Page 5 of Craving the Fight (Gloves Off: Next Generation)

EMMA

After quickly packing up my things, I headed to the airport with Ava. I didn’t care if I had to wait for hours for a flight to California; I had to get away from my apartment. Thankfully, I was able to find one, and was in the terminal, waiting with a crowd of people to board the plane to Los Angeles. It relieved me to know that Ava would be gone for the next two weeks, away from the possibility of danger. Whoever left the note had been in our apartment building, which meant they were close.

It could be nothing, but it was wise to be careful after what I read. I shifted my gaze to my purse, where I could see the corner of the white envelope taunting me. I reached for it and opened it up, slowly sliding the black card out of the envelope while my heart raced, only to stop with a gasp when my phone rang.

Reagan’s name popped up on the screen.

“Hey, sis,” I answered, trying to keep the overwhelming sense of fear out of my tone.

“Hey, I was asleep when you called. I don’t run on New York time here.” She yawned and then snickered. With everything that happened, I didn’t stop to think that she was three hours behind me. Although, it was good to hear her voice. I missed her.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “It’s just I wanted you to know I’m headed your way. Can I stay with you and Peyton?”

Reagan gasped. “You’re coming home? Oh my God, does Mom and Dad know?”

“No,” I blurted out, wishing I hadn’t sounded so desperate. “I want to see you and Ethan first.”

“What’s wrong? I can hear it in your voice. And don’t lie to me, Emma.”

I gulped down a steadying breath. “I don’t know yet. You haven’t got a strange letter in the mail by any chance, have you?

“No,” Reagan drawled out slowly. “What exactly would be in this letter?”

Glancing down at the black card, a rock formed in my stomach. “Something bad, Reagan,” I whispered, keeping my voice low so the other people around couldn’t hear. “I think it has to do with what happened to our parents a long time ago.”

“You mean that crazy shit about how dad and the others had to fight at the Dark Side?”

The whole thing had been pretty hush-hush except for the news articles we found on the internet. It was apparent our parents didn’t want us to know all the details. They talked about some of it, but I’d always had a feeling it was way worse than what they’d let on.

“Yes,” I confessed. “I think there’s more to the story.”

Reagan blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s possible. Are you going to ask them?”

“Not yet. I want to talk to the guys and see what they say. They might know more than we do.” Which was a possibility, considering our father was uber protective of us.

The line went silent for a few seconds, but Reagan’s voice soon returned. “Do I need to be concerned? Because right now, I’m getting some weird vibes about this.”

“I wish I knew,” I answered honestly. “People always say your first instinct is usually the correct one.”

“And yours was …?”

“That something bad is about to happen.” The terror I felt earlier still resided in my stomach, like the feeling you’d get walking through a haunted cemetery at night, only worse. “It’s like an ominous cloud is slowly creeping over me,” I added.

“Then it’s a good thing you’re coming home. When will you be here? I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

I snuck a peek at my smartwatch. “My flight leaves in two hours. I’ll be there around seven your time.”

Excitement made its way back into her voice. “Perfect. We’ll head over to Ethan’s when you get here.”

We said our goodbyes and I slid my phone back into my purse but kept the note in my other hand. I didn’t want to reread it, but I thought there might be a clue somewhere. So, opening the black card slowly, I read the words, and they filled me with as much foreboding as they did the first time I laid eyes on them.

Emma,

The time for retribution has come. The sins of your family have gone unanswered for far too long. Everything was taken from me, and now it’s my time to take back what I lost. I won’t stop until I get what I want.

~ You know who I am. And if you don’t, you soon will.

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