chapter 4.55

August

Uneasy was an understatement in how I was feeling. Ethan gave a lame excuse why he showed up tonight instead of Wilder. Said Wilder got called away on business and Ethan wanted to "catch up" with me. Funny. I'd just texted Wilder to make sure about our plans only an hour prior. I wondered what really went down.

Add that to Ethan's weird stare and I figured this wasn't going to be exactly a fun evening. 


But I decided to go along with the charade. At least for the moment. "So, how've you been, Ethan? Dating anyone recently?"
​

Just then the server gave us our food. He didn't answer my question. Instead, he methodically downed his beer in a few gulps.
​

Setting down the empty glass, he said, "I'm not here for small talk, Day."

Ethan had never used my last name in all the time I knew him. What was up?

"Okay," I said, so confused. 
​

He went on, "I did a little checking after I noticed how often you and Wilder were going out. Said to myself, 'Something's fishy' about all of it. You never once wanted us to hang out even though we'd been best friends in high school. That didn't sit well with me. So I poked around. And guess what I found?"

My stomach sank like a hundred pound stone. 

"You're some fucking special agent, working for the FBI here in town. And most likely, called for that audit. Am I correct?"
​

Shit. My cover was blown. I had enough evidence to bring both Ethan and Wilder in so I decided to stop with the undercover facade. "You're right, Ethan. I'm sorry."
​

His face grew murderous as he said in a menacing voice, "I told you in high school you were playing a dangerous game getting mixed up where you don't belong. And now, it's caught up with you. I'm the one who's sorry."


I almost laughed. Did he think he could threaten me? I was the one with all the pawns and a direct path to his king. "You don't want to do this, Ethan. You're only going to make things harder for you."
​

"It's you who've already made it harder on yourself. I'm no stranger to dealing with nosy cops. I can make your disappearance look like an accident. It's what I've been trained to do since I was a little kid."
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A gun flashed underneath the table. 

Damn. He knew exactly what he was doing by bringing me to this table instead of threatening me outside. I'd do what he said because he knew I wouldn't want to have a gun fight out in public. People could get hurt. Unfortunately for him, I was way more trained and skilled than I was back in high school. I could disarm him quickly. But it would take the right timing. I only hoped he didn't have any more surprises in his jacket. 


I decided to stall a bit. "Now you've added threatening a federal agent with a deadly weapon to your charges, Ethan. You're going to jail for a long time."
​

"I'm not going anywhere. You're headed for a barrel of acid that will not even leave teeth to identify your skeletal remains."
​

My God. He was more dangerous than I'd thought. No way would we ever give him an informant deal. My plans of allowing him a shortened sentence or even witness protection for his testimony against the Bambinos flew right out the window with that threat. How many people had he'd made "disappear" like that?
​

Ethan growled low, "Now slowly get up out of that chair with your hands where I can see them, or I'll fill you with bullets right now."
​

I did as he said, slowly walking as he'd pushed the hard nose of his revolver into my back painfully. Heart pounding, I assessed the situation rapidly. I had at least a head of height on him, but I knew he was strong--at least he was in high school. I had one chance.
​

Swiftly, I whipped around, kicking the gun out of his hand. 
​

It skittered away over the bricks. Ethan barreled into me but I caught him by the neck. He wasn't as strong as I was, thankfully. This would be easy.
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But he used a police technique to wriggle out of my head grip and then tried to clip my jaw. He missed as I sent a hard punch to his gut. 
​

He doubled over. I took advantage, sending punch after punch to one of his eyes. I wanted to make it hurt so he'd stay down. 

But he wouldn't. He kept coming after me.

"You're under arrest, Ethan Moon," I yelled. I blasted another punch to that already bleeding, puffy eye. 


"Now stand down."
​

Finally, heaving on the ground, he tried to crawl away, his strength fading. "You fucking pig," he whispered. "You're going to regret this day."

"I'm taking you in. Roll over."


Securing his hands with plastic ties, I shook my head at what I'd uncovered. Ethan was a murderer. Lethal to the core. Could he have been the one to threaten Beau? To kill Briar and Daniel?

​But why?

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Just wanted to tell you I broke my game, but it's fixed now, so the next chapter will be delayed until Monday.

​Next chapter on Monday, April 2nd

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