Page 45 of Damned Embers

"What are you doing, Sky?" I question looking at myself in the mirror.

At the same time, the door to the restroom opens again, startling me and causing me to turn around and see who entered. Recognizing that they weren't a threat and just another patron of the restaurant, I take a deep breath and head to the door. Before I make it out completely something hard hits me in the back of the head and blackness takes over as my body drops to the floor.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Where's Sky?" Valentina questions searching the room. "She's been gone an awfully long time."

Looking down I check my watch and see she's right. When Sky got up to use the restroom, Gunner was quick to follow her. I knew his plan, it was written all over his face. He had every intention of going to claim her, fuck her, in that bathroom. I wouldn't lie and say I wasn't jealous. I was extremely fucking jealous of him going after what he wants. It was tempting to follow behind and join him. It wouldn't be the first time that we had shared her and I'm sure it wouldn't be the last. Instead, I sat here, continuing to make small talk with the owner and employees of Rockport Security. My brother could have his fun now. At the end of the night, I had every intention of following her back to her room and making sure she screamed my name as she fell apart around my cock.

"She just needs a minute," Gunner answers, taking his seat once more. I give him a quick knowing look and he returns it with a smile before putting on his mask of no emotions.

"Well, while Sky isn't here why don't we have a quick talk," Knox begins, sitting straighter in his seat. "How did you two get involved with Sky? Last I had heard you all hated her. What changed?"

I guess we're jumping right into this and ignoring everything else that's taken place. It's not any of Knox's business how or why something changed between us and Sky. I'm almost tempted to tell him he can just shove it but I know that isn't going to win us any favors. Right now, we sort of need her boss on our side. Even if I don't like how protective he is over her. That's our job and always has been. If I find out he's ever touched her will I maybe just have to do something about that?

"We learned the truth," I answer, despite the kick to my shin that Gunner delivers. So maybe reasoning out telling the truth in my head without speaking to Gunner about it wasn't my best moment. "She was being stalked before she left and never told us," I growl, slamming my fist against the table. "It's bullshit and she should have told us. I would have protected her, we all would have."

"I'm sure you would but she was scared and couldn't think rationally," Knox shakes his head. "Her leaving you all destroyed her. It's only in the past six months I've seen a glimpse of who I always knew she could be instead of the quiet shy girl who came to us scared of the world looking for a job."

"Well then, maybe she shouldn't have left us in the first place," Gunner retorts from beside me as he crosses his arms and leans back in his chair.

"You're awfully full of yourself if you thought that she wasn't terrified when she left. She wanted to protect you. This stalker threatened all of your lives and so she did the only thing she could to save you all. She ran, despite knowing that it would destroy her and she wouldn't be the same," Knox's voice is cold with his answer.

His words hurt but they're the truth. Sky said the same herself. She only wanted to protect us, even though it's always been our job to protect her. Now that we have her back I'm making a promise to myself to ensure that she is always protected and that she knows we can take care of her. No more running. If she runs, we run too. End of story.

"We won't let her go. Not again," I answer, barely holding back my snarl. "Sky belongs to us and we will help her. No one is going to touch her again."

"She’s one of us," Knox bites back. My brothers and I consider Sky family. She's a little sister to us. We will look after her always. If you all are going to be in her life again then you better treat her right. If you don't you will have us to contend with. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," I bite back, doing everything possible to not give him a piece of my mind. He's Sky's boss and she trusts him. If I do anything to piss him off I don't think Sky is going to forgive that easily. It's the only reason I bite my tongue.

"She was one of us first. Don't forget it," Gunner snarls, slamming his hands on the table with his anger.

"Seriously," Valentina growls. "Where is Sky? It shouldn't be taking her this long." The woman's eyes search the room like she's trying to find something out of place. The whole move puts me on edge and causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand. She's right. Sky should be back by now.

"I'll go check on her." I push my chair back and stand already taking off to the restrooms before anyone else can say anything. I know for a fact Gunner and Sky had some fun. I knew his intentions the second he followed her. Risky places always were one of his favorite places to fuck. I am glad to see the man hasn't changed at all.

"Sky?" I call out, pushing the woman's door open. When I don't hear anyone or anything the panic begins to rise. She wouldn't just leave. No, not after everything that's happened. Especially considering that Knox is here in town. She wouldn't just leave her boss and security here without saying anything. Something's wrong. I can feel it.

"Sky, we're not playing games right now. Where are you?" I shout, walking all the way into the bathroom. It doesn't take long to check each of the stalls and realize she's gone. There's not a single fucking soul in this room. "God fucking damnit!" I shout storming out of the bathroom. This cannot be happening.

"She’s gone," I snarl, getting back to the table. "Sky is fucking gone. There's not a goddamn soul in that bathroom."

"That's not possible," Valentina jumps to her feet. "I had my eyes on the front door the whole time. She never fucking left."

"But no one's been watching the back door," Gunner muses, his eyes glazing over. I know that look. It's the look he gets before a fight. This isn't going to be pretty. "Where the fuck did she go?"

"Gun," I mumble, grasping his bicep. My hold isn't going to do shit when he goes nuclear, but I'm hoping it's enough to bring him back down to earth just enough for all of us to figure this out. "We'll find her. We have to find her." I won't accept any other outcome.

"I'll go speak to the manager. See if we can get the security cameras. Whoever took her couldn't have gone far," Knox reasons, already walking away to speak with the manager.

"Gun, are you going to be okay if I go with him?" I know better than to leave Gunner alone when he's like this, but I also want to see for myself what happened.

"Go," he snarls, his body shaking with anger.

I give him one last look over and then follow behind Knox. The sooner we get answers the sooner we can find her. I stand behind as Knox speaks with the manager in hushed tones explaining what happened and convincing the man to show us the cameras. He didn't look too happy but in the end, relented and escorted us back to his office.

"I really don't know what you are hoping to find here," the man complains. "If anyone was taken and used our back door I would know. I was in the kitchen for the past thirty minutes helping the cooks."

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