for safekeeping, I inhaled. She waited for a few long seconds, then whispered, “Give it back to me.”

Surprised I wasn’t coughing, I quickly remembered Dick. He must have had my lungs accustomed.