Page 101 of Ethan's Sky

And then she was attacked on the same night. By the same piece of shit my sister was dating.I’m a fucking idiot.

Skyler’s face is unreadable. She looks at the ground as I watch her starting to shut down on me again. Her body shivers with the cold or, maybe it’s the haunted memories she must be reliving in her head.

“I killed Chase, Ethan. He killed Emily, and our baby, and I fucking killed him.” Her breathing is ragged, tears spilling from her eyes as her body shakes uncontrollably. I wrap her in my arms, taking us both to the ground and hold her tight, kissing her forehead, her cheek. Anything I can to keep her here in this moment with me. To not shut down on me.

I grip her waist, pulling her to straddle my lap. She allows me to mover her but remains stiff as a board. She doesn’t want my comfort, but that’s too fucking bad because I need to give it to her. I need her to feel me.

“You don’t have to comfort me, Ethan. I know you’re only feeling guilty because what you thought of me isn’t true. I would never cheat on you or hurt Emily by screwing around with Chase.” Skyler’s face is buried in my chest, but I feel her tears soaking through my shirt. I caused her to feel this pain. My words. My accusations. I did this to her, and now I’ve got to fucking fix it.

“You feel like shit for the things you said, but you don’t have to pretend you feel any differently toward me. I’ve accepted the fact you don’t want me anymore. I don’t blame you. Even if I’m not the whore you thought I was…I still lost our baby and kept things from you. You have every right to hate me. I would if I was you.”

The only person I hate right now is me. And fucking Chase Matthews.

I try to coax her by touching her cheek, kissing her forehead, but she gives me nothing. No reaction in return. After several attempts to get a response, I decide to take matters into my own hands.

Lifting her chin with my hand, I smile down at her. A smile letting her know I’m going to get my way eventually. It’s the same look I used to give her when I’d tease her about us having sex and she would tell me no. I used it to wear her down, and it fucking worked every single time.

But not this time.

“Get your ass on the back of the bike,” It’s a gentle demand, but one that brooks no argument. I climb on my bike, turn the key, and rev the motor. “Now. Skyler. Or I swear to God I’ll strap your ass to it myself.” Looking both defeated and exhausted, she does as she’s told. I hand her my helmet and she put it on. Straddling the bike, she sits back barely touching my hips with her hands.

“That’s not going to work for me Skyler.”I growl over my shoulder. “Grab ahold of me, tightly, and don’t fucking let go.”

I grab her thighs pulling her flush against my back. She gasps and I groan when her breasts plow into my back. The fucking feel of her against me, the warmth of her pussy nuzzled up to my ass, has me hard as a fucking steel rod.

I cross her arms over my abdomen then shout over my shoulder, “Don’t fucking move. You stay like this the whole fucking ride, you got me?”

She nods.

With the wind is in my face, my stomach in my throat, our hearts in a million pieces, and a shitstorm on the horizon, we take off for the clubhouse.

23

SKYLER

On the ride to the clubhouse, we’re both quiet. Lost in our own thoughts. I tried to loosen my hold around Ethan’s waist, but he wasn’t having it. Every time I’d drop my hold, he’d grab my hands and put them back where he wanted them. At one point he entwined our fingers, gripping me tightly so I couldn’t let go.

I tried to convince myself I hated it. I don’t want him to touch me. But the truth is, Ineedhim to touch me. I wish I didn’t want his comfort. Wish I could push him away and move on. But I can’t. Even though I know this is only his guilt talking. It’ll all come to a crushing end. I don’t want to keep fighting it.

Like the night at the Pearl, I’m trying to convince myself to allow him to comfort me for one night.

Look at how epically that blew up in your face!

Even so, I can’t bring myself to keep fighting him. Not tonight.

When we get to the clubhouse, I’ll ask to speak with Gabe and get him to tell Ethan what he wants to know. I’ll hang out long enough for them to formulate their plan, decide what they want to do about the Devils being in their territory. As much as I don’t want them to go to war, it’s not up to me. Gabe will go to war no matter my thoughts on the situation.

The Devils crossed into Kings territory, attacked one of their members, and tried to kidnap the enforcer’s daughter and me. I’m certain they’ll want their pound of flesh for not only the disrespect, but also to send a message to anyone else who thought Oak Ridge was a place to start shit.

Leaning against Ethan’s back, I let my mind drift back to the night everything went to hell in a handbasket.

“Sky? Are you there?” Emily’s voice sounded so small and frail on the other end of the phone. I sat up in bed, looking at the clock, it was nearly midnight.

“Yeah, Em. I’m here. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t feel good. I want to go home. Can you take me home?” She sounded wasted and childlike. I didn’t know what kind of trouble she had gotten herself in, but I could imagine Chase was at fault.

I knew she had started dating him and was starting to show signs of using.

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