Cutter: A Fight or Flight Novel Read Online Free Page B

a bitch. Either way, I’m getting paid, I don’t care.”
    He shrugs and pops in his mouth guard. Meeting him in the center of the mat, he squares up with me and I nod, letting him know I’m ready. Slow as usual, he tosses a jab in my direction and I dodge it without much effort.
    “Gotta do better than that.” I dance around him, mostly for show, and wait for his next strike, which seems like ages.
    Colt grunts and advances again, mixing up jabs and hooks, missing each time. We continue the dance for what seems like hours, Colt still not making a connection with any part of my body. Finally, I let him get a stomach shot just to boost his morale, but it doesn’t do as much as I thought it would. His next five punches go wide.
    “I’m just going to stand over here until you’re ready to do whatever you’re trying to do. I’m tired of all this dodging. We’re prepping for a fight, not getting in our cardio.”
    “I’m gonna get a drink, I’ll be back,” he huffs in annoyance. Colt steps out and walks over to the water cooler in the corner, taking a paper cup from the top. Turning my back to him, I look over to the corner where Josette’s set up shop and she’s in her element. On the phone, feet kicked up on the desk, shoe dangling from her foot, she’s talking animatedly to whoever’s on the line and I can’t help but smile as I watch her.
    “She’s fucking hot, right?” Colt asks from behind me, throwing a few combinations in the air.
    “Back to work, dude.” There’s no way in hell I’m getting into this conversation with him. He has more things to worry about than how beautiful Josette is…like landing a fucking punch. I’m pretty sure Garrett didn’t take him on so he could ogle Josette all day, but to actually win a damn fight, which isn’t looking likely at this point in his training.
    “Seriously, bro. I bet she’d look sexy as hell wearing nothing but those shoes. Where’d she come from anyway? She wasn’t here yesterday.”
    “Work!” It’s a little louder than I wanted, but my patience is wearing thin.
    We meet in the middle of the ring again, ready to run the same drills. He jabs quickly and actually connects on the side of my face. Stumbling backward a little, I nod at him, waving my gloves for him to come at me. He distracted me talking shit about Josette and I won’t let it happen again. I have to stay in the game if he’s going to learn anything.
    “I’d bend her tiny ass over that desk in a fucking heartbeat. All she’d have to do is ask,” he mumbles through his mouth guard, but I make out every damn word. And I see fucking red. He attempts an uppercut. I block and return a hook of my own, landing right on his jaw. While he clutches his face, I back up to the corner of the ring and crouch. I look up just to check on him in time to see him rushing at me full force.
    “The fuck?” Garrett yells from the other side of the room and starts running toward the ring. Without thinking, I stand up and step slightly to my right just before Colt reaches me, sneak behind him, and wrap my arm around his neck. I hook my leg around his, throwing off his center of gravity and pulling him to the ground. Colt’s cradled between my legs, and I tighten the hold on his neck, dragging him backward with me, then hook my feet around his middle. His hand keeps slapping my arm and all I can think is to not let him up. When he’s free, he’ll kill me. I’m not ready to die. Not yet.
    “Cutter!” Garrett screams, climbing through the ropes and crouching down to my level, looking me in my eyes. “Cutter,” he says softer. “Gotta let him go, kid. He can’t breathe.”
    Oh fuck. I killed Colt. I’m going to jail. I’ll never get out. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
    I put my hands in the air and scoot as far back as I can get. Luckily for me and my heart rate, and I guess his health, too, the moment the choke hold is released, Colt starts coughing. Getting to his hands and knees, he gasps for