Read Rough [01] - A Bit of Rough for Free Online

James. The cowboy had Williams reduced to battered heap of useless muscle and brawn in under twenty seconds.
    When Williams finally hit the floor, one of the dogs broke his training, jumping over James' kneeling body to launch himself at his master's attacker. Bram blocked the snapping jaws, pinned the snarling animal with his knees and deftly snapped the dog's neck, letting the quivering body fall to the floor by Williams. The other dog paced and whined, but stayed put.
    Trembling from the rush of adrenaline and fear, James pushed himself to his feet. He used one hand to brace himself on the wall while the other rubbed his reddened throat.
    James hopped over the fallen bodies, stumbling a little when he miscalculated a step.
    Bram caught him by the arm.
    "Do we need an ambulance here?"
    James shook his head and coughed, massaging at the ache in his throat. "Only for him."
    He gestured at his fallen attacker.
    Williams was just beginning to come back to his senses. He moaned and pushed himself up to a sitting position against the wall, feebly wiping at the blood flowing from his misshapen nose.
    "Fat chance of that happening." Bram slipped an arm around James' shoulders and began to pry the keys from James' white-knuckled hand. "Loosen up, Tiger. He's down."
    James huffed out a surprised breath and watched the cowboy unbend his own stiff, numb fingers. Once the keys were free, Bram pocketed them. He touched James' quivering shoulder and said, "Stay right here."
    Numb, James barely nodded.
    Grabbing the fallen portfolio, Bram crouched beside a subdued Williams.
    Williams flinched, but recovered enough bravado to attempt a half-hearted sneer. "Who the hell are you, Jamie-boy's new bodyguard?"
    A Bit of Rough - 24
    "No, his new boyfriend. His very possessive, protective boyfriend. You might want to remember that from now on." Bram started to rise then stopped and leaned closer to Williams. "And one other thing."
    Bram's hand shot out and grabbed Williams by the neck, pinning him against the wall.
    Williams' neck was as thick as a tree trunk, but Bram had no trouble gripping it.
    "Don't ever, ever call him 'Jamie' again," said Bram. Williams gasped and tried to pull free, but the grip only tightened. "Got it?"
    Williams gurgled an unintelligible reply and nodded.
    Bram released his hold, wiping his bloodied hand off on Williams' white T-shirt.
    Standing, he shoved the dog's dead body out of his way with one foot and walked back over to a shivering James.
    "Let's get you inside. You're hurt." Bram herded James down the hallway to his door.
    "Not really." James' voice broke on the last word, his abused vocal cords betraying him.
    He ducked his head whispering, "Well, okay. Maybe just a little."
    "Uh-huh. I can hear that 'just a little'." Opening the apartment with James' keys, Bram pocketed the keyring again and locked the door behind them.
    "Do you want to call the police, Jamie?"
    James snorted in disgust. "No. All they'll see is Williams' broken nose and dead dog.
    We'll be lucky if Williams doesn't call them on us."
    Bram gave a mirthless chuckle. "And report he got beat up by a gay man? I don't think so. By tonight that jerk'll be telling his buddies about how he got his nose broke in some spectacular bar fight where he laid out six bikers."
    After a quick glance around the tidy, well-furnished space, Bram placed James' work materials on an architect's drawing table standing in the middle of the room. "Has he bothered you before?"
    "Not really." James sighed and waved a hand vaguely in the air. "A few remarks when I've been coming in at night and our paths have crossed." He stopped and stared into the distance for a moment. "Come to think of it, he's been in the hall a lot lately. He kind of stares at me, so I never do anything to invite conversation." James snorted a broken chuckle. "I'm sure not talking to him after this."
    A Bit of Rough - 25
    A wave of nausea rolled through his stomach and James reached out for the wall to