The Sacrifice by Mia McKimmy Read Free Book Online Page A

s telling the truth,” Kam said. “That guy wanted no more of what we were dishing out.”
    Cy ’ s
lips thinned as he slowly shook his head. “It ’ s only a matter of
time before someone realizes they ’ re missing. Instead of sending this guy to the
rehab facility, let ’ s keep him here and force him to make the calls.
At least until we ’ re finished with this class. In the meantime, we
can rally the other Protectors and plan a strategy.”
    Miles
pushed a swoop of hair from his forehead. “Once the girls leave, we can make
him lead Vind to us. Then we ’ ll have the upper hand. Better him on our turf
than us on his.
     “Sounds
like a plan,” Cy said. “Miles, I ’ m going to patrol with you tonight. Since Kam
whined about first rotation for escorting the girls.”
    “You ’ re
just jealous you ’ re not going along.” Kam smiled like the Cheshire
cat.
    “No,
really, I ’ m not.” Cy left and headed across the compound to
his apartment. He planned to take a long, hot shower and relax before heading
back out with Miles. Oz, Kam, and Miles were the only Protectors who knew his
true identity. Everyone else believed Cy stood for Simon. The idea of Cygan,
their future king, and Simon, second-in-command of the Protectors, being the
same person was inconceivable.
    He
could always count on the Royal Council to run their mouths and keep the lie
alive. During his weekly council meetings they never hid their disdain. They ’ d
called him many things throughout the centuries, his favorite being, ‘the
playboy prince, ’ believing he shunned his duties. If the council
knew their future king fought feeders every night, they would still try to stop
him. Bunch of up-tight assholes.
    Cy
turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt. The girl he ’ d
met yesterday was walking toward the trainees’ lodge with a blonde woman. Her
long, auburn hair pulled into a ponytail drew attention to her brilliant,
emerald eyes, framed by long, thick lashes. Her skin was flushed, indicating
she had been exercising in the gym. His heart kicked into high gear as an image
of her beneath him flashed into his mind, her skin moist and flushed from
making love.
    She
laughed at something the blonde said. It was the most intoxicating sound he ’ d
ever heard. His groin swelled to the point of pain inside his tight leathers.
After they entered the lodge, Cy leaned against the large oak, bent at the
waist and propped his hands on his knees to ease the restriction inside his
pants.
    What
the hell? I know it ’ s been awhile since I was with a female, but
this is ridiculous. He
gave himself a minute to recover, took some deep breaths to clear his head, and
continued toward his apartment. That long, hot shower he ’ d
looked forward to had just turned into a long, cold one.
     
    ***
     Oz
materialized on a screened back porch in an Atlanta suburb. He sat in a porch
chair, determined to stay there until Analae Martin arrived home. One way or
another, he ’ d find out if Riana was his daughter. Even though
she had Analae ’ s eyes, she reminded him of his own mother. From
the exact shade of deep auburn hair, to the way she looked you in the eye while
you spoke, like you had her undivided attention. Even the confident way she
carried herself was identical to his mother.
    Maybe
I ’m just imagining
things .
    No…too
many things pointed to Riana being his. Unless Analae had been seeing someone
else while they were together. If so, she needed an Oscar for a performance
well played. They were so in love, they couldn ’ t stand being apart.
Right up until the day she walked out without a word. Before that, he would
never have believed her capable of up and leaving. So who ’ s
to say what the woman was capable of doing? Maybe he ’ d
never known her at all.
     Damn,
I ’ m driving myself crazy. I need something to do
until she gets home.
    Oz
stood and glanced through the bay window into the house. Maybe he ’ d
go inside for a quick