Page 61 of Traitor

Torch fired a single shot through her forehead and she stopped talking mid-sentence. “Enjoy hell, cunt.” He spat on her corpse before storming out of the bar.

I sighed. A meth-head had ended Monica’s life and almost Lauren’s as well. Little Ricky came back out with the bartender in tow.

“This one was running like a scared bitch.”

I pulled my gun and fired a clean shot through his left eye from across the room. Little Ricky didn’t realize I’d done it, until the bartender’s body began to slump down to the floor.

“Jesus, Mikey. What the fuck?” He protested, while looking to the other club members to intervene.

“We don’t leave any witnesses,” I explained, amid complete silence, before heading for the front door.

“I taught him that,” Comedian bragged.

I looked over my shoulder and called out, “I’ve got to get to my real job, so I’ll leave clean up to you fuckers.”

I stepped out and let the bright morning sunlight beat down on my face. I’d just earned my skull and crossbones patch. I’d killed for a club that I hadn’t even patched into.Had that ever mattered to them?

Nine hours later, I pulled into my driveway, delirious from lack of sleep and the reality of what I’d done. I’d taken a life in cold blood and where I should’ve felt remorse, I felt nothing.

Brianne and her guy deserved everything they got. They destroyed families with their actions. Now, I just had to hope that the department never got wind of mine.

I trudged up the steps and into the house, stripping my clothes off as I went. If I got three hours of sleep, it’d change my perspective. Maybe then I’d feel something other than numbness.

I’d gotten halfway up the stairs when there was a soft knock at the door. I crept back downstairs and retrieved my gun from the holster near my jeans.

I wasn’t sure who I expected to be on the other side, but it wasn’t her. She took in the gun and my boxer briefs with raised eyebrows.

“Mike,” she began.

“Lauren…what can I do for you?”

She gave me a small grin, her eyes crinkling up at the corners. “I came to tell you that my answer is yes.”

I scratched at my head. “Yes? To what?”

There was a spark of recognition, in the corner of my mind, but exhaustion made it impossible to get to. It was going to have to wait to be unboxed until I’d had sleep. Lots of delicious, life-giving sleep.

Lauren bit down on her lip. “Us—I guess if that’s even still a thing. I told you I needed to think about it and it’s only been a week, but maybe—”

“Shut the fuck up. You had me atus.” I stopped her rambling with my mouth. It was a stupid line, but I was running on fumes. I’d have to save my great speech for another time.

My hands slid up the sides of her neck and rested against her hairline, anchoring her lips to mine. I liked having control of her movements and judging by her soft moans, she didn’t mind it one bit either.

It turned out I didn’t sleep after all. I just needed her. The numbness was gone; replaced with relief. She was my home. As I held her in my arms, I realized that I still felt no guilt over what I’d done. In fact, I could’ve killed a hundred people for her and felt nothing but satisfaction.

This was what David had experienced after killing Landon. Lauren was my family and I was willing to do anything to keep her safe.

Her hand came up to cup my chin, fingernails scraping against my stubble. She was mine again and this time—I wasn’t going to let anything come between us.

Lauren

October 2015

“Don’t drop it down like that. You’re flinching,” Jimmy held my Glock in his hand. “Let’s try group shooting again. We need to improve your accuracy.”

After seeing the way Jimmy reacted at the gym, I’d asked him to train me. I carried a gun every day, but my first instinct wasn’t to reach for it during signs of trouble. My instinct was to run away. When I’d asked him where he learned to shoot, he vaguely told me that he’d had a government job.

So, he’d been working with me during my lunch breaks since late July, and it was obvious that there was still a lot of work to be done. I seemed to always anticipate the shot, which left me tense, completely missing my mark every time.

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