Chapter Five
EMERY
My hand shakes as I take the glass of water from Ethan.
“Are you okay?” he asks, crouching down in front of me. Seated on one of the dark brown leather couches in Lucas Hale’s office, I try to gather my thoughts.
I nod, though honestly, I have no idea what I am right now. My body aches and my head pounds, but I’m no longer trapped in the intense state of panic I was a few minutes ago. The water is cold as I take a sip, and it only makes the trembling worse.
They know.
They know about me.
About my uncle.
My head spins at the thought of him—the panic from before lingering just under the surface of my fragile control. I take another drink of water, gulping down half the glass—anything to distract me from thoughts ofhim.
“Hey, are you sure you’re all right?” Ethan asks, taking the glass from my hands when my tight hold threatens to break it and places it on the coffee table behind him.
With uncertainty flowing through me, I try to find words to answer him, except my mind keeps circling back to one thing. “H-how.” I clear my throat. “How did you know? About him. Me…” I ask him, but my voice is barely above a whisper. When I lift my head, his eyes soften, and at that moment, he seems older than he is.
“I’m really good at what I do,” he says as if that explains it. His tone is almost apologetic. I remember the other room we’d gone into the first time I was here, where Ethan had taken my photo for the passport. Half the room had been taken up with computers—much more than was necessary for regular use—so maybe it has something to do with that. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, not after… but heislooking for you.”
Ethan’s words aren’t a surprise, but it doesn’t make them any easier to hear. I swallow hard and fight the panic they evoke because I don’t think I could make it through another panic attack tonight. One was bad enough but after two, I’m barely holding myself together as it is.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to upset you again, but I feel like it’s something you should know. Though I’m guessing you already did, given how we met,” he says.
“I knew… that he’d look for me, but I had to try. I couldn’t stay there,” I say, hating how broken I sound at this moment. I also knew he wouldn’t give up until he found me.
Ethan’s lips lift slightly at the corners, but the barely-there smile is full of sadness, or maybe it’s pity. I’ve tried so hard to stay away from the darkness I know is inside, just waiting for an opportunity to consume me. Now I find myself pushing back harder than I’ve had to in a long time. What am I going to do?
In the rush of needing to escape, the only option I’d come up with was coming here and getting the passport I was owed. Except I didn’t stop to consider anything beyond that. I spent the last of my money on the taxi here, so getting on a bus, never mind a plane ticket, is no longer an option. Without the flights Sebastian had promised me, I have no way out.
My backpack sits on the floor by the couch, and the card I know is tucked away in one of the pockets calls to me. Mason said if I needed help, to call him, except the thought of bringing him into this scares me to death. What if something were to happen to him because of me? It’s only been two weeks, but we’d somehow formed a bond in that short time. I found comfort in his presence, like that of a father. Calling him could put him at risk, and there’s no way I could chance putting him in danger.
“Is there something I can do?” Ethan asks, still crouched before me. He seems genuine, but I don’t know anything about him. Why would he want to help me? He’s connected to Lucas Hale, though I’m still unsure how. I would have thought he merely worked for him, but I get the feeling there’s more to it. The time during my panic attack is hazy, but I know Lucas left because of Ethan, and something tells me Lucas Hale doesn’t listen to just anyone.
It’s apparent Lucas doesn’t care about me, other than the fact I’ve been a mystery he has now solved and how I could potentially be playing some part in his business dealings. Which I still know nothing about because I doubt the ‘business’ he was referring to has anything to do with the nightclub. So how can I trust that Ethan would genuinely want to help?
“I—”
A commotion outside the office door cuts off my words, and both mine and Ethan’s heads swing in that direction.
“Get the fuck out of my way.Now.”Sebastian?
A second later, the door swings inward, slamming into the wall and setting my heart racing. I breathe out a soft gasp when Sebastian storms into the office. Ethan stands, his body half in front of mine from the position he’d been crouched in, so I shift, giving myself a clear view of the door. Sebastian looks around the room, his movements almost frantic. I can’t take my eyes off him.
His gaze finds mine like he was drawn directly to me. My ribs bruise from the pounding in my chest at his sudden appearance. So many emotions flash through his blue eyes, it’s hard to pinpoint any one feeling, but the worry lines creasing his forehead catch my attention.
“Grace…”