Page 20 of Sentinel

“Well, now that’s an interesting story, sweetheart. At some dive bar, I overheard this blonde bitching about a little run-in she had with a woman who sounded very familiar. So, I bought her a few drinks, she sucked my dick, and we trashed your car together. It didn’t suit you anyway. You should’ve kept the SUV.”God, this man is so repulsive.That explains how Cherry knew where I lived.

“Why are you doing this, David? You don’t love me, so why not just let me go?”

“Because you don’t get to fucking leave me! No one gets to leave me! You leave when I say you can. Do you hear me?” He bangs his fist against the steering wheel as he continues to seethe in his seat.

I try to diffuse the situation and ask in a quiet tone, “Where are you taking me?”

“We’re going home, Emma. And we’re getting fucking married, just like we fucking planned. And you’re gonna smile and play your fucking part. For as long as we both shall live. Or as long as Iletyou fucking live. Do you understand me, bitch?”

I don’t answer. I don’t know what to say or think about what he’s just admitted, nor how to respond to everything that’s happening right now. I just want Gabe. I need him to find me.And soon.

David presses the gun forcefully into my side, then whispers in a cold, deadly tone, “You better fucking answer me when I’m talking to you, bitch.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Now, shut the fuck up while I drive us home.”

15

SENTINEL

We’ve been to almost every motel in the area, and it seems David has stayed a night or two at nearly all of them. It was clever of him to keep moving, but where the fuck is he now? He hasn’t paid cash for a room anywhere in the last twenty-four hours, which makes me think he’s planning to skip town. And if he’s going to leave, that means he’s probably ready to follow through with whatever his initial objective was.

Somethingis happening tonight.

I feel it in my gut like a twisting knife, and I know it won’t settle until I get back to Emma, where I can lay eyes on her. I never should’ve let her return to her apartment. At least not without me, even for just a short while. But I couldn’t fucking tell her no when she cried about the few things that meant the most to her—mementos from her parents that she couldn’t leave behind.

We cleared the apartment, we cleared the area, and I gave her one hour with Tex watching over her like a hawk. And then her ass was to be back at the clubhouse, no exceptions. Still, everything inside me feels all wrong. That’s why I’m on my bike now, hauling ass across town to reach her. I’m almost there when my cell phone starts ringing, so I answer with the Bluetooth connection in my helmet.

“Tex. I’m almo—"

“Where are you… Sentinel?” The pain I hear in his voice has me gunning it the last few blocks to Emma’s place. “She’s… Emma… He’s got her.”

“Fuck!” I roar into the receiver as I turn the corner and speed into the parking lot. I spot Tex on the ground by the curb, and I kill my engine and jump down. “What the fuck happened? Where is she?” I kneel beside him and fire off a text to Doc and Murphy with our location, telling them to send emergency medical assistance ASAP and to meet them here.

“I came down… He was waiting... Shot me, then took off after her… Black sedan.” The wound to Tex’s right side looks to be clean, and I think he’ll make it, but he needs attention now.

If David got to my woman during that short window, it means he was watching her from close by. And that means the asshole was right under our noses the whole damn time.Fuck!

“Go… I’ll be alright.”

“Just hang tight, brother. Doc and Murphy are on the way.” I stand, getting Throttle on the phone with the update. He calls Venom while I send a text out to everyone, urging them to be on the lookout for David and Emma in a black sedan. It’s the only info I have right now, but it’s a start.

My cell rings. “What do you got, Gunner?”

“I’m tailing an older black Mercedes headed out of town. The windows are tinted, but I can tell there’s a man and a woman inside. California tags. They’re headed north in the direction of the old quarry.”

“Good. Stay on them. But don’t let them see you. I’m headed your way.”

When Doc and Murphy arrive a few minutes later, I don’t spare a second to crank up my bike and get the hell on the road. I hate to leave Tex in need, especially after he just took a bullet protecting my woman, but I know he understands.

I message my brothers to meet me and Gunner out by the quarry. Not wanting to take any chances, I send a few guys to the other ends of the city, in case this isn’t David and Emma. I don’t want anyone getting by us because we were all in one place. I need to be smart right now. My woman is depending on me, and I can’t let her down.

Throttle, Venom, Whiskey, and several other brothers are waiting for us. Maverick meets me and Gunner and follows behind the Mercedes. Once we’re in place, the vehicle picks up speed, and I know that has to be Emma inside.

Needing to move this off the main street, we box them in and force David to take the old road to the quarry, where my brothers are waiting. His window rolls down, and he carelessly sticks his hand out and fires his weapon, aiming at nothing. Without a doubt, he’s untrained, and I don’t want to risk this motherfucker doing anything to hurt Emma.

I signal my brothers to pull back, knowing the others are hidden up ahead. My chest tightens as I watch this idiot drive erratically on the old road, and I can only imagine what’s going on inside that car.

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