Page 26 of Ethan's Sky

Daddy would’ve lost his ever-loving mind if he’d heard the crap Ethan was yelling at me.

“I told you he’d hate me, Daddy. He’ll never accept the truth, even if I could tell him.”

A knock on the driver’s window startles me out of my thoughts. I swipe away the few tears spilling down my cheek, and glare at the grinning prospect standing beside my door.

“Come on, babe. It isn’t safe for you out here. Pres gave orders to get you inside and out of sight. Unlock the doors and I’ll grab your bags for you.”

“Blake, is it?”

He nods. I open the door, pushing hard enough to make him huff when the door hits him in the gut. “I can carry my own bags and keep myself safe. You can run on back to the cum dumpster you left at the clubhouse. I’m sure she’s ready for seconds.”

He laughs. “Yeah, I’m sure she is. But my orders are to stay here.”

“Lucky me.”

I grab my bags from the back seat, close the door, and lock up my truck. Blake snatches the bags out of my hands and starts making his way up the steps.

I groan the word, “Asshole,”watching as he heads up the steps to the front door. He doesn’t care what I think, he’s following orders regardless.

I can’t be too mad at him. He’s still a prospect earning his patch. He’s going to follow orders to a T if he wants to be a King. It’s a test of loyalty. The same one we all had to pass.

Wonder what Ethan had to do as a prospect? Who he did?

No. Nope. Don’t go there.

He needed a family. People to look after him after Emily’s death and my disappearance. It was a good idea at the time. Now, I’m not so sure. I wasn’t sure what would happen if our paths crossed. I’d done everything I could to keep it from happening.

When the Oak Ridge chapter drove into Mountain Heights, I stayed hidden away in my apartment until they left town again. Thankfully they never stayed more than a few days. It wasn’t hard to stay out of sight. I was used to being invisible.

Ethan hardly ever visited Mountain Heights. Eli said it was because of his fight schedule, but I knew Gabe was involved. He purposely made the runs when Ethan was in training or preparing for a fight. I knew, because I’ve been following Ethan’s career since day one. Even from Mountain Heights I kept tabs on him to make sure Gabe was keeping up with his end of our agreement.

Sure girl. Keep telling yourself that.

I always knew when he did visit.

I knew when Gabe’s chapter came up, the guys would have their needs serviced by the Mountain Heights club girls, or sometimes Cash would bring in girls from the Bare Trap to entertain them. It’s a common curtesy among clubs.

After the last visit, I overheard the girls chatting each other up at Cash’s bar one night about their experiences. The way they described Ethan’s body and his tattoos almost exactly, I knew he’d slept with at least two of them if not more. Of course, Hawk slept with all of them.

The thought of Ethan with anyone else, was too much for me to bear. But to know he was with club whores nearly killed me. It’s also why I knew I couldn’t stay at the clubhouse. Hearing about him sleeping with women and seeing him with one were two different things.

I couldn’t get mad. This is the life I wanted for him. Sort of. And none of them could’ve known he was once mine.

When things went to shit and I left Oak Ridge, all I wanted was for Ethan to have a family. People to care for him and protect him. I didn’t think about him having a wife, and certainly not a fucking harem of whores. It’s the one thing I didn’t consider would happen when I asked the club to watch over him.

Although, a wife wouldn’t have been easy to take either, at least I’d know he had someone who loved him, and he would be happy. Have everything, he once wanted with me.

I need to push every thought of the past out of my mind.

Things are different now.

I shake Ethan from my thoughts, pull out my key, place it in the lock, and turn.

Deep breath, Sky.

Pumpkin spice. Vanilla. Coffee. And Tobacco.

Home.