Chapter 19 Dallas
DALLAS
I must look ridiculous when my mouth opens and closes like a fish. I just watched Kay kill someone via livestream. Did he remember he set Hayden and me up to receive the video feeds for our apartments? Anytime there’s movement, we’re supposed to get a notification.
Almost as soon as we left this morning, I got an email with a link to the livestream for Hayden’s apartment.
Someone had broken in. Then I watched as they moved through Hayden’s apartment.
I didn’t want to freak Hayden out if he didn’t also get the link, so I didn’t say anything to him or Braum. Or Kay.
No, instead I was engrossed in the video, especially when Kay showed up with a bat and a bag of supplies.
I wish I could have heard the conversation.
Wish I could have heard the person scream when Kay slammed his bat into their legs.
Wish I could have heard the gun go off. I stopped watching when the cleaners showed up.
Kay’s definitely not just a merfolk performer.
“Dallas?” Hayden knocks into my shoulder. “What do you say?”
“It’s a twelve hour drive.”
Kay tips his head. “Eh, a little bit longer than that. We’ll be taking our RV and hauling the tank.”
“You have an RV?” Hayden asks.
“With our faces on it,” Kendra says. She nods to Kay. “His idea.”
“I want people to know they’re in the presence of greatness whenever they see it.”
“Dallas?” Hayden knocks into me again.
“Yeah. That. That sounds good.” I can’t take my eyes off Kay.
He doesn’t know that I know what he did. What would he do if he knew I know? Will he kill me?
“Perfect,” Kendra says. “We’ll figure the deets out later. Kay and I have a job to do. We’ll be late, so don’t wait up.” She grabs his hand and they stand from the couch.
Hayden yawns. “I’m beat. Braum kicked our ass today with self-defense training.”
“He’s good like that,” Kay says as he walks up to me. He grabs my collar and tugs me down. His lips taste sweet and I lick them open to the sounds of Kendra and Hayden both groaning. How the fuck can I kiss this man knowing what he did? But he did it to protect us.
Kay leans back. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just stiff and tired.” I tilt my head back and forth to stretch. Kay takes the time to cup my dick.
He leans in to whisper, “I can take care of some of the stiffness tonight.” He licks a strip from jaw to ear and I damn near come in my pants. This man is dangerous and I’m not afraid. At least not too afraid.
He kisses me again before releasing me. “You can eat whatever’s in the cabinets or order something. We have a bunch of takeout menus on the fridge.”
He leaves us, but he and Kendra are back soon, both carrying massive mermaid tails and a backpack each.
“Do you need help?” I ask.
“Nah, we’ve been doing this for years,” Kay says. “We got the wagon in the truck. Don’t wait up.” He blows me a kiss, then they’re out the door.
I collapse onto the couch. Holy shit, I’m attracted to a murderer. I laugh and Hayden looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. That’s because I have. “I’m just thinking about stalking him tonight while he’s working.”
Hayden snort and shakes his head. “I’m not instigating anything ever again.” He drops down beside me. “But I encourage to do what you need to. Anything to bring some whimsy into your life.”
“Kay does that.”
“He sure does.” Hayden closes his eyes and I’m glad he feels comfortable again. “I’m thinking about rewatching some of the old Nightmare videos. When I’m rattled up they help calm me knowing there’s someone out there giving justice.”
“There’s replays?”
“And blooper reels.” Hayden snorts. “Whoever thought of that is a genius. They even put sound effects. Like in one blooper reel, Nightmare drops a knife and there’s a bonk kind of sound effect.”
I snort. “Okay, you have to show me how to find these replays and blooper reels because that’s probably a better idea than to go stalk Kay at their gig.”
Hayden scoots closer to me on the couch and pulls out his phone. His brows scrunch and he opens his email. “What’s this?” I notice the email address just as he presses the link to the live feed of his apartment.
I hold my breath, but it only opens to a live feed, not a replay of what went down earlier today.
I let out a breath when I realize. Thank fuck.
I don’t know what I’d do if Hayden saw what had happened in his apartment hours ago.
Or knew how hard I got just watching Kay deal with the stalker.
Shit. I’m getting hard remembering. But what would I do if Hayden found out about what Kay had done and freaks out?
What if he’d want to call the cops? I look to my best friend’s throat, trying to decide if I could strangle him.
“Uh, Dallas?” He waves a hand over my face. “What the hell is that look for?”
“Nothing. It’s just been a long day.”
“You can say that again. I hurt in places I didn’t know existed. Braum really put us through the ringer. I think I liked it.”
“Show me these videos.” I wave to his phone.
We spend hours watching Nightmare torture and kill people.
I stretch before we start another. “I like how they tell us the story and why they’re killing the victim.”
“Right? In the beginning I wondered if they made up the stories to justify the killing, but I looked up names and it’s always someone arrested or accused of the charges. I don’t think it’s bad. Does that make me fucked up?”
I take in a slow breath. “I don’t know. If it does, then I’m fucked up too. I like knowing someone is taking care of these pieces of shit.”
Hayden bobs his head. “Sometimes I wonder if I should send in the request for my brother’s ex. But she doesn’t fit Nightmare’s MO. She just stalked Ben until he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t get away from her.” Hayden squeezes his eyes shut. “No justice for him because she was sneaky.”
I pull him in to a hug. “I know.”
He lifts his head. “You should put in for your sister. Those guys...”
I shake my head. They’re already out of jail. I don’t want to think about it.
“If you don’t. I will.” He pulls away from me. “Your family deserves to have real justice. Those sons of bitches barely got time for the crime they committed because of the crooked judge. Oh, maybe we should involve the judge in the request.”
I take his phone before he can turn in the request. “Let me do it on my own time.”
“Okay, promise me, though. You’ll do it. For all of us.”
“I will.” Why hadn’t I thought of turning in the request when I started watching?
“Let’s watch the bloopers now.” He takes his phone back and we’re laughing in no time.
“Okay, maybe watching murder blooper reels makes us fucked up,” I say.
“I know. I know. But it’s too fun.” Hayden wipes away the tears streaming down his face. The videos are that funny.
“Nightmare even sings to his victims. Who does that?”
“Here comes the needle. It’s going in your eye. Stab stab stab.” Hayden jabs at the air as if he’s stabbing it with a knife.
“We’re really fucked up for laughing.” Laughing at death. Murder. No, it’s justice and the people on the other end of the video deserve every bit of torture Nightmare puts them through.
Hayden sighs as he starts another video. “I really needed this.” He wiggles his phone. “I trust Kay to deal with the stalker. I hope his lead led somewhere today.” Hayden sinks deeper into the couch.
“I’m sure it has.” Despite Hayden’s love of Nightmare, I don’t know how he’d really feel knowing we’re in the apartment of a killer. I can’t tell him.
“Well, I’m beat. I’m gonna shower and head to bed.” Hayden stretches as he stands.
“See you in the morning.” I yawn.
“Bright and early because we got a meeting with Clayton.”
“I remember.” I try not to groan because the man loves early morning.
Hayden nods and leaves me with my thoughts.
Should I go to Kay’s bedroom? Should I wait and take a shower after Hayden? It’s after midnight now. Before I can think too much, I fall asleep on the couch.