Page 17 of Guardian

Sweet moved around behind me, put his large hands on my hips, and began to shift my stance. I gulped in surprise as my body tingled all over in response to his intimate touch. But the worst was yet to come.

He snuggled his chest and hips against me, allowing me to feel his hard cock against my back because of the height difference, in order to reach around me and show me how to hold my fists.

His unique, sinful scent surrounded me. My eyes practically crossed in order to help me keep control of myself. I would either melt into him or slip to the floor if I lost control. It was difficult to breathe without moaning.

“Mierde!” I exclaimed.

“Exactly,” he answered.

I had more to protect myself from than Mitch’s cohorts.

“Go, Mom! You can do it!” we heard Jackson yell as he entered the room.

We instantly jumped apart, but the lightning that sizzled between us remained.

“Jackson, how did you get here?” I asked more harshly than I intended.

“The movie was over, and I didn’t want to go home with David. They’re having liver and onions for supper. Yuck! His mom dropped me off here because when I called your phone you didn’t answer, so I knew it meant you were practicing.”

The guilt was overwhelming. I’d gotten so wrapped up in Sweet and learning some moves that I’d forgotten to put my phone where I could hear it. What if something had happened to Jackson and I was unaware of it until too late?

“Knock it off, Jemma,” Sweet ordered into my ear. “He’s fine. He’d have reached out to me if there was danger. My phone is right here in my pocket. You can’t hover over him all the time. He’s twelve. He needs a little independence in order not to turn out to be a damn wimp.”

“How I treat my son is none of your damn business. You don’t know what it’s like to be a single parent with an ex- husband who can’t stay out of trouble. What if Jackson has too much of his father in him? I can’t let him turn out to be like that.”

“What if he turns out to be like me? Is that a problem too?” Sweet asked, the hurt showing in his eyes.

I knew that Sweet was deep into criminal activity, and he’d kill if he had to. However, I didn’t see him in the same way I saw Mitch. There was something about him that kept me from feeling any hatred or worrying about Jackson becoming like him.

“No,” I answered. “Show me some more moves.”

He didn’t question me. He just led me over to a punching bag where I could take out my frustrations.

Chapter 9

Sweet

I clenched my teethwhile Doc poured alcohol over my forearm to wash away the blood and grime on the open wound. That shit burned like a bitch!

I should have been used to it by now. I had scars all over my body to prove I’d been through this before.

“Bandages and glue won’t hold this cut closed,” Doc announced. “You’re going to need stitches, boy. About a dozen or so. I can’t believe you let that junky catch you off guard like that. I thought you were better at fighting these days.”

“Ha-ha, very funny, Doc. You’re attempts at pissing me off so I don’t feel the pain don’t work anymore. I’m already mad at myself anyway. The little prick pulled that sticker right out of his buddy’s back pocket while I was busy breaking his jaw. He got in this slice, but that was his last act against us. I took it off him and slipped it into his lying, thieving heart. His buddy livedbut won’t be walking anytime soon. The fucker will spread the message that you don’t take what belongs to the Sinners and get away with it. I hate punk-assed fools.”

“How did you find out they’d taken the stash?” Doc questioned while he stitched me up.

I sucked in a deep breath as the needle punctured my skin for the eighth time and told myself I could deal with the next four without giving into the pain.

“Flame heard the assholes bragging about stealing from us. They were too high to remember where the fuck they were. We’d have discovered the mess anyway, since the fools left a trail a four-year old could have followed. I wouldn’t have gone in for the kill if he hadn’t cut me. I don’t take that kind of challenge lightly. If he’d dare to cut me then he’d do almost anything for dope, and that’s something I can’t allow. Innocents could get hurt,” I told Doc.

“Prime looked him up. He’s been in prison for child abuse. You got rid of the filth and probably saved some kids, so don’t let it weigh you down,” Doc replied.

“I won’t. I can’t, or I’ll never be able to continue my job.”

It was Jemma that concerned me, and Jackson too. What would they think if they knew I’d killed again today?

“How’s it going?” Prime interrupted us as Doc bandaged my arm.

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