The Weight of the Family

37 (REVISED)

KEREN

Ethan's side trip ended at the border of their territory, outside an edevic weaponry and gadget store. Original designs of current wristpads and augmentation lined the windows, with holoboards denoting power capabilities for previous iterations. Keren tapped his own and measured the price of a distance augment, but stopped when Ethan put a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll window shop later." He smiled. "I need to take care of Jesti's problem."

Business? Unease bubbled in his throat with acidic ferocity, but he followed Ethan inside with weights in the soles of his boots. The door slid open when we stood on the powered pad. A little bell jingled a tune to alert the front counter of a customer. I don't think Ethan's here to shop, and tonight I have to go back down to... the sub-level. Panic dug its thorns in his heart, but he forced his hands stiff at his sides and stayed in Ethan's imposing shadow when he headed to the counter, where a burly man had his back turned, shuffling through the cabinets. Keren frowned at the shakiness in his frame, but he stayed out of it.

"Are you looking for something, Mr. Guon?" Ethan asked with his arms folded.

Mr. Guon jolted as if Ethan struck him with a whip. He snapped around to face my brother. "Mr. Malakai." He pressed his hands together. "Jestirian already came by—"

Ethan rolled his shoulders and came closer. "So I've heard, so maybe you want to tell me what you did to send him into a panic. Our terms were very, very clear, so I want to know what you did," he said, his voice lowering as he pressed himself against the desk. "Your payments have rolled around, but you didn't hand them over to Jestirian. He has a penchant of talking himself out of things, but you should remember I'm not so willing to bend over backwards for you." Keren frowned at the cold rage folding Ethan's brow. "You will tell me what happened here when Jestirian came."

Transfixed, Keren listened close.

"I'll have the money, I told Jestirian that," Mr. Guon complained. "I just need a little more time."

"And what is the excuse this time?" Ethan bit. "I also noticed you didn't answer my other question. You should've known I'd come in lieu of Jestirian if something went wrong." He inched for the edge, and Mr. Guon pressed his back against the wall. "Was there some sort of altercation?"

Keren widened his eyes when Mr. Guon's gaze flicked to the side, to the back entranceway. If Ethan noticed the same as him, he gave no indication, so he once more kept his mouth shut against a lie. "I'll have it, Ethanius, by the end of this week," he whimpered when Ethan's shadow engulfed him. "I don't know what Jestirian's talking about."

Keren looked between the two. A lie hung in the air, and Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"You know, the boss won't like to hear that, Mr. Guon, so I advise you have it ready by our allotted time, not yours," Ethan said, cold as space. Keren glanced at Mr. Guon when Ethan nudged him for the front door, with Mr. Guon slipping closer to the back entrance. Another bell rang, and they left the shop.

Words choked his throat, left unsaid. "Ethan—"

"Sh." Keren went silent with the malice webbing the air. Ethan's arm rested around his neck and his hand clung onto his shoulder. "Walk." His gaze flicked to the side, over his head, but he didn't turn his face in full. Electricity gripped his spine, but he forced his feet through the miles of ice when Ethan pushed his hand into his back. Keren opened the door, timing his own breathing before slipping into the passenger seat. He frowned when Ethan went around the front, a hand on his hidden blaster. His heart scratched against his ribcage when he entered the driver's seat, but didn't start the car.