Page 43 of Walking Red Flag

“Refused to stay at the diner, eh?” Copper turned to me. “I’d fuckin’ kill for a burger.”

I tilted my head. “There was a weird man making comments about my body there, and the only other two people that were there was a woman smaller than me making burgers in the back, and a woman behind the counter that looked old enough to be my grandmother’s age. Do you honestly think that I’m going to be sitting there, unprotected, with no one to help me? I didn’t make it to my age by being stupid.”

Copper’s lips twitched.

“So now that you’re married,” Copper said a little louder than was necessary. “When are you having kids?”

I blanched. “Let me enjoy my honeymoon period first!”

Copper laughed.

Cutter did, too, but a lot more contained.

“I like you, girl,” Copper said, then lowered his voice so that only Cutter and I could hear. “Don’t look now, but the douche that’s trying to singlehandedly add to my sentence is sitting behind you. Not sure how the fuck he got out here on good enough behavior to get visitors, but there he is.”

Whenever someone tells you not to look, it’s your honest to God reaction to look.

I tried to stop myself but couldn’t.

I turned my head, and that’s when I saw the man that was directly behind me.

I froze, my entire being going solid.

My vision tunneled, and the only person I could see was him.

“I bet you thought that you were safe,” he mouthed the moment my eyes met his.

He smiled a lecherous smile, and the walls around my greatest shame started to shake.

I was frozen.

Well and truly frozen.

I couldn’t move.

Couldn’t think.

Couldn’t breathe.

My vision was blackening around the edges, and I knew the panic attack was coming.

I couldn’t feel my fingers.

The last thing I remembered before I passed out was strong hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me to a muscular body.

I used to tell my mom she’s always mad for no reason. But look at me now, always mad Jr.

—Cutter’s secret thoughts

CUTTER

Amusement was simmering in my veins and had been since she’d called me her husband.

Had my ex-girlfriend tried that, I might’ve laughed it off, but I sure the fuck wouldn’t have gone with it.

I wouldn’t have let Rome think that I was actually married.

I wouldn’t have introduced her as my ‘wife’ to my brother.

---