Page 24 of The Sentinels

She nodded. "He was devastated, and so full of rage. He ordered me to get out that day. I had nowhere to go, no money, my car was on empty. Ace is the one who invited me into his home. Said he knew when things calmed down that Tanner would be sorry that he'd sent me away. He suspected that Tanner loved me even before Tanner realized it." For the first time, a gentle smile spread across her face.

"I'm glad it worked out for you."

"Oh! I'd better get back!" Ruby exclaimed, as if she’d just realized how far we'd walked from the house. "I forgot to bring the baby monitor with me."

"You go on, I'm going to take my time," I said, smiling. We turned back and Ruby rushed off. We really hadn't gone that far, and Cookie, Judith, and Lonnie were still on the patio, but I could understand Ruby’s concerns. I'd have felt the same way if I had children.

I mulled Ruby's story over in my mind. I'd run away from a man, too, only I’d been running from my own father, a man who was supposed to love me and keep me safe, and who I hated beyond reason. After my mom had died he had turned into a monster without boundaries, and now he was a resident of Central Prison in North Carolina, put there by me and my cousins twenty years ago. An unexpected chill came over me, because I knew that his release date was coming up.

I could only pray that he wasn't fool enough to hunt me down. There was a no-contact order to prevent him from approaching me, and just the thought of seeing him again made me physically sick. What he'd done to my cousins, Sophie and Gracie, defied common decency and logic, but revealed the sick and twisted characteristics of a predator. What he'd done to me had resulted in years of unnecessary fear and therapy.

I pushed all that behind me, because I would not let him win. He didn't deserve one single thought or consideration from me.

The salt water lapping at my feet felt wonderful. I hadn't realized that I'd steered my way toward the water. The sun was blistering hot, not unusual for summertime. The gentle waves splashing against me were warm. Screaming seagulls drew my gaze to the sky. Laughter pulled my gaze back to Della and Ginger, who'd waded out into waist-deep water. I listened as their laughter faded and they were suddenly running back toward the patio of the house.

Something was going on. From what I could tell, most of the Sentinels had shown up, and the situation seemed tense. Tanner was speaking as his brothers stood back, yet Mark, Sid, and Rod all moved by their women. Della and Ginger ran up to Skipper. I hesitated at the water's edge, feeling like an outsider. And then Ace noticed me.

A smile automatically turned my lips upward.

My breath caught at the look in his eyes.

I sensed trouble brewing.

But for me and him, it was a storm.

Chapter 14

Ace

Fuck!

Emerson was fucking stunning, her curves all but pouring out of her bikini. The sheer wrap around her waist teased me with glimpses of smooth, satiny flesh, thick thighs, and long legs. My eyes were drawn to the tiny triangle covering her pussy, which I imagined was deliciously plump. I could just make out the tiny strings tied on either side of her hips, my fingers itching to untie them and bare her pussy to me.

I took a deep breath of fresh sea air, only half-listening as Tanner explained to the women that they were being sent to St. Augustine for a while. No one spoke or questioned him, they knew not to. If the president wanted to send them away, they knew it was for their own safety. Emerson should have been part of the discussion, but she wasn't claimed by any of the members. As an employee, it was expected that she would be safe, unless someone had noticed that I'd been singling her out for the last few months.

Someone other than in our inner circle.

My dick grew hard, remembering her sweet mouth wrapped around it. Christ. Right here in front of everyone, my jeans were tenting. I ground my back teeth, letting my eyes eat her up and wondering why I'd never fucked her. She was everything I liked in a woman, and then some. I had the feeling that sinking my dick inside her tight little body would be tantamount to hitting the lottery.

Shit. I needed to get laid.

"When do we leave, baby?" Ruby asked Tanner.

"The sooner the better. You'll all go in the SUV. I want Michael and Daniel in the center seat."

For protection, I knew. The SUV was full size, and would easily accommodate the five women and two babies.

“Your men will ride along to make sure you get to the safe house okay and then return here."

"What about once we're there? Will there, ah, be someone around?"

She meant for protection. It was understandable that Cookie would be the most apprehensive, since this would be her first time on lockdown.

"You'll have plenty of protection, baby," Rod said gruffly, pulling her against him. "We've got three badass nomads coming in to take care of you."

I could tell that this immediately set her at ease. I returned my gaze to Emerson, who had waded into the water up to her knees. She was holding her thin wrap up around her waist to keep it dry. That long, fucking braid of hers kept my dick hard as I imagined wrapping the length around my fist as I fucked her doggie-style. She turned in the water and my eyes dropped to her rounded ass, most of which was hanging out of her tiny bottoms.

Jesus H. Christ, I needed to get laid, and soon. I immediately began to run down the list of possibilities. There was easy pussy at After Hours. Any one of the strippers would do nicely.

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