28. This Means War
Roni Quinn
War is coming.
I popped up from my sleeping with sweat dripping down my face. I looked at the time and it was almost six in the morning. I got out of bed and headed into the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face to calm myself. I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn't like what I saw. I was pale and drained. Suddenly, my stomach began to turn. I hurried over to the toilet and threw up. A lot. What the hell was going on with me?
I left the bathroom and went back into the bedroom. Dave was awake and had a worried look on his face.
"You ok?" Dave asked.
"Yea just no feeling good." I said.
"Come here." Dave said.
I walked over to Dave as he wrapped his arms around me. His cologne filled my nose and slowly I started to feel better.
"If you're worried, I promise everything will be ok." Dave said.
"You can't make promises you can't keep." I said.
Dave was silent. "Maybe. But I will do everything I can to make sure I keep this one."
I exhaled heavily. "Who's Lauren?"
"What?" Dave said.
"Who's Lauren?" I repeated.
"How do you know that name?" Dave asked.
"She was here the other night." I admitted.
"What did she say to you?" Dave asked.
"Nothing. She told me to ask you." I said.
Dave let me out of his arms and the two of us sat up in bed. "Lauren was someone I used to work with. I worked for her dad to pay off some debt... we got close. But I left to go back to my family. Lauren was the one who made me go deeper into the rabbit hole."
"So what happened between the two of you?" I asked curiously.
"She wanted me to stay become on of her dad's henchmen. She wanted me to stay to become a killer. I left because I didn't like who I was... who I was turning into too. I was a beast." Dave explained.
Listening to Dave call himself a monster was heartbreaking. There was so much more to him than anyone realizes and it made me realize why Lauren was after him. Why she was after me. I am Dave's weakness. His light. She wants the cold blooded killer that deep inside him. His darkness.
I was so deep into my thoughts that I didn't realize I was quiet. I looked up at Dave who looking at me waiting for me to say something.
"Whatchu thinking about?" Dave asked.
"Nothing." I snapped from my thoughts. "I want her to leave us alone. I want her to be out of her lives"
"And I promise it'll all be over soon." Dave said.
I looked into Dave's eyes. "Promise."
"Veronica, I can promise that I will protect you til I die. We will have a normal life." Dave promised.
I smiled cupping Dave's face into my hand. I pressed my lips against his. He wrapped his arms around me as we laid back. Within a few minutes, Dave was asleep, but I couldn't sleep. I was too busy thinking about Lauren and all the ways I want to kill her.
I will kill her. That bitch is dead.
***
I parked my car and turned off the engine. I walked into Magik Tat and was surprised to see that Roe was there. I smiled and walked over to her. Roe looked up and a smile spread across her face.
