Page 28 of The Sentinels

She was loading a tray with drinks. "With age comes infinite wisdom."

"I would believe that, except we're the same age." She laughed. "Turns out that Doyle and I were on the same page."

She nodded, suddenly looking a little green. "Do you mind taking this to the Sentinels’ table? I need to run to the restroom."

"Sure."

It was one of our biggest trays, and it was heavily loaded with beer, tequila, and whiskey. Once I reached the table I excused myself and wedged my way in between two of the men, setting the tray down.

"Got something wet for you boys." I cringed as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Wet? What the hell was I thinking? Their snickers were followed by laughter and murmured comments that I couldn't make out.

"That sounds real good, darlin'." I made eye contact with the blue-eyed blonde who'd molested my bottom minutes before. I couldn't help but smile in the face of his teasing, because it was obvious that he was a harmless flirt.

A deep growl drew my gaze to Ace. There was a warning in his smoldering eyes. I wondered if it was meant for me or for the biker. I shot him a forced smile, deciding not to let his nasty mood get to me. "I don't think I have anything here for you, though, Candy." I set the drinks on the table and let everyone reach for their own.

"That's okay, honey," she said in a breathy tone. "And don't worry about Ace either, I'll make sure that he gets something wet," she cooed in a sexy tone, doing a little wiggle on his lap.

Was he hard for her?

"Oh," I gave a little laugh, pretending not to give a damn. "I'm sure you will, Candy. Just be warned, you might be a little disappointed." My eyes met Ace's. I ignored the glare of warning in them. "Ace doesn't share much of himself."

Candy's laugh was high-pitched and confident. "It's clear you haven't had Ace's cock if you think I'll be disappointed," she bragged.

Had it been recent? For months I'd watched Ace take a different woman out back before he’d finally noticed me one night. I felt a stab of pain right through the heart, and at that moment I couldn't have hated Ace more. Candy I could excuse. She was pretty on the outside, but uneducated and dim-witted. She thought the only thing she had going for her was her looks, which she flaunted. She'd started out as a prostitute in Nevada and thought that stripping was actually a step up in her career. Landing one of the Sentinels, which some of the dancers admitted they secretly coveted, was high on her list.

"Hey, gorgeous, you taken?"

I stood straight after emptying my tray, meeting the smiling blue eyes flashing my way. For a fraction of a second my eyes flickered to Ace before returning to the younger biker. "No. There's no one important."

"Well, then come over here and keep my lap warm," he grinned, scooting back his chair. "It's not fair that Ace is the only one with a beautiful woman on his lap."

"She's working," Ace grumbled before I could.

I didn't like his attitude, or the fact that he was talking for me. I saw some of his brothers raise their eyebrows before I smiled brightly at the good-looking biker. I walked around the table to him and ran my fingers through his short, wind-blown hair. It was blonde, with natural streaks of red in it. The scruff covering his lower jaw also showed some red.

"That's a tempting offer," I teased. "If you're still around during my break I'll come over, okay? My name is Emerson."

He had beautiful, perfect teeth, smiling up at me as if he'd just won the lottery. "Dawson," he returned. "I'm with the Sentinels' chapter in Tennessee."

I couldn't take the sight of Candy grinding on Ace's lap any longer. I was surprised that she didn't move her thong aside, lower his zipper, and mount him right there in his chair. Candy was shamelessly obvious in what she wanted. "Why don't you just take her out back?" I suggested, surprised at my nerve. One wasn’t supposed to disrespect a Sentinel, especially in a bar owned by one. A quick glance at Tanner revealed his quiet amusement over my snarky comment toward someone as dangerous and unpredictable as his enforcer.

Ace knew that I was talking to him because our eyes were locked.

"That's a fucking good idea," he snarled, practically knocking Candy off his lap when he stood up. "I need to take the edge off."

"Thought you liked to work it off at the gym, brother," William remarked with a smirk.

Ace's eyes never left mine. "This time I need a good, hard fuck." He took Candy by the hand.

A knife twisted in my heart, but I managed to keep the smile on my face. I excused myself and returned to the bar, Ace and a giggling Candy right behind me as they continued out the back door. I grasped the edge of the bar for support when I got there. What an asshole! I fought back tears, determined not to give Ace that kind of power over me.

Bonnie’s brown eyes grew round with worry when she saw me gripping the bar. "Are you okay?

"Yep, just fine." The lie came easily.

She shook her head, a look of understanding in her eyes. "I saw Ace take Candy out back."

I shrugged. "It is what it is," I said in a voice that trembled. "I told him that what we were doing was over."

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