Chapter 6

WALKER

I was sitting on the deck, eyes glued to the laptop screen. The girl dancing on the dance floor had my full attention.

I watched her closely.

Hayden and I were dancing with her, and I couldn’t help but think how incredibly hot that was.

“Do we know who she is yet?” Hayden asked, handing me a cup of coffee.

“Nope. And no clue about the jerk who grabbed her either.”

Hayden tried to zoom in on the guy who pulled her off the dance floor, but he was unrecognizable.

Seeing her being whisked away by another man stirred something dark within me. I had Hayden get my jeep ready.

At one point, she was throwing up in the sand. I thought I might catch her then, but as we got closer, she vanished.

We drove up and down the beach twice, but there was no sign of her.

I took a sip of my coffee and replayed the security video of her dancing.

“Should I put a hit out on her?” Hayden suggested.

“I don’t want her dead,” I snapped back.

“I meant for information. Keep an eye out for her?”

“Just as long as no one lays a hand on her.”

The thought of anyone else touching her didn’t sit well with me.

Where did she come from?

What was her story?

I adjusted my growing arousal in my jeans and took another sip of coffee, eyes still on the screen, watching her move.

“It’s been a while since we’ve chased someone we didn’t want to kill,” Hayden chuckled.

“I don’t plan on hurting her...outside the bedroom,” I clarified.

Hayden grinned.

“Same here,” he agreed.

I smiled back at him and replayed the video.

“I’ve sent out some deliveries today. We need to stop by Tony’s for a payment tomorrow,” Hayden informed me.

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the seductress on the screen.

I wondered if she was a moaner or a screamer?

“I’ve put an ad for a cleaner in the local paper,” Hayden added.

I nodded again, sipping my coffee.

“Damn! You’ve really got it bad for her, huh?” he teased.

“If I want something, I usually get it,” I retorted.

“And because she slipped through your fingers, you’re like this?”

“She didn’t slip through my fingers!” I growled.

“She might already be in a relationship. Or maybe she’s not into guys?” Hayden suggested.

“Those are things that can change,” I grumbled.

“Don’t lose your head over one girl.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Fine. I’ll find her and keep her all to myself?”

Hayden pressed his lips together.

He didn’t like that idea.

“Okay. Okay. She’s hot, and we’ll find her together.”

He shook his head and stood up.

“I’m going for a run on the beach. You coming?”

I shook my head and finished my coffee.

Hayden jogged down the deck stairs and started up the beach.

I stood up and walked to the rail, looking out at the sea.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

Where are you, little mermaid?

Did you slip into the sea and disappear from me?

If she was out there, I was going to do everything I could to find her.

I pulled out my phone, opened my music app, and found the song I had danced with the mystery girl to.

Ironically, it was called Bad Boy.

Would she like a bad boy?

Or maybe two?

I smiled to myself as I hit play.

She was going to.

I picked up my laptop and headed to my bedroom, determined to relieve some of my pent-up tension.

After about an hour, I made lunch for Hayden and me and did some laundry.

I couldn’t wait to hire a cleaner so I wouldn’t have to do this shit anymore.

I found Hayden munching on the chicken salad I had made when I returned to the kitchen.

“Good run?”

He nodded and took a sip of water.

I sat next to him and started eating.

“Want to lift weights this afternoon?” Hayden asked.

“Yeah.”

“Cool. I’ll finish up, get changed, and bring the jeep around.”

After finishing his food, he left his dirty plates for me to clean up and changed into black shorts and a white t-shirt.

I slipped on my running shoes, tucked my gun behind me, and grabbed my phone and earbuds.

I set the house alarm, grabbed my keys, and walked out to the jeep.

Hayden was in the driver’s seat with the windows down. I connected my phone to the car’s Bluetooth speaker.

I hit repeat and blasted Bad Boy.

Hayden smiled when he recognized the song and revved the jeep’s engine.

Two guards opened the front gate to our house as we drove down and headed into town.

I rested my arm on the window and slipped on some dark sunglasses as we drove through the streets, heading to the local gym.

Hayden pulled into the parking lot, and we both got out and headed to the entrance.

Hayden locked the car and walked next to me.

I opened the door and stepped in with Hayden behind me. We were greeted by Karen, the gym’s owner.

Karen was in her late fifties and still stuck in the eighties fashion-wise, with thick layers of makeup.

“Hey Raffiel!” she called, coming over.

I winced as she hugged me, her rose perfume making me gag.

“I have the monthly ready for you if you want to take it now?”

“She makes payment sound like a fucking period,” Hayden muttered under his breath.

She handed me a thick brown envelope, which I passed to Hayden.

He quickly checked the contents and nodded at Karen, who broke into a grin.

“You boys staying to work out today?” she asked.

I nodded and took off my sunglasses.

“The place is all yours,” she said, waving her hand.

I rolled my eyes and walked towards the weight section.

Hayden spotted me as I did some bench presses, and then I spotted him before we moved onto the treadmills.

I liked to work out and stay strong.

It was necessary for my line of work to be fit, plus it gave me great sexual stamina.

I swiped the sweat off my forehead, pushing myself to run faster.

Hayden caught my pace, matching my speed.

We raced, laughter bubbling up between us until Hayden finally had to stop.

“You’ve got an unfair advantage...longer legs,” he gasped, panting heavily.

He watched me continue my run for a few more minutes, mopping his face with a towel. Eventually, I slowed down and came to a halt.

He tossed me a towel, and I wiped my face.

Walking over to the fridge, he grabbed two chilled water bottles and handed one to me.

I popped it open, gulping down almost the entire bottle.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to slow my racing heart.

The image of the dark-haired girl with emerald eyes flashed in my mind, and I groaned inwardly.

She was getting to me.

She should be getting into my bed.

My cock stirred in my shorts, and I glanced at Hayden, who was observing me.

“Can’t get her out of your head?”

I nodded.

“Same here,” he admitted, grinning.

“We need to figure out who that guy was who whisked her away,” I said.

“Or that woman with the pixie cut?” Hayden suggested.

Right!

She was dancing with that pixie-haired woman before we got to her.

Not many women in this town sported short, dark hair. Given my line of work, I was bound to run into her again.

“Keep your eyes peeled and ask around among our members,” I instructed him.

My mermaid may have slipped through my fingers once, but I’d be ready with a net next time.

“And what’s the plan if you find this girl?” Hayden asked.

“Make her ours,” I declared.

“I want her to dance for us again, at home, to that same song. I want to see that fire in her eyes,” he said.

There was indeed fire in her green eyes.

A blazing, hot green fire.

Her movements were a siren call, practically screaming fuck me. Every man in the vicinity had noticed.

But only we two would have the privilege of fucking her. Anyone else who dared would be staring down the barrel of my gun before I blew his fucking brains out.