Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 75(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 75(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Tilly’s father.
He looks up as I pull in and park behind him.
Our eyes meet, and my heart nearly bursts out of my chest. I glance at his truck and see Tilly in the passenger seat on the verge of tears, her left cheek red.
“You son of a bitch,” I growl.
I’m out of my car in an instant and lunging forward for him.
I’ll give the old man credit; he moves well and dodges my first punch like he’s been boxing for years and counters with a right hook that catches me just above the ear. I catch myself against the truck and spin around just in time to dodge his punch aimed straight at my jaw.
With everything I’ve got, I drive my right fist straight into his gut. He lets out a satisfying grunt of pain and drops to his knees. Without hesitation, I follow up with a left to his jaw that sends him into the dirt.
And then I’m on top of him, bracing him on his back with both knees, hammering him, my mind filled with the terrible tales Tilly told me about her childhood and the things she was forced to endure.
“That wasn’t enough for you, you son of a bitch!?” I cry out. “You had to track her down get her back!?”
I’m lost in it—a fit of rage wrapping me up like a tornado.
I know I’m slipping away, punching down on this miserable bastard, and it’s not until I feel Tilly’s hands on my back that I snap out of it and realize where I am again.
I lean down and grab her dad by the collar and force him to look at me.
“You’re lucky she’s here,” I growl. “You or any of your little buddies come looking for her again, and I’ll kill you. You understand that?”
Her dad grunts, licks the blood from his lips, and nods.
“You better, you son of a bitch—”
“Colt…” Tilly whispers, pulling me back, away from her father. “It’s okay. I’m okay now. I’m safe.”
I look back at her and see the red mark on her face from where he hit her and force myself not to go back into a fit of anger again. Instead, I reach out and scoop her into my arms, pull her close, and focus on the blessing I now have in my life and just how close I came to losing her.
“I love you,” I tell her. “So, so much.”
“I love you too,” she replies—the most incredible words I’ve ever heard and will ever hear.
“I’m selling the club, angel.” She looks up at me, her eyes the brightest they’ve ever been before. “You and I are going to move on and start a new life together. And nothing will come between us.”
“R-really?” she whimpers.
“That’s right.” I nod. My heart thuds within my chest. “And we’ll be together forever.”
Epilogue
Colt
Five Years Later…
* * *
I know it’s against common protocol to have non-kitchen staff in back of house, and I know I made that rule myself, but I just can’t help but violate that policy tonight because I just love my wife so goddamn much.
It’s a busy night, and we’re packed for dinner, but Tilly wanted to come by with our son, Tristan, and after spending most of the day doing prep work for this evening’s service, I wasn’t about to say no to that.
“Well, hello, Daddy,” Tilly whispers as she steps up behind me, Tristan in her arms, looking quite excited to be back here when he knows he’s not supposed to be. “Looking very busy. Got a moment for Mommy and lil Trissy?”
I set my knife aside, lean in, and give Tristan the biggest, silliest kiss on the forehead I can, which causes him to giggle.
“Well, I do, but only a few minutes, okay?”
Tristan smiles and nods as Tilly sets him down between us. I kiss her on the lips and try not to get too excited, which is hard to do considering just how sexy she looks tonight. Sometimes I wish she would tone it down a little bit, especially on nights like tonight, just so I could focus on my work instead of just how incredible her body looks.
It shouldn’t be possible for a woman’s tits to be so incredibly perky after having a baby, but Tilly is living proof that it is. She’s also somehow managed to fill out in the hip area, which causes my cock to swell almost every time I see her walk past me. It sure doesn’t make things easy.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe where my life has progressed to. From being an emotionally closed-off man running a strip club to a married man, completely in love, running a restaurant, raising a wonderful son.
I give Tristan a quick tour of the kitchen without disturbing the sous chefs who are deep into mise-en-place for tonight’s service.