Chapter Five #2
“It’s our office,” he said, and she immediately looked up. She returned his smile and followed him in through the second door on the right.
“Have a seat. You want something to drink? Water?”
She shook her head and sat in the chair at an old conference table. The room consisted of furniture and a large filing cabinet. The bleak walls felt sterile and cold. She hugged her arms around her stomach.
“Hang tight for a minute.” He walked out through the door. Voices murmured in the hall but she couldn’t make out what they were saying.
She rested her arms on the table in front of her and dropped her face into the curve of her arm.
This night was so fucked up. She knew the plan wouldn’t work.
Her frustration with Taylor mounted, only to be countered by her concern.
Where the hell was she? What if she hadn’t made it out?
She racked her brain trying to remember the last second, she saw her best friend.
She ran to the door, looked back, and saw the wave of her black hair only a few feet behind her once they were separated.
Luckily it was opening as she darted out knocking into a man and running past the bouncer.
Had Taylor made it past him, too? The gnawing ache in her chest was not a good sign.
“Where is she?” A smooth calm voice jolted her upward and back into her chair. She hadn’t even heard them come back into the room.
Her fingers dug into the arms of the chair.
Don’t panic! She swallowed the knot in her throat as she eyed the men in front of her.
Five? Now there are five? Bogs, T, and Stone stood next to one another close to the wall.
Her eyes darted to the massive figure currently scowling at her near the door. And I thought T was scary? Holy shit!
“Kenzie?”
She jerked her head to the man closest to the table.
He stood with his arms folded. He was tall, definitely over six foot.
His dark blond hair hung to his shoulders.
His light eyes were calm and soothing. His voice may have been slightly demanding, but his face had an ease that didn’t fit the situation.
She scanned the faces of all the men, lingering longer on Bogs.
He had changed. Gone was the easy protector and in its place was a similar glare directed at her.
It was a reminder that she was on her own.
None of these men were on her side. She knew it was irrational but she couldn’t help but feel a bit betrayed by Bogs.
The way he spoke to her, held her in the truck, calmed her in the park. Where was that guy?
If she was going to get out of this and help Taylor, she was going to give them the truth. Lying really wasn’t a plausible option since she sucked at it. She drew in a breath and sighed.
“I don’t know.”
His scrutinizing stare had her fidgeting in her seat. “Where would she go?”
“My apartment, maybe?”
He shook his head slowly. “No, checked, she’s not there.”
Kenzie shrugged. Taylor wasn’t from Houston. As far as Kenzie knew, she didn’t know anyone else in town besides the guy from the fight. “I don’t know.”
“Would she go back home?”
To her parents’ house, the answer would be a definite no, but her old place she might. She wasn’t sure if that’s what he meant. She lifted one shoulder. “I really don’t know.”
“Well, what the fuck do you know?” She winced at the verbal attack. She didn’t bother looking over, she knew the voice.
“T.” The blond man she deemed in charge held out his hand in a blocking motion. It was a warning. She had no doubt if given the chance, T would have no problem using force to get answers. Answers she didn’t have. Her hands trembled in her lap.
“Fuck her, Trent. She knows, she’s just not telling us.”
She jerked her head so fast, her neck cracked and a shot of pain darted to her shoulder. This was Trent?
“You’re Trent?”
“Yes.”
“The bond guy?”
The corner of his mouth curled. It wasn’t a complete smile but it was close. This was the asshole Taylor refused to talk to. Taylor was right. These guys did work with Trent, and they were all looking for her.
“This is my partner, Declan.” He hitched his thumb over his shoulder to the dark-haired man who continued to glare at her. “And you know, T, Stone, and of course, Bogs.” There was a change in his voice, almost amusement, when he said Bogs’ name.
“Now that all the introductions are done, can we fucking get on with this? Sooner we get this bitch out of my office the happier I’ll be.
” T’s venomous tone had her sinking into her seat and gritting her teeth.
It was times like this she wished she had Taylor’s backbone.
If he dared to talk to her like that, he’d regret it. But she wasn’t Taylor.
Trent stepped forward pulling out his seat and sitting across from her. He gave her a half smile. “Do you have any idea where she might have gone? Any place she would go to lay low, or maybe another friend she’d stay with?”
She opened her mouth prepared to say she didn’t know but clamped her lips closed. That answer would only continue to piss everyone off and not get her any closer to finding Taylor.
“Can I call her?”
Trent waited before answering. His eyes searched her face.
“Yeah, try giving her a call.”
“I lost my phone.” She barely finished the sentence when Bogs stepped forward reaching behind him. When his hand came into sight, he was holding her phone. She looked up at him.
“You took my phone?”
He ignored her question, placing the phone on the table and turning his back to her. The wave of betrayal grew stronger.
Trent pushed the phone in front of her and she grabbed it quickly. She pulled up her contacts and was scrolling through when Trent spoke again. “Need you to put it on speaker.” He sat back in his seat weaving his fingers together. “And no mention that we’re listening.”
What? They wanted her to call Taylor and give up her location so they could trap her?
Her face heated and her pulsed quickened.
Did they really think she was so scared she’d betray her best friend?
She scanned their masked faces showing no emotion.
That’s exactly what they thought. Her fear may be on overdrive but nothing would falter her loyalty.
She could refuse to call but then she herself wouldn’t know if Taylor was okay.
She needed to make the call, hear Taylor’s voice, and know she was okay.
She bit her bottom lip as the plan played out in her head.
She hit the call button then speaker and waited. The phone rang twice when relief washed over her.
“Thank fuck!”
“You’re alive. Good to know.”
Taylor giggled. “Yeah, but just barely.” She paused. “Kenz, I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I got you messed up with this.”
She looked up to Trent who nodded. He was encouraging her to keep the conversation going.
“Hey, forget about it. The important thing is that we’re both still breathing.”
She snorted. “And not in jail. So, listen, I’m…” Kenzie coughed loudly and interrupted Taylor.
“Listen, Tay, we are in a lot of trouble. I think it’s time we reach out to Trent and see if he can help us out.”
Taylor sighed heavily. “Not this again. I told you the guy is a complete dickwad, there’s no way I’m asking him for help. God, the thought of that asshole makes me want to hurl chunks.”
Kenzie glanced up. Trent’s calm face was now replaced with twisted lips and a scowl to match the others in the room. He mouthed, “Get her location.”
“Now, Taylor, he’s just doing his job.”
“Yeah, right.”
“He seems really nice.”
Trent sat up straight and the others inched forward.
“He’s a jerk, end of story, now, I’m just outside the...”
Kenzie blurted. “And he’s handsome.” She missed her first clue and Kenzie prayed she’d catch onto the second. Taylor knew Kenzie had never seen Trent before.
Bogs stepped forward as if he knew what she was about to do. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. It was a warning.
“All assholes are smoking hot. If he wasn’t such a condescending prick, I’d...” She stopped abruptly. Kenzie stared down at the phone but didn’t miss the hushed curse coming from one of the men.
“Always got my back, love you, Kenz.”
The line went dead.
She kept her eyes down on the phone. This would keep Taylor out of their hands.
Her plan had worked flawlessly. Now, if she only would have thought of the repercussions she would be left with.
Protecting Taylor was the main objective but had she thought through her plan, the best option would have been to work with Trent, not against him. Fuck me.
“Well played.”
She gazed up to see Trent staring back at her.
“I tried.” It was a lie and he was reading right through it. It was obvious to everyone in the room what she had just done.
Trent smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “As I said, well played.” He got up from the seat, grabbing the phone from the table. “You’re very loyal, Kenzie, I admire that.” He walked toward the door and turned around. “Now, let’s see how deep Taylor’s loyalty runs.”
“What do you mean?’
“I mean, let’s see if she’s willing to give up herself for you. You didn’t think that we’d let you go without getting her, did you?”
“What?”
“Do you play chess?”
What the fuck kinda question was that? Her face must have shown her confusion.
“See, in a game of chess the winner has to outsmart their opponent but the only way to do that is to anticipate their next move. You may have moved your king but” he smiled then laughed, “check mate, darlin’.”
He walked through the door and all the men filed out after him. Bogs was the last to leave and he turned around. He gripped the door handle, shaking his head and staring back at her. “Self-preservation, pretty girl.” He smirked. “Gotta work on that.” He closed the door behind him.
I’m screwed.
****