Ethan's Sky (King's Of Fury MC Book 1)

1. Skyler

1

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Text: SKYFALL

My stomach drops at the word flashing on my screen in a group text. It’s our code word for “get your ass home now!” It’s not a casual code word like when I was a kid, out past curfew, getting the warning to get home before get my ass in trouble. Skyfall is my Daddy’s favorite James Bond movie. The one where he went back to his childhood home known as Skyfall.

It”s the movie where everything came full circle and secrets were revealed. Secrets from the past. It’s why Daddy chose it. Because if he’s sending this one word out to the five of us, it means I need to come out of hiding and get my ass home. Now. It also means my secrets will only be kept for so much longer.

I don’t waste time fumbling with my phone. I know Daddy will call me any minute and fill me in as soon as he can. My job right now is to get my go-bag, load up what I need from my apartment, and get the fuck out.

I know who’s on the text line. Both Gabe and Eli, presidents of their own chapters of the Kings of Fury MC, and my Uncle Ghost. I know they’re all doing exactly what I’m doing now. Rallying together and putting shit in motion.

I dig through the bottom of my closet, reaching all the way to back behind my shoe rack and grab my black go-bag. I unzip the top and double check its contents. I know I don’t have to. I haven’t taken anything out of here since the last time, but I still feel the need to double check because honestly, I need something I can be certain of right now. My preparedness to get the hell out is something I’ve never been more certain of in my life. It was only a matter of time before my demons caught up to me.

My phone rings, and I don’t hesitate to answer.

“Daddy? What’s wrong?” It’s nearly two in the morning, so he should be halfway back from his run by now. He was hauling a trailer up north for West Enterprises, meant to return by home around seven a.m. then head here for breakfast.

“Hey, Butter Bean,” he greets, using my childhood nickname.

“Daddy, what’s happening?” I grab my bag and move to the dresser with my phone cradled on my shoulder listening. I’m praying he’s going to tell me this was a mistake, tell me everything is fine.

“I’m sorry, baby girl. I’m not going to make it home for our date this time. I’m afraid I’m stuck in traffic with no way out.”

What he’s really saying is, “I’m in trouble and there’s no way I’ll make it out.” He sounds both stressed and defeated.

“Was there an accident?”

Are you hurt?

“No sweetheart, but there’s a lot of cars and not much moving. I don’t see an alternate route either. I’m so sorry, Sky.”

He’s trapped with no way out.

“Can you call for help with directions?”

He knows what I’m really asking him is can he call the club, the cops, anybody who could help him.

“No. I’m afraid there’s no one available at the moment. I checked in, left a message, but I’m going to have to ride this one out.”

He contacted the club but he’s too far away. He’s alone in this.

“Fuck! Fuck!” I shout into the phone, pausing my packing momentarily to catch my breath. I squeeze the make-up bag full of cash I grabbed from the bottom drawer of my dresser before sticking it in my go-bag.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Listen to me. I need you to calm down and listen, Sky. Can you do that? I’ve only got a few minutes here, Butter Bean.” His voice sounds almost desperate.

I take a few steps backward sitting on the end of my bed.

“Yeah, Daddy. I’m listening.” Tears are slowly streaming down my face. I know what this means. I know what he’s going to tell me. We’ve practiced this so many times so I would know exactly what to do if this call ever came in. We just hoped it never would.

“I need you to call your Uncle Chris and tell him I can’t make our movie date. Ask him if he’ll be there in my place. I promise I’ll do everything I can to get there, but I don’t want you to go alone if I can’t be there. Do you understand?”

I inhale and slowly release my breath.

He’s telling me to go to my Uncle Ghost; no one calls him by his given name anymore, but anyone listening could find out who he was talking about if Daddy used his road name. He wants me to go home to Oak Ridge, to the clubhouse, and hide there. He knows he’s not going to make it, and Ghost is the only family I have left on this earth. If I’m with him, I won’t have to face this shit alone.

It”s what he thinks. I’m still going to be alone. Once my secrets come out, when the club learns the truth…when he learns the truth…my uncle will have to choose. Blood or the club. And I already know he will choose the club. It’s their oath. The club is his family now. Has been for years.

“Butter Bean? Sky? Did you hear me?” Daddy sounds frantic.

“I-I’m here. Sorry, Daddy. I understand. I’ll pack the snacks up and meet him at the theater as soon as I get done here. I wish you could be here too.” My voice cracks. I’m fighting like hell not to let him hear me breaking on the other end of the line. It’s got to be hard enough for him to do this. I won’t add my shit to his pile. I can be strong for a little while longer.

“I’m so sorry, Bean. I need you to know, if I could be there…if there was any way out of this mess, I would be right there for you. But I can’t. Not this time. I’m afraid I’ve taken the wrong turn off and gotten myself stuck in some shit I can’t get out of. But no matter what happens, you need to know I love you. So goddamn much. You and your mother are the best things to happen to me in this life and when I see her, I’m going to tell her how fucking proud I am of the woman you’ve become. And then we’re going to find a nice porch swing and a tall glass of sweet tea and enjoy the sunset together. But I promise, we’ll be keeping an eye on you. Don’t you ever forget.”

He”s crying now. I can hear it in the crack of his voice. He knows he’s about to die. I don’t know how or why, but if he’s talking about seeing my mother, he’s accepted his fate. Because she’s been in Heaven since I was eight-years-old.

I let the tears fall freely. There’s no point in hiding it anymore. We both know this is the last time we’ll ever speak to each other.

“I love you, Daddy. So much.”

“I know, baby. I need to call your uncle and let him know you’re going to meet him. I don’t want to let go, but…” he chokes on the last word.

“I know. Daddy, do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Hug Mama and tell her I love her. Tell her…I’ll come visit as soon as I can. Both of you.” My voice hitches. “I’ll bring hydrangeas when I come. I know they’re her favorite.”

I hear the hiccup in his breath. It’s not every day your kid tells you they’ll visit your grave, but I want him to know I won’t forget them. Ever.

“I love you, Skyler. With everything I am.”

The phone clicks. I stare at the burner in my hand, my feet stuck to the floor.

My chest hurts. My eyes burn. I feel sick to my stomach. I want to fall to the ground and pray it’ll swallow me up and take me too, but I know it won’t.

It takes several deep breaths and strength I didn’t know I could possess to get up.

Wiping away my tears, I’m up off the bed, determined to get my shit and do what my father’s asking of me. I have to. If he’s going to sacrifice himself, I’m going to get through this and do what he has always wanted me to.

I’m going home.

Two hours later, I’m pulling up to the dock at the back of our old summer house on the lake. We haven’t visited here since my senior year in high school. It’s the last place I remember feeling truly happy.

I know I’m supposed to go to the clubhouse, and I will. It’s on the same property, about thirty minutes or so down the road, but I’m not ready to be there yet. I need some time to pull my shit together before I face what awaits me there.

I walk out to the edge of the dock and sit down cross legged and watch the water ripple as the bugs land on top. It smells like oak trees and honeysuckle. It’s peaceful.

Tears are streaming down my face, but I don’t try to stop them. I know I need to be strong and face this situation head on, and I will. But I need a little time to cry, scream…fuck I don’t know…feel. A luxury I don’t usually allow myself.

Once I leave this spot, my past is going to come charging back into my life and if I don’t have my armor on, my walls up, I will break. And I can’t.

Never again.

I’ll brace myself for the shit I’m bound to have to take when he sees me. Ethan.

Hopefully seeing me doesn’t crush him. Lord knows, I’ve done enough damage.

He’s going to be pissed when he sees me. Hell, pissed isn’t even remotely close to how I expect he’ll feel. He still blames me for leaving him when his sister died. He assumed I knew something about it and ran away. He blamed me for the bastard who drugged and raped her getting away. He knew I would know what really happened to Emily.

But I couldn’t tell him.

If I did, then I’d have to tell him what I did, and that shit can’t happen.

Holding my knees to my chest, I let it all go. All my anger, my frustration, the pain of losing my father…all of it. My chest feels like it’s on fucking fire as I gasp for breath. My eyes burn. I wish like hell it was me and not Daddy those bastards took out. I know it’s irrational, but without him…what the hell do I have left?

I hear the rumble of the motorcycle and nearly fall off the fucking dock jumping to my feet, pissed I don’t have more time. I didn’t think anyone would look for me out here. As soon as he removes his helmet, I know how he found me.

Cash always finds me.

He’s almost made it to the docks when I shout, “How the fuck did you find me?”

He smiles his all-knowing, smart ass grin. “You once told me this was the only place you truly felt happy. I don’t know how many times you shared memories of coming here whenever you needed a place to relax, find peace after your mother died. Or how you and your best friend would spend every free moment here when you weren’t in school. And then I remembered, you once told me this was the last place you and your dad spent time together before everything went to shit and you came to Mountain Heights.” He shrugs. “I did the math. Figured you’d go wherever you could feel him again.”

He opens his arms, and I don’t hesitate. I slam into his chest and let myself go.

He doesn’t say anything, just holds me tight, resting his chin on my head and lets me cry. If there’s ever been anyone in my life I could fall apart around and not worry about judgement, it’s Cash.

He’s my self-designated big-brother-slash-pain-in-the-ass-bodyguard-bestie. He came up with the title all on his own. I call him my pain in the ass, figuring the term encompasses it all.

He was there the night I arrived at the Mountain Heights clubhouse. He had just been patched in and was given the chore of watching over me while Eli and Gabe settled my arrangements. Cash was there when I was at my worst. He didn’t leave my side for the first few weeks unless Eli sent him on an errand, and even then, he would take me along if he could.

I confided most of my secrets to him. Well, the ones I could tell, anyway. He knows me probably better than anyone, or the me I am now. He helped me get stronger. Fight my demons. He and a few of the others taught me how to fight, use a knife, even how to shoot a gun. I was determined to never feel weak or let anyone hurt me again, and they helped me regain my strength and protect myself.

“Shh, Sky. You’re okay, babe. I’ve got you,” he soothes as I continue to cry and get what I’m sure is an embarrassing amount of snot on his shirt, but I don’t give a shit. I need this.

“He’s gone, Cash. He knew he was going to die and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to help him.” I sob, his arms hold me tighter.

“I know, babe. But you know you need to follow the plan. It’s what he wanted for you. The guys are losing their shit trying to find your ass. Apparently, the tracker on your truck has been removed.” He pulls back a little, his eyebrow raised challenging me to deny it.

“I took it off before I left the apartment. If Xander can track me, anyone can. You know I’m right.”

“Yeah, but we would’ve gotten to you before anyone else, and we have to know where the fuck you are!” His voice raises with his agitation.

I get it. He’s pissed I went rogue, but I had to. Just for a little while.

“I needed time to myself. To wrap my head around this shit before I go to the clubhouse. You don’t know the half of what I’m up against. I just…I couldn’t face my past without taking the time to breakdown, even if only for a few minutes. I’m struggling to keep my shit together here, Cash. My fucking dad is gone!” I scream, punching his chest. He doesn’t stop me. He absorbs everything I’m giving him. A few minutes later and I sink into him, my knees nearly giving out on me.

Cash is quick to pick me up, carrying me back to the edge of the dock before sitting down with me cradled to his chest. We sit there in silence as I work to gather the pieces of my shattered heart.

“Listen, I don’t know everything about your past or what brought you to Mountain Heights, but what I do know is you’re fucking strong, Sky. One of the strongest people I know. I watched you go from broken and scared to a badass fucking wild child. You can do this. And I’m going to be here and whenever you start to feel like you can’t fight, you grab my ass and I’ll fight your fucking demons for you. You got me? You’re not alone. I’ve got you.”

I nod into his chest because I don’t have the strength to do much else.

“Come on. You need to get your shit together. We’ve got to get to the clubhouse or you can bet they’re going to send the fucking calvary out to find us. Xander may not be able to track your ass, but he sure as shit can track mine and I don’t need Pres realizing we took this little detour and didn’t tell anyone, yeah? He’s already pissed I’m here before the rest of them because I was coming down to watch your show and pay you a surprise visit. I wasn’t planning on having to babysit you again too.” He huffs as if this is a hardship for him. We both know he’s full of shit.

He may have told them he was coming to surprise me, but I know damn well he was coming to see the show and see about getting some one-on-one time with Sherrie, one of the dancers who gives extras in the VIP rooms. Something I never do. I strictly dance and nothing else. I don’t judge the girls I work with; their life is their own, but I don’t do this for the money. I dance because it’s the only place I feel complete and total freedom.

Pushing off Cash’s chest, with one last deep breath, I shift off his lap and stand up. He moves to stand behind me, his arms circling my waist. He rests his chin on my shoulder and tells me, “You’re going to be okay, Sky. You can do this. Pull you big girl panties up, lock your shit down, and do what your dad asked you to do. Let us keep you safe, and I promise you when we find the fuckers responsible for killing George, we’ll make them pay.”

We’ll make them pay.

His words ring in my head, and I suddenly feel my anger rising to the surface. I’ll make them pay. I make the promise to myself right then and there. Whatever it takes, whatever shit I face to endure coming back here, I’ll do it. I’ll take it all. Because the only people I trust to find Daddy’s killer are the Kings. They won’t rest until whoever it is, is found. And I need them find the son of a bitch…so I can end them my damn self.

Finding my resolve, I turn around, grab Cash’s hand, and lead him back to the truck.

“Uh, Sky. You good?” When we make it to my truck, I open the door, and look him dead in the eye, my mask of indifference firmly back in place.

“Good? No. Ready? Yeah. I’m ready. Let’s go get this shit done so I can start planning my next steps.”

“What next steps? You know they’re probably going to lock your ass down at the clubhouse, right?”

I smile, and Cash looks at me genuinely nervous. “I’m not staying in the clubhouse. I have a safe house in town Daddy set up for me years ago. If any of you try to make me stay in the clubhouse, I will shoot you in the fucking cock and not feel an ounce of remorse.”

He grabs his crotch and wrinkles his face at me.

“Harsh, babe. Too harsh.”

“I’m not staying in the clubhouse. I can’t. But you’re more than welcome to crash with me in the safe house if it’ll make Eli and Gabe feel better.”

I slam the door and start up the truck, not bothering to explain the reason I can’t stay in the clubhouse is because it’s going to be hard enough to confront Ethan after all this time. Having to see him is one thing. Having to sit by andwatch as the club girls interact with him would fucking break me. I can be strong enough to get through losing my dad, and facing my past, I hope. But I know for certain I don’t have enough strength to handle seeing Ethan with another woman. I know it would rip me apart.

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