Page 55 of Hate So Deep (Hate #4)

THAT NIGHT

Dirk

My fingers still itch to feel the silky dark strands of her hair once more, but I shove that shit away as I park behind the warehouse and exit my truck. What she deserves is a goddam spanking for getting wasted and allowing her friend to take her to a known drug house.

What was she thinking ? Oh right, she wasn’t because she chugged tequila like it was water before staggering off into the night.

Despite warning her over and over a-fucking-gain, she still puts herself at risk and goddamn I shudder to think what might happen if I don’t drill it into her fucking skull.

I don’t even know why I’m here. I should leave her to it because then she might actually learn a goddamn lesson from this.

The problem is, I can’t just let this go even though everything in me is screaming to drive the fuck away and let this stupid story end.

We’re different people from different worlds. She grew up in a ridiculous mansion on a hill with a silver spoon shoved down her throat, while I spent the same time in hell.

The problem is, Lauren is spiraling and if something doesn’t change and now, she’s going to get hurt. The worst part is, I won’t be here to catch her before she falls.

It’s not my job but fuck me, the sappy, stupid dick who tried to save another princess locked in a tower wants to be.

That worked out real well…

It doesn’t help that I’ve told my brother countless times to bar Lauren at the door. The last time I did, he laughed in my face, informing me in a sneer that I didn’t appreciate, that it wasn’t my home anymore, since I fucking ran away.

Asshole.

I know this place well, since this is where we used to party, but the huge ass G-Wagon parked four rows up gives me pause.

Is that Buck’s vehicle? Why is he here?

He’s bound to get his ass kicked for it which means he’s up to no good. I should just keep going. This isn’t my problem but my spine tingles with awareness as I push through the crowd.

“Hey Dirk,” someone says, and I nod, accepting a few high fives and handshakes as I weave through the masses.

Stupidly, these kids view me as a god but it’s not my job to inform them otherwise.

Eventually they’ll learn the truth. We’re all just fucked up kids trying to survive in a shitty situation.

I’m not god. I’m just me.

The giant building is empty but for the broken glass raining the floor, a few barrels we used to light up when it was particularly cold outside and the machinery abandoned when the factory closed down.

It’s been so long that no one knows what was created within these dank walls but that’s the least of my worries when I turn the corner and find Lauren sitting on the floor.

My heart stops when she looks up, tears falling from those wide green eyes and I follow her hand outstretched toward her brother, laying against one of the now defunct machines.

“Dirk,” she whimpers as I step closer.

Buck’s eyes flicker open but when he tries to speak, the blood clogging his airway bubbles and foams on his lips.

“What happened?” I ask and Buck begins to thrash but either he doesn’t realize it, or shock has taken over because he’s not going anywhere.

He’s impaled on a long-jagged piece of metal which I suspect is slowly taking his life.

Fuck me but as I take in the scene, I hope to my goddamn bones Lauren was here by accident.

Maybe he tripped?

Kneeling before her on the concrete, I touch her chin, and she meets my gaze, her teary eyes wide and the pupils dilated.

She’s in shock. She must be because she only burrows into my hand while rocking on the cold hard ground.

“What happened?” I ask again and she shudders.

“He-He pushed me,” she mumbles.

“And,” I press, even though I don’t know if I’m causing her more trauma, but I have to know so I can assess how fucked we are.

“I pushed him back.”

Shit. Fuck. Damn.

It was self-defense but will anyone believe her?

She was completely wasted when she left our house. God knows what she did or took at Gage’s.

This is bad. This is really fucking bad.

“Gah,” Buck moans and I glance up.

It may make me a complete asshole, but Buck’s predicament has nothing to do with me and after all the shit he’s pulled, he deserves a painful end.

However, if I leave him here and he’s not truly dying, will that create more problems for Lauren?

“Bch,” Buck says while I stand to get a better look at his injuries.

“B-Bch,” he says again and a gush of blood slides from his lips.

Fuck me.

“Lauren?” I say, moving back to her.

She’s so pale, I worry she might need medical attention but if I take her to a hospital, what then?

“Bitch,” Buck says, and she shudders, her thin shoulders folding in.

“Fckg bitch,” he says again and this is what makes the decision easy.

Buck is not going to take this lying down and Lauren doesn’t deserve to be punished for his bullshit.

Why are they even here? Why would he bring his sister to this fucking warehouse when it’s clear to see she’s completely wasted?

“C’mon, baby girl,” I say, grabbing her under the arms to help her stand.

When her fingers drop away from his hand, I look away because I’m leaving this man to die alone in the most fucked up way possible.

Shit.

“Let’s go,” I say and push her gently toward the door, ignoring Buck’s pained moans, echoing around us as we walk away, only to pause when a new threat appears before us.

I would recognize Hate anywhere. He runs a gang of men who dabble in drugs and prostitution.

We’ve never had beef, and I’d like to keep it that way but I’m not about to let anything happen to Lauren and I step between them as his icy blue eyes bore into mine.

“Evans,” he says, and I cross my arms.

“Hate.”

His gaze rolls over my shoulder to Lauren’s head before he moves to Buck still fighting for his life impaled on the machine.

After a moment, he says, “What happened to Stark?”

“He messed with the wrong guy,” I say, and Hate raises a brow.

He doesn’t believe me, but I don’t care. Hate’s not going to snitch. In his world, that’s the ultimate sin.

However, I still have to get Lauren out of here safely and to my relief, Hate nods at Buck and says, “We’re here for him.”

“You’re too late,” I mutter, and he grunts.

“Fucker hurt one of our women. Didn’t pay,” he says but there’s nothing I can do about it now.

“Look,” he says, pinning those icy eyes on me. Hate gives zero fucks which is why he’s so dangerous.

Everyone knows to steer clear if you don’t want to risk his wrath. He’s a stone-cold killer and we just took away one of his toys.

Fuck.

“I’ma do you a solid,” he says, his eyes sliding once more to Lauren. “We’ll take care of the rest if you don’t say a word about what happened. Feel me?”

“That won’t be a problem,” I say, stiffening when Lauren moves to my side.

“I think I’m gonna puke,” she mumbles, and I grab her up, holding her against my chest.

“You can’t puke here, sweetheart,” Hate says but she merely blinks up at him.

Shaking his head, he says, “Go. Keep your mouth shut or it’ll be you I use as a lesson.”

The message is clear. Hate has to show the dissenters what happens when you fuck with him.

If it gets out that it wasn’t him who did the dirty deed, we’ll be next.

“Got it,” I rasp, urging Lauren before me.

I don’t look back as we exit and go around the side of the building, avoiding all the people partying just feet away.

Thankfully, Lauren manages to control her roiling stomach all the way back to her house, but I’m worried about her anyway because she’s been laying there like a lifeless doll since we got in the truck.

To my relief, there’s another car parked in front and I’m hoping that means she won’t be alone while she processes her shock.

“Lauren,” I say, gently touching her shoulder.

“Hm,” she mumbles.

“Whose car is that?” I ask and she cracks her lids.

“Mom’s.”

Her lip curls as she says it and I glance back at the vehicle before saying, “You can’t tell anyone what happened, baby girl. Not even your mom.”

As always, the furrow between her brows and that sexy mouth tilted into a frown punch at my gut.

Sassy Lauren is my kryptonite, but I can’t afford to succumb to the weakness. I need to let this shit with Lauren go and yet, my throat still burns as she turns to me and says, “Whaddya mean?”

“About Buck,” I say, and she shakes her head.

“Huh?”

“Jesus, how much did you fucking drink?” I mutter. “Just go inside and go to bed, yeah?”

“M’kay,” she says before staggering to the door.

Once she’s inside, I pull away from her house, leaving her to her drunken daze.

Hopefully she’s learned her lesson because in the clear light of day tomorrow, I know she’ll be seeking me out for answers.

If I’m lucky, since she was so drunk, the details will be hazy, and I can convince her that we left before anything happened to Buck.

However, if she doesn’t follow the plan and keep her mouth shut, we’re both screwed.

I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I have to because as it turns out, I would do anything for Lauren Stark including killing a man if he gets in my way and the thought terrifies me.