Chapter 53

TAYLA

The next morning, I woke up and took a long, relaxing shower. I dressed in jeans and a white gypsy top that showed off my shoulders.

I had an hour before Jess was due to pick me up, so I decided to grab some breakfast.

Walking into the living room, I found Hayden asleep on the couch. He was lying on his back, snoring softly. He was shirtless, wearing only his jeans, and his bare feet were crossed at the ankles.

His arms were stretched above his head, revealing his rose and barbed wire tattoo on his bicep. I watched the rise and fall of his chest as he slept.

I reached down and touched the tip of my finger to his tattoo. Suddenly, he woke up and grabbed the front of my top.

He swung me under him and pressed a hidden blade to my throat.

His eyes cleared, and he was panting down at me.

“Baby girl?” he asked, sounding confused.

“Hayden?” I said, not daring to move.

“Fuck!” he yelled.

Walker came running in with Dominic right behind him. They froze when they saw me pinned to the couch with a knife at my throat.

Hayden quickly got up, took the knife away, and began to pace, clearly upset.

“What's going on?” Walker asked, looking confused.

“I was sleeping and I felt someone touch me and...I reacted,” Hayden explained, pacing faster.

“Did you scare him while he was asleep?” Walker asked me.

“I didn't mean to. I just wanted to touch him,” I said, standing up.

Dominic rolled his eyes and shook his head behind Walker.

“I could have slit her throat!” Hayden said, sounding angry.

Walker held his hands up to him.

“It’s ok.”

He walked over to me, tilted my chin up, and examined my neck.

“You didn’t cut her. She's fine.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

“You don’t touch Hayden when he sleeps. He reacts before he thinks. Okay, little one?” Walker said gently.

I nodded and a tear slipped down my cheek.

Walker wiped it away and kissed me on the forehead.

“Go and kiss Hayden so he knows you're okay,” he instructed.

As I walked past him, Hayden looked at me and I felt my lip tremble slightly.

He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly.

He took my face in his hands and looked into my eyes.

“Don’t do that again, okay baby girl? You scared me and if I hurt you… I’m not sure what I would do,” he said, sounding desperate.

He looked absolutely terrified and my heart melted when I saw his eyes were a little watery.

“I won’t do that again,” I promised him.

He kissed me hard, moaning into my mouth.

When I tried to pull away, he held me tighter and kissed me again.

He rested his forehead against mine and stared deep into my eyes.

“Love you,” he mouthed.

“Love you,” I mouthed back.

“I need coffee,” Dominic muttered, heading to the kitchen.

Hayden finally let me go with one last squeeze, and I headed to the kitchen while Walker spoke to him.

Dominic was getting milk out of the fridge when I walked in. I watched him pour some into his coffee.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Fuck off,” I whispered.

He stepped towards me, and his eyes darkened.

“So eager to come again for me, Princess?” he whispered.

“That will never happen again,” I hissed at him.

“Then start being nice,” he hissed back.

“Or what?” I challenged.

“You'll find out when I babysit next,” he promised.

I stepped back and rolled my eyes with a scoff.

Dominic picked up his coffee and took a sip.

I got out some bread and put it in the toaster.

“Can I get some toast please?” he asked.

“No!” I said, putting the bread back.

“Keep pushing me, Princess,” he growled.

I ignored him and made myself a coffee before buttering my toast.

Sitting on a stool at the island, I picked up my toast when Walker walked in.

“You got everything you need?” he asked Dominic.

“I’m going to need a gun.”

Walker came over to me, leaned down, and took a big bite out of my toast. He winked at me.

“Hayden will give you one.”

A gun?

I bit into my toast and chewed slowly, watching a look pass between the two men.

Walker made himself a coffee and I finished my slice of toast.

Picking up the second slice, Hayden came up behind me and reached around to bite my toast.

I swatted his arm playfully and he kissed me quickly.

My phone buzzed and I saw that it was almost ten.

I told Jess I would be right out and slipped my phone into my back pocket.

“Do you have my card?” Walker asked.

“Yes,” I said, patting it in my jean pocket.

“Have fun,” Hayden said.

“See ya, Tayla!” Dominic called.

I ignored him and walked out the front door.

Jess waved at me from her car out front and I climbed into the passenger seat.

“Let’s go shopping,” she said, sounding excited.

In town, Jess and I tried on clothes and bought a few things. When I saw it was eleven forty-five, I suggested we grab lunch and Jess agreed.

“Let me just go to this one shop to pick up something for Walker and then I’ll meet you after,” I told her.

“What are you picking up?”

I bit my lip.

I hated lying.

“I think Dominic is planning something against Hayden and Walker and I want to find out what,” I told her.

“How do you know?” she asked, looking shocked.

“I heard him planning a meeting when you came over for lunch yesterday and he's meeting someone at the cinema at twelve.”

“And you want to check it out?”

I nodded.

“Tayla, this is a bad idea. You don’t know what Dominic is capable of?”

“I need to know. Once I do, I can tell Hayden and Walker. They’ll handle him.”

“I’m not so sure, Tayla darling,” she replied, her voice wavering.

“All I know is he’s got a gun now and he’s up to something. I can’t just stand by and let him hurt my boys.”

She shot me a quick, teasing smile.

“Your boys, huh?”

“Please?”

“Alright. Go check it out, but if you see any sign of trouble, you get the hell out of there or call me.”

I planted a kiss on her cheek and she just shook her head.

“The cinema is just around the corner to the left.”

I nodded and started walking in the direction she pointed.

As I rounded the corner, I took a quick look around and down the street.

Sure enough, there was Dominic, leaning against a wall with a package in his hand.

What was in that package?

Suddenly, Logan’s voice echoed in my mind.

Drugs!

Dominic was ripping off Hayden and Walker!

That fucking jerk!

Two men in black leather jackets approached him and they all shook hands.

Dominic handed over the package and one of the men inspected it before handing him a stack of cash.

I knew it!

They chatted for a few more minutes before the men walked away and Dominic pulled out his phone.

Alright!

Time to confront this asshole!

I stormed over to him and since his back was to me, he didn’t notice me until he ended his call and turned around.

“Tayla?” he stammered, taken aback.

“I knew you were up to no good against Walker and Hayden!” I spat out, my voice seething with anger.

“It’s not what you think,” he tried to explain.

“Like hell it isn’t!”

“Tayla, just calm down and let me explain!”

“It’s too late for that! I’m going to tell them exactly what I saw!”

I spun around to leave when he grabbed my arm and yanked me back towards him.

“Just let me explain!”

“Hey, Dominic?”

We both turned to see the two men had returned and were eyeing us.

“Boss wants to see you now,” one of them said.

“Go home,” Dominic ordered me, his voice firm.

“Bring your girl too. Boss is always in a better mood when he sees pretty girls.”

I opened my mouth to protest but Dominic wrapped his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder tightly.

He turned his head and his lips brushed my cheek.

“Play along or they’ll shoot us both,” he whispered.

Understanding the danger, I nodded and kept quiet.

With no other choice, we followed the two men to a car and climbed into the back.

Dominic slid closer to me and casually draped his arm over my shoulder, as if he’d been doing it for years.