Read Online Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting New York (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Lainey Reese - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lainey Reese
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them as a whole; it never occurred to her that he was in fact singling her out.
Until now. He walked straight toward her, his eyes never wavering from where she sat. Shy took a deep breath, sat up straight and squared her shoulders. She could do this. Tell this big, muscled, intimidating guy—who was no doubt a Dom—no.
Before meeting Faulkner she would have been invisible to men like him. She’d been so closed off to life and all its adventures. He’d opened her up to more than just kinky adventures, though. Faulkner also showed her love and compassion and what real family does for one another.
In her own family, she’d been the scapegoat, the one who never quite made the grade no matter how hard she’d tried. She was always her mother’s example of what not to do. As a result, she’d often been the one to sacrifice, to give up her seat on the bus, or pass on the last piece of cake because surely, someone else would want it so they’d deserve it more.
Her thoughts drifted from there to Miguel Delgado, as they often did these days. She couldn’t say exactly why he was never far from her thoughts. Maybe it was because she saw so much of her old self in him. The way he too seemed to be always in the shadows of his family’s limelight, but she hoped that one day, he’d find the strength and freedom that she had now.
Her strength came from loving a man who truly valued her and taught her to value herself. Wherever Miguel found his strength, she hoped he found it soon. Found the strength to decide that he was worth fighting for. His life was what he wanted to make out of it, not what circumstances or family said it had to be.
Just like now, with this big imposing man headed straight for her, she was no longer the invisible nobody in the corner. And she was no longer the type who couldn’t stand up for herself either. If this Dom took one more step in her direction she was going to show everyone in this room just how new and improved she was.
Another deep breath. Yeah, she could do this.
Trevor, Cade and Brice turned as one from what they were doing and spoke practically in unison the moment the stranger stepped one foot past Riley’s stall.
Cheyenne was a little surprised at the intimidation levels coming from all of them. They were striking and handsome as sin. Each one over six feet, built, and obviously powerful Doms. The three men she knew stood facing off with the one she didn’t and it reminded her of the Fast and Furious movies, only the men were the cars. Muscled and sleek, the aggression and testosterone pumped off them like engines revving and roaring as they rumbled into position. Where they faced off, three to one.
“Something you need?” Trevor asked, naked from the waist up, loosely coiling a bullwhip.
“She’s taken,” Brice said as he kept his hands to his sides and rocked on the balls of his feet as though he was ready to spring into action.
“You want to go back the way you came.” This from Cade, who stood deceptively still with his arms crossed and his feet planted firmly in the newcomer’s path.
At first Shy thought the guys were overreacting, because come on, she could say no all by her little lonesome. But then the stranger did the last thing she expected—he planted his own feet and squared off with them. Shy felt her jaw drop.
“I thought in places like this everyone was thoroughly screened and safe,” she leaned over and whispered to Terryn, who was watching with the same wide-eyed interest.
“It is,” Terryn whispered back. “The guy was watching you like a hawk the moment you walked in the door, though. Our guys must have known he’d make a play.”
“But again,” Shy asked, a completely immature part of her secretly flattered to have the men stand for her, “isn’t the screening process supposed to stop stuff like this from happening?”
“Well,” Terryn said, stopping a moment to ponder as the men continued to eye each other like combatants. “The
Until now. He walked straight toward her, his eyes never wavering from where she sat. Shy took a deep breath, sat up straight and squared her shoulders. She could do this. Tell this big, muscled, intimidating guy—who was no doubt a Dom—no.
Before meeting Faulkner she would have been invisible to men like him. She’d been so closed off to life and all its adventures. He’d opened her up to more than just kinky adventures, though. Faulkner also showed her love and compassion and what real family does for one another.
In her own family, she’d been the scapegoat, the one who never quite made the grade no matter how hard she’d tried. She was always her mother’s example of what not to do. As a result, she’d often been the one to sacrifice, to give up her seat on the bus, or pass on the last piece of cake because surely, someone else would want it so they’d deserve it more.
Her thoughts drifted from there to Miguel Delgado, as they often did these days. She couldn’t say exactly why he was never far from her thoughts. Maybe it was because she saw so much of her old self in him. The way he too seemed to be always in the shadows of his family’s limelight, but she hoped that one day, he’d find the strength and freedom that she had now.
Her strength came from loving a man who truly valued her and taught her to value herself. Wherever Miguel found his strength, she hoped he found it soon. Found the strength to decide that he was worth fighting for. His life was what he wanted to make out of it, not what circumstances or family said it had to be.
Just like now, with this big imposing man headed straight for her, she was no longer the invisible nobody in the corner. And she was no longer the type who couldn’t stand up for herself either. If this Dom took one more step in her direction she was going to show everyone in this room just how new and improved she was.
Another deep breath. Yeah, she could do this.
Trevor, Cade and Brice turned as one from what they were doing and spoke practically in unison the moment the stranger stepped one foot past Riley’s stall.
Cheyenne was a little surprised at the intimidation levels coming from all of them. They were striking and handsome as sin. Each one over six feet, built, and obviously powerful Doms. The three men she knew stood facing off with the one she didn’t and it reminded her of the Fast and Furious movies, only the men were the cars. Muscled and sleek, the aggression and testosterone pumped off them like engines revving and roaring as they rumbled into position. Where they faced off, three to one.
“Something you need?” Trevor asked, naked from the waist up, loosely coiling a bullwhip.
“She’s taken,” Brice said as he kept his hands to his sides and rocked on the balls of his feet as though he was ready to spring into action.
“You want to go back the way you came.” This from Cade, who stood deceptively still with his arms crossed and his feet planted firmly in the newcomer’s path.
At first Shy thought the guys were overreacting, because come on, she could say no all by her little lonesome. But then the stranger did the last thing she expected—he planted his own feet and squared off with them. Shy felt her jaw drop.
“I thought in places like this everyone was thoroughly screened and safe,” she leaned over and whispered to Terryn, who was watching with the same wide-eyed interest.
“It is,” Terryn whispered back. “The guy was watching you like a hawk the moment you walked in the door, though. Our guys must have known he’d make a play.”
“But again,” Shy asked, a completely immature part of her secretly flattered to have the men stand for her, “isn’t the screening process supposed to stop stuff like this from happening?”
“Well,” Terryn said, stopping a moment to ponder as the men continued to eye each other like combatants. “The
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