he said in shock.
He turned back to the familiar-looking asshole holding his bloody nose. “Billy Collins?” Anger now surged to the boiling point.
“Colt?” Brielle asked through frantic sobs.
“You broke my nose!” Billy cried, covering his nose with bloody hands as he stood.
“So I did!” Colt replied with satisfaction. He balled his fingers tightly and punched Billy in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.
“NO!” Brielle shouted in horror. “Don’t kill him! His father’s the sheriff!”
Colt didn’t want to kill him. He just wanted to make him suffer. He was sure that Billy, with bruises already forming around his eyes and his left jaw, was going to suffer for the next month.
He turned his attention back to Brielle and knelt beside her. “Are you okay? Did he…” Colt couldn’t bring himself to say the word rape to her.
She wiped away her tears and shook her head. “No, he didn’t … and no, I’m not okay.”
Colt’s heart went out to her. He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her securely. “You’re safe now, Brielle,” he replied, wishing he could take her pain away. No one is ever gonna lay a hand on you again. I promise, he vowed silently. Lowering one hand to his jeans pocket, he grabbed his cell phone.
“What are you doing?” she asked through sniffles.
“Calling the police.”
“No, you can’t!”
“He just attacked you, Brielle. We have to call the police.” He began to tap the numbers on screen.
“No!” She snatched the phone from his grasp and tossed it into the grass.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Colt asked incredulously. He disappeared in the direction he’d last seen the light from his phone. Through the thick grass, he saw the soft glow. He retrieved it and headed back to Brielle. She was on her feet trying to pull her blouse closed.
Billy moaned, then fell silent again.
“I’m sorry I threw your phone. I don’t know what I was thinking. You just weren’t listening to me. But we can’t call the sheriff. If my dad finds out he’ll kill Billy.”
“I’m sure he’d just rough him up a little, but kill? Come on, Brielle, he wouldn’t do anything so stupid.”
“Then how come he’s told all my dates until tonight to behave like a perfect gentlemen or he’d kill them?”
“I’m sure it was just a figure of speech. Besides, we can’t just let Billy get away with it. Who knows how many other women he’s forced himself on? We’re putting a stop to it.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she pleaded. “My dad hasn’t been the same since my mom died two years ago. He’s been excessively protective. The last boy who tried to kiss me, he came out with a loaded shotgun, yanked him out of the car by the scruff of his neck, and shoved him into the mud. And I was twenty-two at the time, Colt. He’ll do worse to Billy — I know it! I don’t want my dad’s temper to get him in trouble. Please! I already lost my mom … I can’t lose him too.”
Colt sighed heavily and looked at Billy, who was just now opening his eyes.
Billy sat up and cupped his nose. “Shit! My nose!”
“We’re calling your father. You can cry to him about your nose,” Colt said with disgust.
“Colt?” Billy asked in a surprised tone. “What — do you just wait around for your chance to rescue the Sinclairs from me?”
Colt took a menacing step forward. “Maybe I should make sure your nose is really broken?”
Billy put his hands in front of him. “I didn’t mean it, Colt. It’s broken. My nose is really broken. But please, don’t call my dad.”
He looked at Brielle with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, Gabby! I don’t know what came over me. I just got the signals mixed up. And I just had one too many beers. And then when you bit me I just snapped. Please! Don’t call my dad! Elections are coming up. If this got out…” He shook his head. “Just please … he’s a good sheriff. I’m sorry. I’ll quit drinking, I
He turned back to the familiar-looking asshole holding his bloody nose. “Billy Collins?” Anger now surged to the boiling point.
“Colt?” Brielle asked through frantic sobs.
“You broke my nose!” Billy cried, covering his nose with bloody hands as he stood.
“So I did!” Colt replied with satisfaction. He balled his fingers tightly and punched Billy in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.
“NO!” Brielle shouted in horror. “Don’t kill him! His father’s the sheriff!”
Colt didn’t want to kill him. He just wanted to make him suffer. He was sure that Billy, with bruises already forming around his eyes and his left jaw, was going to suffer for the next month.
He turned his attention back to Brielle and knelt beside her. “Are you okay? Did he…” Colt couldn’t bring himself to say the word rape to her.
She wiped away her tears and shook her head. “No, he didn’t … and no, I’m not okay.”
Colt’s heart went out to her. He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her securely. “You’re safe now, Brielle,” he replied, wishing he could take her pain away. No one is ever gonna lay a hand on you again. I promise, he vowed silently. Lowering one hand to his jeans pocket, he grabbed his cell phone.
“What are you doing?” she asked through sniffles.
“Calling the police.”
“No, you can’t!”
“He just attacked you, Brielle. We have to call the police.” He began to tap the numbers on screen.
“No!” She snatched the phone from his grasp and tossed it into the grass.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Colt asked incredulously. He disappeared in the direction he’d last seen the light from his phone. Through the thick grass, he saw the soft glow. He retrieved it and headed back to Brielle. She was on her feet trying to pull her blouse closed.
Billy moaned, then fell silent again.
“I’m sorry I threw your phone. I don’t know what I was thinking. You just weren’t listening to me. But we can’t call the sheriff. If my dad finds out he’ll kill Billy.”
“I’m sure he’d just rough him up a little, but kill? Come on, Brielle, he wouldn’t do anything so stupid.”
“Then how come he’s told all my dates until tonight to behave like a perfect gentlemen or he’d kill them?”
“I’m sure it was just a figure of speech. Besides, we can’t just let Billy get away with it. Who knows how many other women he’s forced himself on? We’re putting a stop to it.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she pleaded. “My dad hasn’t been the same since my mom died two years ago. He’s been excessively protective. The last boy who tried to kiss me, he came out with a loaded shotgun, yanked him out of the car by the scruff of his neck, and shoved him into the mud. And I was twenty-two at the time, Colt. He’ll do worse to Billy — I know it! I don’t want my dad’s temper to get him in trouble. Please! I already lost my mom … I can’t lose him too.”
Colt sighed heavily and looked at Billy, who was just now opening his eyes.
Billy sat up and cupped his nose. “Shit! My nose!”
“We’re calling your father. You can cry to him about your nose,” Colt said with disgust.
“Colt?” Billy asked in a surprised tone. “What — do you just wait around for your chance to rescue the Sinclairs from me?”
Colt took a menacing step forward. “Maybe I should make sure your nose is really broken?”
Billy put his hands in front of him. “I didn’t mean it, Colt. It’s broken. My nose is really broken. But please, don’t call my dad.”
He looked at Brielle with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, Gabby! I don’t know what came over me. I just got the signals mixed up. And I just had one too many beers. And then when you bit me I just snapped. Please! Don’t call my dad! Elections are coming up. If this got out…” He shook his head. “Just please … he’s a good sheriff. I’m sorry. I’ll quit drinking, I
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