“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 notexactly 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 pastcoming 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?”
