Chapter Three #3
“How about this? I’ll take an IOU for now.
” His smile was almost predatory and she caught the mischievous glint in his perusal of her body.
Then he walked away. She stood staring at his back as he made his way between two parked cars and crossed the street.
She was entranced until he glanced over his shoulder and the corner of his mouth curled.
That got her out of her sex-filled daydream and spinning quickly.
Too quickly. She stumbled on her heels but was able to catch herself from face planting on the concrete. This was crazy, she was crazy.
She started down the street, resisting the urge to look back. If he’d seen her almost fall, she didn’t want to know. She’d embarrassed herself enough for one day.
“It’s not you he wants,” she muttered, catching an awkward glance from the passing man next to her. Great, now she was talking to herself.
Silently this time, she reminded herself why he was there.
He was obviously looking for Taylor. A thought popped in her head.
Maybe this was Trent, the bail bondsman.
Bogs had to be an alias, or nickname. She crossed the street, unlocking her door and climbing in the car.
She slumped back in her seat unable to block her disappointment.
He was obviously flirting with her to get what he wanted, and unfortunately, that wasn’t her.
****
Bogs made it back to the office by nine-thirty.
All the while thinking about the beautiful little green-eyed liar.
She gave off all the obvious signs, looking away when she answered, the nervous tremble of her bottom lip.
The girl couldn’t lie to save her life, hopefully it would never come to that.
He could not get her off his mind. Usually Bogs was the one the ladies were infatuated with.
He’d had plenty, but never had taken a strong interest to any, until Kenzie.
Maybe it was partially pity for the situation the sweet innocent had gotten herself into.
That’s what he was telling himself. From the research he’d done, she was as straight as an arrow, by the books, good girl.
He had done a background check when Trent gave him her name.
Never been arrested or in any trouble since becoming an adult.
She graduated college with honors, worked for a communications company as an analyst in a downtown office.
Rented a small apartment in the moderate-income section of the city.
As per the usual twenty-something fresh out of college, she had incurred small debt that she paid on time each month, mostly credit cards and student loans.
How the hell had she gotten tied up with Taylor?
A loud knock had him raising his head to see T wander in and take a seat in front of him.
“Trent called, wants us to back him up tonight.”
Bogs sat back in his seat surprised. “Got a lead on something.”
T shrugged. “Don’t know. He said she’s been making calls to some guy, he runs the money for the fights down on Union Ave. Been going back and forth on her cell.” T pursed his lips and shook his head.
“She didn’t use a burner phone?”
“No.” He sighed. “So, you can see the kind of dumbass were looking for.”
Bogs had tracked the phone for location and was able to get in and also get a tracking on the outgoing calls she made.
When Trent requested it, Bogs scoffed at the idea.
Who the hell would use their phone if they were trying to hide out?
Trent explained, “This isn’t a highly skilled criminal.
It’s a girl that is in way over her head, though she thinks she’s skilled.
It’s a recipe for disaster. Add her being batshit crazy?
Yeah, tap it. This one will fuck up. I’d bet the cabin on it. ”
Bog chuckled. “Well, then it should be an easy catch.” Another thought sobered him up. While Taylor’s amateurish tactics may work in their favor, it would also add to the danger of the situation. It was putting Kenzie in a position that Bogs didn’t like. “Think the friend is involved?”
It was T’s turn to chuckle. “Got a real hard on for her, huh?”
“She’s hot.” He would leave it at that. No need to go further with T.
Kenzie was wrapped up in something with Taylor.
He wasn’t sure how deep but he got the feeling, it wasn’t good.
The thought of the two of them, so different had him wondering how they even were friends.
It might be in his best interest to do a bit more research into Kenzie.
“Fucking Bogs, always thinking with his dick.” T snickered and stood up. “Tell ya one thing, Taylor got her friend wrapped up in this shit, it’d be fucked. You saw that chick, she can’t lie to save her fucking life.” He cocked his brow. “Or her friends.”
He was right. Bogs and the others could read right through her. If this girl ever told a lie and got away with it, he’d be surprised.
“I’ll do some more digging. Got that feeling I’m missing something with her. I mean, seriously, how does a girl like Kenzie get caught up with a chick like Taylor?”
T raised his eyebrows. Of course, he would. The same way a girl like his wife would get herself in the middle of a drug dealer on the run and kidnapped.
“I’ll dig deeper. What time we leaving?”
“I’ll come by around eight to pick you up. The club don’t open ‘til eleven. I’m thinking they won’t be heading out until at least then. Whatever plan these two dipshits got in the works makes me think it’s gonna be a long fucking night.” T walked to the door giving a slight wave. “Later.”
“Later.” Bogs cued up his laptop and went to work finding out what kind of skeletons Kenzie Sutton might have hidden. He’d done the basic research on her initially. Background check, motor vehicles. It wasn’t personal, there hadn’t been a need for that. Until now.
The initial search brought up all her social media.
It wouldn’t give him too much insight but he had a look.
Basic bullshit, funny memes, a few shared dog videos, not hers.
By all accounts, she was an average twenty-four-year-old.
Nothing too revealing, not a massive number of friends or followers.
He clicked on her profile picture. Someone must have taken the picture.
She wasn’t smiling but her face looked at peace.
Her hands cupped her jaw and her green eyes glinted at the camera.
Bogs licked his lips when he trailed down to her mouth.
Thick pouty bottom lip with a slight upper.
They were shiny and glistening with what he assumed was the sticky lip gloss shit women loved to wear.
It was a pet peeve of his, however, he was having second thoughts. On her, he wouldn’t mind get sticky.
He clicked through her pictures. There were quite a few with Taylor, some with other girls, mostly Taylor, and a bunch with an older man and a teenage boy.
They had to be related sharing the same green eyes.
A picture caught his attention and he clicked on it.
She had been tagged in the photo from a woman who shared her last name.
When he clicked on it, it was a photo of a much younger Kenzie, maybe ten or eleven dressed in a green dress.
A small boy stood next to her, her brother he assumed.
She had her arm over his shoulder and grinning at the camera.
Bogs smiled back at the picture. Even as a kid she had that beautiful, sweet face.
The caption read “TBT: Mackenzie looks just like her mom in this one!” As he sifted through the comments, one specific caught his eye.
“RIP Annie, what a beautiful soul.”
Her reply: “She was. Such a tragedy.”
Tragedy? He racked his brain before pulling up her info.
He hadn’t come across the name Annie amongst any of his research.
He would have to extend his search on Kenzie.
He filtered through her name in the database.
The current information he had was basic.
The more he dug, it only gave him what he’d already had.
She lived with her dad and brother. No trouble with the law or tragedy to speak of. What the hell was he missing? A mom.
He regrouped and entered in her father’s name.
The basic information came up but when he filtered through, the name Anne Sutton popped up.
Deceased. There was minimal data, no source of her death, only a date.
He did the math in his head. She was only twelve when she lost her mom.
He leaned forward on his elbows. He didn’t know this girl, not really but his chest ached slightly.
Too young to lose her mom. A girl that age needed a mom more than ever and Kenzie had lost hers.
“Heading out,” Stone shouted as he passed Bogs’ door.
“Hey man, gimme a second.” Bogs waited for him to appear in his doorway which he did. He’d been thinking of a subtle way to bring it up. He had the feeling anything he said or did pertaining to Kenzie would raise suspicion and no doubt, torturous ribbing from his brothers.
“Whatcha need?”
“Was thinking I’d take the lead tonight.” Bogs leaned back in his seat watching his brother. Stone stepped into his office and leaned against the frame.
“Oh yeah?”
Bogs needed to play it off as no big deal. “Yeah, I think it’s about time. Seems like it should be easy enough.”
Stone nodded. “What if something goes wrong?”
“Well, she knows me better than you at this point. If something trips up, I gotta better chance at her coming with me than you do.” It was a fair statement.
Stone smirked. “Sure about that?”
Bogs shrugged. “Don’t know, maybe. Just got a feeling.”
Stone laughed. “Gut feeling or dick feeling?”
Bogs glared at him and threw up his middle finger. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. You been on this girl for the past week. Think I don’t know you were there this morning?”
Bogs felt heat ripple over his face. He rarely blushed, as in almost never. Not much embarrassed him, but this girl was changing the game for him. He found himself doing a lot of things he wouldn’t for any other girl. Mainly, stalking her apartment.
Stone’s smile spread across his scarred face. “Yeah, man, I saw your truck when I did a drive-by. So, whatcha got going with the hot little friend?”
Stone’s teasing was about to backfire. Bogs cocked his brow and smirked. “Hmm….so you admit she’s hot, huh? Does Sadie know?”
Stone smiled faded and took on his usual scowl. “Shit stirrer.”
Bogs burst out laughing. There was no doubt that Stone was completely devoted and in love with his wife, but the man was a man, and Kenzie was sexy as hell. For him not to notice would be unrealistic.
“Look, if her fuck me eyes were any indication from the other day, she’d tag you the minute you walk in. We don’t need her off her game. I think it’s just better I take the lead this time.”
Stone was right. About everything. It was pretty hard to miss the way she was looking at him.
This morning just confirmed that the attraction he was feeling was mutual.
In any situation, it would work in his favor, except this one.
If that threw her off, it could put her in danger.
With the guys all blind to what their plan was, it was best to keep things as safe as possible for Kenzie.
“We done? I gotta go.”
“Yeah, we’re done.”
“I need you to get the Reeser job done today.”
“Got it. See ya later.”
Stone left the office. He closed the file, saving the information. He’d dig deeper when he had more time.