Page 10 of Priest’s Sunbeam (Renegade Souls MC: Next Generation #2)

He’d eliminate anyone getting close to Sunny.

Had he found out she was interested in another man, he would have handled it personally.

Seb already figured out she wasn’t interested in any guys from around here, and when she talked about celibacy, he started getting some dirty thoughts on how to change her mind.

When she turned her smiling face up at him, his thoughts descended into madness, guessing how much of an earthquake it would be to kiss those full lips. It was then, when she shifted closer, that he caught the hint of alcohol on her breath, and it was Seb’s turn to scowl.

“Have you been drinking?”

She held up a finger and thumb an inch apart. “I had one little sip of Tanner’s beer. I’m a big girl now, if you haven’t noticed.”

He’d noticed too much.

The flare of her hips and her soft, round ass. And how her stunning eyes watched everything he did with an unmasked hunger he wanted to answer to, so fucking badly he was turning into a walking zombie, because he couldn’t sleep without dreaming about her.

“I’ll break his neck.”

“Why are you so hard on Tanner lately? You know he tries to emulate everything you do.”

Jealousy .

It had turned him into a snarling beast. Jealousy over how Sunny gave even a second of attention elsewhere that wasn’t on him. He had yet to confront Tanner about his feelings for her. He knew once that box was open, there was no putting the lid back on it.

“He shouldn’t be giving you booze.” He grated.

“It was my decision. He didn’t force it on me.” Her face morphed into frustration. Just making her lovelier. “I’m not a child anymore, Sebastian, but no one around here seems to notice that.”

He’d noticed. He’d noticed too damn much.

His heart was a bruised thing in his chest for how much he missed her when she was away in Texas.

The miles he put on his bike to stand and watch her from far away were ridiculous.

But he wouldn’t stop. She’d pulled away from him once she headed to college.

Her calls became less frequent, or she’d take days to reply to messages, but he couldn’t figure out why.

But their friendship slipped into place when she was home for a holiday weekend, and he felt whole again.

It was as if Seb were two people.

The boy who grew up protecting her.

And now the man who wanted her.

“People make dumb as fuck decisions when they’re drinking, sunbeam. I don’t want you to be one of those people.”

She frowned, and his heart lurched, dying to grab her in a way that was not friendly.

He was still trying to fix the two men together, trying to make it right in his head and that he wasn’t some sick fucker for hungering after her like a thirst he couldn’t quench.

All he had left were his short-leash principles. For Sunny, he could hold on to them for a while longer.

“Like fucking club groupies, you mean?”

His eyes snapped open wider. “Mind your fucking tongue, Sunny.”

“Why? You talk like that.”

“You’re sweeter than me.”

The frown melted off her face, and she gave him her bright smile.

“I am, aren’t I?”

“Yes, so no more talking vulgar.”

“The club girls talk like that.”

“You’re not a club girl.” He reminded her.

In the hierarchy of the Souls world, Sunny Hawk was royalty because she was the VP’s daughter. Untouchable .

And Seb wanted to touch her in ways that would get him shot if Hawk found out. It was an unspoken, yet respectful, rule that no brothers would approach female relatives. But he figured that rule was bendable once Hawk started dating Gia, Rider’s sister.

Hawk was a loose cannon, and Seb knew once he broached that subject, he’d have to do it cautiously.

“I could be.” She said, and Seb had to drag his mind back.

What did she mean by that?

His brows dropped, staring at her as she came closer, and then she touched his chest with both hands, and the air burst out of his lungs. His heart fucking raced up against his ribcage, and his hard cock got even stiffer by her proximity as her sweet vanilla scent assaulted his nose.

“Hear me out, Sebastian, okay? Don’t interrupt.”

He couldn’t say a word because his sunbeam pressed her thumb to his lips like that sip of beer had given her a bucket load of confidence.

Air left his lungs in hollow bursts.

“I know I’m flat-chested compared to those other women.”

Her tits were perfect, an ideal mouthful. Fucking shut up, idiot . If he let his thoughts unleash now, there would be no holding back from taking her. Making her his forever.

“But I know stuff, Seb. And I can learn. You can teach me everything you like.”

His head nearly exploded at the top and sprayed his brains all over the fucking place.

What the fuck was she saying to him?

She was not offering herself on a plate for him to teach her how to fuck, was she?

Without thought, his mind was spiraling with lust and anger; he grabbed the top of her arms and pushed Sunny away.

How the fuck dare his sunbeam treat herself like this?

She was goddess-level, and he was dirt because his heart had changed toward her, and he couldn’t hold it back much longer. Had she seen something in his eyes, and now she thought he wanted her to be his bit of stuff to use?

“You must know how I feel about you, Seb. I could be everything you want if you teach me. Sinner and the rest of the groupies have experience, but that means nothing when I’ll be more enthusiastic than they are. I could be a better club girl for you.”

Seb’s world imploded at every corner.

She offered herself on a silver platter, offering him everything he’d wanted for far too long. A supernova of lust blasted him between the eyes until he had to swallow his immediate groan.

And yet, somewhere, amid the fog of his walloping heart and the tight squeeze of his balls, the urge to fuck, and the need to yank Sunshine into his chest and never let her go, he hated hearing her talk about herself that way.

Like she thought all she deserved was a fast fumble by nameless hands, and then forgotten about.

That wasn’t how he wanted her.

She was precious to him, more than anything in the world.

His control snapped, and she winced at how tightly he was holding her arms. He unleashed a torrent of words, unaware of what he was saying.

His dick was so fucking hard the blood must have drained out of his head to rush down to his groin.

“Don’t ever fucking say shit like that to me again, Sunshine. Do you hear me? Never again. Have some goddamn respect. You’re worth more than what you’ve just put on me. I’ll try to forget you said it. You do the same.”

Instantly, her eyes filled with tears, and she made a sob-like noise from her throat that he’d never forget hearing. He felt the guilt like a physical punch, playing back his words. He heard them just like Sunny would’ve, and Seb frowned.

Fuck. Fuck! That wasn’t how he meant to say he wanted to worship her.

She’d ruined his carefully planned timeline, and now he was without an anchor because she’d taken the gravity out of his world, and he couldn’t fucking think clearly.

His sanity vanished, realizing his mistake and the harsh way he’d spoken to her, but she wouldn’t come back into his arms, pushing his hands away; she had tears streaming down her face like he’d broken her heart open.

“Yeah, okay, Sebastian.” She said with a hitch in her voice.

“Sunny…”

“No, I don’t want to talk to you. I’m done humiliating myself for your attention. Go screw who you want, gang bang all of them. I no longer give a fuck.”

“Goddamn it, Sunshine, get back here.” He said to her as she was retreating, “I didn’t mean…”

She whirled around. “You always mean what you say. Own it, Sebastian.” He was taken aback by the icy tone she used when she spoke his name; it made him feel unwell.

I want you until I’m dying from it . He wanted to yell. But she’d never believe him now.

If he’d kept his trap shut for the next year until she was of age, he could have confessed everything he’d been holding back. And now he’d fucked that clear through the skull.

Sighing, he faced the brick wall of the outside club, and he reared back a fist, hitting it repeatedly while yelling. “You fucking idiot.”

* * *

THE PRESENT

Seb inhaled the last of the smoke and tossed the butt into the fire, coming out of his thoughts with the same sick feeling he’d felt back then.

He’d broken his hand that night, and Sunny’s heart.

His hand had healed within six weeks, but he hadn’t been able to heal the rift between him and Sunny. No matter how many times he’d attempted to explain, she’d only looked through him like he no longer made her world move.

The adoration had vanished from her eyes.

But he missed most how he’d be the first person she’d go to. Happy, sad, and all the emotions in between. The days were agonizingly long without her, each second a reminder of his slow death.

Having started the efforts to get her back, and even if he had to bulldoze his way back into her heart, there was one thing Seb could promise: Sunny would belong to him soon.

Or she could deal with the consequences of his utter fucking insanity.

He rose from the foldable chair. During his deep dive into his misery, Alpha sent the club groupie back inside, and he came to their gathering. He was laughing with Saint as Seb turned to head inside.

But then they caught the increasing sounds of rapid pops! Pop! Pop!

Everyone dropped to the ground, seeking cover from the apparent gunfire that was coming from somewhere across the field near the fence.

“What the actual fuck?!” spat Alpha. “Who the fuck has the balls to shoot at us?”

Two good questions, and while the quick gunfire continued, Seb reached into his back pocket, tapped out a number, and alerted the gates to flood the area with lights.

The gunfire ceased when the lights flipped on and the group sprang to their feet.

They’d trained for this.

Their fathers had gotten the new brothers battle-ready, though they never expected a war to come to them. As a formation, Seb and his brothers pulled out their concealed weapons and headed for the fence line. Alpha barking orders like the Prez he was preparing to be.