What Ray Knew
Chapter 04 - What Ray Knew
Ray sat again.
The ocean breeze moved across the deck, but nobody at the table seemed to feel it.
"Twenty-four years ago," Ray began, "you weren't exactly living a quiet life."
Ethan knew what he meant.
Back then, Ethan rode with men who settled problems with fists and intimidation. He had never considered himself a criminal, but he had stood beside people who were.
One of those men was Dominic Vale.
Dominic was older, richer, and dangerous.
He also happened to be Sarah's uncle.
Ethan stared at Ray.
"Dominic told Sarah to leave?"
Ray looked down.
"I think so."
"You think?"
"I knew he hated you. He believed Sarah was throwing away her future."
Lily's hands tightened.
"My mother said her family told her Ethan was dangerous."
Ethan laughed bitterly.
"Maybe they weren't completely wrong."
"But she loved you anyway," Lily said.
That silenced him.
Ray finally confessed that on the night Sarah disappeared, Dominic had visited him.
He told Ray that Sarah was leaving California willingly.
"He said if you went looking for her, you'd make everything worse."
"And you believed him?"
Ray's silence gave Ethan the answer.
"You watched me search for her."
"I was trying to protect you."
"For twenty-four years?"
Ray slammed his palm against the table.
"I didn't know about Lily!"
People turned to look.
Then Lily quietly spoke.
"My mother wrote another name in her letter."
Ethan looked at her.
"Whose?"
Lily hesitated.
"Ray Mercer."
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This time, it wasn't Ethan who went pale.
It was Ray.
