The next morning I stayed holed up in my room trying to figure out exactly how I was going to bring down Colton and his sister.

But as the hours continued to pass, nothing came to mind.

Jordan was right, I had no idea what I was going to do. All I had was blind ambition, and that wasn't going to get me anywhere on its own.

At 7:15, I finally left my room. It was about time that I head down to the bar and help keep the creeps away. I threw on a pair of leggings and a slightly baggy sweatshirt and was on my way.

When I finally wandered in, probably looking miserable, Tony automatically grabbed a water bottle from underneath the counter. "It looks like you might need this."

"Thanks." I twisted off the top and guzzled half of it, appreciating the way it almost seemed to calm my nerves as soon as I swallowed it.

"So," Tony started, testing the waters, "what's got you looking so gloomy today? Did you and Jordan get into another fight?"

"Actually, yeah we did."

Tony was quiet for a minute. "Do you mind if I ask what about?"

My brain was running laps trying to figure out how to tell him what our fight was about without actually telling him what it was about.

"A sore topic from back home came up is all." Yeah, more like a sore person.

He nodded his head slightly in understanding. "Wait, you're from California right? More specifically San Francisco?"

"Um, yeah?"

He toyed with his fingers for a while, not saying anything but incoherent mumbling.

"What is it Tony? Just ask."

"Well, you see, the thing is, my family is having a reunion/birthday party thing for my great grandmother and when my mom first told me about it several months ago I had a girl friend. And my family really wanted to meet this girl, and if I don't show up with a girl, I'm afraid they're going to think I lied about having a girl friend and my brothers will say 'Oh, Tony can't get a girl friend.'"

I stared at Tony, my face completely void of any emotion. My first answer was a hard no. There was no way in hell I was going to go back to San Francisco. Not after what I had been through. I wasn't about to subject myself, or anyone I loved, to that kind of pain again.

But thinking about it for a bit longer, I realized this may be exactly what I needed. Using Tony, I could go back to California and take down Colton without any suspicion. If I didn't tell Jordan, he would be safe here and the only person I would have to look out for would be Tony, but even then, if I waited until after his family thing, after he was already safe back in Texas, I wouldn't have to worry about protecting him either.

There wouldn't be anyone in danger because of me.

"Alright, I'll do it." I took another sip of my water, trying to hide just how excited I was at having my revenge so close.

"So you're okay with being my fake girl friend?" I nodded my head. "You are literally the greatest Daytona.

"Aye, bartender! I've been waiting here for ten minutes, can I get a drink? Like I get that you're trying to hookup with that floozy but you have-"

I stood up, knocking my chair to the ground. "I'm sorry, I must be loosing my hearing because to me it sounded like you just called me a floozy."

The man looked me up and down then proceeded to ignore me and turn back to Tony. "As I was saying, you have other important customers who-"

"There is no 'As I was saying', did you, or did you not just call me a floozy?" I approached the man with my water bottle in hand. There was no way I was going to let some misogynistic man call me a floozy when I was wearing a sweatshirt and leggings.

"Yeah I called you a floozy. What're you going to-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, I poured the rest of my water on him.

"What the hell! Bartender, kick this floozy out of here!"

I leaned back against the counter with a smirk as I watched the man freak out over his now wet clothing.

"I apologize sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This lady is a very important person and a valued customer to our manager. She was simply minding her business before you made the assumption that she was a floozy. So we are going to have to ask you to please leave and never come back." Tony said with a tight lipped smile.

The man made a move to leave, but spun around and hit me straight in the stomach. I was caught of guard. I should've been able to stop that, but I guess being out of fighting for so long really slowed down my reflexes.

"Alright, that's it." Tony jumped over the bar, and personally escorted the man outside. Like always, when anything involved me, the rest of the bar patrons just turned their heads and pretended to ignore what was going on. "I'm really sorry about that Daytona. Why don't you just head up and take care of that stomach."

"Thanks Tony, I'm sorry about all of that."

"It's fine Daytona. He shouldn't have called you a floozy in the first place. And after all, you are a very valued customer here." He gave me a goofy grin and I turned to leave.

The fact that that man was able to hit me still bothered me. If I faced Colton with the skills I had now, I would be dead in seconds. I would need to train, and train hard. It wouldn't cut it to be as good as I was before leaving California. I would need to be better. Faster. Stronger. And most importantly, I would need to be deadlier.

~~~~🌻~~~~

When I got back to my apartment, I immediately grabbed a random bag of frozen peas that we had and sat down with it on the couch. I guess somewhere between episode 5 and episode 8 of The Umbrella Academy, I had fallen asleep. The sound of the front door opening finally woke me up.

"Daytona, what're you doing out here still. It's nearly three in the morning." Jordan set his jacket on the coffee table in front of me and plopped down at my side.

Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I winced slightly as I sat up. "I guess I fell asleep while I was watching Netflix."

"And the peas? If you wanted to hold something you could've just asked for my hand." Jordan chuckled at his own joke.

Despite my best efforts to not give him the satisfaction, I giggled a bit too. "I got hit down in the bar and I was using this as a makeshift ice pack."

"Someone hit you?" Like a switch, he lost his playful tone and became abnormally serious.

"Yeah he called me a floozy so I poured my water on him, Tony asked him to leave, he didn't like that, so he hit me. It's not a big deal though." Jordan seemed to understand the words I didn't say out loud. I've been through worse.

With a scoff, Jordan leaned back on the couch. "What a prick. But are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay." The smile I gave him was fake of course, and even though Jordan knew that too, he didn't push it.

His hand rubbed soft, comforting circles into the skin right above my knee, sending fireworks coursing through my veins.

"Anyways," with a cough, I stood up abruptly, "I think I'm going to head to bed. You should too."

I didn't like the feelings Jordan was giving me. That was the last thing I needed right now. With revenge on Colton so close, I couldn't let myself get distracted, and I couldn't put Jordan in harm's way. Death would sooner claim me then anyone else I cared about.

"Alright I guess. Tomorrow I'm off. Do you want to go do something? We could do whatever you want."

Damn Jordan, I thought, why do you have to make this so hard for me?

"Um yeah. I'll think of something in the morning when I wake up."

"That's good enough for me." He smiled at me. A smile that made my heart drop to my stomach. "Sleep well Daytona. Goodnight."

"Goodnight to you too Jordan." I turned my back on him, heart pounding so loudly in my chest I was almost positive that he could hear it.

Walking into my room with a quick sigh, I shut the door behind me, begging my heart to calm down. I changed into some random pajamas that I had around my room and admired the now blooming bruise.

I'm going to have to start training again. And soon.

I slipped joyfully into my sheets, enjoying the way they seemed to be the only thing that made me feel safe anymore.

Laying my head down on my pillow, I quickly succumbed back into dream land.

~~~~🌻~~~~

"Hey, Day, wake up." Someone had their hands on me and was shaking me awake.

"Five more minutes Jordan." Groaning, I rolled back over. A cold shiver ran through me so I reached for my blankets.

But they were gone.

I pried my eyes open and found I wasn't even in my room anymore. I was back in Colton's warehouse.

"What the-" I jumped up from the cold, hard floor. "Where am I? How'd I get back here?"

"Day, would you just calm down and look at me!" The hands that shook me awake spun me around.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't this.

"Cooper?"

"Yes?" I stared at him, my eyes wide in fear and amazement. "Look we don't have time for this. We have to get you out of here and soon." Cooper grabbed me by the hand and started to drag me out of the room we were in.

"Wait, no, leave me here. You have to get out. If not Colton will kill you."

"Don't be ridiculous Day. I'm not going to die." We passed hundreds of doors and the hallway seemed to never end.

I followed behind Cooper, quietly going with him. I knew I should've stayed and let him get away, but I was selfish and wanted to be with my brother.

"We're almost there, Day."

"Alri-"

The sound of a door being slammed open startled me and I turned around to find another dude with a loaded gun tattoo on the back of his hand offering me a gun.

"What, no I don't want this. Cooper, let's keep going." But when I turned around, Cooper wasn't standing in front of me anymore. He was on his knees, tears in his eyes.

"Please Day, don't do it. Don't kill me."

I raised my hand to show him that I was unarmed. That I didn't accept that guys gun. But I wasn't unarmed.

The gun which I had just refused was sitting tightly in my hand. My finger already on the trigger. And as if I lost all control of my body, I placed the barrel of the gun to Cooper's forehead.

"Day," his voice cracked, "don't do this."

"I'm not!"

Except I was. I was starring my brother in his face as my finger tightened around the trigger.

Bang.

The gun kicked back in my hand and Cooper slumped backwards. Dead.

Finally gaining control over myself again, I threw the gun and dropped to my knees, cradling Cooper's lifeless body in the arms once again.

"No! No! I didn't mean it Cooper! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to kill you. I'm sorry."

"No!" An agonizing scream tore through me and I bolted straight up in bed. Tears were streaming down my face and my pajamas clung to my sweaty body.

I drew my knees up to my chest and sobbed into them, not even trying to be quiet.

Soon enough, Jordan burst through the door and gathered me up in his arms. "Hey, it's okay. It'll be alright. Breathe."

I started to choke on my own sobs, hyperventilating to try and get more air but that wasn't working either.

"Daytona. Calm down. Deep breaths." Jordan's voice was very gentle, trying to work me out of my panic attack.

"I-I killed him Jordan. I killed Cooper." My breath was coming back to me very slowly and the pain in my chest started to lessen.

"No you didnt. That bastard Colton did and I will make him pay for putting you through this. Okay? You didn't kill Cooper."

Despite his reassuring words, the only thing I could see was the gun in my hand as I pulled the trigger.