Chapter Eight #2
“Well, yeah.” She sensed that was the wrong answer the second the words slipped past her lips.
Bogs groaned, running his hands over his face. “Oh fuck.”
Stone chuckled and T gave her a look that told her he didn’t think she was the brightest crayon in the box.
“Dante doesn’t do payment plans. Look, Kenzie, truthfully, it’s not you he wants.
He wants Taylor. She’s the one who conned him into getting into the club in the first place, she’s the one who made the grab.
As far as Dante’s concerned, you were merely a bystander. ”
“Well, that’s good then. Right?”
Stone smirked. “You wanna take that one, Bogs.”
Bogs swiveled her seat to face Kenzie. “Not quite. You may not be the one he’s after, but he’s not just gonna let you go as long as Taylor’s on the run. If he thinks he can use you to get to her, he will. And right now, with Taylor in the wind, he’ll come for you.”
“Oh God.”
“Give up your friend and you’re safe,” T said, as if her problems would be solved if she threw her best friend under the bus. Where was this man’s sense of loyalty?
“I can’t do that,” she said firmly. They could try and talk her out of it but she would refuse.
“Well, then as I said before…you’re fucked.” T leaned back in his chair. He didn’t seem too concerned with her current situation.
She started nibbling on the corner of her pinky. A large hand covered her wrist and slowly lowered it to the armrest. She glanced over to see Bogs. His face was serene and calm making the churning in her stomach settle a bit.
“What’s our next move? I take it Dante knows we got Kenzie so hanging at my place isn’t gonna work. Any ideas?”
“Dad’s?”
Dad? Whose dad? She scanned the room, making note that while they were all attractive in their own way, none of them looked anything like one another. There’s no way they were brothers, right? She peered closer at Stone, then to Bogs and back to T. There was no inkling of a resemblance.
Bogs shook his head. “Won’t work.”
Stone chuckled. “Why, ‘cause Dad has the ‘no fuck unless you’re married’ rule?”
T snorted. “Like that ever stopped him.”
Bogs raised his hand giving his brother the middle finger.
Kenzie watched as he made a face at his brother.
For all the cursing and yelling they did with one another she could definitely see the bond they all shared.
She refused to blush again with Stone’s comment.
They were two grown consenting adults, having sex was none of their business. Then stop blushing.
“Jonah?” T said.
She had no clue who the man was but Bogs nodded in thought. “I’ll make the call, see if he can help us out. I’ll reach out to Trent, see where he’s at, and give him the info about Dante. Stone, next time he calls you give him my number.”
Stone looked between T and Bogs. “You sure?”
“Yeah, man. I’ll handle it.”
Stone looked over at Kenzie. He seemed to be searching for something in her face though she didn’t know what. His face softened and he nodded looking back to Bogs. “All right.”
T and Stone got up together and left the room. Leaving Bogs and Kenzie alone.
“Your things are in the corner.” He pointed behind her.
“Had Stone grab some shit from your place, clothes and stuff.” He shrugged.
“Can’t be sure you’ll be happy with what he packed but at least you’ll have some of your stuff.
” She glanced over to see her duffle bag filled and her work bag piled on top.
“I got some calls to make but give me a shout, ya need anything.” Bogs stood up and walked around the table.
“Bogs? I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”
He smiled. “I’m not.” He winked and closed the door behind him.
****
He stopped in the hallway, glancing down the narrow hallway to see Stone’s office door open.
There was something his brother wasn’t telling him.
He could sense he wasn’t exactly giving him the whole story in front of Kenzie.
He appreciated it. It was best not to completely scare the hell out of her.
Bogs, on the other hand, wanted to hear everything.
He entered the office and Stone didn’t bother looking up. That was the thing with brothers, they knew each other.
“How bad?’ Bogs said, settling into the empty chair across from Stone.
His brother looked up and rested his pen on the desk before leaning back in his own seat. His face said it all without detail. Kenzie was in some serious danger.
“He needs to set an example, he made that clear, man. With Taylor in the wind, that falls on Kenzie.”
“What did he say?”
Stone sighed. “We either bring her to him or…”
“He’ll come for her.”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck, man.” This was worse than he’d thought.
Protecting Kenzie was a given but he had no idea what he was up against with Dante.
They pretty much knew all the criminals in the area, from the small time to the big players.
Dante fell somewhere in the middle. But he was eager to make a name for himself, and letting some random girl steal from him and get away with it was not in his plan, he knew that for sure.
“Get in touch with Jonah, see what he’s got. We’ll handle the shit on this end. Told him we need a few days. I may have given him the impression we’d find Taylor and give her up instead.”
Bogs raised his eyebrows. “Not giving up either one, Stone.”
“I know, but the other one seems a bit more street smart. Hell, she’s got fucking Trent running in circles.” He chuckled. “Better to keep his focus on Taylor and keep your girl far from his focus.”
It made sense. If anyone on their own would be caught first, it would be Kenzie.
“All right.” Bogs got up and walked to the door. He’d need to make the call to Jonah fast.
“So, this thing you got with her. Serious?”
Bogs stifled a laugh. “Why? Ya think she’d make a good sister-in-law?”
Stone smirked. “Got enough of those.” He shook his head. “Better make sure none of the girls find out you’re hiding out with her though. Lots of payback coming your way.”
“Payback? For what, the girls love me.”
Stone snickered. “Yeah, and they can’t wait ‘til you fall like the rest of us suckers.”
Bogs got up and walked out. A smile played on his lips. The girls would have their payback. It was bound to happen for all the shit he’d dished out with them. The girls would definitely get their revenge because he knew resisting Kenzie was nearly impossible.
Bogs spent the rest of the day in his office, clearing the job for tonight and finishing up the research. Stone and T were heading out to pick up a jumper. Bogs was originally supposed to go with them.
Bogs grabbed his phone and made the call to Jonah.
He had known Jonah for years but it had been a long time since he’d seen him.
He came back to the Houston area about a year ago.
He was a construction contractor who had just finished up his brother Ethan’s office building.
Talented and smart with a tragic backstory.
He curled his neck, cracking his tense bones.
The phone rang three times and he was prepped to leave a voicemail when Jonah answered.
“Yeah?”
“Hey man, it’s Bogs Garrison.”
The silence was expected. There was history amongst his brothers and Jonah. They hadn’t kept into contact with him since they fulfilled their job. He’d left town and never heard from him again except for Ethan. Those two remained in contact.
“Been meaning to reach out.” He paused. “How’s it going, Bogs?”
“Good. Saw the work you did for E. Sweet, man, didn’t even recognize the place.”
Jonah laughed. “Yeah, it was a hell of a job.”
“How you been?” Bogs hated the tension in his voice.
“Same shit, different day.”
“I hear that. Glad you’re back.” Bogs chuckled in an effort to keep it light. “Need a favor.”
“From me?” There was no denying the surprise in his voice.
“Yeah, if you can help me out.”
“Name it.” And there it was. Jonah would forever feel indebted to him and his brothers.
Bogs hated that. He didn’t owe them anything but Jonah saw it differently.
He was surprised when Ethan mentioned him being back in town and working on the new building.
They all assumed when he left, he’d never be back.
“Need a place to hide out. Not me, but a girl. Thought maybe you had something you were working on, reclusive, maybe stash her there while I get shit sorted out.”
Jonah burst out laughing which made Bogs smile. “You wanna stash a girl? Holy fuck, man, that’s the last thing I expected you to say.”
“I know it sounds fucked but it’s a job, got someone after her, need to lay low. I’ll be with her so I’m not asking you to look out for her, just need a place, no one can link us to.”
Jonah snorted. “Is she good looking?”
“Yeah, and she’s mine,” Bogs said firmly.
Jonah chuckled. “Gotcha. Gotta place about an hour north. Real secluded, working slowly on the job, it’s not exactly bare bones, but it’s rough. As long as you don’t mind roughing it, it’s yours.”
“I owe you, man.”
“No, you don’t.” In those three small words, so much more was meant and he knew it. The silence for the next few seconds had Bogs speechless. “When do ya need it?”
“Tomorrow, if possible?”
“Alright, how about we meet up there after work? I’ll text you the directions.”
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it.”
“Later,” was all he said.
Bogs turned back to his computer, pulling up his file marked ‘Kenzie’. This was the first time he’d ever dug deeper into a woman who was anything more than a job. If he was honest with himself, he’d admit from the first sight he got of her he knew she’d be hard to forget.
As he typed away at the keyboard, he was struck with a feeling he didn’t have often.
Guilt. Digging into her past wouldn’t be necessary if she would just open up to him but he figured that wouldn’t be happening.
At least, not yet. She may be interested in being bunk mates but he was sure Kenzie would keep her private life private.
He filtered through the file pulling up the identical information he’d already gotten on her.
He knew she’d moved with her dad and brother to the area when she was in her early teens.
Mom had died when she was younger. She was never in trouble with the law, got good grades, went to college, and had good credit.
He pulled up a link to the software he used often.
He sat back in his chair and stared at it.
Decision time. How deep was he willing to dig?
If she had been some random jumper or associate, there would be no hesitation.
He’d get as much information as needed and cross all ethical boundaries to get it.
But this was Kenzie. It was different, personal.
Her past coming from her would be so much better.
He felt as though he was about to break trust with her.
He sighed, leaning forward. He’d worry about the consequences later.
He spent the next twenty minutes pulling everything he could on Kenzie and her family.
There was more than he imagined. He was struck with shock as he read articles and court documents.
By the time Stone came into his office and sat across from him, his mind was shot and his whole body was riddled with tension and anger.
“You look like you’re ready to kill. What’s goin’ on?”
Bogs closed the computer and leaned up on his desk, bearing all his weight on his elbows. He lifted his chin up, gesturing to the door. Across the hall was Kenzie.
“You got something on her?”
“Yeah.” His voice croaked.
Stone snorted. “Well, from the looks of you, it ain’t good.
The sweet innocent Kenzie got skeletons in her closet.
” Stone hooked his ankle over his knee and leaned deeper into his seat.
Bogs stared at his brother. From the look on his face, he was expecting something juicy, maybe scandalous for her past. It was, but not in the way Stone thought.
“Her mom. She was killed ten years ago. Murdered actually.”
“You serious?”
“Yeah. Wrong place, wrong time scene. Convenience store was being robbed.”
“Shit, man, poor kid.”
“They get the guy?”
“Yeah, did a few upstate.”
“A few?” Stone’s tone was incredulous, which made perfect sense to Bogs. Murderers usually spent their lives behind bars not a few years.
“He was convicted of the robbery but not the murder. From what I can gather he took a plea.” Bogs snorted in disgust. “Fucking prosecutor was quoted as saying, ‘at least he’ll do time’.
” Bogs shook his head. “Yeah, that must have been some consolation to Kenzie’s family.
She loses her mom and this guy loses two and a half years. ”
“What are ya thinkin’?”
“Nothing.”
Stone sighed. “Bogs, man, we can look into it.”
“No.”
He knew what Stone was getting at but for Kenzie, it wasn’t an option, not his girl. He wasn’t going to make her an offer, she’d be guilted by turning down or worse, scarred from taking.
“This stays in this room.”
Stone nodded. There weren’t many secrets between the brothers but there was also no need for anyone else, including wives to know about this. Hell, the guilt was so strong, even Bogs wished he didn’t know. It was something that he’d want coming from her because she trusted him and wanted to share.
He’d just fucked that up.