And after he tucked her under a blanket on his couch, he made the decision to throw together some tacos, which were quick and good.
He’d gone to the kitchen to get that going in order that it’d be ready to finish up when Chloe was ready to eat when the knock sounded.
Now, he went to the door and opened it to who he expected to see.
Duncan was standing there.
After he gave a chin lift to Judge, he inclined his head to see in as Judge pushed him back and stepped out.
He wasn’t holding Duncan back.
He was letting Chloe sleep.
Duncan probably sensed this, wanted it for her too, and therefore didn’t fight it.
Before Duncan could ask, quickly, Judge said, “She’s fine. She’s good. She cried a lot and she’d been holding too much in. She let it out. She’s sleeping it off now. When she gets up, I’ll get her fed. Take care of her. You can tell her mom I’ve got her covered.”
Duncan nodded, and it felt good he didn’t even give a hint he questioned Judge’s last.
He said instead, “Everyone’s been calling.”
“Rix turned off her sound.”
Another nod and, “By everyone I mean my boys, Hale—”
Judge was confused at that name, confused and alert.
Who the fuck was Hale?
“Hale?”
“Another adoptee of the Pierce family. Corey’s son. Chloe grew up with him. Treats him like a brother.”
Judge relaxed.
“In between her mother sharing how furious she was, trying to get Coco on the phone, and then digging into Sash again, Sasha sent some texts,” Duncan continued. “And my guess is, those she texted sent some of their own.”
“Good your woman had words,” Judge said angrily.
“I think you understand, but I gotta be sure you do, this is rocking my family, Judge.” Duncan jerked his chin to Judge’s house. “She’s their pillar. She crumbles, it’s all gonna go to shit.”
“Then it’s gonna go to shit,” Judge stated, his voice filled with shards. “She thinks the world of you, do you know that?”
It was gruff when Duncan answered, “Yeah.”
He thought the world of Chloe too.
Good.
“So her sister saying that shit about that married guy in front of you tore her apart.”
“Sasha explained that wasn’t what—”
“Yeah, she knew it wasn’t what she was making it out to be and it still came out of her mouth. In front of her mother. You. Me. And that woman saw me and Rix walking up to the door. She lashed out in her own pain knowing just how deep that blow would go, and she still fuckin’ dealt it.”
Now, Judge’s voice was rocky, that was how pissed he was at the memory.
“Again, Genny is on that,” Duncan reminded him. “And I’m not at that point with them, Judge, I’ve been in their lives mere months, but I had a few things to say to Sasha too.”
Excellent.
“I didn’t need to say them, though,” Duncan went on. “She feels like hell she did that.”
He didn’t give that first fuck.
“Chloe’s tenure of holding them all up is done, Duncan.”
Duncan sighed.
After hearing that, Judge remarked, “I think I’m understood.”
“You are. But she’s a part of this family, and we all need to rebuild with what we have now. And it goes without saying, she’s a big part of that, it’s just the way it is, the way they are, but it’s also the way Chloe plays it.”
Maybe so.
However…
“She’s worn herself out with that effort while they all wallowed in their own issues. It’s time for the rest of them to boss the fuck up.”
“Those are almost Sully’s exact words,” Duncan muttered, and Judge wasn’t surprised.
He liked Sullivan Holloway unreservedly. He was a solid guy and always had been for as long as Judge had known him. Even when he was a lot younger.
Duncan focused more fully on Judge and went on, “You and her—”
“We’re happening.”
Duncan’s lips twitched before he pressed them together.
“Do you get that, Duncan?” he asked.
“I don’t think I need it explained, bud,” Duncan answered.
“No, what I mean is, for her,” he jerked his own head back toward the house, “she needs this family rebuilt too. It’s everything to her. It being fractured has torn her apart. She’s been suffering a lot of blows for a long time and keeping her chin up through them so everyone else can have their shit. And no shade on Genny, or Tom, they had their own issues they were dealing with. But it doesn’t negate the fact Chloe’s been swinging in the breeze with this, alone, no backup, making it easy on them to deal with their own shit. What you need to get is, she’s got backup now.”
“Thank fuck.”
At this response, the tension ebbed out of Judge.
Duncan’s voice was quiet when he said, “It is not lost on her mother that she’s suffering. And Chloe confided that directly to me. We’ve been worried. I cannot tell you…” He lifted a hand, pulled it through his hair, dropped it. “This brings relief.”