Page 17 of Psycho Boys

"This place gives me the creeps," I mutter, resting my forehead against the steering wheel for a moment.

"Let’s just get this over with," Dom urges, pushing open the door and carefully maneuvering his crutches onto the pavement. “And whatever you do, don’t draw attention. We need to slip in and out without raising any alarms.”

"We need to call this shit in. Kill and Five can fucking help us, Dom," I push, leaning against the open car door.

He spins around and glares at me, breathing heavily, so cold you can see each breath he exhales as it swirls into the silent night.

"You couldn't have said something before I got out? Jesus, Ash, as if it isn't hard enough to walk with this shit on my leg." He rolls his eyes and climbs back into the car, slamming his door shut to show me just how pissed off he is.

I get back in, turning the key so the heat comes on to warm us up, frost already spreading across the car windows. Pulling up Killian's number, I hit call and put the call on speaker, my foot anxiously tapping against the brake pedal. While the ringing on the other end taunts us, Dom keeps his eyes on Gunnar's apartment, just waiting to catch a glimpse of the motherfucker who ruined everything. But his place remains dark, a sinking feeling filling my body, just having a gut feeling that no one is here.

"Yo, what's good?" Kill answers the phone, stress dripping from his soft voice.

"We're at Gunnar's place if ya'll wanna head on over," I inform him, hearing him sigh on the other end.

"He isn't there, Ash," he says coldly, putting fire in my veins as the cold from the outside continues to wrap around me.

"And how the fuck do you know that?" I snap, rolling my eyes and shaking my head at Dom as he listens to every word.

"Because we're staring at the motherfucker right now."

My jaw drops and confusion sets in, and I start the car fully in a hurry, just wanting to get to wherever they are as fast as I can.

"Where the fuck are you?" Dom roars, lighting a cigarette with shaking hands.

"At the bar near Five's. Pure luck we found him though," Kill says, sounding distracted. "It looks like he's heading out soon, so if you're coming, hurry the fuck up."

I grip the steering wheel tighter, adrenaline surging through my veins. "We’re on our way," I reply, grabbing my phone and shoving it into my pocket. "We can’t lose him."

Dom propels himself forward, the clatter of his crutches echoing in the confined space. "Just drive—fast."

The urgency in his voice snaps me into action, and I throw the car into gear, tires screeching against the asphalt as we tear away from the curb. The empty streets unfold before us,enveloped in an unsettling stillness broken only by the hum of the engine and our labored breaths. A sickening tension coils in the pit of my stomach, and with each moment that ticks by, the urge to scream at the world around us intensifies.

As I navigate the familiar route to the bar, Dom stares out the window, his expression a mixture of fury and fear.

"If he knows anything—" he starts, but words trail off into a simmering silence.

We both feel it—the weight of uncertainty hanging in the air like a storm ready to unleash its fury.

Pulling into the dimly lit parking lot, I screech to a halt, throwing the car into park before jumping out. Dom is quick to follow, albeit with careful balance on his crutches. We rush toward the bar entrance, urgency propelling our frantic steps.

Inside, the atmosphere is a symphony of laughter, clinking glasses, and pulsating music, a stark contrast to the suffocating fear that grips us. My gaze darts around the room, searching for Killian and Five’s familiar faces.

“There!” I spot them near the back, leaning against the metallic bar.

Gunnar stands beside them, gesticulating wildly, a drink in hand, his laughter ringing out in shrill bursts that feel almost mocking. I nod to Dom, and we make our way through the throng of bodies, the air thick with the smell of cheap beer and sweat. As we approach, I can hear snippets of their conversation, urgency thrumming in my veins.

“—didn’t think you could actually pull it off." Five laughs, his dark hair gleaming under the dim lights.

“Yeah, well, surprises keep the game interesting,” Gunnar smirks, tossing back the rest of his drink and signaling for another. My heart pounds with a deeply unsettling rhythm, the very sight of him igniting the tension between Dom and me.

“Kill,” I hiss, stepping closer now, leaning over to his side to make sure we don’t miss anything. “What the fuck do we do?”

"Wait—” he raises a hand to still me, eyes narrowing as he leans in toward Five, their murmured words barely audible against the noise.

I hang back, tension twisting in my gut as I wrestle my urge to confront Gunnar right there. Before I can formulate a plan, Dom steps ahead—fear and determination fueling him as he slams into Gunnar with a surprising force, sending the drink flying out of his hand.

“Where the fuck is Cali?” His voice is filled with raw anger, and the bar falls into a shocked silence.

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