by Amelia Shea
“Like you and your brothers?”
“Yeah.”
Kenzie watched as he turned again and they went along an unpaved driveway. The brush was thick and only left enough room for one car in most spots. They pulled up in front of a small cabin with several cars scattered throughout the grounds. She recognized T’s SUV when Bogs pulled up next to it.
“We’re here.”
She shifted over to Bogs as he turned the ignition off, curving her neck and kissing him on his lips. His hand dove into the hair and prolonged the kiss. She had no problem with it. When he released her mouth from his, he grinned.
“Someone’s happy.”
“Thanks for making this happen.”
He kissed her again and opened his door. “You can pay me back later, in bed, naked, on your knees.”
She chuckled. It was a favor she’d gladly repay. She got out of the truck before he had time to get to her door. They walked up the short path and up the four steps to the small porch. It was a cute cabin she assumed they used for camping or hunting. Definitely a man’s place.
Bogs reached for the knob, and Kenzie yanked his arm gently.
“You aren’t going to knock?”
He glanced from her to the door. “Why, they know we’re coming?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe just knock first?” She suggested. What if they were in the middle of something?
Bogs raised his eyebrows.” Okay.” He knocked on the door, and it was immediately answered. Declan stood at the doorway with a deep scowl, glancing between them both. His size took up the entire doorway. “Why’d ya knock?”
Great. She felt Bogs’ eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. He snickered and ignored the question walking in and pulling her behind him. She quickly glanced up at Declan who was staring at her. It wasn’t harsh but not overly friendly.
“Hi,” she said and dropped her gaze to Bogs’ back in front of her. The faint sound of his masculine voice came from behind. “Hey.”
“About fucking time,” T said.
Could that man say a full sentence without dropping the f-bomb? Highly unlikely. She spent a lot of time wondering how T was able to convince a sweet girl like Cassie to marry him. The murmurs of greeting were heard through the cabin, but her focus was trained on the inside of the cabin. She peered around the large living room and circled her sights throughout the open kitchen. This place was massive, completely the opposite of what she expected from the exterior.
The cabin had neutral colors throughout giving a warm, welcoming ambiance. The living room was scattered with furniture, and a breakfast bar at the counter served the kitchen. She lifted her gaze to the cathedral ceiling and the loft area.
“Wow.”
A soft chuckle to her left had her glance in the direction of Trent who was smiling at her.
“Hello, Kenzie.”
“Hi.” She strained her smile knowing all eyes were on her. She gulped. “Your cabin is awesome.”
He lowered his head. It was a gentlemanly gesture, and she liked it. She couldn’t be sure, but she’d pegged him as being older than Bogs, maybe in his thirties, and gorgeous. “Thank you.”
“Oh, we got shy girl here too? The whole gang showed up.” Bogs made his way to a dark-haired woman standing by the kitchen island. She smiled and shook her head, blushing slightly. Bogs pulled her in for a hug, and the woman laughed. She noticed Declan glare down at the embrace. If she had to guess, they must be a couple.
Bogs released the woman but kept his arm over her shoulder. He met her stare and grinned. “Shy girl, meet pretty girl.”
Kenzie’s face heated but she couldn’t contain her smile. She rolled her eyes, trying to play off embarrassment. She reached out her hand. “I’m Kenzie.”
She slid from under Bogs’ arm and stepped to Kenzie. “I’m Evie. It’s nice to finally meet you. Taylor talks about you all the time. I kind of feel like I already know you.”
“I hope she hasn’t been too much trouble.”
Declan snorted. Evie jerked her head in his direction and narrowed her eyes. “She’s been nothing but sweet.”
Declan raised his brows. “To you.”
She glanced over his shoulder to see T and Stone. Smiling again, she lifted her hand in an awkward wave. She got a head nod from Stone and a semi-glare from T.
“Where is she?” Kenzie asked when she didn’t see Taylor. She watched Trent sigh and feign a smile. It seemed like he was exhausted by the mere reference to her. She had that effect on people.
Trent took a breath and called out. “Taylor?”
There was no answer. Was she gone? She looked over at Trent who tightened his lips again. He looked like an impatient parent who was being annoyed by a small child.
“Taylor.” He shouted louder, and with less finesse than the first time.
“What?” Taylor’s voice sounded from down a long hall. It was laced in anger and agitation.
“You have company.”
“Screw you, Trent. Your asshole friends are not company. They’re dicks.”
Kenzie widened her eyes in shock, her mouth dropping open. Taylor had always had a sharp tongue, but she was being downright nasty. Something must have happened. She just didn’t know what.
“This is what we’ve been dealing with,” Declan said as he passed by Trent. “Should have handed her over to Dante when we had the chance.”
Evie gasped. “Declan, that’s not funny!”
“It wasn’t meant to be, Kitten.”
Trent stared back at Kenzie. She noticed his back straighten. Yeah, Taylor had definitely done something.
“Darlin’, I think you wanna see this company.”
“And I think you can take your company and go fuck yourself.” This time Trent’s entire face darkened and his brows indented in the center. His lips tightened as he sent a glare to the empty hallway.
Kenzie stepped away from Bogs, releasing his hand, and made her way to the edge of the hallway.
“Taylor?” Kenzie said. She waited peering down the hall. No answer came from the room at the end, but the door slowly opened. A stream of long black hair fell from her view and Taylor’s face appeared. It took her best friend less than two seconds to charge down the hall and knock her back when she threw her arms around her waist and hugged her close.
She wrapped her arms around Taylor’s shoulders. Her feet lifted off the ground, and she giggled. “I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried, Tay.”
Taylor didn’t say a word but hugged her tighter. This was so unlike her friend, who was never speechless. It hit her in a way that she couldn’t describe. It was like a mental conversation between her and her friend. This hug was more than being happy to see her. It was the words she couldn’t speak. The only time Taylor had a hard time talking was when she needed to apologize.
Kenzie hugged her tight and whispered, “I’m fine, and it’s okay. Taylor, it’s okay.”
Her friend released her, and her eyes confirmed what Kenzie knew. This was her saying ‘I’m sorry’ without uttering the words. She grabbed her hand and squeezed before losing her smile and jerking her head to the men standing gawking.
“I’ll be in my room. Don’t bother us.”
“That would be my room, darlin’.”
She pulled Kenzie down the hall. She barely had time to look back and see Bogs holding back a laugh when their eyes met, and he winked at her. She lost sight of him when she was yanked through the door, and it slammed behind her.
“Taylor, what’s going on?”
She sighed. “That man is such a prick. I called it right from the beginning, didn’t I?” She hopped on the bed and patted the mattress for Kenzie to join her. She slid her hair into a ponytail.
“Wait, what happened?”
She sighed, twisting her hair into a bun and tying it up as she spoke. “What didn’t happen?” She shook her head. “The condensed version? I got out of the club, couldn’t find you but made my way back to
the apartment thinking that’s where you had gone. Knew those bastards were following me. I was able to dodge them for a few days when that prick Trent got his hands on me. Been here ever since.”
“Where were you for those few days?”
Taylor shrugged not meeting her eyes. “Not important.”
The soft knock on the door had her friend glaring at it. “Go away.”
“I need you to come out and talk with Kenzie in the living room,” Trent said.
“And I need you to fuck off.”
“Taylor,” Kenzie hissed. She may not understand everything that was going on but Taylor being nasty to Trent was not going to help in any way.
The knob wiggled, but Taylor must have locked it behind her. “Open. The. Door.”
“No. We will come out when we are done talking. Now go away, Trent.”
Kenzie grabbed her friend’s hand gaining her attention. “What’s going on?”
Taylor looked over her shoulder and raised her voice. It wasn’t a shout, but she intended on Trent hearing her. “He wants us to come out because he doesn’t want me to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Taylor, open the fucking door and shut your mouth,” Trent snarled behind the closed door. His voice made her jump on the bed. He was laying out a warning.
“No, asshole,” Taylor snapped in a catty victorious tone.
“Tell me what, Tay?” Kenzie whispered
She grasped both of Kenzie’s hands, and her face softened. “I overheard Trent talking…”
She stopped in mid-sentence, and they both flipped around to face the door when the crash boomed, and the door flung open, slamming against the wall. Trent stood in the doorway. Long gone was the easiness of the gorgeous man. He looked damn near ferocious, his glare locked on Taylor as he stalked through the room. She scrambled off the bed to the other side leaving Kenzie seated in the middle watching the standoff between them.
“Get out, you maniac. You broke down the door in your own house. What the hell is the matter with you?”
“Me? What’s wrong with me? Darlin’, you have made me lose all sense of patience. As for me being a maniac, that’s rich coming from a woman who is batshit fucking crazy.”
The rest of the men filed into the room. She widened her eyes when she saw Bogs. It was a plea for help. Someone needed to explain what was happening. It seemed everyone was in the dark about the situation between Trent and Taylor. Except maybe Declan. He stood off to the side, clearly on edge with his back to Evie in a protective stance.
Bogs stepped forward. “Everyone, relax.” He turned to Trent. “What’s going on, man?”
Trent took a breath and aimed his stare at the men, leaving her with the view of his profile. His jaw was tense as though he was clenching it.
“She overheard Declan and I discussing a job.” His words were cryptic. She glanced over at Taylor, who was squinting as if she wanted to haul ass over the bed and punch him.
“And?” Taylor said.
Trent glared at her.
Taylor turned to Bogs. “Did you tell Kenzie what you do for a living?”
“She knows I work in securities,” Bogs looked just as confused as she was. He glanced over at her, and she shrugged. Of course, she knew what he did.
“What else do you do, Bogs?”
The simple question seemed to throw him off, then before her eyes, his body changed. His chest rose as his back tensed and his eyes darkened. He kept his stare on Taylor when he spoke. “Trent.” He paused. “What’s she getting at?”
“Exactly what you think, brother.”
The room got thick with tension, and she stared at Bogs looking for some kind of explanation, but he was locked on Taylor. His eyes glared at her in what seemed like a warning. With nothing from Bogs, she glanced around, seeing all the men focused on Taylor giving her a similar look as Bogs. What was she missing?
“Kenzie?” Taylor whispered, and she jerked her head. Taylor’s face changed relaxed, which seemed odd since everyone else was tense and furious.
“They can get him.” She lifted her hand pointing around the room and smiled while keeping her eyes on Kenzie. What was she talking about? Get who?
Kenzie shook her head not understanding what her friend was trying to tell her.
Taylor stepped forward and kneeled on the bed, face to face with Kenzie.
“Taylor, don’t.” She couldn’t be sure, but the voice almost sounded like Bogs. She was too focused on Taylor and what she was trying to tell her, to look over and see.
“I overheard Trent and Declan talking about a job. They helped some guy kill the man that murdered his brother. That’s what they do. Bogs and his brothers find the guy, the family member kills him, and Trent and Declan get rid of the body.” She lifted her brows glancing over Kenzie’s shoulder. “Our very own vigilante group.”
“Fucking bitch.” Someone swore under their breath, but she could hear it clearly.
It was almost impossible to believe, but no one was denying it. Vigilante? Bogs? The lump in her throat grew as she glanced back at Taylor. Of course, there would be things she didn’t know about Bogs, but she was thinking more on the lines of past girlfriends or how he takes his coffee. Not this. Bogs and his brothers find the guy, the family member kills him, and Trent and Declan get rid of the body.
Taylor tightened her grip on her hands. “You know what this means? They can get him, Kenzie.”
Her heart sped up, and her body shivered as she watched the pure joy cast over Taylor’s face.
James Harris, the man who killed her mom, had become a dark figure stored in the back of her head for the past twelve years. She never forgot him, but she also did her best to not think of him. No matter how many times the prosecutor explained, she could never understand why he got such a short sentence. He killed her mom and four years later walked out of prison. Her dad never spoke of it, but she knew it ripped him apart the same as her. Harris basically got away with murder. It had been so long since she’d thought about that.
Suddenly, every hidden emotion, every painful heartbreak came flooding through. All the tears, all the times she needed her mom, all the deals she made with God, praying she’d wake up and it would all be just a bad dream. Everything came back with a force that made her gasp. She stared back at Taylor with glassy welled eyes. Her mouth dried from her heavy hot breath. She turned her head slowly, taking in the tense glares aimed at Taylor from all the men in the room. All but one, who was solely staring back at her.
“You can find him for me?” Her question wasn’t so much a request but shocked curiosity. Why had he kept this from her?
»»•««
It was like gallons of ice water being poured over his body. Bogs wanted to kill Taylor. The way Kenzie stared back at him with hope and a plea in her eyes. And pain, so much fucking pain. He had every intention of telling Kenzie about what they did on the side, but not now, and certainly not this way. Somewhere down the road, he would tell her, explain it all, and not give her a fucked up condensed version like Taylor just did.
“Find who?” T asked from directly behind Bogs. Kenzie never looked away. She was waiting for him and only him to answer her. But that didn’t stop Taylor and her big fucking mouth.
“Didn’t you tell him?” Taylor asked.
She didn’t even flinch, her eyes set on Bogs. His stare remained on Kenzie as he answered the question. “I know.”
“Someone needs to tell me what the fuck is going on,” T barked. He hadn’t meant to keep her mother’s murder a secret from T. While he had talked with Stone, he never mentioned it to T. This was the last scenario he could have envisioned.
Bogs drew in a breath, watching Kenzie. “Her mom was murdered twelve years ago. The guy, James Harris, was in the process of robbing the convenience store when her mom walked in.”
Kenzie slowly scooted herself to the end of the bed and got down, stepping to Bogs.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“And you’d find him for me?” Her voice stammered on her words. He couldn’t figure out if she was asking hypothetically or requesting it. He had planned on telling her, eventually, but not like this.
She was so fragile. He had to keep his words and his tone delicate. “It’s not that simple, baby. You don’t know what you’re saying, Kenzie. You would be the one to kill him, not any of us. You.” She sucked in a breath then clamped her lips.
Trent stepped forward. “Kenzie, what Taylor failed to tell you is we have strict guidelines we follow in these situations.” They all knew the magnitude of what she was asking. Trent was trying to shut her down. From the look on her face, she understood.
Taylor snorted, and Trent jerked his head to her. “Shut up.” He pinned her with a glare so vicious, Kenzie flinched, and it wasn’t even directed at her.
“What are they?” A tear slipped past her lashes, and her bottom lip trembled. It was killing him to see her like this.
“Kenzie,” Bogs whispered.
Trent rested his hand on her arm. “Taylor explained that the man who killed your mom did serve time.” Bogs knew the angle Trent was about to work, and he watched her closely.
Kenzie shook her head. “Four years, that’s it.” He could read her face. Four years for the loss of her mom wasn’t fair. He completely agreed, but this wasn’t what he wanted for her.
“But he served his time. That’s not what we deal with,” Trent said. In general, what Trent was saying was true. They dealt with families whose killers got away with it. Men who didn’t do any time. Most got off on a technicality. The justice system was flawed.
Taylor stomped forward, standing next to Kenzie with a fire in her eyes. “He served four years for killing her mother. He should be in jail for the rest of his life for what he did. That’s not justice! He gets to live his life like nothing happened.”
While Bogs understood her fury, feeling his own for the injustice, it wouldn’t change anything. Taylor wasn’t thinking about how this would affect Kenzie in the long haul. From the way Kenzie was reacting, he didn’t think she wanted it either.