Page 26 of Priest’s Sunbeam (Renegade Souls MC: Next Generation #2)

Sunshine

It was currently eight twenty-two in the a.m., and Sunny was sitting at a corner table in the local diner on Main Street while she watched Seb stride across the room after giving their breakfast order to the hostess.

That man had a walk on him that ought to be used as a weapon of sexy annihilation. It was all hips and masculine energy that exuded out of him in hot, sticky waves, and she was left a little breathless from watching him.

Sebastian Priest had always been the most devastatingly beautiful man in her eyes, but knowing now he was hers pushed that beauty over the edge. She could hardly stand to look at him for how he affected her breathing, but there was no way to draw her eyes back when he was near.

That man was hers.

And she was still reeling from the fact days later.

He’d left her in bed last night with a wicked orgasm and his arms around her until she’d fallen asleep. And he was back at her house this morning when she stumbled down the stairs, looking shocked with her electrocuted hair and bed-worn cheeks, to find him sitting in her kitchen.

He’d arrived earlier to take her to breakfast, and Sunny’s heart swooned.

Not only because he’d taken hold of her hand as they were outside the front door, but he’d captured it in his again as soon as she climbed off his bike and unclipped the helmet for her.

Holding a boy’s hand was such a little, non-consequential thing. But the boy in question was Sebastian, and her heart was stuttering with giddiness. She smiled when he pulled his chair closer to hers.

The server had followed him, so Sunny couldn’t react to the fact that Seb placed his hand high on her thigh and squeezed her gently. After pouring their coffee, Sunny reached for the jug of fresh cream and poured in a load, adding sugar.

“Add some coffee to your sugar pile, baby,” Seb smirked.

“We don’t disparage my get-up-and-go juice, Seb.

It’s punishable by Hawk law.” She warned with her finger in his face.

He laughed, giving her thigh another squeeze, and while they drank coffee and waited for their order to come out of the kitchen, he left his hand right there, warming through her leggings.

She was deliriously happy that Seb was tactile. It would be a fate worse than death to have a non-affectionate boyfriend. She would have had to train him like she trained her guinea pig to run up her arm when she was eight. Thankfully, Seb came already affectionate in his factory setting.

“What’s the smile for?” he asked.

“I was thinking about training you like I did with Piggy Stardust.”

Seb’s eyebrows jumped up. “To do what? All that little prick did was bite me.”

She’d forgotten that, and it made her laugh, remembering how Piggy Stardust always charged over to Seb and would nibble on his hands.

“He was my protector.”

“He was a jealous little shit. He could sense I was the number one man in your life, and he didn’t accept it.”

Aww. She melted inside and covered Seb’s hand with hers.

“Why were you thinking about training me like a guinea pig?”

“If you weren’t affectionate, I would have had to train you. But luckily you are, so I don’t have to buy those cheese crackers you eat by the fistful as part of a reward.”

“Only with you.”

Sunny arched her eyebrow in question, and Seb explained.

“I’m only affectionate with you, sunbeam.”

Damn, right to her heart. How was she going to cope with this man now?

To prove how affectionate he was, Seb chose that moment to tip up her chin with his thumb and lean in and kiss her lips. It was closed-lipped but still perfect.

“Food’s up.” The middle-aged server announced and broke them apart when she placed heaping plates of breakfast foods on the table. When she was gone, she turned to Seb.

“Who’s joining us? There’s enough here for five.”

Although Sunny had invited Clover to join them, Clover complained and pointed out the difficulty of all three of them fitting onto Seb’s bike.

He’d offered to go home for his truck, but her sister had slouched off to the back porch.

Sunny promised to bring her home some pastries from Paige’s place down the street.

“Just us. I’m hungry.”

He sure was. While Sunny only ate two of the fluffiest pancakes dripping in syrup, Seb put away the other three, plus the plate of bacon, eggs, and biscuits, and then he started on the pile of toast.

She had it so bad for him when she realized she was thinking about how sexy he looked, eating so carefully and neatly.

“If you keep watching my mouth, we’re gonna cause a scene right at this table when I put you on my lap, Sunny.” He rasped, draining the last of his coffee.

Sunny was thankful her ass was seated, because it felt as though the entire diner swayed.

There had been so many things she hadn’t been able to say to Seb while he was only her friend, but those restrictions had been lifted, hadn’t they?

So, she smiled and traced a pattern on the back of his veined hand as she told him.

“You have a very kissable mouth. I’m going to be watching it a lot. ”

The heat that entered Seb’s eyes was swift and sexy to watch.

As much as he affected her, she affected him, and she felt airy to realize it. She held physical power over her man. Her touch and words could elicit a reaction from him.

“I’m serious about causing a dirty scene, baby, so help your man and try not to eye-fuck my mouth until I have you somewhere alone, yeah?” he said. His thick voice was so rough and low. Sunny shivered all over, nodding her head.

“Stop being a seductive little harlot. Got it.”

He groaned and rubbed his face, muttering. “She’s gonna drive me mad.”

Sunny took it for the sweetest compliment.

“It’s only what you deserve, Sebastian Priest, after I did all the running until you caught me.”

“Damn straight,” he agreed in a rolling growl as he leaned into her, giving her the smell of his gorgeous cologne as he caught her around the back of her neck, bringing Sunny’s nose tip to his, “you got us here, baby, I’ll take us the rest of the way.”

She wasn’t sure what that meant, but Sunny would catch a taxi with Seb and go to the ends of the earth with him without so much as one question asked.

Finally, there was no pretense between them.

She could feel what she felt and share all those feelings with the man she adored down to the soul. She’d known Seb for as long as she’d been alive, but there was still so much to learn about him. She’d known the boy and friend. Now, she had to figure out the boyfriend.

The air crackled as they stared at each other.

Seb’s eyes were so fathomlessly dark that she fell into them and didn’t want to climb out again.

She knew he was thinking the same without having to say a word.

She wanted them naked and writhing on a bed somewhere, and she wanted it now.

“I talked to your dad last night.” He said, making her brain change gears.

But Seb got no further, and Sunny didn’t have time to ask what he’d talked about.

Seb heard the screech of a car outside a millisecond before she did, and in that millisecond, it was enough for him to aim a glance out of the window and then to throw himself at her bodily.

She was winded by the weight of him pushing her to the floor.

She thought he’d been joking by making a scene, and while Sunny was up for anything with Seb, she didn’t think exhibitionism was at the top of her list, not while she was still a virgin.

It became clear only seconds later while he was on top of her, his hands spanning her head and telling her, “Stay down, baby.” The bank of windows exploded, and then, for long seconds, there was the deafening, terrifyingly scary sound of repeated bullets shooting into the diner.

People around them hit the deck. Everyone screamed as bullets tore the place up, glasses and plates exploded around them, and Sunny, stunned by what was happening, was soothed by Seb’s voice in her ear, telling her to keep down and it would be okay.

Whatever destruction was happening around them, she believed Sebastian and clung to his arm, willing the noise to stop. But when it did, it became scarier because she didn’t know what would come next.

Despite the many voices working simultaneously, she heard tires screeching as a car sped off.

The fright was real, but it somehow got pushed to the side as Seb lifted off her, rising to his feet, still protecting her when he cupped her face. “You okay?”

“Yeah, are you? Holy shit, Seb! Was that a drive-by?”

“It fucking felt like it,” he said, with his eyes looking seriously murderous.

It was then that Sunny took in their surroundings. The diner was destroyed.

From the crockery to framed posters on the wall to every single window. The room and all the walls were littered with bullet holes.

Sunny was amazed by her quick understanding, but she remained close to Seb. Yelling for him to be careful. She saw him head to the window, but he was right back.

“They’ve gone.”

What happened in the next few minutes was incredible. And yet she wasn’t surprised. Although some older, hardened men were present, Sebastian took control of the situation in the diner. He emitted a shrill whistle to get everyone’s attention. Then he raised his voice to ask if anyone was injured.

“Janine, honey,” he addressed the shaken server, tears streaming down her face.

She looked like she’d been hit by debris, because her cheek was bleeding.

“Call 911, tell them there’s been a drive-by, there are no major casualties, but we still need paramedics.

” He stated, sounding like the only person there who could handle a crisis.

He went to those with minor cuts caused by exploding crockery. Sunny jumped into action, helping elderly people up from the floor, finding seats, and trying to reassure them.

Sebastian handled the situation, calming everyone down and ensuring people remained in place to speak with the police.

As soon as the police began arriving, she connected her hand inside Seb’s as he pulled her into his body, and she stayed there for however long while statements were taken.

She felt his free hand stroke through her freed hair, his head bent low. “You doing okay, baby?”

“That was scary. Do you think it was a robbery attempt?” For his ears only, she asked, “Does it have to do with that situation with Dad?”

Seb’s eyes turned even more serious, but he kissed her forehead. “No, baby, that was taken care of. This looks random as fuck. There’s nothing here to cause it. It’s just people eating breakfast.”

With a gun and badge, the tall Sheriff in a tan uniform strolled through the crowd, his lips pursed, eyes severe, assessing the scene, but he headed for Seb first.

And that was never good. She knew what it meant. He was looking at the Souls as being the reason.

Sure enough. He said. “Is this your club’s doing, Priest?”

“Why would it be?” Sebastian answered evenly. “I was having breakfast with my girl.”

The Sheriff turned to her, and his stern facial features softened. She knew his daughter, so she had spoken to the sheriff several times. “You okay, honey?”

“Yes, thank you. We’re all unscathed, Sheriff. It happened so fast.”

Sebastian and Sunny answered every single question calmly, but finally, Seb snapped, and he growled.

“If it were aimed at the Souls, they would’ve had to have x-ray vision to see my cut or have a tracker up my ass, Stewart.

” He addressed the Sheriff by his surname.

“My bike isn’t even parked outside. We’re down the block. This isn’t on the Souls.”

The Sheriff nodded. “One of my guys will take your statement, and you can go.”

“Seb was a big help here, Sheriff. If not for him, everyone would have scattered. He kept everyone in place, calmed them down, and checked on the injured.” Sunny spoke up, pissed that he was pointing the finger, albeit subtly, at Seb and the Souls.

It didn’t matter how much good the club did for the town or how much revenue it generated for every business, thereby enriching the city.

They were also the most significant protection.

The town had the lowest crime rate, and drug dealing rapidly became extinct.

That was down to the Souls and had been that way for decades.

But as soon as there was any hint of trouble, it was their MC door that the cops came to first.

She felt Seb’s hand on her neck, soothingly squeezing her.

“We’ll give that statement, Stewart, then I’m getting my old lady home. You know where I am if you have any more questions.”

So that’s what they did.

For a while, they spoke with the cops, and then they walked hand in hand to his bike, heading directly to the clubhouse.

Sebastian had already informed them what had happened and told the prez he didn’t need backup.

But Sunny knew if they had required backup, every biker would have been riding to them in moments.

That’s how the MC worked.

That’s how their family operated.

But now she was left wondering why a random drive-by shooting happened just after nine a.m. in a family-oriented diner.

And did it somehow have connections with the Souls?