Chapter Twenty-Three
Don’t let him have your future.
Her dad’s words played over in her head. For the remainder of the day while she sat on the couch in a daze, when she showered and got ready, and now as she sat in the backseat next to Bogs.
Don’t let him have your future.
She stared out the window in silence. The only sound was the humming from the stereo, playing soft rock. She thought of the day and all the opportunities she had to back out, tell Bogs she changed her mind. Was she really going to go through with this?
The ride was shorter than she expected. T, who was driving, pulled down a long industrial road.
They’d gotten off the highway a short while ago and drove through a small desolate town.
She had no idea where she was but without the bright lights of the city, it didn’t feel like Texas.
She curled closer to the window, glancing over the trees and the blue sky. She was looking for answers.
The buildings grew further apart as they made their way down the road.
At one point, the truck wobbled on the gravel road.
T pulled in front of a small warehouse, parking in between two Jeeps.
She followed out of the truck when Bogs nodded for her to open her door.
T entered first through the metal door, then Stone.
Bogs grabbed the door and gestured her through.
She was expecting a large room but instead it was separated into small offices.
“Down the hall at the end.”
She whipped her head back, staring at Bogs. This was really happening. She peered down the hall and froze. He was there, fifteen feet away. Her feet wouldn’t move.
The knot grew in her throat when she saw T lift his shirt releasing gun from the clip on his belt.
It was like a brick wall slamming against her jolting her to wake up.
She couldn’t do this. It was like a slow-motion movie, watching him turn to her and walk towards her lifting his hand with the gun.
She stepped back, slamming into Bogs and her body shuddered uncontrollably.
I can’t do this. Everything in her head, all the reasons she should, none of it made sense.
How had she come this far in thinking she could actually walk in a room and shoot someone?
In her eyes, he was the devil but she could not do this.
If she did, he would be part of her future.
How was she supposed to look at her dad, her brother, and Bogs knowing she took another person’s life.
She jumped from the pressure on her shoulders and whipped around. Bogs’ eyes widened and she could sense the fear coming from him. She shook her head, breathing heavy, the air was so thin she tried to swallow to gain her breath back.
“I can’t do it. I can’t…” She turned her head to see T and Stone staring back at her. She shook all over unable to stop in a panic. “I can’t.”
Bogs immediately stepped forward engulfing his arms around her and she latched onto him, her arms tightening over him as her eyes welled. “I’m sorry.”
“Shhh…nothing to be sorry about.” He hugged her closer, his hands trailing over her back. She felt her feet moving from under her and the cool air against her face. The door opened and he moved in closer wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
She cried so hard unable to catch her breath. “I should be able to do it, I tried so hard to convince myself it was the right thing. I love my mom, I just can’t…”
“Hey, stop. You not doing it has got nothing to do with whether you love your mom. Listen up, pretty girl, it’s okay. Doesn’t mean that you didn’t love your mom any less so if that’s where your head is at, you fucking stop, you hear me.”
“Why can’t I do it?” She shoved her face against his chest, gripping his shirt as though it was a life line.
He didn’t answer but it wasn’t necessary anyway.
She realized she was asking herself, not him.
She couldn’t gauge how long she sat there with him, holding on, but her body eased slightly.
His arms held her tight and every so often she could feel his lips brush against her temple.
The other door opened and Stone slid inside the backseat leaving the door open. She turned her head, watched him gaze over at Bogs and then down to her. “I’ll hang with her while you finish up.”
She whipped her head. Finish up what? She didn’t want Bogs to do what she couldn’t. “What are you gonna do?”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Shhh… calm down. I’m gonna talk to the guys, nothing else, I promise.” He kissed her softly brushing his thumbs along her cheeks. “Stone’s gonna stay with you but I’ll be quick, then we can get out of here.”
She nodded feeling the tears well up again. “I just couldn’t do it.”
Bogs reached closer kissing her forehead. “I didn’t want you to.” He stayed with her a few more minutes before her body relaxed again. She was sure she’d fall apart again but for now she was calmer.
He stepped back assessing her before closing the door.
She stared down at her clasped hands. She saw his hand before feeling it landed on her knee.
Stone’s hands were scraped up and scarred with light white lines across the knuckles.
His hand rested on her knee unmoving. She turned her head and glanced up to him staring at her.
She opened her mouth but clamped it shut when he scowled.
“Don’t say you’re sorry. It’s like Bogs said, you got no reason to be sorry.”
She sniffled, hearing her dad’s words in her head. “My dad made me promise not to let him be part of my future.”
Stone’s face softened and he gripped her knee. “And you kept your promise.” The corner of his lip curled. “That brother of mine, he’s wants your future, and if he’s lucky, you’ll give it to him.”
She glanced out the side window. The door remained closed as she waited.
****
Bogs rushed to the door, swinging it open and hurrying down the hall to the last door on the right. He rounded the corner to see T, Trent, and Declan leaning against the wall. Other than them, the room was empty.
“She okay?” T asked, stepping toward him, concern shadowing his eyes.
“I should have waited to pull out the gun, it fucking freaked her out.” It was rare that T second guessed anything he did or the effects it had but this was different.
Though he hadn’t come out and said it, Bogs knew how T felt about Kenzie. She was one of the girls, their girls.
“It set in motion what was supposed to happen. I knew she’d back down. She didn’t want this, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself she did. She’ll be alright, man.”
“How’d you know?” Declan asked.
Bogs shrugged. It was impossible to answer with words.
He knew Kenzie. In the short time they’d been together, he just knew deep down she wouldn’t be able to do it.
Not because she was weak but because she was strong.
“The only thing pushing her forward was guilt. I knew she’d make the right decision for herself and she did. ”
He hadn’t let himself believe otherwise.
“So, what the hell was Plan B, anyway?” T looked over his shoulder at Trent. Bogs was curious about that, too. He knew in his heart she wouldn’t go through with it but if she had, he had no clue what Trent had planned. When he came in, he half expected to see Harris in the room.
Trent cocked an eyebrow, a small smile played on his lips. “Plan B happened about two hours ago.”
Declan chuckled. “Yeah, about ten swat cars raided his place a few hours ago. The guy had about a pound of meth in his place. Mandatory twenty years. It’s a shame, not even a plea will help his ass out this time. Harris isn’t gonna see the light of day for the next two decades.”
“Struck a deal with the devil for that one?”
Declan shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, just calling in a marker. Thought your girl was worthy of it.”
Bogs had no clue who they had indebted themselves to on Kenzie’s behalf but he was grateful.
T smirked. “If she had wanted to go through with it, she couldn’t anyway, huh?”
Trent glanced over at Bogs. “She didn’t want it. She just wanted a little justice, and now she has it. If I had to guess, he’ll get what’s coming to him. The four years he did is nothing compared to what awaits him for the next twenty.”
Bogs nodded. “Thanks, I guess I owe you.”
Trent chuckled. “And you can be sure, I’ll be calling it in.”
Taylor.
****
The only sound was the rumbling of the truck on the gravel road and the faint sound of music coming from the radio. She was sitting in the middle, snuggled under Bogs’ arm. Her head lay on his chest as she stared at the back of the passenger seat.
The truck was so quiet she could her his even breath and the patter of his heart pumping softly. When he had gotten into the backseat with her, Stone moved to the front. None of them spoke, not even when T got in and started the truck.
Silence was good.
She knew whatever happened tonight would change her forever.
She heeded Bogs’ warning. This was different now.
The change wasn’t about what she had done, it was about what she hadn’t been able to do.
It was a strange mixture of relief, followed by the strong surge of guilt.
She did the right thing, at least for her.
It was there all along, buried behind indecision.
She buried her face in his chest. His arms tightened around her and she felt the gentle kiss on her head. His fingers splayed over her arm and caressed her soothingly.