Chapter 7

5 Years Old

" T ry again, Skye," Uncle Milo says softly, guiding me toward the gun range.

My head shakes, and I sniffle, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "I don't want to." I'm tired and hungry. I don't want to do this anymore.

He sighs and turns me around to face him before dropping to his knees. His rough hands cup my cheeks softly. "I know, sweetheart. Can you tell me why, though?"

I look from him to the row of guns laid out on a table. They're so scary. So loud. I hate it. They make my hands hurt and my body sore. But I don't want to tell him that. He loves teaching me things, and I love learning. If I tell him, he might stop.

So, I just shake my head as more tears spill free.

His bright green eyes look between mine before his face goes soft, and his thumb brushes my tears away. "Okay," he murmurs, his thickly bearded, tan face kicking up in a wide smile. "What do you say we end class for the day and go find Auntie Charlotte for some pizza."

"And Mommy?" I smile as I ask, but he swallows hard and looks away. "It's ok—"

For just a second, he looks so sad, but he shakes it away and smiles at me as he stands to his full height. He's so tall, so big. Mommy is tall, too, but me and Char are small.

"Of course, she can. She's part of our family." He reaches out a hand and gives me a playful smile. He waits for me to reach out and accept his offer. He doesn't push, doesn't force me to touch him. He's just so…nice.

So, I reach out and grab his hand, letting him guide me from the indoor shooting range under our house to upstairs. This place is huge. It's bigger than any of the other houses on our street, but it's so warm and comfortable. I love it here.

Our hands swing as he guides me through the long hallways toward Char's office. Miles takes a corner, sharp and fast, and he starts to run. I gasp, but it turns into a squeal as he spins me around, his laughter booming off the walls. I look up, seeing his bright smile and kind eyes just before he picks me up and tosses me in the air, making me giggle.

"So, chipmunk." He plops me on his shoulders, and I wave my hands in the air, marveling that I can almost touch the top of the hall ceiling. "?Qué tipo de pizza quieres?"

I tap my chin, pretending to think about it. "Pi?a!" I shout just as we arrive at our destination. Aunty Char looks up from a stack of papers, and a huge smile spreads across her face.

"There are my favorites," she calls, sliding her reading glasses from her nose as she jumps to her feet.

Miles laughs and bends down so I don't hit my head on the doorframe. "We decided to end class a bit early today in favor of pizza."

They share a look, and her smile wavers for a second before coming right back. She heads toward us and wraps her arms around his waist. Char's so small Miles has to bend his knees to give her a kiss, and I fake gag. "Gross."

They both chuckle as he drops into a chair and sets me on my feet, kissing my cheek before shoving me into Char's waiting arms. She sits down in the chair next to him and tugs me into a hug that I immediately sink into.

Her eyes are the prettiest blue I've ever seen, and her face is covered in freckles like mine. I hope to grow up and look just like her someday. Char smells like flowers. She reminds me of home and safety. Mommy does, too, but it's different with Char. She's my best friend.

"So," she murmurs, brushing my hair from my face. "Not that I'm not really happy to see you, but wanna tell me why you two ended class early?"

When I don't say anything, she gives me a sad look and holds her arms open. I crawl into her lap, and she snuggles me, her fingers threading through my short, black hair. "Almost time for a touch-up," she murmurs, tracing the lighter strands of hair at my scalp. Every month, Mommy dyes and cuts my hair. I don't know why, but I'm used to it.

Miles chuckles. "You're almost as high-maintenance as your aunt." I know he's trying to make me laugh, but I don't.

Char sighs and cups my face. "Come on, Mi Cielo," she murmurs, her accent thick. My lips twitch like they always do when she calls me that. Her Skye. "What's wrong?" I bite my cheek. Her brows lift. "We can't help you if you don't talk to us."

"You know we just want you to be happy, right?" Miles asks, tapping my nose. I nod slowly, and he smiles reassuringly.

My eyes water. "I'm sorry!" I blurt, covering my face. "I hate guns! They're loud and scary, and they make my arms hurt." I sniffle. "And—" I fall into a fit of tears, unable to finish my sentence.

Char lets out a long breath and cradles me to her chest, rocking me back and forth. She never judges me for crying or being sad; she just reminds me that I'm safe and loved.

Miles drops to his knees next to us and bundles us both in his arms, keeping us close until I finally stop crying. Then, he wipes my tears away.

"And what?" he presses.

I shrug, my fingers tangling with Char's pretty pink dress. "I didn't want you to be mad at me."

"How much do I love you?" he asks, his voice soft.

I sniffle, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "More than all the stars in the sky."

"And how much do I love you?" Char murmurs, kissing my face before blowing a raspberry on my cheek.

I giggle, and it turns into a loud laugh when she starts to tickle me. "Stop!" I cry, feeling so loved and happy between them. "Aunty, stop!"

"Well," she laughs. "Say it! How much?"

"More than all the fishies in the sea!" I yell, panting for breath.

She stops and bobs her head, smiling wide. "That's right, Mi Cielo."

"And if we love you both that much, why in the world would we ever be mad at you for telling us the truth, hmm?" Miles asks, his bushy brows lifting. I shrug, and he sighs, his face going serious. "Skylar, I need you to promise me something."

I bite my lip and nod, my stomach flipping at his stern voice. "Okay."

"If there ever comes a time where someone, anyone, does anything that makes you uncomfortable, I need you to promise to speak up. Okay? Don't worry about their feelings or making them upset. If you don't feel right, you say so."

"How will I know?"

Char taps my head. "Your mind will know if something is wrong. Trust it."

"But," I start, my face scrunching up. "My mind said there were monsters under the bed, and Mommy said it was just my imagination and not to believe it."

Miles clicks his tongue. "That's different." His head tilts. "Do you trust Aunty Charlotte and me?"

"Yes," I say right away. "I do."

"Do you feel safe with us?" she asks.

"Yes," I agree again.

"And how do you know? What part of your body says that you're safe?" Miles prods, his expression soft and patient.

I think about it for a long moment. "My stomach is calm when you're around. It doesn't twist or get nervous like it does at the dentist." He nods, his smile growing. "And my heart doesn't race like it does when I have to do weapons training." His smile falters. "And my brain doesn't tell me to run away like it does sometimes."

"What times?" he asks right away, sitting up straighter.

I try to hide in Char's hair, knowing I'm going to be in trouble. I shouldn't have said that.

"Skylar," she says, her voice harder than it had been before. It's her business voice. The one she uses when she works.

I don't know what Char and Miles do, but I know she's in charge and bosses men around. And they listen. I want to be her when I grow up.

With a huff, I pull away and look at the floor. "Sometimes," I whisper, "When you're working and I'm supposed to be in my room, I sneak out." Her body goes tense under mine, and Miles curses. My eyes go wide. "That's a dollar in the jar, Uncle Miles."

He pulls his wallet from his pocket and drops it on the desk. "I have a feeling I'll be needing more than a dollar before we're done here."

Char pokes my belly softly. "On with it, missy."

"I like watching you work," I say, smiling at her, hoping she's not too mad. She just tilts her head, waiting for me to go on. "I really do. You're so smart and brave and—"

"Skylar," Miles says again. "What did you see?"

"Not much!" I blurt. "Just you saying hi to a bunch of people at the front door."

"And?"

"AndIfollowedyoutothemeetingroom," I say it all in one word, then take a deep breath before turning wide eyes to Char. "You have really mean friends."

She hisses, and Miles curses three more times in a row. I give him a look, and he jumps to his feet and gently tosses me his wallet. "Take it all, chipmunk."

I grin, my fingers tearing it open, but Char tugs it from my hands and throws it back on the desk, giving me a stern look. "Why did you follow us?"

I shrug. "I really like to watch you work."

She stares at me for a long moment, but she doesn't look mad. "What part do you like to watch?"

Smiling, I tap her cheek. "I love watching you make all the big, mean men sit down and shut up."

"Oh, mon Dieu!" she gasps before tossing her head back with a laugh. "Enfant méchant."

My face scrunches. "What's that one mean?" She's been teaching me French for the last few months while Miles is working on Spanish, but I'm still having a hard time with a lot of the words.

She lets out a long breath, her cheeks pink, making her freckles and eyes pop. "Rotten, naughty child." Char slides me from her lap and stands up, moving behind her desk. "So, Mi Cielo. Let's make a bargain."

I drop down into the chair across from her and bundle my hands on my lap like this is a real business meeting. "Yes, ma'am."

She chuckles, and Miles comes to stand next to her. "I understand that you don't like weapons training, but, unfortunately, it's a requirement." I bite my lip, and she gives me a soft look. "We need you to know how to protect yourself, Skye. The world is a big, scary place, but it's also beautiful. We want you to be able to explore, to have the biggest, most incredible life imaginable, but we need you to be safe while you do it. Does that make sense?"

"Do all kids learn this stuff?" I wonder.

They shoot each other a look before Miles responds. "We promised we'd always be honest with you unless it makes you unsafe to know certain things." I nod. They did promise that. "Most children, hell, most adults, will never learn the things that you will. But that's not a bad thing."

"Why do I have to then?"

"Because you're special." I give him a look, and he chuckles. "You're also too smart for your own good. Tell me, would you rather learn how to protect yourself and others while speaking three languages and kicking boys' butts or play in the mud?"

I shrug. "Both."

Charlotte laughs. "Okay, then. Let's make that deal. You keep learning what you're learning, trusting that we're teaching you so you'll always be safe. And I'll also start teaching you the things you want to learn."

"That's a lot of learning," I point out.

"You're right," she murmurs, tapping her desk. "In exchange, you'll get nights and weekends off, just like in real school. You can play in the mud all you like."

"And make friends?" I ask. "Can I go places and have sleepovers?" I saw one in a movie once. I want one.

She gives me a long, sad look. "Would you be okay with us coming back to that one, Mi Cielo? Your uncle and I need to discuss that with Madeline."

I huff, leaning back in my chair. "Fine." I look up at them. "What other things will you teach me?"

"What do you want to know?" she asks.

I don't even have to think about it. "How to be like you when I grow up."

Char looks at me for a long moment and sniffs, wiping her eyes. "Okay," she rasps.

"Can we eat now?" I ask, jumping to my feet. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a cow."

"Or a bottle of Ranch," she chuckles, also standing.

Miles laughs and rounds the desk. "One more thing," he says, his hands on his hips as he looks down at me. "Who makes you feel like you should run away?"

My heart sinks, remembering the cold, scary man I'd seen that day before the meeting. I shiver.

"Mr. Luna."