Without Regret (Pyte/Sentinel #2)(78)

“Shit,” Chris muttered, ramming his fingers through his hair. This was bad. This was really f**king bad. “I’ll bring her to you tomorrow night,” he said, shooting a look towards the windows. “If I bring her out right now we’ll be hunted down.”

“Shit, you’re right,” Eric grumbled. “I hate it when you’re right.”

“Most people usually do,” he said, taking a look outside and sighing with relief when he didn’t spot anyone lurking around in the large parking lot.

“You should never have taken off with her,” Eric pointed out.

Chris snorted at that. “Bullshit, you left me with no choice, Eric. You brought the war straight to my door.

What the hell did you think I was going to do?”

“We were going to move your family,” Eric said defensively, making Chris laugh with very little humor.

“You were going to try and take my family from the only home they’ve ever known and loved? While Madison is pregnant? Are you f**king insane? She would have clawed your eyes out just for even suggesting it.”

“Actually,” Eric grumbled, “I was going to have Ephraim suggest it.”

Chris winced on his father’s behalf. He didn’t even want to think about what Madison would have done to his father if he suggested she abandon her home for places unknown.

“Oh, this does remind me. When your father found out what you did he asked me to tell you that you had twentyfour hours to get your ass back home or he was going to come get you,” Eric said, chuckling.

“That’s just what I need, an overprotective Pyte on my ass,” Chris said, knowing his father only gave him twentyfour hours because the man needed the time to convince Madison not to come after him on her own.

“How is Isabella handling all of this?”

“Fine,” he said, wondering why she was being so damn quiet.

“Have you told her where she’s going?”

“Not yet.”

“Do me a favor and tell her. Explain to her why we’re doing this. I don’t want her to feel like she’s prisoner,”

Eric said, even though they both knew that she was.

“I will. Don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow, Eric,” Chris said, starting to get a little nervous.

Why the hell was she being so quiet?

“Where?”

“The Boston compound,” Chris said, knowing that they’d have to head back north and hating it, but it was their best choice. If Eric couldn’t get to them then they’d have a safe place to hide out for a few days. The only problem was keeping his family in the dark. He didn’t need them getting any more involved in this bullshit then they already were.

“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Eric said before hanging up.

Chris returned the phone to his pants pocket and cautiously moved towards the mostly closed bathroom door. He listened for a moment and when he heard her breathing, immense relief surged through him. It was yet another reminder of why he couldn’t keep her. She was weak and would always need his protection and he couldn’t give it to her. There was too much on his shoulders already.

Forcing himself to be the ass**le she expected and needed to be if everyone was going to walk away from this whole, he opened the door and stepped into the room and nearly tripped over his own tongue.

How in the hell had he forgotten that he’d left her naked?

He started with her cute little toes and slowly ran his eyes up her shapely little legs to the beautiful heart shaped ass that he wanted to nibble on to her lovely back and beautiful blonde hair, up to her small delicate hands that were currently trying to pull the bolted shower rod out of the wall with absolutely no luck. The effort did however make her ass do this cute little jiggle that had his balls tightening up.

“Hi, Munchkin, did you miss me?” he asked as he strolled into the room, trying not to smile at the adorable little squeal she let out when she turned around, too fast and almost fell. Just before she would have dropped and probably hurt her wrist, she righted herself and glared at him.

“You’re lucky I’m handcuffed to this rod, because if I wasn’t I would so kick your ass all over this bathroom for doing this to me,” she threatened, probably thinking that she looked menacing when she really looked cute.

“Well,” he said, pulling the small key out of his pocket, “here’s your chance, Munchkin. Kick my ass.”

“Don’t think that I won’t,” she muttered as she watched him through narrowed eyes as he reached up and removed the handcuffs from her hand and the rod.

He tossed the cuffs on the bathroom counter and held his hands up. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“You know you have this coming,” she said as she lowered her arm. “I’m going to enjoy-ouch! Ouch!

Ouchie!” she cried out as she shook her arm frantically before hugging it her chest.

“Blood rushing to your arm?” he mused. “Yeah, that probably hurts. Now if you don’t mind I need a shower, so if you could take your little rain dance into the other room that would be great. Thanks,” he said dismissively as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it on top of her pile of dirty clothes.

“Jerk!” she snapped at him even as her eyes dropped to his bare chest and she licked her lips hungrily. “I’ll be back in five minutes to kick your ass.”