Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Rosalie wasn’t a violent person. She avoided aggression as much as possible, but she wanted to claw the woman’s eyes out. How dare she touch Colt! Without giving herself time to back down, she closed the distance between her and Colt and moved up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.
Colt chuckled and spun around, only to show surprise when he saw her. “Rosalie,” he said.
The music wasn’t too loud.
“Hey, Colt.” She shot the other woman a glare.
“You texted,” he said.
“I know but I wanted … can we go somewhere to talk?” she asked.
Colt finished his drink and put the glass down on the counter. Rosalie felt a little better as he took her hand and completely ignored the other woman. They moved through the throngs of people. Rosalie was a little worried of being pulled or rubbed against by someone she didn’t want to get close to.
They crossed the clubhouse, Colt opened one of the far doors, and they stepped through. There were steps against the wall, but he walked them down a long corridor, into what looked like a game room.
“Out,” Colt said. “You know the Warden doesn’t like fucking happening in the game room.” He clicked his fingers and out the couples went.
The door closed behind them and Rosalie stood staring at Colt.
“Some party. Are you guys celebrating anything?”
“It’s Friday. Admittedly, there’s no hard and fast rule about how we party, it sometimes gets out of hand. This is one of those nights. Probably because my pop went to the craft thing with our moms.”
Rosalie hadn’t realized Warden had done that.
“Oh, that’s … nice.”
“Babe, it’s fucked up. My dad does not have a single craft within his fingers. Unless you count producing an awesome club, then he’s top of his game.”
She nodded and rubbed the back of her head. “This happens every Friday?” She pointed toward the door.
Colt shrugged. “The guys need to let off steam and the women are more than happy to provide the entertainment. They’re here because they want to be here.”
“I’m not, it wasn’t that, I was just wondering, because you normally come to … well, you know.”
“I come to do my duty on a Friday night unless she’s cycling. I know what I do, Rose.”
Rose, Rosalie, Babe, she was struggling to keep up with his terms of endearment. They seemed to be taking her by surprise. She nibbled her lip.
“What’s the matter, babe?” he asked.
Rosalie looked at him and words just fled her brain. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but it all seemed so hard. Could she truly trust him? She thought about her father and knew deep down in her soul, there was no choice, not a single one.
“Can you truly protect my mom?” Rosalie asked.
Colt lost his smile and he tensed up, all play going out of his body. “Yeah, I swear it, on my life. The club can protect your mother.”
“Because she has been through a lot, and I know the last few months she and Kim have gotten close. I don’t want that to be affected.”
“Rosalie, the club can and will protect your mother. She’s already being protected.”
“I want to believe you, I do, but my dad—”
“Daemon paid you a visit,” Colt said. “I know.”
“You know?”
“You don’t think I’d let you work at that shitty diner without one of my guys being there to keep an eye. I’m an asshole, babe, not a monster.”
“He knows.”
“Who knows?”
“My dad. Daemon, he knew. He said he couldn’t hurt me because you had someone there, watching him, waiting for him to fuck up.” She ducked her head and stared down at her hands. If she did this, there was no turning back. “He told me that I need to … that I need to fuck you every single night. That to get pregnant, I have to be with you all the time, but he now wants me to watch you guys. To learn all your secrets,” Rosalie said.
“He made his move,” Colt said.
“I don’t know if you call threatening my mother making his move but I don’t want to do this. I never wanted any part of this.” She felt the tears filling her eyes. “I just … all I want to do is take care of my mom.”
The tears fell and she hated herself for being so weak. She swatted at her cheek, feeling the annoyance building within her.
Colt closed the distance between them. He stepped toward her and pulled her close. “I’ve got you,” he said.
“He’s going to hurt my mom, Colt. He is going to hurt her if I don’t do something. I don’t know what to do.”
She couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her arms around his waist, holding onto him.
“I’ve got you. Let it go. I’ve got you. He’s not going to hurt you and he’s not going to get close to your mother, Rosalie. I promise.”