Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 33577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
I caught the bastard by the back of his shirt and cut and yanked him backward so hard his feet left the ground. His head cracked against my fist like an overripe melon.
"You don't fuckin' touch what's mine," I snarled, driving my knee into his gut. Not letting the bastard go, I grabbed a handful of his hair and brought his face down as I hiked the same knee. Blood spurted from his face in a warm spray. He grunted and I tossed him like garbage into a group of his brothers.
I now faced Honey as she stared up at me, her amber colored eyes wide with shock and fear. With no time to reassure her, I spun around and backed up until I felt her small body against my back. "Stay behind me." I yelled at her over my shoulder before moving away slightly to give myself room to fight and her space to move out of the way so she didn’t get hit and still be protected. I could hear her breath coming in quick gasps, but she bunched her fist in my shirt. Normally, I’d shove her off, not wanting the restriction when I was in a fight for my life. Instead, I turned my head and gave her another order. “Do not let go of my shirt, Honey.”
“O-OK!” She gasped out the word. I felt her hand twist in my shirt, tightening her hold and grunted in satisfaction.
The fight continued to rage around us as I kept Honey tucked behind me. Every Copperhead who came within striking distance got a taste of my fists and the chain I’d wound around my arm, and the floor around us was stained with blood. I felt her grip on my shirt, her knuckles digging into my back as she held on for dear life, her hand trembling.
I delivered a jaw shattering uppercut to a Copperhead trying to flank us, sending him sprawling backward into the pool table. The grip on my shirt suddenly loosened as someone slammed into us from the side, the impact jarring enough to separate us.
"Help!" Honey's voice cut through the chaos, high with panic.
I spun around, but she was already gone, swallowed by the surging crowd. A fresh wave of Copperheads pushed forward, forcing me back.
"Honey!" I roared her name, shoving bodies out of my way. Panic, an emotion I hadn't felt in years, clawed at my chest. Where the fuck was she? And why the fuck did I give a Goddamn? I’d never met this girl. Knew nothing about her. But I was acting — and feeling — like she really was mine.
I caught a glimpse of honey blonde hair disappearing down the hallway that led to the back rooms. My blood ran cold. That hallway was dark, secluded. A perfect place for one of these motherfuckers to corner her.
Three Copperheads blocked my path. I didn't have time for this shit.
"You’re dead, Bloody Jack."
I didn't waste time arguing. Every second I spent with these fuckers was one second that girl was in unfriendly territory on her own. And no one in my club knew she was mine to protect.
I grabbed the nearest empty bottle and shattered it against the bar, jamming the jagged remains into the bastard's shoulder. He screamed, high and thin like a wounded animal. The other two hesitated and those precious seconds gave me all the edge I needed. I drove my boot into one's knee, feeling it collapse inward with a sickening crunch, then caught the last one with a backhand that sent him spinning to the floor. I punted him in the head as I passed, hoping it would keep him down.
I didn't wait to see if they followed. My brothers were rapidly getting control and I saw Ghost headed in my direction. He’d have my back. Right now, I needed to get to Honey.
The hallway was dimly lit, shadows pooling in the corners. I moved quickly, checking each door I passed. The last room on the right had a sliver of light showing beneath the door. I was about to kick it in when I heard a whimper from further down the hall.
There, in the darkest part of the corridor, I saw them. Shank, the cruelest of the Copperhead enforcers, had Honey pinned against the wall. His hand was wrapped around her throat, his body pressed against hers, trapping her.
"What'd you hear, pretty thing?" he hissed, his face inches from hers. "Tell me what you know, and maybe I'll be gentle with you." He leaned in and licked a slow trail up the side of her cheek.
Honey struggled against him, her eyes wide with terror. She couldn't scream with his hand around her throat, but her gaze found mine over Shank's shoulder. If possible, the girl looked even more terrified. She likely expected me to join the bastard threatening her.