Page 69 of The Sentinel

“What happened?” he asked, straight to it, no bullshit.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. “Hart knows something about Dad. Said we don’t know why he died, that there’s shit buried with him we don’t even touch.”

Ryker’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t flinch. “She say anything else?”

“Yeah,” I said, voice low. “That we don’t know half of what he was into. Threw it in my face like a goddamn grenade.”

Claire shifted beside me, her shoes scuffing the floor, but she stayed quiet, letting me lay it out. Ryker dragged a hand down his face, exhaling hard through his nose.

“I know as much as you do,” he said, voice steady, no trace of a fight in it. “Dad didn’t tell us shit. Army stories, sure, but nothing real. After the Bahamas call, I figured he’d been playing a bigger game. Didn’t know it tied to this.”

“Department 77,” I said, the name heavy on my tongue. “She’s linked to them. But we still don’t know who the fuck they are.”

Ryker nodded, slow, thoughtful. “Earnest agreement here, brother. Something’s gotta be done.”

“We should recall the others,” I said, pushing off the wall. “All the brothers. Get them back in town, just in case this blows up bigger than we think.”

He shook his head, crossing his arms. “They’re assafe out there as they’d be here. Charleston’s the hotspot right now, not them. No point dragging them into this before we know whatthisis.”

I didn’t argue. He was right—out of town, they had distance, cover. Here, we were in the crosshairs.

“Why Hart?” Ryker mused aloud, staring at the map like it might spit out an answer. “Why Charleston?”

“No fucking clue,” I said, frustration bleeding into my tone. “But she’s sitting on something big. I’m gonna let her stew for a bit—give her time to think she’s won—then I’m going in. Tear her office apart, her house, whatever it takes.”

Ryker didn’t disagree. Just tilted his head, sizing me up. “Wait ’til night. Cleaner that way.”

I nodded, sharp.

He glanced between me and Claire, his brow furrowing. “You two look like death warmed over. When’s the last time you slept?”

I shrugged, not wanting to admit it’d been days since I’d gotten more than a couple hours. Claire didn’t answer either, just shifted her weight, her gray eyes shadowed.

“Get some rest,” Ryker said, voice firm. “Both of you. You’re no good to anyone like this.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, already turning for the door. “Come on,” I said to Claire, jerking my head toward the stairs.

She followed without a word, her steps steady behind me as we climbed to my quarters. The whole way, I stewed—Hart’s smirk, her jabs about Dad, the way she’d played me like a damn fiddle.

My hands flexed, knuckles cracking, the tension in me coiling tighter with every step. Claire didn’t pester, didn’t push, and I appreciated that. She was trying tocrack this too, her mind spinning as fast as mine, but she gave me space.

Until we hit my room.

The door clicked shut behind us, and something in me snapped. The silence, the weight, the fuckingwantI’d been shoving down since Hart’s office—it all boiled over, hot and sharp. I turned to Claire, my chest tight, my blood roaring.

“Take off your clothes,” I said, voice rough, low. “Now.”

She froze, her gray eyes locking onto mine. There was a flicker of fear there—small, fleeting—but beneath it, I saw the heat, the wanting. She didn’t move, didn’t speak, just held my gaze, and that only stoked the fire in me higher.

“You’re mine,” I said, stepping closer. “And you’re gonna do what I say.”

Her lips parted, a soft breath slipping out, but she didn’t back away. Her hands moved slow, deliberate, reaching for the hem of that black tank top. She peeled it off, the fabric sliding over her head, revealing the black lace bra underneath, the one that barely hid the swell of her tits. My cock twitched, already hard, straining against my jeans as she dropped the tank to the floor.

The bra came next, her fingers unhooking it with a quick flick, and when it fell away, I groaned low in my throat. Her nipples were tight, pink, begging for my mouth, and I clenched my fists to keep from lunging at her right then. She kicked off her shoes, then unbuttoned those denim shorts, shoving them down her thighs along with her panties in one smooth move. They hit the floor, and there she was—naked, bare, all curves and fire, staring at me with that mix of defiance and need that drove me fucking wild.

“On the bed,” I growled, yanking my shirt over my head, tossing it aside. “Now.”

She obeyed, climbing onto the mattress, her ass swaying as she crawled to the center. I kicked off my boots, unbuckled my belt, and shed my jeans and boxers, my cock springing free, thick and heavy, already leaking pre-come at the sight of her. She turned, sitting back on her heels, watching me, and I stalked toward her, the bed creaking under my weight as I climbed on.

---