by Amelia Shea
“My place.” He parked the truck, turning off the engine.
“What? I thought you were taking me back to the club?”
“You wanna go back?”
“No, but…” Was she now in a full-blown hostage situation? Was this a rescue turned kidnapping? Bogs was definitely a better option than going back to Dante. He may have shown some compassion, but it didn’t change anything. He was a stranger. He could be a serial rapist or an axe murderer. She eyed him carefully. His lips were curved into an almost smile, and his eyes appeared amused.
Leaning closer to the door and gripping the handle, she asked, “Why can’t I go home?”
He sighed. “You can, but since I’m bound to watch over you, I’d rather stay here. It’s bigger, I got an extra room, and all my work stuff is here. Be a pain in the ass to move it all.”
“Wait a minute. You’re bound to watch me? What does that mean?”
“Until Trent finds Taylor and we get the shit straightened out, it’s you and me.” He winked.
“You can’t just kidnap me.”
Bogs chuckled and held his hands out in surrender. “Whoa, pretty girl, with the accusations. This is no kidnapping. Damn, girl that’s illegal. Babe, ya got in my truck willingly, did you not?”
She did. She never told him no, but her only other option was to stay in the office with the others. He was right. She went with him without a fight.
“Okay, you’re right, but now I wanna go home.” She shifted in her seat. “And if you don’t bring me back to my apartment, then it is a kidnapping. I know the law, and if you refuse to take me home, you’re breaking it.”
He watched her as his eyes crinkled at the corners. “All right, law girl, I’ll take you home.” He nodded. He started the truck and rested his arm on the back of the seat, his hand only inches from her head. He began to reverse.
“You got any protection?”
What? Her face flashed a warm glow across her cheeks. Was he offering her sex before he took her home? This night had just taken a stranger turn than she could have imagined. Even more weird, she was wondering what he’d be like in bed. It wasn’t the first time. The thought of Bogs in her bed had crossed her mind quite a few times, but he had never been in front of her, offering himself on a platter. She had been on birth control since she was seventeen due to her heavy periods but most likely they’d need condoms. She didn’t make a habit of carrying them around in her bag, but she might have one back at the house.
Oh. My. God. Snap out of it! She blinked quickly. The truck suddenly stopped, and he was eyeing her suspiciously.
A small smile curved on his lips as he leaned forward. “Protection as in a weapon. Gun or knife?”
“Oh.” She gasped. This was completely mortifying. She needed to backtrack. She snorted, hoping to convince him with her lie. “Right, I mean, I knew that.”
“You sure?”
“Of course, what else would I be thinking?” Wrong answer. She knew it by the look on his face.
“You want me to take a guess at what you were thinking, naughty girl?”
“I wasn’t thinking that!” she blurted, allowing her embarrassment to out her.
Bogs burst out laughing and moved in closer. “It’s all right. Naughty girls are hot.”
Her embarrassment shifted to irritation. He was purposely goading her now, and every time that word passed through his lips, she felt the heat burn her body. What was it with that word that made it so dirty, yet exciting at the same time.
“Can you please stop saying that word?” She folded her arms and faced forward. She felt him move in closer, but she didn’t look over. If she had, they’d be face to face, inches apart, separated only by a breath. She didn’t trust herself with this man.
“No need to get all upset, sweet girl. I’ll stop saying it.” His breath fanned over her hair seeping through to her ear. “No more naughty talk.”
He pulled away, and she lifted her gaze around the truck to everywhere but him.
“Now back to my original question, and I’ll be specific, so there’s no misunderstanding. You got something you can protect yourself with? I suggest a gun, but only if you’re familiar with using one. Otherwise, you might wind up shooting yourself in the foot. Knives are good, but you gotta get close, and they’re easily taken away.” Kenzie’s heart beat fast. What the hell was he talking about? She opened her mouth to ask, but he kept on talking. “Mace will give you time to flee but ya gotta get him in the eyes, and if there’s more than one guy, your odds won’t be so good.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, now, Kenzie, sweetheart, you do realize that you made it onto Dante’s ‘Most Wanted’ list. You stole from him and he’s gonna want that money back. And a guy like him, he’s gonna need to make an example outta ya. Needs to show everyone that no one takes what’s his and gets away with it.” Bogs shook his head. “He’s probably got a few guys at your place now, just waiting.” He stared at her, and his voice lowered. “Waiting for you to come home. Alone.”
“I didn’t steal the money.”
Bogs smirked. “Technicality.”
“But how does he even know it was me? I mean, I never even met him. Taylor never introduced us.”
“He knew who you were the second you walked through the door. Facial recognition camera above the front door told him everything he needs to know about you. And you may not have actually taken the money, but you knew what Taylor was doing. You played your part, can’t deny it, pretty girl. And even if you didn’t have anything to do with it, and Dante believed you, which is a long fucking shot? He’d use you as leverage to get to Taylor.”
All the blood slowly drained from her face as she sank deeper into the seat. She was utterly and completely fucked. She sat still as a heated burn ripped through her. She knew this feeling. Most times it was preceded by drinking heavily, getting trashed on tequila shots. Her mouth started to salivate uncontrollably.
“Oh God.” She breathed heavily.
“Fuck, hold on. One second.” His voice seemed distant, but there was no mistaking the panic in his tone.
Her head throbbed, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She gagged once, and suddenly a wave of cool air hit her face. She opened her eyes to see Bogs reaching for her, and she instinctively wrapped her hand around his neck. It was all a blur. She was lifted out of the truck and lowered to the ground. Kenzie stepped back and bent over. She lunged and vomited all over the pavement. Her body surged forward, and she was inches from falling and landing in her own puke but his arm wrapped around her stomach.
“Shhh…it’s all right.” His voice was soft, and his hand weaved around her neck gripping her hair loosely. She took deep even breaths. She gagged again before unleashing everything she had eaten that day, maybe even the day before. Her skin prickled with heat as the tears streaked down her face. She heaved again. This was humiliating.
It seemed like forever though it was probably only a few minutes when she righted herself to stand. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Bogs stood at her back, not saying a word. Tears fell down her cheeks. She couldn’t quite pinpoint whether it was for the situation she was in or the embarrassment of having the hottest guy on the planet hold back her hair while she hurled.
“You good for a minute? I just need to turn off the truck, and I’ll get you inside.” He slowly released her waist and unraveled her hair from his hand letting it fall forward.
She nodded unable to speak. This was like a never-ending nightmare. She needed to crawl into bed and not wake up for at least a month. She wiped her hand against her cheeks. The putrid smell turned her stomach once again. Make that a year.
He was at her side within a minute. She refused to look at him. No further discussion was needed with regards to going home. She knew it, and he knew it. Staying with Bogs was her only option.
She gasped when her legs suddenly fell out from under her. She reached out and was tangled up against his chest.
; “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you will be much quicker. It’s pretty late, but if my neighbors see you stumbling around, I’ll be the topic of gossip by five a.m.” He chuckled softly. “Too late.”
Kenzie lifted her head to see a tall, dark-haired woman approaching them. She was dressed in a plunging low-cut red dress that showed off all she had to offer. Her smile was coy as she got closer. She gazed down at them, and Kenzie could only imagine what she was seeing.
“Well, what do we have here?”
“Hey, Macy!” His greeting was friendly, and immediately Kenzie wondered if they knew each other intimately. It wasn’t any of her business either way.
“Got yourself a damsel in distress, I see.” She stopped a foot away, and Kenzie noticed a small dog walking next to her. The puffy white fuzz ball was lingering around.
“Yeah, well, you know me. I live for that white knight shit.”
She laughed. “Yes, you do.”
There was her answer. She hated knowing the man who was carrying her after watching her puke had been with a woman like Macy. Gorgeous, striking, and she didn’t smell like vomit.
“I’d ask for an intro, but your fair maiden is looking a little too fair.”
Bogs passed the woman. “Kenzie, this is my neighbor to the left, Macy, and her beast, Fritz. Gotta watch him, he’s ferocious.” Bogs chuckled.
Kenzie glanced over her shoulder, giving half a smile and a slight wave. Macy grinned and wiggled her fingers. He walked through the garden path in silence. She knew what she smelled like, and opening her mouth was not an option.
The complex was situated like a resort. She could see from the lighted path, a pool up ahead. He turned right and a few steps into a patio area with sliders.
“Gonna put ya down.” When she felt the ground under her feet, she leveled herself and stepped away from him. She glanced around at the surroundings. It wasn’t a spectacular view, but he had two chairs separated by a small table, and a potted plant on its last leg sat in the corner.
“C’mon in.”
She walked through the door with her arms folded. She stepped just inside as he slid the door closed.
“Can I use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, sure.” He walked through the living room and into the entry hall. Then reached in through the doorway and the small room illuminated in a bright light.
When he stepped away, she walked in, unable to bring herself to look up and thank him. The door closed behind her. She walked over to the sink and slowly lifted her head. Holy shit!
She was pretty sure this was the worst she’d ever looked in all her twenty-four years. Her hair, which was usually one of her best assets, was a stringy mess. Her make-up from six hours ago, looked as though it had melted onto her face. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her nose was bright red. She looked exactly the same as she felt.
She was living a nightmare and had the starring role.
»»•««
She had been in the bathroom for a while. He considered checking on her, even walking down the small hall to the foyer, but stopped at the stairs. After everything she went through tonight, she needed a little time to get herself together. And clean herself up. He reached for his shirt and took a whiff then stepped back as if he could get away from the stench. Puke had a distinct scent.
She’d probably be in the bathroom for a little longer. He climbed the steps, making his way down the hall to his bedroom. His shirt was completely off before he made it into the room. He tossed it in the overflowing hamper. Fuck, he missed laundry day. He scanned his room seeing the mess scattered throughout. He was a self-proclaimed slob. He hadn’t quite rid himself of the college dorm life. Not even six years later.
For some odd reason, the sight of his room in disarray had him regretting not hiring a cleaning crew. His sister, Roxanne, had suggested he hire professional help. He refused. Damn, he hated when that little shit was right. With one last look around, he made his decision.
Kenzie would stay in the guest room. It wasn’t fancy, but at least she would be able to see the floor.
He still wasn’t completely sure how her staying with him was going to go down. He was pretty confident he’d scared her enough that she wouldn’t be insisting on going back to her place, but the option of running out on her own had him concerned.
His foot hit the main floor, and he glanced down the hall to the bathroom. The door was open, and the light was off. Kenzie was walking with her head hung low. The whole scene had to be embarrassing. It wasn’t the first time a girl had puked in front of him, and then he was left to take care of her. However, it was a first that he didn’t actually mind.
“You good?”
She jerked her head up. She must have washed her face because all remnants of smeared make-up were gone. Her eyes were still swollen and red, but beyond that, she looked beautiful. He never understood the need for make-up on a girl that looked like Kenzie. A natural beauty like her was just wasting her time.
Her mouth tightened into a straight line and her cheeks heated. Yeah, definitely embarrassed. She scanned his bare chest.
“Yes.” She cleared her throat and averted her eyes. “Sorry about that. I just, um…” She gazed up at him. “It’s been a lot today.”
Bogs smiled. “That’s one way to put it.” He passed by her, heading into the kitchen. She was feeling like shit already. He wasn’t about to make it a big deal and stare at her like she was some kind of circus freak on display.
“I’d offer ya food, but I’m thinking that’s the last thing you want. Drink?”
Her soft footsteps padded through the kitchen behind him. “Water, please.”
The kitchen was small with a sitting area at the end of the room. He heard the chair scrape the floor. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and walked to the fridge. As he filled her glass, he could feel her eyes on him. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t tighten his chest and flex his muscles. If she was going to look, he might as well give her a show. He may not have the build of T or Stone, but he worked out four times a week.
“You need an aspirin?” When he didn’t get a response, he looked over. She was staring at his chest. Her gaze stuck on his pecs with a look that was very familiar to him. Hunger. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she licked her lips, the way she was checking him out. Her gaze dropped to the waist of his jeans and then slowly lowered. He was getting his own arousal from her staring at him that way. His dick stirred and began to harden. As much as he liked her eyes on him, any longer and he’d be sporting full wood in record time.
“Pretty girl? Eyes up here.”
Catching a girl off guard was nothing new for Bogs. He was a natural born tease, too. But from the blush staining her cheeks and the surprise in her eyes, getting caught was definitely new territory for Kenzie. This girl was too cute. If not for their current situation, he had no doubt, she’d be more than willing to warm his bed for a night or two.
“Aspirin?” He cocked one brow and smirked as he walked over her handing her the glass. Her finger grazed over his pinky, and her blush deepened.
“N-no…” She took a large swig from the glass. Her eyes were everywhere but on him. He liked that. It took a lot of effort on her part to not make eye contact, but she was trying. And failing. He stood in front of her and watched her glance up quickly before looking away.
“So, here’s the deal.” He walked away and leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his chest. “We’ll get ya settled for the night. Then tomorrow, I’ll meet up with the guys and figure out our next move with this whole Dante situation.”
“When do you think I can go home?”
Bogs shrugged and gave her an honest answer. “Gotta see how bad you girls fucked up tonight. When I know the extent of the havoc you caused, I can better assess the outcome.”
“Do you think he’ll find her?” It was cryptic, but Bogs knew exactly who the he and her was that Kenzie was referring to.
“Trent will find
her.”
“And um…what’s he going to do with her?”
A better man would have probably tried to calm her nerves. Trent wouldn’t hurt any woman, not even a psycho like Taylor, but he wasn’t about to tell Kenzie that. A little fear on her part might help them locate her friend.
He rid his tone of all humor. “I’m gonna give you some advice, Kenzie. You need to stop worrying about your friend’s situation and starting thinking about your own. Your girl fucked up tonight. That’s not just gonna go away. You are in a world of shit right now.”
“Oh.” She glanced around the room in silence leaving him to wonder if she was going to try and sneak a call to Taylor sometime during the night. Or worse? Make a run for it.
“Just so we’re clear. The house has an alarm. You try and leave? It’ll blast like a motherfucker. As for the phone? I got them all traced. Any call you make can be tracked.”
Her brows raised to her hairline. “Why are you telling me this?”
Bogs brought his hands to the counter and pushed off to a standing position. He learned a few intimidating tactics from T. Standing over someone had a way of making them feel small and squirm. Kenzie sank in her seat as he moved forward, stopping only a foot away.
“Because the last thing I need after tonight, is to go chasing your sweet ass all over town.”
There it was again, the blush. Fuck, this girl was cute.
“C’mon, you look like you’re ready to drop.” He didn’t wait for her to follow, he knew she would.
They walked up the stairs, and he made a right at the top of the hallway. He would set her up in his guest room. The condo had two bedrooms, both with bathrooms. He used the spare as his bedroom and set up an office in the master. It made sense since he spent most of his time working. He had taken Stone’s old queen mattress when he moved in to his house and used it as a spare. He rarely had guests, but the bed served as a sleeping ground when he was on call.
He entered the room, flicking on the light. He pointed to the open door inside. “Bathroom is through there. Check the drawers. I think I got an extra toothbrush.” He walked over to the bed. It actually looked really good. Tons of throw pillows, and a skirt thing that covered the box spring matched the gray and blue comforter. It was Roxanne’s brainchild, redecorating his office.