Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 83872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
I was almost asleep when I heard someone scream from the barroom. My eyes flew open at the same time Cole shot up into a sitting position. “Get off of me!” a woman screamed, terror coating her voice.
Cole cursed and got out of bed, running down the hall only in his sweats. I slid out of bed and pulled on shorts. I walked out into the bar room just as Joseph took a swing at Cole. Cole ducked it and quickly wrapped his hand around Joseph’s throat, slamming him against the wall. “How many fucking times do I have to tell you mother fucking idiots that you don’t fucking force a woman to have sex?!” Cole roared, the veins in his neck and arms standing out.
A girl was sitting on the couch. She didn’t look any older than me. She was definitely a woman I had never seen before, not even around town. I was about to walk over when I felt vomit rising in my throat. Groaning, I sat down quickly, telling the closest person to me to find a trash can ASAP. I snatched it from him, and a few seconds later, I vomited into it. I heard a body hit the floor, but I didn’t look over, too busy throwing up a second time.
“You stupid fucker!” I heard Cole roar.
Brian gave me a small smile when I looked up and handed me a bottle of water. I took a few swallows. “Thanks,” I murmured.
He jerked his head in the direction of the girl. “You might want to deal with her. He beat the hell out of her trying to get her to fuck him.”
I sighed and stood up with Brian’s help. I gagged, and he held the trashcan up. I breathed in and out of my mouth slowly, but the feeling still didn’t go away. The sound of grunts and skin hitting skin finally reached my ears, and I looked over to see Cole and Joseph doing some really bloody fighting. I sighed and looked at Brian. “Break it up, please?”
He nodded. I took another sip of water and then walked over to the girl. She was still crying. I sat beside her. “Hey.” I said softly. “I’m Amelia—the VP of the club. What’s your name?”
“Holly,” she sobbed.
“Where did you come from?” I asked her gently.
“I work at the strip club across town. Sometimes, I do work outside of the club to provide for my daughter, but nothing like this has ever happened,” she sobbed.
I grabbed her arms, examining them. She had red handprints around her wrists that were already beginning to bruise. Her nose was bloody, and she had a bruise on her jaw, and her eye was swollen. Bruises in the shape of handprints were already popping up on her neck. I sighed. Joseph had really done a fucking number on her.
“Holly, I know how you’re feeling, and trust me when I sat that it will be okay,” I told her softly. At least she’d had help.
She hiccupped and nodded. I looked over at Cole and Joseph to see that Travis and Brian had managed to pull them apart. Cole’s jaw and cheekbone were already bruising, and his lip was split, but other than that, he seemed fine. He was fucking livid though. Joseph looked like he was going to black out at any given moment.
Cole’s eyes met mine. His gaze was torn away when Joseph began hollering, “She’s the fucking bitch that I fucking paid—”
“It doesn’t give you a fucking right to try to fuck her in a—” Cole roared.
“Cole!” Brian hollered, shutting both of the men up. “Pull yourself together, man! Your girl over there is barely holding herself together!”
Cole looked back over at me and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He stormed away from them and came over to me and Holly. Holly shrunk into my side as he came over, beginning to cry again. I pulled her into a comforting hug. Fuck, I knew she was terrified. Cole didn’t exactly look friendly at that moment.
“Cole,” I said as a warning.
He looked over at Holly, and a look of understanding passed over his features. He took a few calming breaths and then sat next to me. “Hey,” Cole said gently, “I’m not going to hurt you. Are you okay?”
Holly looked at me with wide, tear filled eyes. I gave her an encouraging smile. “Cole isn’t going to hurt you,” I told her gently. “I’m a rape victim, too.” The word victim left a bitter taste in my mouth. Cole grabbed my hand in his. “Cole helped me.”
She sniffled and nodded. “Your daughter—where is she?” I asked her.
“She’s with my mom, but I should have picked her up already. I can’t let her see me like this. My job isn’t supposed to affect her,” she mumbled.