Page 52 of Ethan's Sky

Ethan takes two steps back but doesn’t relax in the slightest. Gabe makes his way through the crowd. “The fuck is going on here?”

I answer before Ethan can get a word out edgewise.

“Nothing. I was just getting ready to leave. Ethan here was just paying his respects.” I don’t know why I lie for him, but I do. No one tells Gabe the truth. They all stare at me, waiting for my next move. I can barely speak. My heart feels like it’s ripping open once again, the hatred Ethan has for me like a knife slicing through me. I look over my shoulder to find Cash glaring at Ethan. “Cash?” I call his name, forcing his attention on me. “I’ll be ready in ten. You good with that?”

“I’ve got you, babe.” Cash’s nods, nudging my lower back top get me moving. I hear Eli’s voice behind me, making my way toward the sliding door to my great escape. I stop, watching over my shoulder silently by the door.

“Your man here has taken one too many hits in the cage. It’s the only reason I can see for him forgotten his manners around Skyler.” Eli tells Gabe, who turns to glare at Ethan looking furious. “She just buried her father today, asshole. You could’ve given her at least today to grieve and kept your petty bullshit to yourself.”

“Petty?”

Gabe spins away from Eli, slamming his fist into Ethan’s gut. “You upset her on the day she buries her father? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Mmph.” Had Ethan not been glaring at Eli, he might’ve seen it coming, blocked the shot, but he’s too focused on the death glare Eli is throwing his way. I’m not hanging around to see what happens next.

If he didn’t hate me before, he does now. And if I’m honest, I’m starting to believe there’s nothing left of the Ethan I was so in love with before. The thought alone makes my heart ache.

10

ETHAN

I park my bike and move toward the door of the clubhouse, Hawk’s leaning against the wall smoking.

“Thought you quit.”

“It’s too early for this shit, man,” He complains, shrugging me off while blowing smoke rings in the air. It’s not too early, he’s just not recovered from last night yet. We all had some drinks down at O’Malley’s after Sky left the clubhouse. I needed a change of scenery. I would’ve preferred the Pearl, but after the last visit and being told she would be out for a couple days, O’Malley’s was the next best thing.

Gabe’s niece, Sadie came home for the weekend to help with the funeral. Since she can’t drink legally in the bar yet, she decided to come in and visit Jinx, which turned into them busting our balls. Hawk was doing fine, bantering, and holding his own in the conversation until he noticed Sadie dancing with some preppy looking fucker in the pool table room. Suddenly his beers turned into double shots.Several of them. I had a few of my own, but Hawk out did everyone last night. I’m impressed he was able to stand and walk to the cage when the prospect came to take him home.

I don’t think any of the other guys caught on to what had Hawk getting so plastered, and I sure as shit wasn’t going to say anything. If Mack or Jake find out he’s got a thing for Sadie, there won’t be a body left for the police to find. They’ll make damn sure of that. Besides, who am I to tell a brother not to let a woman drive him to drink, when I have one making me do the same damn thing. If Kieran finds out, I’ll be working my ass off sparring in the cage until I puke, or he’s satisfied I’ve sweat every ounce of liquor out of my system and then some.

Yeah, I’ll keep my mouth shut, thanks.

“You all good brother?” I chuckle, knowing damn well he’s still feeling his hang over from the night before.

“I will be in a minute. Once I can have a prospect pour me a little hair-of-the-dog and I’ll be right as rain,” he smirks, pushing his sunglasses up, blocking the sun creeping up over the trees.

Though I’m pretty sure I know the answer, I ask it anyway. “So, what’s got Pres in a tizzy today? Why’s he calling church at the ass crack of dawn again?” It’s not that early, but we’re all dragging a bit so if feels like it.

“Actually, it was Eli who asked Pres to call church.”

The fuck?

“Why? What do you think it’s about?”

Just then, Eli and his men come riding into the yard with Skyler’s truck following behind.

Hawk chuckles, dropping his cigarette to the ground, grinding it out with his boot. He grips my shoulder giving it a little shake. “I think you just got your answer about church there, brother.”

“The fuck is she doing here?”Again.

Goddamn.I’ve spent the entire week avoiding seeing her since the funeral. It’s over and done now, she should be preparing to leave with the Mountain Heights boys.Ithink she should be anyway.

Nothing else has happened, and she’s clearly fit to be tied about having a babysitter. I agree with her on this one. I think it’s overkill. The guy who killed George was after his rig and took it.

I’m convinced his death, and the theft are just that, a simple robbery that ended with an unfortunate casualty. I think George panicked and told Sky to come home because it made him feel better to know she wouldn’t be alone when she had to bury him. I think he knew he was going to die or come close, and he wanted Skyler to be close to Ghost if he did. Makes sense to want her to be with him. What doesn’t make sense is everything else.

All the secrets. The lying. I can’t understand why he would do all of that, especially to me.

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