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Mistakes that got people killed

Jude deserved better than that Truth be told, I was afraid of ould happen if I told him I couldn’t protect hi him The job was the only link I had to hi him Not yet Not when our relationship was still so tenuous

I foundJude’s in silent apology just as the elevator doors opened When he returned the touch, I kneere okay, at least for now But I still felt like an asshole I kept up the contact only long enough for us to step off the elevator since I couldn't risk letting whoever was assigned to watch Jude’s apartether

Only, e stepped off the elevator, there was no one outside his door I immediately put out my arm to stop Jude’s forward movement He came to a dead stop and allowed un At nearly the same time, the door to the apartment next to Jude’s opened It was the apartment Clifton Hayes had purchased forJude

The sight of Johnny stepping out of the apartment made me see every shade of red I hadn't seen the cocky upstart since the day I'dThat had been the day I'd discovered Mike's business was in trouble and that I would be protecting Jude I’d taken utsy enough to step into the ring with one down fast and hard

"What the hell?" I snapped as I put un away

"What?" Johnny asked with irritation "I had to take a piss You didn't want uy’s door, did you?" he added as his eyes shifted to Jude Rage bubbled up inside me

"Oh yeah, that's right, someone's already marked their territory," Johnny added with a sneer

The innuendo served only to piss ether as I led Jude down the hallway to his door I stood between the men as Jude unlocked his door and when he looked over his shoulder at me as he entered the apartet the silent e that I needed a moment He returned the nod and then closed the door

I turned to Johnny and said, "We're done here Your next stop is the office Clean out your locker"

Not surprisingly, Johnny lost his shit "Fuck you, Nik," he snapped "You think I need this shit? Standing outside of a fucking door all fucking night? And what the fuck are you doing exactly? Oh, that's right, keeping the client happy Yeah, I heard all about that Gotta keep this client set himself solanced at Jude’s door and added, "I guess we knohy Mike picked you for this particular job, huh?” The uy’s alh that I’d let him suck my—"

I grabbed Johnny and slaainst the wall before he could finish his sentence "Go," I warned even as every cell in ed et I could see thatwhether to push his luck or not, but when he dropped his eyes, I kneas over

"Fuck you, I don't need this shit!" Johnny snarled and then he shoved away froone before I sent a quick text to Mike letting hiuy and that I’d call him later with the details

As expected,moments after I sent the text, but I switched it to silent and then turned to Jude’s door I forced myself to take in a few breaths so I could cal the apartment

Although it wasn't particularly late, I expected to find Jude in his bedroo on the couch in the living roo to join him My intent had been to sit down next to Jude but as soon as I rounded the end of the couch and saw him, my stomach dropped out because I knew

I just knew

Jude had heard everything Johnny had said

"Is it true?" Jude asked He was unnaturally still Nor, soety I’d come to realize that it was part of his ADHD When I’d been helping him clean up his apartment so he could put his sticky notes back up, I’d noticed all the little fidget spinners and gadgets placed strategically around his space so he could easily grab one if he needed to And while I hadn't read his Post-it notes that night as Jude had started putting them back around the apartment, it'd been impossible not to see some of the with the man The notes were further proof that hisfaster than the average person’s So to see hi so quietly in the dark, made me want to find Johnny and beat the shit out of him