“Hey, baby. My recording session ended early. Put on a pretty dress and I’ll be there in a half hour. I’m taking you to the best restaurant in Austin.”

Pepper hugged herself, chill bumps of excitement blooming on her skin. “I can’t wait, Judah. I’ll be ready.”

“Good, see you then. Love you.”

Pepper hung up the phone and squealed in delight.

“Happy, much?” Ryder asked from her spot on the couch.

“Yep, you should recognize the symptoms. You’re so sappy sweet in love with Samson and Gideon that I get a toothache just watching you three together.” Pepper had to admit that Ryder looked beautiful. “Your sojourn in paradise was good for you. I’m envious of your tan.”

“Next time we go, I want you and Judah to go with us. There’s plenty of room and we can take Hawaii by storm!”

“Sounds wonderful, I’ll certainly talk to him about it.”

“So, tell me. How was dinner with the Wilder brothers?”

“Enlightening.” Pepper came to sit by Ryder. “I’m not saying they aren’t great and that someday we may be close to them, but it’s going to take some time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rowan seemed genuinely glad to meet new members of his family, but Clint…”

“Clint’s the football player, right?”

Pepper nodded. “And Rowan owns the horses, yes. As I was saying, Clint seems to have a burr under his saddle about what his mother might’ve missed out on. Money. Land. Etc.”

“But that wasn’t our fault,” Ryder protested.

“I know that and I think he knows it too. I’m sure he’ll come around and I don’t know what Dad, Heath, or Aron have planned, but I’m sure they aren’t going to let Gillian and her family lack anything that’s rightfully theirs.” Pepper stared out the window at the rolling hills of Highlands. “This place belonged to Gillian’s father, I can see why they might think they’d been cheated by fate.”

“Time will tell, I guess.” Ryder leaned forward, her face serious. “I’m know it’s going to be a process getting to know this new branch of our family tree, but I’m more concerned about our own. What’s going on with Philip?”

“What do you mean?”

Ryder rolled her eyes. “You’ve been so wound up with Judah, you’ve missed what’s going on under your nose.”

“Like what?”

“Remember, we talked a month or so ago that we thought Philip was seeing someone. There was lipstick on his collar. Well, I learned yesterday that he was seen in a jewelry store in downtown Austin. Did you get a gift of jewelry from our brother? I didn’t.”

“No, I didn’t.” Pepper shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean anything. He could’ve been buying something for himself.”

“The only jewelry Indiana Jones McCoy wears is that old pocket watch and a signet ring. He’s not in there buying himself a gold chain or a clunky 70’s style nugget bracelet.”

Pepper shrugged. “So, you think he’s seeing someone.”

“I do. And I think we need to put our heads together and figure out who it is.”

“I don’t know, Ryder. You and I have both experienced how it feels when the family gets a little too involved in our romantic life. I think we should just wait until he’s ready to share.”

Ryder glared at Pepper. “You’re no fun, Miss Voice-of-reason.”

“Philip is a man of superb judgment. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“I know.” Ryder sighed. “He’s just emerged from a traumatic experience, someone wanted him dead. Forgive me if I worry. I don’t want anyone else to hurt him.”

Pepper softened. “I understand and I agree.” She happened to glance at her watch and saw the time. “Oh, my God! Judah will be here in fifteen minutes!” She sprang up and ran up the stairs. “You can come up with me, if you want.”

“No, thanks, I’m heading back down the hill. Samson and Gideon promised to come home early, we’re planning a romantic dinner.”

“We’re two lucky women, that’s for sure,” Pepper called down as she headed to her room. The family was out and about today, there were some exciting things afoot for the coming year. Tennessee, Tanner Barron, and Joseph McCoy were setting up a Wilderness Training camp for young people, not far from Enchanted Rock. They were so excited. The program would not only teach young people about the joys of camping and how to survive in the wilderness if need be, they were also going to offer scholarships and mentoring opportunity for troubled teens. Aside from whatever Philip had going on with his jewelry excursion, he’d also just received the opportunity to head up a dig at the famed Alamo in San Antonio. This was a huge coup for Philip and Pepper knew he was more than excited.

With thoughts of her family running through her head, Pepper stood at her closet, trying to decide what to wear. She really needed to buy some new clothes. Here she was, dating a world-famous rock star and she was still dressing like an Ole Miss Sorority Queen. Pearls, lace collar, conservative pumps, and all.

“Hmmm,” she wondered aloud. Running to the window, she saw her sister just about to get into her brand new white Lamborghini. Throwing up the window, she yelled, “Hey! Could I borrow a sexy outfit?”

“I thought you’d never ask! I’ll be back in a jiffy!”

…Judah pulled up to Highlands Ranch, stopping in the circle drive. He shut off the engine and reached for the door handle. As soon as he cracked the door open, it was slammed shut. Judah jerked his head up to see Pepper’s brother, Jaxson, with his hands braced under the window, his full weight holding it shut. With a frustrated breath, Judah rolled down the window. “Jaxson.”

“Judah.”

“Is there a problem?”

“You tell me, James.”

“Not that I know of.” He had no intention of fighting with Pepper’s brother. “I just came to pick up your sister for dinner.”

“Is that a fact?”

Judah pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. He got the distinct impression that Jaxson was doing his best Die Hard John McClane impression. “Yes, that’s a fact. I’m taking her to a new restaurant in Connor McGregor’s Waterloo Hotel. Afterward, we’re going for a moonlight stroll on Mount Bonnell, if it’s not too chilly. If it is, I propose hot chocolate at Mozart’s on the river.”

Jaxson narrowed his eyes and raised the corner of the lip. “What I want to know is…what are your intentions regarding my sister?”

Judah felt like the bottom just fell out the car and he’d landed ass-first on the hard, cold ground. The man had to be kidding. This was 2017! Nevertheless, he had no problem answering Mr. Cowboy’s question. “I can assure you my intentions are perfectly honorable. Pepper is the most precious thing in the world to me.”

“Well, good.” Jaxson’s mean sneer halfway morphed into a smile, which on Jaxson McCoy looked a bit pained. “Have a nice day.” 

As soon as he stepped away, Judah raised the window and laughed. “Well, shit.”

When he tapped on the mansion’s door, he heard Pepper’s voice. “Bye, Molly! Bye, Cato! Bye, Ella and Ava! Bye, Heath! Bye, Ten!”

He assumed she’d call out John Boy Walton’s name next.

When she threw open the door, Judah’s jaw dropped to the ground. Pepper was always beautiful. Elegant. Ladylike.

Not tonight.

Tonight, she was hot as a firecracker. Her skirt was short. Her top was low-cut. The dress fit her beautiful body like a glove. “Red is definitely your color.”

Pepper brightened, giving him a thousand-watt smile. “Thank you, I know I tend to wear a lot of pastels.”

Judah framed her face and kissed her soundly. “I’ve never seen you look less than perfect.”

“I think I’ll keep you, Mr. James,” Pepper teased as she took his arm. “Did I see Jaxson heading back to the barn? He didn’t give you a hard time, did he? His bark is worse than his bite.”

“We spoke.” Judah led her to the car. “I’m sure we’ll be great friends.” Someday.

Once they were in the car and on the way, Judah played her a song he’d just recorded. “This is rough, just me and my guitar. I wrote it last night. Tell me what you think.”

As they drove south toward Austin, she basked in the beauty of his voice. The lyrics warmed her heart and told the tale of a second chance love, a man who gave up everything for the woman he loved. “That’s beautiful. If you ever get tired of singing, I bet you could make a fortune writing short stories. Every song you pen tells a story.”

“Most songs do, I suppose.”

“How did your session go?” They hadn’t seen one another since the night he came to Highlands for dinner. With his work at the studios and her prior commitment to go with Molly to the pediatrician for the twin’s check-up, they hadn’t seen one another in three days.

“Good. Although, I think this will be the last album I release with Ace, I’m considering changing labels.”

“Oh, really? I’m sure if word got out you wanted to change, there’d be a bidding war for the privilege of signing you.”

Her unadulterated faith in him made Judah feel like a king. “We’ll see, I suppose.” Mickey had pushed for a duet with Ivana on the album and he had put his foot down. The scene between them had been ugly. He’d held his ground, though. There would be no duet.

Afterward, Ivana followed him to his car and demanded to know if he was still seeing Pepper. When he told Ivana that it was none of her business, she’d made a scene. To his consternation, a member of the paparazzi was lurking close by. When she saw the photographer, she grabbed Judah and kissed him. The image would probably be in all the papers by tomorrow.

“I have a surprise for you tonight,” he told Pepper, loving the way her eyes grew big and bright.

“Really? You didn’t have to do anything special. I just love spending time with you.”

“And that’s just one of the many reasons I love you.” He covered her hand with his. “We’re going to a nice restaurant on the river and afterwards up on Mount Bonnell, the highest point in the city.” He raised her hand to his lips. “To neck.”

“Oh, I love that surprise! Mount Bonnell is one of my favorite spots. It’s also called Antoinette’s Leap, you know. A girl jumped off the cliff to escape being captured by a band of Indians who’d killed her lover. You should write a song about it.”

“Antoinette’s Leap would be a very sad song, but that’s not the surprise,” he assured her. “You’ll just have to wait for that.”

Waiting wasn’t hard when she was with Judah, she enjoyed every moment. He took her to the Waterloo Hotel and they dined at the premier five-star restaurant housed there. Connor, himself, came to greet Judah and led them to a private room overlooking the water.

After the waiter came for their drink order, the privacy factor seemed to dissipate. Their server must’ve alerted everyone to the fact that Judah was in the house and soon a trail of autograph seekers found their way into the room. He was gracious and greeted every person, but Pepper could see the strain around his mouth and eyes. He answered questions and he posed with them for pictures on their phones. She wanted to stand up and demand that they leave him alone, but she knew an action like that could damage his career and reputation. Once the excited group moved on, she saw the look of relief come over his face.

“Sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize,” Pepper told him. “It comes with the territory.”

The waiter brought a nice bottle of wine and another brought a beautiful bouquet of roses that Judah had special ordered for the occasion. Pepper was so touched, she cried. “Thank you, Judah.”

“And that’s not the surprise, either,” he told her with a wink, kissing away her tears.

Pepper was entranced. For the rest of their time at the restaurant, he was completely attentive, even feeding her bites of his duck ravioli. After they shared dessert, he escorted her to the Waterloo Club and they danced. Other couples recognized him, but Judah led her to a darkened corner where they could dance and steal kisses in the shadows.

When the hour grew late, he guided her to the car and drove from downtown to the west side of Austin. “I know you’ve probably been to Mount Bonnell before, but it’s one of my favorite spots in the city.”

“It’s been a long time and I’ve never been with you. I just didn’t think it was open at this time of night.”

Judah gave her a conspiratorial wink as he parked at the base of the steep hill. “We’re going to sneak up there, it will be fun.”

Pepper pulled her coat tight around her. “You’ll have to keep me warm.”

Judah came around to help her out. “We get to snuggle, that’s the main idea.”

His playful attitude made Pepper’s spirits soar. They held hands and raced up the stairs. “I love this, we’re being bad. Aren’t we?”

“Really bad,” he teased, hoping she loved his surprise. When they reached the top, he took off his coat and spread it on a bench. “Sit here.”

“I hate to sit on your coat,” she protested.

“Don’t worry about it.” He sat down and tugged her to him. “Come here and let me hug you up.”

She went into his arms and nestled close. Sighing with happiness, she laid her head on his shoulder. “I love this, it’s so beautiful up here, thank you.” They gazed out over the winding river far below. The surrounding hills were speckled with the lights from houses and the Austin skyline shone like a jewel in the distance.

“You’re so welcome, darling.” He buried his face in her neck. “I haven’t had an episode in three days, you’re so good for me.”

“I’m glad, whatever the reason.” Pepper pressed her cold nose into the warmth of his shirt.

While she was cuddled close, Judah checked the time, keeping watch on approaching boats on the river. If everything went as planned, his grand gesture should be along any minute.

Boom! Bang! Hiss!

Ah, there it was.

“What?” Pepper pulled from his arms and gazed out into the dark expanse off the cliff. “Fireworks!”

Judah smiled, knowing the display was being generated from one of the party boats that sailed up and down the river from the Lake Travis spillway to downtown Austin. Knowing how much Pepper enjoyed them, he’d arranged for a private showing.

“Oh, they are beautiful!” Pepper was in awe of the spectacle. Red. Blue. Gold. Green. Vibrant colors were splashed in ever-changing patterns of glory across the ebony sky. Every few seconds another blast of beauty lit up the night. “How lucky we are to be here at just the right moment!”

Judah kissed her cheek. “Yea, very lucky.”

For a good half hour, he held her as she drank in the dazzling display. Each effect was more colorful and detailed than the one before…until the grand finale.

Pepper held Judah’s hand, hypnotized by the magnificent panorama before her. “I just can’t believe it. This is better than the 4th of July.”

And then it happened…

One last exploding blast, but this time the floating lights and sparks formed a pattern. The words, Judah James loves Pepper McCoy was emblazoned across the west Austin sky.

“Oh, Judah!” She twined her arms around his neck. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Come home with me. I need you.”

“All right. I’ll text Cato and tell her I’ll be a little late.”

They kissed, oblivious to the man who’d followed them up the path.

The journey from Mount Bonnell to his downtown loft didn’t take but about ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity to Judah. His hunger for Pepper seemed to increase every time they were together. He kept his hand on her knee, letting it glide up her silky thigh, coming nearer and nearer to the place he longed to be.

Pepper was on fire for him. A hot, wet, erotic emptiness ached between her legs. “Are we there yet?”

Her playful question made Judah laugh, but didn’t quell his desire. “Almost.”

When he pulled into the parking garage and was met by the attendant, he gladly relinquished his keys and, together, they hastened to the elevator. As soon as they were inside the loft, Judah slammed the door and pushed her against the wall. He couldn’t touch her enough – his mouth was on her neck, his hands on her breasts, and his lower body pressed against her, thrusting and grinding. Pepper was as excited as he was, she ripped his shirt open and covered his pecs with her palms.

“You drive me mad, girl, stark-raving mad,” he growled against her neck as he yanked her sexy dress down, popping buttons and breaking stitches as he tore the garment from her body. “I’ll buy you a whole new wardrobe.”

“Wearing clothes is overrated. Besides, this outfit belongs to Ryder,” she hissed as he bathed the top of her breasts with kisses.

“Oh, no,” Judah laughed, but said no more because Pepper tugged his head back down to her chest. She almost lost her mind as he licked and sucked at her nipples. She ran her fingers through his sexy mane and held his hot mouth to her breast. She adored having her nipples sucked. When his lips moved up to new territory, his hands replaced them, kneading and massaging the grateful mounds, pinching and milking the taut peaks. All the while, he bucked against her, showing her what the night held in store.

“I crave you, angel. I have to have you,” he whispered as he pinned her to the wall, kissing her again, fusing their mouths together, a hot mesh of lips, tongue, and teeth.

Pepper couldn’t answer, she was too intent on freeing him from his jeans. He felt so hard and hot in her grasp, all she could think about was how amazing it had been to have him in her mouth. Her fantasy would have to wait, for Judah was in charge at the moment. After he ripped off his jeans, he tugged down her panties, seemingly intent on devouring her whole.

“Do you want me, Pepper? Do you need me as much as I need you?”

“More.” Judah lifted her by the thighs and Pepper wrapped her limbs around him, she could feel the tip of his cock rubbing against her clit.

He pressed his face to her shoulder, guiding himself into her aching sex. She was so tight, so hot, so fucking perfect, Judah lost his ability to do anything but feel.

“God, I love this, Judah,” she panted as he thrust deep with one smooth stroke.

She moaned loudly as he pinned her to the wall, holding her fast. Taking her hard. Pounding into her again and again. Unrelenting. She clenched around him every time he entered her, squeezing him like a vise.

Hanging on tight, Pepper reveled in the ecstasy of Judah’s passion. As he bucked into her at a feverish pace, she rocked her hips, holding on to his shoulders. The act of giving and taking pleasure was multiplied by her love for him. Her palms soothed over his deeply tanned chest. “You are so beautiful,” she murmured. She loved looking at his face as took her. He was perfection personified with his flexing biceps, rippling abs, and firm pecs. Her hands made love to his body as he rocked into her faster and faster.

“Heaven. Fucking you is heaven.” Pumping hard, sliding - thrusting, he impaled her deep with his hard, thick cock. “Cum for me, baby.”

His demand triggered her orgasm and she came, her nails digging into his shoulders, her head thrown back as he hammered her into the wall. With a bellow of release, he pumped jets of his seed inside of her, groaning her name, his eyes rolling back in his head as his cock was milked by the contractions of her body.

Judah shuddered as pleasure rippled through him like the incoming tide. He rested against her, allowing time for both of them to catch their breath before he let her slide down his body. When he felt in control once more, he kissed her hard, rubbing his nose against hers. “I wish you could stay the night.”

“I do too, but my family would worry.”

“Soon, Pepper, soon I want you all to myself.” He helped her straighten her clothes as best they could, then gave her one of his shirts to wear over it. “I guess I should get you home before Heath sends out a posse for us both.”

 

* * *

Over the next few days, Judah and Pepper were almost inseparable. She went to every performance and Judah treated her like a princess. Nothing was too good for her. He showered her with gifts, escorted her to fine restaurants, and held her proudly at his side. When they ventured out in public, it didn’t go unnoticed. Cameras flashed. Reporters tried to get an interview, but Judah’s standard response was ‘no comment’. People clamored to speak to him, to touch him and because she was with him, speculation began to arise about her as well. Pepper didn’t care, she was on cloud nine.

Judah was happy also. He stayed on his meds and continued his therapy. His life wasn’t free of hallucinations, but they were fewer and farther between. To his relief, the pills didn’t completely quell his creativity. For this he was grateful, and he knew where the answer lay.

Pepper was his muse.

When he was with her, the music flowed. When she sat by his side or he lay his head in her lap, the lyrics and melody poured from his fingertips like fresh water bubbling from a natural spring.

The only serpent in their paradise was Ivana.

… “What is the meaning of this, Judah?” She slapped down a gossip rag on the table in front of him after rehearsal one day. “Is this your way of trying to get rid of me?”

Judah didn’t even look down. “I haven’t tried to get rid of you. You’re still performing, you’re still riding my coattail to fame. What more do you want?”

“I want this retracted!” She fanned the magazine in front of his face. He took it from her hand and examined it.

The heading read: IVANA PAUL KISSED A GIRL AND SHE LIKED IT!”

Judah smirked, unable to hide his amusement. “Well, there’s really no denying this, is there?” He read a few words. “There’s a video of it too?” He chuckled. “You can’t even claim it was photoshopped.”

“You did this!”

He shook his head. “No, you did this to yourself.” Judah leaned back. “Look, I’m not saying what you’re doing is wrong at all. I have no problem with the LGBT community. God knows, I’m not one to judge. Your problem lies in the fact that you’re pretending to be something you’re not.”

The moment Judah uttered the words, he felt the weight of his own sins. He didn’t even get the chance to admit it to himself, before Ivana did it for him. “I’m not the only hypocrite in this room! You’re doing the very same thing. You’re making us both look like fools.”

She pressed a few buttons on her phone and a video began to play. “Get a load of this!” To Judah’s shock it was of him and Pepper. There were clips of them at the restaurant, dancing, and up on top of Mount Bonnell. The message of love he’d written on the night’s sky was even shown in all its splendor. The reporter who made the video held a running discourse as it played, interspersing the shots of Judah and Pepper with shots of Judah and Ivana or Ivana and her girl-toy.

“If my dirty laundry is going to be exposed to the public, so is yours!”

“Ivana, wait!” he cried, but she turned and ran for the room.

Oh, hell.

 

* * *

It only took twenty-four hours for the shit to hit the fan. The old adage that there was nothing worse than a woman scorned was true.

After finishing up a jam session at his loft with Zion, Judah was just about to see his friend off and then hit the shower. He and Pepper had plans to have dinner with his family. It amused Judah that she was nervous, he’d tried to tell her the night before that she was every mother’s dream for their son. Still, she fretted over making a good impression.

“Are you sure you don’t want a slice of pie before you go? Pepper made this chocolate cream pie that’s to die for.”

Zion considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “I’d better not, I’ve got a date tonight.”

“Date?” Judah wheeled around to stare at his best bud. “You? Who with?”

“Is that such a surprise?” Zion pretended to act insulted. “Her name’s Loren and she’s…irresistible.”

Seeing Zion’s love-struck expression and goofy grin, Judah knew he was a goner. “Where did you meet her and why didn’t I know anything about it?

“Well, you’ve been so busy with Miss Pepper that you might as well be wearing blinders most of the time.” Zion pulled on his jacket. “I met her at the park down by the river. She was feeding pigeons and waiting on a breeze to fly a kite. I took one look at her and knew I couldn’t walk by without knowing her name.”

“I think I feel a song coming on,” Judah said, not really teasing. “I’d like to meet her soon.”

“Count on it.”

Zion was just about to leave, when both of their phones began to buzz. They both answered and one phone call was from Reese and the other from Eddie. At their manager and band mate’s demand, they turned on the television to a primetime celebrity gossip show. A few seconds later, Judah’s stomach flipped over. The feature of the day was a tell-all expose on Judah James’ mental health problems.

“The man is a nut-case. He sees things that aren’t there, he has conversations with parking meters and fire hydrants. Judah can’t tell when he’s having a hallucination and when somebody is really standing there talking to him. He’s on anti-psychotic meds.” Ivana Paul stood there with a smirk on her face, enjoying every minute of her time in front of the camera.

“What do the doctors say is wrong with Mr. James?” The television reporter asked, obviously relishing the juicy gossip.

“His official diagnosis is schizophrenia. I think he’s a danger to himself and others. And I ought to know, we were in a relationship until he tried to hurt me. He thought I was a threat to him. Me. He’s paranoid and he’s crazy, I tell you!”

That’s all Judah needed to hear. “I can’t handle this. I’ve got to get to my mother. She needs to hear this from me.”

“I’ll go with you,” Zion assured him. “Loren will understand.”

“I’ve got to call Pepper and tell her what’s going on.” He groaned. “What a mess. What a mess.”

 

* * *

 “Pepper Elizabeth McCoy, get down here!”

Pepper was just spritzing on a bit of perfume when Heath yelled her name from the bottom of the stairs.

Too happy to be annoyed, she practically skipped to the landing outside her bedroom door. “You bellowed?”

“Come down here. I need to talk to you.”

“I have to get ready. I’m meeting Judah at his parent’s house for dinner.”

“I’m not so sure about that, you need to see something first.”

“Oh, all right.” She followed him into the den where she found all four of her brothers waiting for her. “What’s this? Are you guys ganging up on me?”

“No.” Jaxson said tersely. “We’re looking out for you.”

“Sit down, Pepper.” Ten patted the leather couch next to him. “Brace yourself.”

“What’s this all about?” she asked, not liking the seriousness of their faces. “Is something wrong with Ryder? With Dad?”

“No, nothing like that,” Philip said, shaking his head. “This may be nothing, Pepper.” His tone seemed almost apologetic.

“This is damn sure something,” Heath proclaimed as he paced back and forth across the room.

“Just tell me what’s going on! Please!” Pepper demanded. “This is an important night for me, I don’t want to miss it.”

“I don’t think you’ll be seeing that James boy again, not after you see this.”

Heath’s statement flabbergasted Pepper. “Why?”

“Hit play.” Heath directed Tennessee.

“I had the television on low while I was rocking Ella and Ava to sleep. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this, so I rewound it and recorded it.” Ten started the clip.

 Breaking News: Singer Judah James Diagnosed With Schizophrenia. “Talk of the Town has learned that superstar Judah James is undergoing treatment for mental illness. He suffers with hallucinations and delusions. His wife, Ivana Paul, has come forward with the complete story.” The television personality gave the camera a sly smile. “We will be checking all the juicy details, I assure you. One of our reporters captured Judah and a woman other than his wife in a…compromising position.”

Pepper watched in horror as they ripped Judah’s reputation to shreds. At the end, it was her own face on the screen. She wiped tears from her eyes. “How could they do this to him?”

“I’m sorry, Pepper. We hated to show you this shit, I’m sure it comes as quite a shock.” Jaxson came and knelt by her, taking her by the hand. “He ought to be shot for putting you in such a position.”

“He probably hasn’t got enough sense to know he put her in a compromising position,” Heath snarled. “The man isn’t stable.”

“Stop!” Pepper stood up. “Judah is as stable as any of you!” She grabbed the remote and turned off the television. “I already knew all of this. He told me everything. You can’t believe half of what Ivana says. She’s a self-destructive, vindictive, little bitch!”

“Penelope!” Heath chastised her loudly. “You listen to me…”

“No, you listen to me! All of you!” She faced them squarely, hands on her hips, and fury in her eyes. “I love Judah. He’s as sane as any of you. He’s brilliant, kind, and has more talent in his little finger than all of you have in your whole bodies! Combined!”

“Now, Pepper…” Jaxson stood to calm her down.

“Don’t now, Pepper, me!” She was spitting fire and her brothers were about to get burned. “This is non-negotiable. It’s not up for debate! Judah James is part of my life and I wouldn’t want to live without him!”

“If that man hurts you, if he harms one hair on your head, he won’t know what hit him when we get through whipping his…”

Pepper stormed out, leaving Heath and his threats behind. “Don’t wait up! I’m not sure I’ll be back tonight!”

She didn’t go back to her room to finish dressing, she just grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

 

* * *

Pepper was several miles from Highlands when her phone rang.

Judah.

She punched the answer button on the steering wheel. “Judah? I’m on my way.”

“Pepper, there’s a…”

“I saw it. I can’t believe Ivana did this to you, not after everything you’ve done for her. Don’t worry about it, it will blow over. All will be well.”

She was talking so fast, Judah couldn’t get a word in edgeways.

“I’m on my way to the loft or do you want me to meet you at your parent’s house?”

“Pepper, I want you to go back home.”

“What?” She could hear the anguish in his voice. “Where are you?”

“I just got through talking to my parents.”

“How are they?”

“Devastated.” His voice was husky and full of pain. “I should have told them a long time ago. I thought I was protecting them. They saw it on the television, without any warning. This is going to change everything, Pepper.”

“We’ll talk about it when I get there,” Pepper told him, her heart aching. “Wait for me at the loft. I’m coming to you and I’m staying. Everything will be okay. I promise.”