Returning to the Bad Boys

DOMINIC

I was lying there, listening to Walker’s sobs and Hayden’s soft whispers of revenge. I was trying my best not to shed a tear. After a while, Walker’s crying ceased and the heavy breathing that followed told me they had both drifted off to sleep.

I rolled off the bed and made my way to the bathroom, heading straight for the sink. I noticed the shattered mirror and droplets of blood in the sink, which made me frown. Must be Hayden’s doing, I thought to myself.

I splashed water around the sink to wash away the blood, then splashed my face with cold water. There was no way I was going to sleep.

I spotted my gun, tucked it into the back of my jeans, and headed back to the room. I picked up Walker’s keys and quietly slipped out of the room. As I turned, I almost screamed when I saw Rufus sitting in a deck chair just outside the room, watching me.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m going for a ride. I can’t sleep,” I replied.

He looked me up and down, then frowned. “You won’t be any good to Walker if you don’t get some rest,” he pointed out.

“At this moment in time, I’m not good for anything,” I muttered, walking toward Walker’s jeep.

I climbed in, started the engine, and slowly pulled away from the motel. I noticed the fuel light was on, so I headed to the nearest gas station and used my own card to fill up the jeep’s tank.

I drove around the quiet town, observing the drunks and homeless wandering around, and somehow, I ended up at the beach. I parked on the sand and noticed the beach was completely deserted. Looking out at the dark water, I knew dawn was only a few hours away.

I got out of the jeep, walked over to the shoreline, and sat down heavily in the sand. It was so peaceful. I took off my shoes and socks and wiggled my toes in the sand.

Looking up the beach, I saw the remains of Walker’s house and tears welled up in my eyes. I pulled out the necklace from my back pocket and laid it in my hand. It was so tiny and sparkly. Just like Tayla had been. A true diamond in this shit hell of a world.

I sat there, staring at the diamond in my hand, only moving when the water started to lap at my feet. Slowly, the sun began to rise, making the water sparkle. Gulls cried overhead and I noticed a few surfers arriving at the beach.

People started walking their dogs, and I watched as they ran in and out of the water, yapping happily. I had been that happy once. As happy as a fucking yapping dog.

I put the necklace around my neck, tucked it under my T-shirt, and put my socks and shoes back on. I stood up, dusted the sand off my backside, and stared out at the sea.

I knew I had to get back to the motel and find out the plan of action. Hopefully, it would involve me putting a bullet in the fucker responsible for Tayla’s disappearance.

As I turned to head back to the jeep, I heard someone shout, “Walker!” I turned back around and saw a man and woman running toward me.

“Don’t do it!” The woman was Tayla’s friend, Jess, and the man chasing her was Tayla’s cousin, Logan. Logan had faded bruises on his face from a recent beating, and he seemed intent on catching Jess.

“Fuck, it’s Dominic, not Walker!” Jess exclaimed as she approached me. My hand instinctively went to the handle of my gun.

“Jess! Don’t get involved. It’s not worth it!” Logan panted.

“Of course, it’s worth it!” Jess snapped back.

“Just leave it. Please!” Logan grabbed Jess’s arm, but she pulled away and stepped closer to me.

“I have to tell you all something,” she said, panting.

“Jess! Don’t fucking do this!” Logan snapped.

I pulled out my gun, making them both jump, and glared at Logan. “Let the lady speak or I will fucking drown you!” I growled at Logan.

Logan turned pale, ran a hand through his hair, and started pacing.

“I need to talk to Walker and Hayden too,” Jess said.

“Don’t come back to the house if you do this, Jess,” Logan warned.

“Fuck you and your house. I can’t live with this anymore!” Jess retorted.

“I will make sure you are safe if he kicks you out,” I offered Jess.

Logan shook his head and then took off back up the beach. I tucked my gun back behind me and looked at Jess. Jess nodded and then walked over to the jeep, climbing into the passenger’s seat.

I guess she’s coming with me now, I thought. I got into the driver’s seat and glanced at Jess, who was crying and looking out of the window. Did she know what had happened to Tayla?

“Jess? You know…” I started, but she cut me off.

“Don’t! Just take me to wherever Walker is. I’m scared enough as it is.”

I shrugged my shoulders, started the jeep, and pulled away from the beach. Jess continued to cry silently as I drove through town. I noticed a purplish bruise on her arm and wondered how she got it. Had Logan hit her?

I noticed how wide her eyes were and how she kept looking out of the window as if she was searching for something or someone. What the fuck is going on? I thought.

“Has Logan hit you?” I asked, making her jump.

“What?” she snapped.

I pointed to her arm. She looked down at the mark and frowned.

“No. It was erm…something else,” she said, nervously.

“If he has laid hands on you, then I am more than happy to kill him for you, no charge,” I offered.

She looked at me with her dark eyes and scowled. “Logan did not hit me. But he did just evict me!” she said, clearly pissed off.

She thought for a moment and then gave me another confused look. “Did you just say no charge? Do you kill people for a living?” she asked, shocked.

“Some of my many talents,” I muttered.

“Fuck’s sake!” she swore, shocked.

She continued to look out of the window nervously, and I felt a headache coming on. Finally, I pulled up outside of the motel and noticed one of Rufus’s men sitting in the chair, on watch.

“Nice place,” Jess said, sarcastically.

“We had to move as our original place went up in smoke recently,” I said, coldly.

She noticed my mood and paused her lips together. We climbed out of the jeep, and she followed me over to the man in the chair, still looking around nervously.

“What’s with the female?” the man asked.

“She wants to see Walker,” I said, firmly.

“Is she armed?”

I swiveled my gaze toward Jess.

“Are you packing heat?” I questioned.

She shot back a sarcastic, “What do you reckon?”

I gave her outfit—a pair of shorts, a vest top, and sneakers—a once-over and my brows furrowed in doubt.

I turned my attention back to the man seated in the chair, shaking my head.

He responded with a frown of his own before rising to his feet, effectively blocking the exit.

“You need to be frisked,” he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Jess rolled her eyes dramatically, then, to my astonishment, she peeled off her vest top and unzipped her shorts, letting them pool around her ankles.

She did a full pirouette, arms extended.

Clad only in her black lingerie, she shot the man a challenging look.

“Are we good now?” she asked him, her tone laced with sarcasm.

The man’s face flushed a shade of pink as he nodded in agreement.

Jess quickly redressed, and once she was decent, I made my way to the door, swinging it open.

Hayden was lounging on the bed, his gaze fixed on Rufus who was perched on a chair, puffing on what appeared to be a cigar.

The room was heavy with the stench of it, causing Jess to cough as she followed me in.

Hayden’s eyes flicked to Jess, his expression darkening into a scowl.

“Why the hell is she here?” he grumbled under his breath.

Rufus glanced at Jess as she entered, observing her as she took in her surroundings.

“Where’s Walker?” she inquired.

“In the restroom, on a call,” Rufus replied nonchalantly.

She moved to the vacant bed, perching on the edge, her hands rubbing together in a nervous gesture.

Hayden continued to shoot her icy glares, while Rufus puffed on his cigar, watching her in silence.