Page 12 of Ethan's Sky

“Come in here. We need to talk to you.” Gabe beckons me to the office where I’m sure my sentence is awaiting.

I walk across the room and down the hall to the office. Gabe is sitting behind the desk, Mack standing behind him against the wall. My uncle makes his way to me and grabs my hand before sitting down with me on the chairs in front of the desk. Caleb comes in a couple seconds behind me, offering a small smile. Eli closes the door and the shitstorm that is my life ensues.

“Where the fuck were you?” Gabe growls.

“Hey! Easy, Pres. She just lost her dad.” Ghost glares at Gabe. He’s hurting too, having lost his brother-in-law and I’m sure his protective instincts are on overdrive.

I put my hand on his chest drawing his attention to me.

“It’s okay, Ghost. I’m a big girl. I make my own decisions and handle my own…problems.” He cocks a brow, waiting for my explanation. I meet his glare with one of my own. I’m not the same little mouse they sent packing all those years ago.

“I needed a moment to get my shit together. In case you missed it, my father calledmeto letmeknow he was about to die before tellingmeto come here. Then he hung up and that was the end of it.” Gabe leans back and lets out a long breath.

“You were supposed to?—”

I throw my hand up, cutting him off. “I know what the instructions were. Daddy calledmefirst.And although I agreed to come here, I didn’t agree to do it right that very moment,” I say, trying to keep my breathing in check and my voice from cracking. I take a deep breath and continue. “I went where I could be alone with my thoughts. I was still on Kings property. I needed to feel like…I don’t know. To fuckingfeelsomethingor a minute. To cry by myself.”

“Watch your tone,” Gabe growls. My eyes roll of their own accord. “You should’ve come here where we could?—”

“You know I couldn’t come straight here!” My voice raises just under shouting. “My father’s death isn’t the only thing I’m facing, and you fucking know it. So, you’ll have to forgive me if I needed a minute to lose my shit and then get it together again before coming here to face the firing squad I’m sure I’m about to when Ethan finds out I’mhere.”

Gabe leans forward, no doubt about to lose his shit, when Eli steps between us.

“I know what she did was foolish and reckless.” He glances over his shoulder making eye contact with me. I barely hold back a second eye roll. They can be mad all they want; I don’t give a flying fuck. I don’t report to them.

“But give her some slack, Gabe. She just lost her dad. She was finally getting used to the idea of coming back here, but not under these circumstances. A lot has changed for her in a matter of months. Now this. You can’t expect her to be excited or evenwantto come here. She’s right.” He pauses, looking at every man in the room one by one. “Ethan is going to lose his shit when he realizes the truth about everything, but especially if he finds out Skyler’s been at my club, with my men, his brothers. Just…give her some breathing room for a minute. Let her wrap her head around everything before you go chastising the shit out of her.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, but Eli hears me, and is quick to turn his attention to me.

“Oh, I’m not letting you off the hook, sweetheart. You were told to get to the clubhouse and under Gabe’s protection ASAP. If Vincenzo hadn’t called me himself to let me know he had men tailing your ass, I’d be taking you over my damn knee myself.”

“The fuck you will,” I snap.

Wait. What’d he say?

Vincenzo did what now?

My head drops into my hands.

Of course, Vincenzo sent people to watch over me. Fuck my life.

“I wasn’t trying to be difficult. But I don’t think I should be here. Why don’t we do this at the house? Away from Ethan and everybody else. I don’t want?—”

“Your dad’s house was trashed, Sky. Whoever did this, went through the house looking for something. I was hoping you might have an idea what they might be looking for.”

“Me?” He’s kidding right? “Daddy didn’t tell me anything other than when his next run was and when we would visit each other again. Most of our conversations were about me and how I was doing. If I knew who did this or what they were after, I would’ve?—”

“Would’ve what? You better not go doing something stupid, you fucking hear me?” Gabe demands.

“The stupidest thing I’ve done is come here, where Ethan will no doubt lose his shit when he sees me. We should’ve met up somewhere else. Away from him!”

“He’ll need to face the truth sometime, Sky. So do you.” Caleb speaks up from his place in the corner of the room.

“No. He really doesn’t.” I scowl at the old man. “He doesn’t have to know I’m here. I’ll stay in the background at the funeral like I did with Emily’s. He doesn’t have to see me. You can have a club funeral if you want. But I don’t need to be here for it. I’ll…” I take a stuttered breath. My uncle’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll say goodbye on my own. Without all the people around to fuss over me or ask questions about where I’ve been all this time. I’ll disappear again.”

For now.

“No.”

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