Double Crossed

prologue - travis

Written by: shiningjustforyou13

I'd never forget the day I met her, even though we were little kids, just shy of five years old and clueless to the world. Four-year-old me was entranced by the little girl with blinding blue eyes, blonde hair light like the sun, with a face that radiated an angelic glow even me as a kid could appreciate.

We grew up together, inseparable like there was a line of velcro running up both of our sides and we'd only be ripped apart when our parents told us it was time to go. Taylor was my best friend, and we told each other everything.

Well, not everything.

I never told her I'd had a crush on her. From about the ages of six to ten, the little version of me was as much in love with Taylor as a kid could be.

I loved her hair, how it got all over everything because she never cut it and it flowed long down her back. I loved her laugh, how it lit up a room and caused everyone to join in because you just couldn't help it, so I made her laugh as often as I could. I loved how much she loved the things she cared about, spent hours awake at night chattering away because she just couldn't ever stop talking. 

Taylor was a free spirit, a will-o-the-wisp, and I craved to know her inside and out. I didn't know much about her family since I was never allowed to her house, and I never met her father. I wouldn't have even known Taylor had a father except for the occasional mention of him she gave, but aside from that he never existed to me. She never talked about her family or her home life, but as kids I never thought to ask.

And I never had the chance to.

Because that afternoon when I'd gone over to Taylor's house to see if she wanted to go to the park with me, I'd found the place silent. No one had answered when I'd knocked, and the cars were gone from the driveway. No sounds, no people, no furniture or anything at all when I peeked in the windows.

The Swifts were gone. It was the talk of the neighborhood, since they'd been seen just packing up and leaving only a few hours before I'd gone over without warning. My Taylor, my best friend, the girl I'd had a crush on for four years, was gone.

I never forgot her though. She faded a little in my mind as the years passed, but occasionally I would see a glint of sunlight or a blue sparkle of water or hear a tinkling laugh and cast my mind back to my blurry memories. I often wondered where she'd gone, once or twice searched the internet in the hope maybe something would lead me to her, but after a while I stopped doing that.

Twenty years came and went. I took over the family business, dealt with shit darker than anyone could ever dream up of on their own, but it brought me to life. I loved running a mafia, loved the thrill of the lifestyle, the money and the class and the respect. We ruled Las Vegas. My life as a child was gone.

Until the day I walked through the doors of that strip club, the bouncer tipping his head at me respectfully, and lifted my eyes to a familiar flash of blonde hair standing up on the stage.