Page 49 of The Sentinels

I giggled. "I'd like to have kids some day." I held up a white shirt with a picture on it of the same ugly mermaid souvenir that I'd been looking at earlier. Somehow it wasn't as ugly on the shirt.

"Well, now that you and Ace are together—"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" I interrupted quickly. "We just had sex. And can you picture Ace as a family man?"

When she grew quiet I glanced up.

"Yeah, I actually can. I think families are exactly what all the Sentinels need. You have to admit that since some of the men have found their soul mates and started having babies it's changed them for the better."

"They certainly seem happier," I commented, going back to searching through the shirts. I tried to picture Ace married with children. He was almost fifty, and seemed content with his solitary life. Maybe the time had come and gone for him. Maybe he was happy fucking his life away with random women.

I couldn't help wondering now that we'd had sex if things would be exclusive between us. I didn't think I could share him with other women. I didn't want to.

"This is cute." Bonnie held up a green tee with a pretty magnolia on the front.

"Pretty, but it’s more you than me."

"I think I'll get it. Can't beat a four dollar sleep shirt."

"That's for sure. I like this one." I held up a white tee with the words "Only good vibes" in black lettering on the front."

"Yeah, that's definitely you," Bonnie said.

We continued checking out what the shop had to offer before settling on the shirts and paying for them. I stepped out of the store into the crowd to wait for Bonnie while she used a nearby public restroom. The boardwalk was busy, as usual. It was a popular tourist spot, but a lot of the locals liked to go there, too. The food was good, and the gift shops offered a lot in the way of beach items and souvenirs.

I was looking down through the window of a nearby shop at a snow globe of the ocean and palm trees when a prickling at the back of my neck alerted me to something that I couldn't name. I was aware of the numbers of people walking behind me, their distorted images reflected in the window. Someone brushed against me from behind, and I glanced up to see my dad smiling back at me over my shoulder. It couldn't be! I instantly froze and held my breath, sure that if I turned around he would be gone.

In fact, I prayed that he would be.

But I was too afraid to move.

I felt a wave of fear blanket me as I stared into the eyes that had given me nightmares for so many years. I could tell that he was smiling, yet there was nothing but pure evil looking back at me in the window. That was how my father tricked you, pretending that he was friendly and nice. It had taken me years to realize that he really felt nothing inside, and that if you looked into his eyes,reallylooked, you'd see the darkness that gripped him. What was worse was that he'd used me to lure his victims in until I'd become one, too.

They should never have let him out.

I shivered, fighting to keep it together. I couldn't fall apart here in front of all these people, though the desire to crumble and curl into myself for protection was strong. I had to remind myself that he couldn't touch me with all these witnesses around. That it was okay. As his image lingered, I closed my eyes and willed him to be gone, and when I opened my eyes again, he was. I released a breath of relief and spun around, my heart pounding erratically.

Had I just imagined him then? My gaze scanned the sea of people. I felt as if I were in a horror film, looking for the killer. I had to get out of there, but I was still too afraid to move. God, it had been years since I'd felt this kind of terror, years since I'd had a reason to. Maybe it had all been my imagination, and the recent notice that I'd received about his imminent release was playing with my mind. That was possible, right?

That notice had put him in my mind and I couldn't get him out. There was no way he could have found me.

"Sorry it took me so long."

I managed not to cry out when Bonnie came up behind me and took my arm. I saw her face fall when I turned to face her.

"My, God, honey, you look like you've seen a ghost! Are you okay? Did something happen?"

I took several deep breaths to calm my racing heart. No one knew about my dad or much about me either, for that matter. Telling people that your dad was a sexual predator wasn't exactly a friend-maker, and I certainly didn't want anyone to know what he'd done to me. Years of therapy had eased my feelings of guilt and shame, but it had been the knowledge that he was locked away in prison that had alleviated my fears and allowed me to live a normal life.

"Emerson?" The concern in Bonnie's voice touched me.

I forced a smile. "I think I'm coming down with something."

"Well, you are pale. You're not pregnant too, are you?" she joked.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Thatwould be a miracle." As we talked, my eyes moved around us, still searching for signs of my dad. "I should probably head home, though."

She released a loud sigh. "Good. I've been ready for a while, but I didn't want to be a party pooper. Let's go."

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