Running from the Bad Boys

Five days had passed and she was nowhere to be found. We’d scoured the entire damn town, but our efforts had yielded nothing.

Where could she possibly be?

Hayden sauntered into the kitchen, shooting me a lethal glare before grabbing a beer from the fridge and retreating to his room. His anger was palpable!

Firstly, I’d stopped him from killing Dominic and secondly, he was lashing out because he missed her.

When Dominic had spilled the beans about what had transpired, Hayden’s immediate reaction was to land a punch on Dominic’s face. I had to intervene to prevent him from doing something he’d regret.

What infuriated us wasn’t the fact that Dominic had slept with her to save her from getting shot. It was the fact that she was missing, and we were clueless about her whereabouts.

Dominic emerged from the spare room and took a seat next to me at the kitchen counter. He’d been out every night, searching for any signs of Tayla, but to no avail.

“I think I should try talking to Jess for information,” he suggested, stifling a yawn.

“Hayden already tried that and she refused to speak to him.”

“Maybe I could get her to talk?”

I shook my head. I had no qualms about inflicting pain, but I drew the line at hurting women, unless absolutely necessary.

Hayden reappeared from his room, tucking his gun into the back of his jeans as he headed for the front door.

“Where are you off to?” I inquired.

“Out!” was his curt reply.

“To where?”

He paused and shot me a frosty look. “You’re not my damn father, so I don’t owe you any explanations!”

I grimaced and winced as the front door slammed shut behind him.

Damn it! Hayden was falling apart.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Dominic asked.

I nodded, hoping for the best.

“I know you despise me right now, but I promise I’ll bring her back,” he said, his gaze lowered.

“If I hated you, you’d be dead,” I retorted.

He rose from his seat and headed for the bedroom he’d been occupying. “I’m going back out to look for her,” he declared.

I stepped out onto the deck and noticed the beautiful sunny day. I couldn’t care less. All I wanted was to have her back.

Where was she? Why did she leave? Was she scared? Did she think we’d harm her?

I needed to bring her back and talk to her. Make her understand that we weren’t mad at her.

I scanned the beach and noticed a few people basking in the sun and sand. Further down, I spotted the house owned by her cousin, where Jess resided.

I was certain Jess knew something. She hadn’t even bothered to inquire about Tayla, which suggested she knew something about her whereabouts. Friends always checked on each other’s safety.

With my gaze fixed on the house, I leaned against the railing, drumming my fingers on the wooden beam. Jess had refused to speak to Hayden and had even threatened to call the cops if he showed up at her house again.

Perhaps it was time for Jess to meet my darker side? Let’s see how she reacts to a bit of intimidation and threats.

If she held the key to finding the girl I loved, then so be it. Hayden wasn’t the only one capable of being a jerk!

I looked up at the sky, realizing I’d have to wait until nightfall. So be it.

Scaling the drainpipe, I pulled out my penknife from my back pocket and pried open the window. Slipping my fingers underneath it, I pushed it up and hoisted myself into the room.

Tayla’s old bedroom! This used to be her room when she lived here with her jerk of a cousin, Logan.

I moved toward the bed, tucked my knife back into my jeans, and ran my fingers over the pillow where she used to rest her head. I lifted the pillow to my nose, inhaling her sweet scent, and closed my eyes.

Damn, I missed her. I felt a sting in my eyes and fought back the tears. I never cried over women.

But Tayla? I removed the pillowcase and folded it before tucking it into my hoodie pocket.

A quick glance around the room confirmed that she’d cleared out everything when she moved in with us a few weeks ago. That had been the best day of my life!

Having her with us all the time! Damn it, that’s where she belonged!

I carefully opened the door and tiptoed down the hallway. I passed a bathroom and then came across another door.

I quietly opened it and peeked inside. As expected, Jess was sound asleep in her double bed.

I slipped into the room, locked the door, and pulled out my gun. I sat heavily on the edge of the bed, enough to rouse her.

Jess woke up with a start and squinted in the dimly lit room. “Logan?” she called out.

“Guess again!” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Walker? What are you doing in my room?”

I held up my gun for her to see, pointing to the silencer attached to it. “Do you know what this is?” I asked her.

Her eyes widened in fear as she shook her head, pulling the covers up to her chin. “This is a silencer. It muffles the sound of a gunshot,” I explained.

“You’re not going to shoot me, are you, Walker?” she asked, her voice trembling.

I raised the gun, aimed, and fired a shot into the wall next to her head, causing her to jump. “What the hell!” she exclaimed.

“I missed,” I growled.

“Why are you doing this?” she sobbed.

I took aim again, and her breathing became erratic. “I don’t usually miss, but I seem to be off my game. Maybe because something very important is missing from my life?” I said, my voice icy.

I watched as tears streamed down her face while she curled up into a ball. I fired another shot into the wall, and she started to panic.

“Please, don’t shoot me!” she pleaded.

“Where is she? I know you know,” I hissed.

“I don’t know,” she lied, avoiding my gaze.

“Don’t lie to me!” I snapped, raising my gun.

“I took her to her mom’s, but I don’t know if she’s still there!”

I lowered my gun and smiled. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Her lower lip quivered as I stood up from the bed. “You’re not going to hurt her, are you?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

“Why would I hurt her?” I retorted.

“She’s scared because of what happened,” she explained.

“I know. I plan to bring her home and assure her that there’s nothing to be scared of.”

I unlocked the door and was about to leave when I heard Jess whisper, “Why don’t you just let her be?”

“Because she belongs to us,” I replied.

“You can’t just claim someone like that!” she protested.

“Just watch me!”

I exited her room and closed the door behind me. A door opened, and Logan appeared, casting a light on me.

His eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of me standing there with a gun in my hand. He didn’t move.

I smirked and made my way down the stairs, unlocked the front door, and stepped out into the early morning air. I closed the door behind me and started my walk back home.

Tayla was in Vinehall, at her mother’s place. I pulled out my phone and dialed Dominic’s number.

He picked up on the second ring. “I have a job for you,” I said.

“Sure thing. What is it?”

“I need you to stake out Tayla’s mom’s place and keep an eye on Tayla. Once you confirm she’s there, call me and I’ll come over to talk to her,” I instructed.

“You want me to watch her for a day or two and then call you?”

“Just confirm she’s there so I don’t make a pointless trip. I plan on bringing her home.”

“Where am I headed?”

“Vinewood. Look up the name Goodman.”

I ended the call as I reached home and let myself in through the front door. In the kitchen, I found Hayden washing blood off his hands in the sink.