Page 12 of The Sentinels

"Can we change the fucking subject?" I growled.

Movement next to the bar drew my attention to the new stripper Tanner had hired a few nights ago. She was grinding the pole as if it were her last fuck; the miniscule thong between her legs had ridden up between her pussy lips. Even from my distance I could see the glistening of moisture coating her bare pussy. She was getting off. I had a mind to prove to my brothers that Emerson meant nothing to me by dragging her off the stage and out back.

"What's the new stripper's name, brother?" I asked Tanner. All eyes shot to the pole that she was humping.

"Don't even think about it, man." Tanner's serious tone drew my gaze back to his. "See that big man sitting in the front row?" My eyes went to the man that looked like the fucking hulk. "That's his woman. He sits there every time she has a dance. He'd break you in half before you even got close to her."

Why hadn’t I noticed him before? I rubbed the bottom half of my face, my fingertips brushing against the ridges of scars marring the right side of my face and reminding me why I was alone.

"She's too fucking pretty for you," Gabe joked. "Besides, she's got her own beast."

My brothers were probably the only ones who could get away with making comments about my looks. They'd lived through the same hell as I had when they’d been deployed and at war. I was the only one who'd come home all fucked up.

I didn't really want to fuck the stripper, who had a killer body. It was Emerson's face that I saw. She was the one who made my dick ache. I held up my middle finger to show Gabe what I thought about his remark.

"Well, it's time we rescued our ladies." Mark stated, scraping back his chair and getting to his feet. "Judith gets worn out early these days, and I want to get her home and beneath me before she falls asleep."

I watched silently as my brothers got to their feet to leave.

Skipper was the one to make eye contact with me as he stared down at me. "You coming?"

I looked at Gabe, the only one besides me who hadn't moved. He was watching me like a hawk, as if my answer mattered to him. The rest of our brothers who weren't there were on the streets for most of the night, their presence giving added security to the citizens of our town.

I finally smirked and shook my head. "Naw, no reason to." I turned from the surprise in his eyes, looking back to the stripper pole.

Emerson's pretty face and all that fucking hair filled my thoughts. Would she be wearing it down? Was she all sexed up in something short and revealing, and wearing come-fuck-me-heels? Was she moving that little body to the sound of music? Grinding her ass against a man and turning him hard? Fuck. That wasn't an image that I wanted in my head. Why would she go clubbing with the girls if she wasn't planning to hook up? She was the only one in the group without a man.

I released a deep, almost angry breath, and glared back at Gabe. "You know what--I think I will go after all." I got to my feet, meeting his knowing smirk. "Maybe I'll find a nice piece of ass for the night."

He didn't say anything, but we both knew I was talking shit. I wasn't looking for a piece of ass for the night, unless it was Emerson's.

Chapter 8

Emerson

I couldn't recall the last time I’d had such a good time, when I'd let myself go and had just enjoyed myself. The more time that I spent with the girls from the club, the more I liked them. They were like the sisters I'd never had, and they’d sincerely welcomed me into the group and made me feel as if we'd been friends forever. It was good to feel wanted, and just for a little while I was reminded that there was more to life than work and paying bills. I'd spent too many years doing only what I'd needed to do to survive.

"Having fun?"

I laughed, feeling the energy surge through my blood. "Too much!" I was in the middle of the dance floor with Cookie and Della, shaking my bootie to the booming sound of rock. The floor was packed with gyrating bodies, some couples, but an equal amount of single dancers just getting down. The atmosphere was liberating if you let yourself be pulled into it. All around me people were enveloped in the music and having a good time. There was even a table set up where people were doing body shots.

"That looks like fun!" I nodded toward the table.

Della laughed. "That could be you!" she shouted over the music. "Next time wear a skirt."

"I just might!" The woman on the table looked as if she was enjoying the attention she was getting, having shots licked off her bare midriff by a bevy of handsome, eager contenders. Her high-pitched squeals could be heard over the noise in the room.

"The guys will be here soon," Cookie noted as she glanced toward the entrance. Her expression was almost eager, and I could tell that she was looking forward to seeing Rod come through the door.

"How do you know?"

"After they call we have about an hour before they show up!"

"They don't trust you that much?"

Della shook her head while the rest of her continued to twist to the music. "They're that protective!" she laughed. "They know a single woman is prey. They don't want to give anyone time to put the moves on us."

"Just like clockwork!" Cookie shouted, nodding toward the door.

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