Page 68 of Hate So Deep

NOW

Dirk

What in the actual fuck is going on?

None of this makes sense.

The last time I saw Lauren, she was clearly out of it, but she wasn’t hurt and she sure as shit wasn’t covered in blood.

There’s no way she somehow subdued Buck’s girlfriend and then hid her fucking body and that’s the only thing that makes sense based on the detective’s line of questioning.

Aimee must be dead but how did it happen and when?

Either way, I can’t leave this hanging over her head and although I’d rather not involve anyone else in this fiasco, Hayden knows some of these pricks from back in the day.

He might be able to shed some light on this murky as fuck subject.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Buck was buying drugs to subdue his victims because the slimy fucker didn’t understand boundaries and he sure as shit didn’t care about the word no.

If he were still here, I’d seek him out just to beat his ass but instead, I’ll finally be paying a visit to that fucker Gage.

He’s been on my list since Lauren admitted she didn’t remember anything from that night, now he’s got some explaining to do.

In the meantime, I need to dispose of the shirt Lauren was stupidly carrying around in her purse before doing some recon. I may be eager to track down the asshole but I’m not stupid, the more I know about what I’m walking into, the better.

Thankfully, Hayden is home, and I spy him standing on the porch when I pull into the drive. As soon as I exit, he raises a brow and I mutter, “Time for a little bonfire.”

Hayden doesn’t comment but his lips pull into a filthy grin as he leads me around to the backyard.

“Where’s Ramie?” I ask.

“With Finn,” he grunts, and I drop the shirt into the bin Hayden points to.

With all the shit going down, I forgot today is Colt’s big day. I need to be back in time for the ceremony which blackens my mood because I’m itching to do some damage.

“Do I want to know?” he asks.

“Probably not,” I say, and he merely nods before passing me the lighter fluid.

After I spray the scrap of fabric, we watch it flame, before I say, “You know anything about some drug dealing fucker named Gage?”

Hayden rocks back on his heels before saying, “Into sick shit, that one.”

My heart sinks at his words and I pray that my suspicions about what happened to Lauren aren’t correct while Hayden fills me in on the soon to be dead fucker.

When he’s done, he says, “Want me to go with you?”

“Naw, bro,” I say, clapping him on the back. “I’m already going down, no reason to take you with me.”

I’ve met Gage once before which happens to be the night that Buck was attacked, and I found Lauren dancing around in his white as fuck living room before slithering across his white as fuck leather couch.

To say that I saw black would be an understatement not only because she was there but Gage, the sleazy fucker, was leading her back into his lair, no doubt to take advantage of someone who not only didn’t have the capacity to say no but probably didn’t even understand the word at the time.

I hate to think that maybe I sent Lauren into this mess with the way I treated her, but I know that it’s partially true. We may be at odds, and we may say things that we don’t mean, but the truth of the matter is that I see her desperate attempts to escape the truth barreling down on her at top speed.

The problem is, she can’t outrun what’s coming and the sooner she takes the blow, the sooner she can move the fuck on.

Sure, it’s a shitty fucking reality but it will fade. She’ll let go of the rose-colored glasses and emerge stronger for her efforts.

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