28. Ethan
28
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We all follow Pres up the stairs and find Vincenzo Parisi sitting on the far couch, his ankle crossed over his knee, one arm sprawled over the back of the seat. He has a glass of what looks to be whiskey in his hand resting on his ankle.
Matteo, his righthand man stands behind him, his hands folded, watching all of us wearily. I don’t blame him. Although the Parisi’s and the Kings have done business together and have been relatively friendly, things are a little tense in the clubhouse. Especially since Pres reached out to Vincenzo after finding out George had called him the night he died, and Vincenzo had yet to respond.
“Vincenzo, I didn’t realize we had a meeting scheduled today.” Gabe greets politely, though his tone gives way to his annoyance at the blatant disrespect Vincenzo has shown by showing up at the clubhouse without warning.
Vincenzo smiles. “I take it you took care of your guest in the basement.”
“How’d you know we had a guest?” Gabe looks pissed but doesn’t react.
“We both know you wouldn’t spill blood in a public place, even if the bastard did stab one of your men. How is he, by the way? I have an excellent surgeon on payroll who makes house calls. If you need her services, I can have her here within minutes.”
Gabe scowls, his arms crossed over his chest. He doesn’t like that Vincenzo knows about the club’s shit. Again, he doesn’t react other than to say, “We have our own Doc. The prospect will live.”
“Good to hear.” Vincenzo sips his drink.
“Why are you here, Vincenzo. Not that I don’t like our visits, but I assume you came here unannounced for a reason. So, what is it?”
“Perhaps we should continue this conversation in your office where it’s a little more…private?” It’s meant to be a question, but his tone doesn’t suggest he’s asking. “I’d also like to have Ghost and Ethan, is it?” He asks, his brow raised as he stares me down. “I believe they would both benefit from the information I’m about to share.”
Gabe grunts. “Anything else you’d like us to do for you? Order food? Pick up your fucking dry cleaning?”
Vincenzo smirks. “I mean no disrespect.” Gabe snorts. Vincenzo stands, waving his glass in front of him. “I only meant since Ghost is George’s family, and Ethan seems to mean something to his daughter, perhaps they should hear what I have to say as well. George was very specific about who was to know about our arrangement. I only wish to keep my end of the deal. Once you have the information, you can do with it as you see fit.”
“I get it.” Hawk pipes up from the back wall. “Vincenzo doesn’t want to go against his word, so he’ll tell you and make you the asshole who tells all George’s secrets.”
Vincenzo smiles. “A man is only as good as his word.”
Gabe grunts. “Ghost, Ethan, Mack, Pop, follow me. Vincenzo.” We all follow Gabe down the hall to his office. He takes his place behind the desk with Mack standing beside him, leaning against the wall. Vincenzo takes a seat across from Gabe with Matteo mimicking Mack beside him. Ghost takes the other chair with me and Caleb hanging back by the door.
“We missed you at George’s funeral. I would’ve thought since you called him friend on the phone before he died, you would’ve come and paid your respects, if nothing else to console his daughter.” Gabe’s not pulling any punches. Letting Vincenzo know he’s pissed, and he knows some things himself. Him coming into the clubhouse and making requests after making it known he’s been watching us, is crossing a line.
Gabe’s leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest the epitome of calm, but we all know he’s one nerve snapping away from losing his shit on Parisi. He doesn’t like that an outsider knows our business.
Vincenzo tips his chin, “My presence at his funeral would have raised questions and garnered attention none of us want. I’m sure you can understand. You wouldn’t have known of my arrangement with George except your man got to the dash cam footage before mine could.” He shrugs. “It’s since been destroyed, as have the phone records.”
“The fuck?” Mack takes out his phone shooting off a text message, probably to Declan to verify Vincenzo’s claim. “Those records are property of Garrison Security and West Enterprises; the fuck are you doing messing with our shit without talking to Pres about it first?”
“Again, I mean no disrespect. I was merely keeping my word to George. If either the phone records or the dash cam videos were to get into the wrong hands, we would all be affected by the outcome, but none more so than Skyler Sinclair.” He looks from Gabe to Ghost, to me. “The whole point of George’s sacrifice was keeping his daughter and your club safe. I’m merely doing my part to uphold my end of the agreement.”
“What was your agreement?” Ghost asks, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. As close as he’s sitting to Vincenzo, he could have him by the throat and on the floor in seconds. It wouldn’t be the smartest thing he could do with Matteo hovering close by, but the fury I see staring back in his eyes tells me he’s seconds away from not giving a shit about the repercussions.
“I can’t give you all the details, but I will tell you the parts which concern your club.” Oh, this son of bitch has a death wish. Gabe, Ghost, and Mack look ready to murder his ass for crossing so many lines with the club already. For once, I may be the only level head in the room. I’m not sure how I feel about the whole situation.
“The fuck do you mean you can’t give us all the details?” Gabe grits through his teeth.
“I’m sure you can understand, Gabriel. Sometimes we do business with multiple partners involved. You and Mr. West own businesses together, have arrangements made that others are not privy to.” Gabe’s eyes narrow. Mack snaps his head up from his phone his face stone cold. “I too have similar business arrangements. Some others may know about, but they do not have all the details. I trust you understand. Some details need to remain close to the vest,” He looks directly at Mack, raising his eyebrow in challenge. Mack doesn’t react. “Call it insurance. As such, I can only tell you the information George felt would affect you and your club, as well as Miss Sinclair’s safety. Would you like me to tell you, or would you prefer I handle this my way and leave your club in the dark moving forward?”
“This motherfucker.” Mack grumbles.
“I would watch how you speak to Mister Parisi,” Matteo reprimands. “We’re here as a courtesy, but that could very easily change should you choose to be disrespectful to the boss.”
“Disrespectful?” Mack laughs. “Your boss ignored messages from Pres when he knew we would find out he was connected to George’s death. A friend would’ve brought the information to us first thing, especially if it would’ve helped us catch the motherfucker responsible. But instead, your boss ignored the calls. Didn’t show for the funeral to pay respects. You two come up in here, uninvited, unannounced, spouting about club business he should have zero knowledge of, asking for a fucking meeting, only to tell us he can’t tell us everything. Your boss has done nothing but be disrespectful!” Mack shouts.
“Mack.” Gabe chastises. “He has a point, Vincenzo. You’re walking a fine line. You know the only thing keeping me from putting a bullet in your head is we share a mutual interest. I’m willing to set aside my grievances, for Skyler’s sake. For now.”
“Understood.”
“What was your arrangement with George?” Gabe asks.
“He came to me with concerns about a shipment a man named Spider propositioned him to deliver. George recognized the man’s tattoos as being those of a rival club to the Kings, which I’m sure you’ve figured out is why he didn’t come to you for help. He feared you would go to war over a situation that was not yours to get involved in. But his real concern was for his daughter. George feared Spider would remember Skyler and come for her. He worried if you knew he had trouble with the Devils, a war between clubs would be inevitable and the outcome could leave Skyler unprotected should something happen to him. An outcome he couldn’t accept.”
“So, he came to you to do what? Steel the load and kill the bastard Devil?” Ghost asks looking slightly calmer than moments ago.
“Not exactly.” Vincenzo continues. “My only interest in the Devil was to discover who he was working for or if he was working alone. But then George told me about the night Skyler killed Spider’s brother. The night she was banished from Oak Ridge, only it wasn’t her actions that caused her to be banished, was it Ghost?”
I don’t miss the was Ghost’s shoulders slump. Gabe side eyes me. I lean back against the wall, my hands tucked behind my back, so I don’t punch every one of these fuckers for keeping this shit from me for so long. “I already know Skyler killed that fucker Chase, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. Hell, I’d hunt the fucker down if he was still breathing, but I guess his brother will be good enough, since he thought it was wise to come after my woman.”
Ghost, Mack, and Gabe all turn, studying my face. Caleb who’s still standing beside me, puts his hand on my shoulder and chuckles. “I knew you’d figure your shit out, son. Took you long enough. But I’m damn sure glad you two are working things out.”
Vincenzo searches my face, his own remains expressionless.
“But if killing Chase wasn’t the reason she was sent away, what was? What am I missing?” My tone is pushing boundaries, I can see the tick in Gabe’s jaw and his warning glare. But I don’t fucking care.
“She was sent away to protect the club. More specifically to protect me.” Ghost says, sounding dejected. “Sky pulled the trigger killing the bastard in self-defense. But it was me, Caleb, and a prospect who disposed of the body. Skyler witnessed us removing Chase’s body and heard us talking about cleaning the scene. We all thought it best if she wasn’t around for the cops to question. If they didn’t ask, she didn’t have to lie for anyone. It was already killing her to keep Emily’s secrets from you. We weren’t sure what keeping our secrets would mean for her. Figured if she wasn’t around where people would whisper or question, keeping things to herself would be easier for her.”
“We all knew Skyler’s a shit liar. Always has been. We couldn’t risk it.” Caleb adds quietly beside me.
“What secrets was she keeping for Emily? What do you all know about my sister?” I’m shouting, pissed they could keep things about Emily from me. If they knew something about how she died, they should’ve fucking told me.
“Your sister was a whore.” Vincenzo says it so plainly, the way you would tell someone the color of your car. No emotion, just facts.
“The fuck are you talking about? She was drugged and raped. I saw the police report.”
“The one written by the same police who managed to misplace all the drugs they confiscated from Chase and Spider’s house.”
“Shit.” Ghost curses.
“Your sister was an addict. Chase would get her high, then sell her body and time to the highest bidder. More than likely she was high enough she didn’t know what was being done to her, but the videos were passed around as a means of advertising.” Vincenzo says.
“Passed around to who? How did you find out about them?”
“None of that matters now. The entire operation was shut down the night Emily died, and Chase disappeared. Whoever the Devils were in business with shut down the operation as soon as your sister’s death was plastered all over the news.”
“Emily was a hooker?” The words taste vile coming out of my mouth. “And you all knew this? Skyler knew?” All four of my brothers nod their heads.
“Skyler didn’t want to tell you, because she was afraid, you’d feel guilty and quit pursuing your fighting career.” Ghost says. “She was stuck between keeping her best friend’s secrets or hurting the man she loved by killing his career and the hopes of their future. We made the choice for her.”
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t believe Emily knew the extent of what was happening around her. She was an addict who did whatever was asked of her for her next hit. Nor did she know there was money involved. We checked her bank accounts and had an officer on our payroll check your home for stashed cash. He found nothing to indicate she was getting paid.”
I scrape both hands through my hair, needing the hint of pain to keep me grounded. I want to break something. Punch someone. Do fucking something!
There’s one more question I need answered before I can move on from this. Before I can truly trust my brothers.
“And what about the baby? Did you know about the pregnancy?” All four of my brothers take turns looking to each other in confusion, then back to me all shaking their heads. Their curses and disbelief spoken under their breath.
“What baby?” Ghost finally looks me in the eyes, his confusion and concern both staring me in the face.
“Skyler was pregnant the night Chase attacked her. A few hours after she arrived in Mountain Heights, she miscarried. Eli and Cash took care of her. Skyler said she swore them to secrecy not wanting to add anymore guilt or stress to George or the club.” I take a deep breath and let it out. “She never told them who the father was. Guess she was worried I’d find out where she was if word got back here.”
“Jesus.” Gabe groans. “What the fuck else don’t we know?”
“Chase’s death isn’t why this arachnid is interested in Skyler. He knows Skyler had ties to the Kings. As such, he believes the Kings were behind the death and disappearance of his brother. He’s plotting his revenge on both Skyler and the MC.” Vincenzo brings the conversation back to the shitstorm at hand. “He meant to snatch Skyler and possibly your daughter as well, Mack, but things didn’t go as planned. He will try again. I’m certain he plans to use Skyler to draw the club out where he and his Devils will ambush you all.”
“Not going to fucking happen.” Gabe grits.
“He’s not getting his hands on Sky. The fucker’s living on borrowed time.” I mean every word too.
“I’m glad to hear you’re so protective of her. I was beginning to think I might have to have Matteo here put you in the ground, especially when I was told you wished the Devils would find her. As a matter of fact, you said several threatening and demeaning things to Miss Sinclair.”
All eyes cut to me. All looking ready to put a bullet in my ass.
Ah, shit.
“I was an asshole to her for longer than necessary, I admit that, but I didn’t have all the facts and she wasn’t helping by keeping shit to herself. She should’ve told me. Hell, my brothers should’ve fucking told me about all this shit!” I shout, throwing my hand out indicating the four men in this room who hold as much fault if not more for the way things have gone between Skyler and me. “Skyler and I have since talked some shit out. She’s mine. Always has been.”
“After Santiago told me what happened between you two at the Pearl, I assumed you had figured your shit out. But then I got the report of your outburst outside the bar, and I must tell you…” Vincenzo stands, buttons his jacket then comes to stand right in front of me. “I made a promise to her father to watch over her, protect her, from anyone who would seek to harm her. If I ever hear of you breaking that poor girl’s heart again, I’ll fucking gut you from neck to navel. Are we clear Mister Anderson?”
I don’t acknowledge the threat, but instead I tell him, “Consider this Scarlet’s resignation.”
Vincenzo smiles wide.
“One last thing, Vincenzo.” Gabe calls to his back.
Vincenzo spins to face Gabe.
“How did you know we had a guest in our basement?”
Vincenzo shrugs. “I’ve had a man following Skyler since the day she arrived at my apartment as per my agreement with George.” He then turns back to me. “And Skyler called when you called Ethan away from his room. She told me she needed help leaving the premises while you were all busy with your prisoner in the basement.”
“The fuck do you mean? She left? How?” I’m fucking livid.
Gabe stands to his feet, coming around the side of his desk. Matteo jumps between Gabe and Vincenzo blocking Gabe’s path. Mack moves to keep Matteo from getting to Gabe.
Vincenzo holds up his right hand. “Relax my friends. Santiago drove her back to the house she’s been staying in. He will remain with her until you send someone to stay with her for the night.” His hand comes down on my shoulder. “Perhaps you want to become her new bodyguard and relieve Santiago of his duties?” He cocks his brow and I’m half tempted to like the fucker.
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