Chapter Four
Roxanne tightened her grip on the phone, inhaling a deep breath as she waited for the beep.
Beep.
“Last chance, Cord. I’ve been extremely patient, but I’m no fool.
However, you are if you think you’re getting away with not returning my calls.
” Her slow simmer of anger had officially amped up to a rolling boil.
“I’m giving you until the end of the day.
” She ground her teeth. “If I don’t hear from you, I will come find you.
And trust me, Cord. You don’t want that.
” Roxanne paused before her parting words.
“If that sounds like a threat, it’s because it is. ”
Roxanne ended the call and tossed her phone into her bag.
Seven days later, and she was still dealing with this prick ghosting her.
Thankfully, the car was functional to drive.
However, using the trunk was no longer an option.
And it wasn’t exactly a professional look, charging thousands of dollars for her services, then rolling up in a battered vehicle.
She’d spent the morning scoping out a venue for an upcoming fundraiser she was planning.
At least she was busy enough to set aside her burning desire to find Cord and beat the ever-loving hell out of him.
But at the end of the day, she still hadn’t heard from him.
And she wouldn’t. It was time to take matters into her own hands.
Roxanne pulled into the lot behind her brothers’ office building.
She was on a mission. She hoped to sneak in, get what she needed and leave without being detected by any other brother.
It was bad enough she’d have to confide in Bogs about what happened.
Gah, he’ll never let me live this down. But only one brother would know.
The last thing she needed was Stone or T catching wind of this clusterfuck.
The bell sounded above the door as she passed through the hallway.
Thankfully, it was quiet, and Stone and T’s offices were empty.
Bogs was the last door on the right. She walked in to find him at his computer.
Roxanne hadn’t given him a heads up she was coming. This mission required a sneak attack.
“Need a favor.” There was no time for small talk. In fact, she was hoping to avoid any and all. She slipped into the seat in front of his desk. He smiled slowly, grasping his chin.
“Well, hello, Rox. Yes, I’m doing well, thank you so much for asking.” His sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on her. She’d spent almost her entire life with this man. Roxanne was well-versed in the humor and taunting of her funny brother.
She rolled her eyes, hiking her brows. “How are you, Bogs?”
“Great, Rox.”
She doubled down, matching his teasing smile. “And Kenzie?”
“She’s doing good too.” He chuckled, straightening in his seat and cocking his head. “Now what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into?”
Shit! Roxanne was a realist. She knew she’d have to come clean with her brother to get him on board with her mission. She wasn’t certain he’d help her, but it was her only option. If there was anyone who could find someone, it was Bogs.
“Let me preface this by saying it wasn’t my fault.
” Before she could say another word, he burst out laughing, slapping his hand on the desk and howling.
Asshole! Of all her brothers, she was closest in age to Bogs, which was probably why their relationship was the most typical sibling-like.
Even as children, they were scolded the most for their arguing and relentless teasing.
She folded her hands and refrained from giving him a reaction. Roxanne allowed him to have his moment, waiting patiently until he sobered up.
“You done, jackass?”
“For now.” He grinned. “What do you need?”
“Find a guy for me.” Dammit, that came out wrong! She clenched her jaw and squinted her eyes. She lunged forward in her seat and held up her hand. “I mean, I need to track him down because the asshole hit my car and now he’s dodging my calls.”
His laughter immediately halted, his entire body tensed, and he scanned her from head to toe.
Yes, he was a pain in the ass, but Bogs was just as protective as her other brothers, and he was showing it tenfold.
“You okay? What the fuck happened? Were you in the car? You see the doctor? What did they say?”
Roxanne should’ve expected this type of reaction. It was best to defuse the situation and get back to the task at hand. Find fucking Cord!
She waved her hand in front of her face, hoping to calm him.
“I’m totally fine, Bogs. It’s not a big deal.
I was at the marina for a meeting with a client.
When I was leaving, I stopped at the exit, and he hit me from behind.
Nobody got hurt except my back end.” She watched Bogs' gaze darken. “I’m fine. But now he’s dodging my calls.
I want you to work your nerd magic and find him. ”
Hopefully, it was enough information to get him to help her, and she could be on her way.
It wouldn’t end here with Bogs, though. He’d be on her until she found the guy and he paid up.
If he didn’t, it wouldn’t just be her looking for him.
And you don’t want that, Cord. While she could appreciate her brother wanting to help and protect her, Roxanne could handle this on her own. She just needed some information.
Bogs continued to scan her body for injury and slowly nodded. “You got his info though, right? Driver’s license and insurance?”
Fuck! She clamped her lips. She was too damn nice sometimes, and it was biting her in the ass.
Bogs narrowed his gaze, and she held up her hand, scowling. “Shut up, dumbass.”
Bogs burst out laughing and leaned back in his seat, shaking his head. “You get into an accident, you don’t get his driver’s license number or insurance info and I’m the dumbass?”
No, clearly, I’m the dumbass.
“Look, I wanted to, but he said something about another accident and his insurance company possibly dropping him if I filed.” She sighed. “He’s young, and I was trying to be nice, show him a little grace.”
Bogs smirked. “How’s that working for you? You still feel bad for the kid?”
Oh, she was feeling something all right. Rage. Anger. Frustration. A desire to beat his ass when she found him.
“Can’t believe you fell for some lame sob story. Have we not taught you anything?” Bogs teased with a smile playing on his lips.
She should’ve known better. Even she could admit it, seeing as how it’d turned out. But there was more to it she hadn’t shared. Roxanne could’ve let it go with no further detail. And she would’ve had he not called her out. Her face was obviously too expressive.
“What?” Bogs asked.
Roxanne sighed, sinking into her chair and glancing up at her brother.
“Somewhere in our conversation, he mentioned his dad had died. And he got all,” she glanced down at her hands, picking at her nail, “I don’t know.
Sad. I guess I just felt bad for him. It’s a hard loss, right?
A parent. You know?” She glanced up through her lashes to find Bogs staring back at her.
His face was devoid of all humor. Cord’s story, whether it was true or not, was relatable to both of them.
Bogs slowly nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
The air in the room was thick and solemn. Their minds were in the same place. It was dark and sad, a place neither of them enjoyed revisiting. Losing a parent was like losing a part of themselves. A good part.
Roxanne drew in a breath, breaking the silence. “Just help me, Bogs.”
He flattened his lips, straightened in his chair and turned toward his laptop.
“Yeah, I’ll help you.” The corner of his mouth curled. “But you’ll owe me, Rox.”
Well, he recovered quickly. Asshole. It was all a front with Bogs. His pain and grief were deep. He just kept it well hidden. Like all her brothers.
“After all the favors I’ve done for you, you should be begging to help me.” She pulled up Cord’s name on her phone and recited the number.
Bogs didn’t have a retort, but he shook his head, smiling. He started tapping away at the keys. If there was anyone who could find Cord, it was Bogs. He was a technical genius, though she’d never admit it. His ego is big enough.
Bogs frowned, scanning the screen. She leaned in her seat but didn’t have the right angle to view his computer. He’d obviously found something.
“What?” she asked.
He glanced up and then back at the screen. “You sure you got the right number?”
“Yeah. And it’s the same voice on the voicemail.”
“What’s his name?”
“Cord.”
“No last name?”
Shit!
“No,” she mumbled, trying to avoid yet another scolding. Oddly enough, Bogs didn’t even attempt to give her one. Strange. Usually, he took every opportunity to taunt her about her mistakes and mishaps. But not this time.
Bogs clamped his mouth in a flat line, but she noticed his lips twitch. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why he seemed so damn amused, but then she got distracted. I hadn’t been a complete dumbass.
She snapped her fingers. “Oh wait, I got his license plate. Will that help?” She scrolled through the pictures on her phone.
“Yeah, let me see.”
She handed her phone to Bogs. She’d taken a few pictures of the damage, as well as his car. It’d been her only responsible action that day.
“So, what? Can you just search his plate number on the internet?”
Bogs scoffed as if she’d insulted him. “No, amateur. But I can get into the DMV files and find his address.”
Perfect!
“Motherfucker!”
The booming voice from behind had Roxanne twisting in her seat. Oh shit! This was the last thing she needed. Dealing with one brother during this dilemma was bad enough. Add another—and it was Stone? I’m screwed.
Stone scowled, pointing at Bogs. “I told you to stop doing that shit.”
Bogs didn’t seem the least bit bothered or deterred. He didn’t even glance up from his screen. “Relax, I haven’t been caught yet.”
Stone stalked through the room, pressing his fists to Bogs’ desk. “We agreed, asshole.”