Page 5 of Psycho Boys

"Calista!" I shout again, catching her gaze just as they pull her further back, the distance growing even further between us.

She looks scared but resolute, her eyes pleading with mine. Suddenly, the world narrows to just us two. I can’t let fear win; I can’t allow them to erase us before I even find out what’s happening.

With one last burst of energy, I leap forward. Somehow, I’m closer; the figure turned slightly to catch me, but it’s all I need. I release a primal scream, one that echoes into the night, asound so raw that it represents the fury and desperation brewing inside.

"Get away from her!" I tackle the assailant, a surge of adrenaline eclipsing the pain.

The two of us crash to the ground, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is Calista. In the tussle, I manage to wrangle my way on top, fists flying, fueled by fear and a fierce love that refuses to bend to the shadows.

Finally, I catch sight of Cali again, struggling against the half-light, and I lock eyes with her. She whispers something I can’t hear, but her gaze speaks loudly:Don’t stop.

I don’t intend to. I bring my fist down again, but before I can connect with the unknown person, another mysterious figure snatches me off of the one on the ground, throwing me into the middle of the street.

Utterly defeated, I hear Calista screaming as she's forced into the car, doors slamming soon after. And then the sound of the car speeding away lingers like a bad dream. As much as I fight, my eyes slowly flutter closed until I'm swallowed in darkness and left for dead on the side of the frozen road.

The silence that follows is suffocating, punctuated only by the distant whir of tires vanishing into the night. I lie there, hollow and immobilized, my heart a drum echoing the absence of what I’ve just lost. A cold sweat coats my skin, mingling with the shards of glass and the remnants of anguish.

How could I let them take her?

Just as despair threatens to drag me under, I hear a faint sound—twitchy, intermittent, yet undeniably there. Against all odds, I focus on it, straining to remember what it feels like to hope. The noise grows louder, morphing into a series of hasty footsteps approaching.

"Dom! Dom, are you alright?" A voice cuts through the darkness, sharp and clear, pulling me back into a world that still has colors to offer.

I force my heavy eyes open, blinking against the harshness of bright headlights that cut through the night like spears. Shadows gather around me, three figures silhouetted against the glow, their stances exuding urgency. One steps forward—light brown coat, sturdy frame, deep-set eyes, clearly holding concern instead of malice.

"Please tell me you can hear me!" Killian screams, frantic, rushing over to me as Ash and Five remain frozen to the cluttered pavement, shock, consuming their features.

Words tangle in my throat, but I muster the strength to nod, though the motion feels sluggish and foreign. I manage a fractured whisper: "Calista... they took her."

Instant panic washes over the group, their conversations punctuated by shouts and hurried commands, but amidst the chaos, my heart is racing for a different reason. Where there’s a shadow of hope, there’s a chance, and I cannot afford to lose it now.

"Damn it! Call 911 and get a fucking car!" Killian orders, kneeling beside me, grasping my shoulder. "We need to get you to the hospital; you’re hurt badly."

"No!" I jerk away, pulling myself up with desperate urgency, hardly aware of the jagged glass tearing deeper into my skin. "I can't leave her! Not like this."

A moment of tenseness hangs in the air. Ash now steps forward, and he looks at me with a strange mix of concern and determination. "Listen," he says, "we can’t save anyone if you’re fucking bleeding out on the ground. Right now, we have to secure your safety. After that, we'll find her!"

The assurance pulls me back from the ledge of despair; the rational part of my brain kicks in. It’s true; if I don’t tend to mywounds, I’m fucking useless. I take a deep breath, grappling with the confusion and dread still swirling inside me.

"Okay," I rasp, voice cracking, "just... don’t leave. Please."

Ash and Killan both nod, signaling to Five, and soon I find myself being carefully lifted.

My body screams against the movement, each throb a reminder of Calista’s absence, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. The sleek outline of a car comes into view as they assist me into the backseat, the leather cool against my skin.

"You're gonna be okay, Dom," Five says as he seats himself next to me, his hands already reaching for a first aid kit strapped under the seat. "We saw the fucking crash from the lot and came as fast as we could. I promise, we'll get you the help you need."

I close my eyes briefly, trying to wrestle back the turmoil of emotion, the endless questions crashing through my mind like waves against a rocky shore. This was not just a car crash; it was an ambush—a fucking trap designed to take Calista away from me—from us.

As Five methodically starts cleaning the wounds across my arms, I can’t help but feel a flicker of anger igniting within me. Whoever did this—whatever darkness lurks beneath the surface—I will not rest until I find them. Until I find Calista.

"There’s something else," I say suddenly, startling Five out of his concentration. "I saw a car. An unmarked car, distinct from the others. It was black, and it had tinted windows."

The others in the car exchange glances, a collective understanding forming among them. "That’s a start," Five says, his hands steadying as he finishes with the bandages. "Do you remember anything else—license plate, any identifying marks?"

I shake my head, frustration coursing through me as I focus on the memory. "No, it’s all a blur. It happened so fast."

"We can check the surrounding areas; look for any cameras that might’ve caught the incident,” Ash chimes in, with fierceblue eyes and a fierce attitude. “But we need to fucking move now."

---