CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TREY

Kenzie didn’t come home that night. I didn’t see her the next day either. Marcy called at one point apologizing for not being able to get her to come back, and pretty much everything else that had happened in relation to their little stunt. What was worse, the bag and everything in it were missing for real. I hadn’t heard back from Buck, and I had a feeling he wasn’t having any luck either. There was a knock at the door before Kaylee came busting through it and hugged me tight.

“I’m so sorry, Trey,” Kaylee mumbled into my chest.

“For what? Barging into my house?” I chuckled and Griffin rolled his eyes.

“For everything. It was all my idea and I totally ruined everything.”

“Nah, you probably saved me some embarrassment actually. I would have been humiliated if I had proposed and she ran off like this. This whole thing just confirms that maybe we aren’t right for each other.”

“That’s bullshit.” Kay snarled at me, poking her finger in my chest. “You didn’t see her after you got shot. She was a fucking mess. I didn’t know Kenzie well back then, but I could tell she was in love with you.”

“She’s right, bro. I was there after you stepped in front of that bullet for her. They had to fucking sedate her ass to stop her fucking screaming,” Buck said as he walked through my still open door.

“No one knows how to knock anymore?” I grumbled.

“I knocked,” Kaylee replied indignantly.

“It doesn’t count if you just walk in.” I looked at her pointedly and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“Look, we’re leaving for our girls’ weekend in a couple of hours, and Kenzie’s going if Tara and I have to stick her ass in the trunk. I’ll talk to her. I’m sure she’s just scared. You know old habits die hard. She’s used to being on her own and never really having anything so… permanent.” She gave me a sad smile.

“Thanks Kay,” I said scrubbing my hands over my face. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to. I gotta go. You boys have fun finding that bag.” She finger-waved at us and walked out the door.

“She realizes it’s probably a lost cause, right?” I asked Griffin, who just shook his head.

“It took me and Twitch to drag her out of that hospital room kicking and screaming when you were in a coma. I think she just needs some time to process.”

I walked into the kitchen and poured some scotch into a glass and downed it in one gulp. Griffin shot me a pitying look, as I placed the glass back down on the counter, studiously looking at the bottle, debating whether or not another would help.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit early to be drinking?” he asked me carefully.

“Did you forget about the weekend we have planned?” I grinned, determined to not let Kenzie’s taking off crush me. “It’s never too early to start drinking in Vegas.”

Griffin groaned as Buck chuckled. “You never told me where we were going, ass.”

KENZIE

It took forever for me to get Marcy out of my hotel room. When I finally did, she left one parting shot as she walked out the door. “I think you’re making a mistake. Don’t run off out of fear. I did that and it cost me twelve years away from the man I love.”

“Okay, Marcy. I’ll think about it,” I said and shut the door.

I slept horribly and it was way too early when the pounding started at my door, and I freaked thinking Marcy had told him about my hiding spot. Creeping quietly to the door, I looked out the peep hole and sighed with relief.

“I heard that, open the damn door, Barbie,” Buck yelled at me, clearly not caring one bit about the other people in the hotel trying to get some sleep.

“What do you want?” I flung the door open.

“I was hired to drag your ass back to Trey.”

“Well, you won’t be completing that job.” I turned back around and plopped my ass back on the bed.

“I figured that. I’m just wondering what happened to the girl who had to be sedated because she was so upset, thinking the man she loved was dying. He took a fuckin’ bullet for you, Barbie. Man up!”

“What the hell, Buck? Get off my back. You have no idea what I’m going through.”

He stormed over to the bed, glared down at me, and continued his rant. “No? I don’t huh? You have no idea what I’ve been through… the things I lost, so don’t fucking pretend to. If you ask me, you should be grateful to have him.” The look on his face was filled with disgust. “Don’t throw it all away.”

I felt like an asshole. Buck was hardly ever serious like that. He was a big teasing flirt most of the time, so to see the pain in his eyes was a shock. I wondered not for the first time what had happened to him in the past. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head sadly. “Not me you need to be sorry to, Barbie. Just do me a favor and think about it. The longer you panic, the closer you become to losing him for good.”

He turned to leave, but I stopped him. “Have you seen him? Is he okay.”

He stared at me, standing by the edge of the door, hand on the door knob. “No Kenzie. He’s not. He called me late last night freaking out and asked me to track you down.” He opened the door. “My family is never coming back. Don’t lose your one chance at a family who loves you.”

“Thanks Buck, I’ll remember that,” I whispered just before he shut the door.