“I just want to make sure you’re hearing me.”
“Jade, that’s enough,” Cole said.
She looked over her shoulder at him, ashamed. “I was just helping her.”
“Get off of her.”
“Okay.”
Before he could stop her, Jade pushed pizza into Christy’s face.
“Jesus Christ, woman. You promised,” Cole said as he lifted her off Christy’s back.
Jade laid her head on his chest. “I’m sorry. I just don’t like her.”
“Baby, no one does. Why don’t you go into the ladies’ room and clean up?”
Jade nodded but took one more disgusted look at the whore on the floor.
“I’ll follow her,” Blake said.
One of the other whores helped Christy up off the floor because none of the men would touch her. Cole heard her screaming as they took her out of the bar.
“Man, Jade’s feisty,” Eric said.
Cole nodded. “She doesn’t like bullies.”
The guys started laughing.
“Christy had six inches and fifty pounds on your girl, and she still took her down,” Doc said.
Cole grinned as he watched her argue with Blake as they walked back to him. She went right into his arms and looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
He hugged her. “I know you are. But we’ve talked about this. You can’t go around beating people up.”
“I know.” She pouted.
He rolled his eyes. “You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you?”
She grinned. “Probably.”
The guys around them laughed.
Cole heard a few of them say how lucky he was to have her. No one had to tell him that. He already knew.
Chapter Sixteen
Jade stood and stared at the grave of Cole’s teammate and friend who had died in the line of duty beside him. All the military men were dressed in their uniforms and looked different from the previous night.
That morning, while Cole was getting dressed, it seemed with each piece of military clothing he put on, his bearing and stance changed.
It made her nervous until he turned to look at her, smiled, and opened his arms.
She held him tightly, wishing she could take away some of his pain.
“Let’s go, baby.”
Jade nodded and took his hand. At the gravesite, the men had to stand in a line opposite where the people sat. They all stood rigid and looked straight ahead, and the military pastor read Jerry’s last blessing.