Safe Word by Teresa Mummert Read Free Book Online Page B

here.” Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over and expose how scared she was. She kept her chin raised defiantly.
    “Colt. No one calls me Cole anymore, Rose.” I shook my head and turned to leave the room, the door still wide open. Within seconds I could hear Rose’s bare feet padding across the wood floor.
    “I haven’t been called Rose in years,” she said quietly.
    I hadn’t even
thought
about Rose in nearly four years. I blocked her from my mind the moment I nearly killed a man for her and she wasn’t even there.
    “It’s the best way to unwind after a long day,” Brock said with a laugh. Something about his smile made my skin crawl. He looked like your average clean-cut guy, with his freshly shaved face and a haircut like a fucking third grader.
    “Strippers are a waste of money,” I replied, completely disinterested in spending any more time with this asshole than I had to. I took a long drag from my cigarette as my eyes scanned the deserted land behind the club.
    “You know they allow smoking inside.”
    I blew out a cloud of smoke toward his face and he waved his hand, coughing like a bitch.
    “I don’t like smoking indoors. Feels…unnatural.” I took another drag, clicking my ashes into the air and watching them fall to the ground. The smoking wasn’t the problem. In fact, I had been trying to quit for three weeks now. I just didn’t want shit to do with some dumb asshole’s bachelor party.
    “Let go of me!” a female called from the far corner of the vacant lot. I looked past Brock to see what the problem was. He put his hand on my chest and grinned.
    “Probably didn’t pay her enough.” He laughed and I had to suppress the urge to beat his fucking face in. God I hated this guy.
    “Please!” the voice called again and this time it was more than obvious it wasn’t some simple domestic dispute. I took off across the lot, walking as fast as I could. Brock had to damn near jog to keep up with me.
    “This isn’t our problem, Bishop.”
    I gave him a sideways glance, warning him that I was not in the fucking mood. Just then I saw her and my body froze. Bright fire-red hair hanging in waves down to the center of her back.
    “Rose?” I said aloud to myself.
    “She ain’t no Rose. Firecracker maybe,” Brock replied, and I ignored him. I was now focused on the man facing her. He was bald and stood about a foot taller than she. He was above average in build, and he was dangerously close to getting his ass kicked.
    “Prior military?”
    Brock narrowed his gaze then nodded in agreement.
    “I think I’ve seen her dance here before. That ass looks familiar. I’d have to put my face in it to be sure.” He chuckled and I turned to glare at him. “It was a joke.”
    The woman squealed as the man grabbed her by her arms and lifted her from the ground, dropping her on her side.
    I flicked my cigarette and took off, seeing red. Murderous red that could only come from memories of Rose. She brought out the best and absolute worst in me.
    “Who the fuck are you?” the guy asked, his arms open like he was looking for trouble. Lucky for him, trouble had just arrived. I swung, hitting him with a wide right hook and he stumbled backward a few steps before widening his stance and catching his balance.
    “I’ll fucking kill you, you son of a bitch,” the guy yelled as he cupped his hand under his mouth to catch the blood.
    “If it’s you or me, I’d make yourself right with God, motherfucker.” I landed a jab square on his nose and it popped, bones crumbling under my knuckles.
    “That’s enough!” Brock yelled, and I shook my head, looking this woman beater in the eyes, a twisted smile on my lips. “Jesus Christ, Bishop! That’s enough!” The asshole’s feet gave way and I followed him to the ground, kneeling over him as I repeatedly landed blow after blow to his face. His head snapped back, cracking off the asphalt that peeked out from below the weeds.
    After about a dozen