Playing With Fire (Previously Burning The Bad Boy) (UNDER RECONSTRUCTION)

{26} Wake Me Up When It's All Over

"Agent?"

"Agent." he echoed with a nod.

I point my finger accusingly at him. "You. . . you're a cop and you let this all happen? You let that bastard almost kill Damon, almost kill me! You-"

He rested his hands on my shoulders, holding my gaze.

"I've been undercover for three years, sweetheart. I couldn't blow my cover for one little incident." he answered calmly. "I need you to calm down if you want an explanation."

I inhaled, letting the air out in a shaky breath, not able to force my mouth shut. My mind was still reeling over the events of the night, this new load of information only added to the shock.

"My name is Aaron Baxter. I was a lot like Damon. I grew up in Compton, got involved with the wrong people, got hooked on drugs, lost everything. My brother overdosed on some bad shit when I was fourteen and I turned my back on that world completely." he said. "I knew then I didn't want to see another kid lost in that world, another one to die. So I got out of there and moved out here, ready to start over."

"So you went undercover?" I interrupted.

He nodded. "I work for the DEA. Teens in the area were turning up dead and all had some connection to Craig Abrams. They needed someone young and experienced enough to infiltrate, gain Craig's trust. I jumped at the chance to take him down. He was handing out bad shit and killing innocent kids, it had been the same way my brother died. Believe me when I say this, sweetheart, I wanted to pull that trigger on multiple occasions. That rape, Damon's case, every time he sent someone out for a drug run. But I couldn't. My personal feelings couldn't matter, I had to get close enough to prove it all."

He paused, turning his arm over so I could see the injection marks in his arm.

"I had to go as far as putting the shit in me to prove I was loyal to him, so he wouldn't think I was a nark or cop. I was getting close to getting enough on him to put him behind bars when all this crap with Damon happened." he looked toward the bed. "Then you show up and I know that time is going to be limited. He would kill you in a fraction of a second, then the kid. I didn't want to see yet another group of innocent kids murdered in cold blood."

"Is he. . ." I trailed off, tears stinging my eyes.

"Dead?" Bax grinned. "You better bet that piece of shit is rotting in hell right now."

I rubbed my sweaty palms against my jeans, trying my best to keep my composure.

"I'm sorry for ruining your sting." I apologized.

"You didn't ruin it, you just sped up the process." he patted my cheek. "Thank you for your help, McKenzie."

*

I ran by my house for a few minutes the next morning before driving up to Damon's apartment building. Derek and Ryder had stayed behind in the case of Damon waking up, not wanting to be alone. I found myself analyzing every little spot in desperate need of restoration. As I crept up the stairs, it became shockingly clear just how much work the place needed. I knew, without a doubt, that Damon was going to start fixing the place up as soon as he was out of the hospital.

Cleaning the mess that had been left on the coffee table and his nightstand drawer, I headed back to the living room and fell back with a heavy sigh of exhaustion on the leather couch. My phone buzzed, but I ignored the call when I saw it was yet another call from my father. I wasn't going to listen to him lecture me when I was anticipating another call.