Page 89 of Ethan's Sky

Shit.

I don’t know if Arthur was there the night Daddy was killed or if he’s just the messenger sent to scare me, but either way, he’s done his job. I’m terrified. I do my best to tamp down my fear and answer with a simple, “thank you,” then pull my gym bag around to my lap and put it in the front pocket.

“Would you like to know how I got that?” I’m pretty sure I know the answer to his question. My stomach wrenches as my breakfast threatens to make a reappearance.

What the hell am I going to do to get out of here?

The chimes sound above the door as Jayde walks into the diner, distracting us from our conversation. She looks nervous as she walks to where Austin is at the end of the counter. A large burly looking man walks in a few steps behind her. It’s when I see his leather cut that I realize why she’s nervous.

He’s not one of the Kings.

The stranger heads toward the far booth. It’s then I notice the patch on his back. Devil’s Order.

Fuck.

Austin notices it too, immediately pulling out his phone. He’s busy typing away, talking quietly to Jayde, while Patsy disappears into the kitchen. I’m assuming to get Gus or call Gabe.

It’s a bold move to come in here wearing those colors.

Bold and suicidal.

They killed Daddy. He told me to come home where Gabe could keep me safe because Daddy knew they would be coming for me.He must not have thought they’d look for me here. The fingers of fear grip me once again. A fist tightening around my throat making it harder and harder to breathe.

Shit. Think Sky. They found me. But what do they know? And who is going to help me?

I start cataloguing everything I notice about him, the restaurant, the cars outside. I scan everything making mental notes as quickly as I can.

His dark hair is a little overdue for a cut. Dark, nearly black eyes that appear to be too big for his face with how sunken in his cheeks are. Scraggily beard, not too long, but not taken care of either. Lean build. Small solid white plugs filling the holes in both earlobes. Black Metallica T-shirt. Dark blue jeans. Black boots. Silver skull ring. Tattoo of a devil on his neck. It’s the same one on the other guy’s cut.

Arthur’s eyes follow mine as his friend calls Misty over to take his order. Jayde stands near Austin. He’s whispering something to her while continuing to type on his phone. Jayde turns away from him and comes to stand behind me wearing a fake smile and a look that says, “we need to get the fuck out of here now.”

“Hey, Sky. You just about ready? They’re waiting for us at the gym.” Arthur’s eyes narrow, dancing between mine and Jayde’s no doubt trying to figure out what’s going on.

Patsy comes strolling through the kitchen door with a coffee pot acting as if nothing is out of the ordinary. She fills cups as she passes them for other customers at the counter, stopping when she gets to me.

“Frank’s finishing up the order for the boys. Did I hear right? You girls are going to take it to them, Jayde?”

“Oh, yeah. I have some other errands to run today and it’s on my way so, I said we’d drop it off. I was just coming to ask Skyler to help me withrunning my errands.I could use the extra set of hands.”

“Sure. I can help. No problem.”

“You ladies will be ready to go here in about ten minutes,” Patsy says, never taking her eyes off mine. I know what she’s saying. Jayde’s my ride out of here and the Kings will be here in ten minutes. The‘errands’we’re running is to get our asses the hell out of here.

“Oh, uh, could you get me a box to take what’s left of mine with me? I’ll eat it later.” Patsy tops off Arthur’s coffee with a smile, then picks up my plate. She’s the epitome of calm.

“I’ll box it up for you, honey. Be right back,” she says as she walks away.

“You went to Oak Ridge High with a kid named Chase Matthews, right?” Arthur tilts his head, rubbing his hand over his scruffy beard.

“We both went to Oak Ridge.” Jayde say gesturing between the two of us. “I don’t know anyone by that name.” Jayde answers nonchalant like we’re having an everyday normal conversation with a friend, but I can see the tremble in her hands and the uncertainty in her eyes. She’s worried we won’t get out of here before something bad happens.

“How about you, Miss Sinclair? Do you remember a boy named Chase Matthews?” My breath catches. Everything stops for a moment while my mind takes me back to the night Emily was killed.

“If you would’ve kept your nose out of other people’s business none of this shit would be happening. I wouldn’t have to punish you. God damnit! You, stupid bitch! What did you think you would accomplish by ratting on my brother? Now I have to figure out a way to explain to Spider why he has two bodies to dispose of. Fuck!”

“She texts me to come get her. I was coming to pick her up when I saw you load her in the back of the car. I thought you were taking her to the hospital, so I followed you.”

“You though I was taking her to the hospital? Jesus you’re naïve. Emily was right, you are too good and pure to corrupt, but I bet if I got you hooked like I did her, you’d turn one hell of a profit. Maybe I should sample you first to be sure.”

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