Impossibly Possible Read online

  Her gut was telling her she knew them without knowing them. A soft chuckle from the man on the far end of the doorway caught her attention. He was resting with his shoulder against the wall completely relaxed. He looked so different from the other two with his boy next door, sexy tousled dirty blond hair, thick eyebrows he rocked, and his light, seemingly amused eyes. She swallowed hard and tilted her head. She’d give anything to look away, but he had her in some freak of nature trance.

  Those eyes. Hazel, maybe? The corner of his mouth jutted up, and his eyebrow cocked. She was staring, not glancing, not gazing, but giving him full-on creepy, “I’m your next stalker” stare.

  The heat rose from her chest to her neck and up to her face. The tingling burn had to be obvious to him. His closed mouth smile turned into a full grin leaving no doubt he was aware of the effect he was having on her.

  “Kenzie, sweetheart, y’all right? You’re as red as a cherry pie. Oh, dear Lord, are you gonna faint?”

  Kenzie gasped sucking in a deep breath of air. Yes, she was going to faint. The older woman’s voice seemed to snap her out of her daze. Her eye uncontrollably twitched, and she blinked. Get it together.

  She forced a breathy laugh. “No, I’m fine, I just, um…” Think, I have to think. “The stairs.” The men, along with Mrs. Bower, stared blankly at her. All except him. His lips pursed as if he knew what was making her blush.

  She shook her head. “I mean, the stairs got me winded. I think.”

  She pressed her lips together to keep from sounding more like a moron.

  Mrs. Bower clucked her tongue, reaching out to the serial killer looking bald man. She gripped his wrist.

  “Darn elevator has been out for months. Can you believe it? How are we supposed to deal with this? Say, you wouldn’t by chance be willing to talk to the super before you go?” Mrs. Bower squinted and grinned. “I bet a visit from you boys would get that man to fix it right quick.”

  The harsh scowl faltered on the man, and she caught a glimpse of what might have been a smile but not fully committed. It was the guy she had been staring at that answered as he pushed off the wall.

  “I think we can do that.” His voice was deep and husky. The kind of sound that when he told a girl to drop her panties, they slid down her thighs without effort. It was smooth and arousing, with a glint of humor. While he spoke to the older woman, his gaze was aimed on Kenzie. Sexy and nice to little old ladies? Her lips spread in a smile. Who was this guy?

  Mrs. Bower clapped her hands together. “He’s the last door on your right on the first floor. Thank you, sweet boy.” The idea of her calling him a sweet boy was ridiculous. This was no boy. He was a guy with toned, tight muscles peeking through his sleeves. His t-shirt hugged his chest leaving no doubt of the roped muscles and six pack abs that lay underneath it. And that face. It belonged on the sexiest man issue of the magazine from the supermarket.

  He stepped past the other men and the corner of his mouth curved. “Maybe you could help us out? Kenzie, right?”

  She nodded. It was a reflex. His voice was rendering her stupid. She couldn’t even form words now. Her name on his lips. She took a breath. She wasn’t usually this awkward around men, but this guy—there was something about him.

  “I’m Bogs.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the men behind him. “That’s T and Stone. We’d really appreciate you helping us out.”

  She smiled at the prospect of what he might want help with. She was willing to help him out with anything. His shirt, maybe, his belt buckle? One of his brows hiked up. It was an insinuation. What the hell? Was he reading her mind? She should have been embarrassed but the heat from her face, masking down her neck and onto her chest wasn’t embarrassment, it was arousal.

  Oh, she would help him out with anything he asked. It had been way too long since she’d met a man who piqued her instant attraction. Butterflies swarmed her belly. She cleared her throat, hoping it wouldn’t crack. “Sure, I’ll help.” With anything you need.

  He reached out, grabbing a piece of paper, and turned it over. Her eyes slid down to a photo of a very familiar face.

  “Have you seen her?”

  Except that.

  A sense of heated dread washed over her body. Her initial gut instinct, the suspicious fear she had before succumbing to hot guy’s charm, slammed back into her body. She stepped away without control. A photo of her best friend stared back at her.

  She concentrated on keeping her features emotionless as the truth played out in her head. These guys were from the SUV. The ones who had been watching her place last week. She had felt the relief every night when she went to the window and saw another car parked in the spot. Taylor had teased her about overreacting for nothing. She had finally been able to slightly relax and feel comfortable again.

  The bag in her hand began to shake, and her effort to remain calm only intensified her trembling hand. Say something. Make them go away.

  “Um.” She shook her head. “No, haven’t seen her.” She looked up to see four sets of eyes trained on her. “Nope, never.” Mrs. Bower’s eyes widened. “Really, ever, never.” She swallowed the knot in her throat. “Ever.” She was the worst liar. She should have shaken her head and passed by them. Now, she was an unconvincing mumbling idiot.

  “Never?” Bog’s tone was laced with humor.

  She shook her head.

  The man with the scar, Stone shared a look with the man next to him, T. Their facial expressions didn’t change, but they seemed to be having an internal conversation. Kenzie tried to swallow, but her throat was dry. She needed to get past them which would be a nearly impossible task since they were blocking the hall. She stepped forward.

  “Do me a favor, sweetheart, and take another look, would ya?”

  Sweetheart. Her skin prickled when he said it. His voice smoldered. If he had asked for anything else, she’d probably have given in without a second thought. This guy and his voice could make a girl do just about anything. She gazed up and locked eyes with his hazel stare. She’d always been a sucker for light colored eyes.

  She inched forward and took another glance at Taylor’s picture. She had seen the photo before. It was cropped and blown up just showing her best friend. Taylor smiling. What she didn’t see was Drew sitting next to her, his arm wrapped over her shoulder. That was the original photo. Taylor had it hanging on her fridge at her apartment.

  Kenzie took a deep breath and tried to relax. She needed to focus and get as much information from them without letting on she knew Taylor. This would be no easy task since she was probably the worst fibber on the planet. Her dad used to say that her face was her confession, too expressive.

  She licked her dry lips and lifted her gaze to the hot guy with the beautiful eyes.

  “N-no.” She snapped her lips closed, feeling the heat. Stuttering was not going to convince them. She cleared her throat. “No, I don’t know her. What did she do?”

  The silence in the hall grew thick. She glanced up to see them watching her closely.

  Stone lifted his chin. “Now, what makes you think she did anything?”

  Oh shit. Cover your tracks, back it up. She laughed nervously.

  Her tight lips spread to a strained smile. “Well, why else would you be looking for her?”

  Bogs cocked his head to the side. It was as if he were reading her, getting inside her head. The weight of her bags was growing increasingly heavy, and under his scrutinizing stare, she squirmed in her spot. She curved her hand up to her chest, resting the bag against her. His eyes immediately shifted to the bag. Or was he looking at her chest?

  It wouldn’t be the first time a man took notice of her ample breasts. Most men did. This might be the first time she enjoyed it though. Snap out of it. Focus on Taylor.

  “Mexican?’

  Was he asking if she was Mexican? With her light hair and green eyes, she was constantly confused with being Irish as opposed to English but never Mexican. She furrowed her eyebrows.
“English and German.”

  His mouth broke out into a huge grin, and he chuckled. “In the bag, I mean.”

  “Oh, um, yeah.” This guy made her nervous beyond the fear. Why did he have to be so damn good looking? Her heart beat faster and her palms moistened. She had her fair share of hot guys hit on her, but there was something different about him. A concealed danger behind his playful smile and sweet eyes. Her head and libido were having an inner battle with her head screaming, “He’s the enemy,” and her southern region saying, “Has there ever been a man so sexy?” Her shoulders sagged. I’m doomed!

  “That’s a big bag for one person.”

  Her attention snapped back to him. Oh, those eyes and the humor behind them. Focus, Kenzie!

  “It’s for me and my boyfriend,” she blurted, regretting it the minute the words slipped past her lips.

  A sharp gasp from the left had Kenzie jerking her head to Mrs. Bowers. Oh hell! Please don’t say it, please don’t say it.

  “Kenzie, please tell me you are not back with him?”

  She frantically shook her head. “No. It’s a new guy, Mrs. Bowers.” She smiled.

  The old woman nodded in sympathy, but she didn’t seem convinced.

  Last month, her boyfriend of a few months showed a side of himself that Kenzie had never seen. When she showed up late to the apartment, he was waiting on her. She had been held up at work, and her phone had died. When she got to her place, he accused her of cheating and went ballistic. He threw a table across the room and screamed about her being a whore. It was scary, and thankfully, Mrs. Bowers called the police.

  The restraining order was in place, and she hadn’t heard or seen him since. Unlike her best friend, she had learned her lesson to stay away from the bad boys. She had put it past her, and the last thing she wanted to do was rehash it with a hallway full of strangers.

  She nodded again and waved her finger in Kenzie’s face. “You deserve to be treated like a treasure. Remember that.”

  This was uncomfortably awkward. She refused to look over at the men, but she could feel them staring at her. The whole scene that played out with her ex had been humiliating. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she’d become the talk of the building. Deep down she knew it wasn’t her fault, but there was guilt for not seeing the kind of man he was.

  The old woman turned to the men. “Hurting women doesn’t make you a real man, it makes you a real asshole.”

  The tense growl from the bald guy, T, had Kenzie straightening her back. “Couldn’t agree more.”

  “Got yourself a new man, huh?” Mrs. Bowers giggled.

  “Yup.” She could hear the lie and felt the burn from her neck cross over her cheeks.

  “Well, good for you. I always did think you worked too much. You’re young. You need to have fun.” The old woman wiggled her brows. “The kind of fun a good man can provide.”

  The idea that her eighty-six-year-old neighbor was referring to sex had her face blazing, which was only intensified by the masculine snickers.

  What the hell was happening? How did their search for Taylor somehow transform to her sex life? She clutched her warm bag of food closer to her and looked over at the men. T and Stone stared at her. Their faces were masks she couldn’t read. But when her gaze shifted to Bogs, her knees rubbed together. His brow cocked up and his lips spread in a sexy, dirty thought kind of smile. Then he winked. Not a creepy innuendo wink, but the kind that had the corner of her mouth curling up uncontrollably. It was a flirty, sexy wink.

  “Then I guess we’re done here. Ladies, thanks for the help. Now, we gotta go see a man about an elevator.” He nodded at Mrs. Bower and followed the other two strutting her way. She lowered her head and moved to the side, giving them room to pass her.

  One set of boots, two sets of boots. By the third set, she was tempted to look up. She didn’t. She walked past and smiled at Mrs. Bower as she closed the door. The stammer of heavy steps descending down the stairs and echoed in the hall. As she rounded the railing to go up the last flight, her eyes caught a red flash and locked eyes with Bogs. His lips spread into a seductive smile and remained in place until he was out of her sight.

  What the hell just happened?

  She had no doubt they were the guys who had been parked outside her place last week. Her fear crept up another notch. These were not the type of men you messed with or lied to. Shit. They may have left, but they weren’t going to end their search just because she claimed she didn’t know Taylor. She had kept herself hidden away in the apartment, but a neighbor must have seen her. At least one. She sighed staring down at the empty staircase.

  Taylor was not the forgettable type of girl. Someone would remember her, most likely a man. It was only a matter of time before they came to her door. The sound of footsteps from below knocked her back into present day. She darted up the stairs.

  She made it to her door in record time and flew through the door. She zoned in on Taylor’s confused face.

  She slammed the door and leaned back against it.

  “We’re so fucked.”

  Taylor hopped off the stool. “What are you talking about?”

  Her breath was heavy from her panic, running the flight of stairs, and if she were being honest, the effect Bogs with the hazel eyes was having on her. She moved forward dumping the bags on her small kitchen island.

  “The guys from the SUV? They are now in the building showing a picture of you to all my neighbors. I just ran into them.” She widened her eyes. “They asked me if I’d ever seen you, Taylor.”

  “Oh fuck.” Taylor turned into the living room dragging her hands through her long black hair. They’d been friends for years. Taylor was well aware of what a horrible liar Kenzie was.

  “I tried to sound convincing.”

  Taylor snorted. “Yeah, we’re fucked.” She paced around the small room.

  It was true.

  “What are we gonna do?”

  “We?” Taylor turned and shook her head. “We aren’t gonna do anything. I’ll handle it.” She kicked the foot of the couch. “Shoulda never come here, dragging you into this.”

  For all the trouble Taylor had gotten into, she never purposely involved Kenzie. Unfortunately, Kenzie involved herself. When she had gotten the call from Taylor a few weeks ago, she had insisted she’d come to Houston and stay with her until everything was sorted out.

  “I’m in it, Tay. It’s at my doorstep, and don’t think for one second you’re leaving to figure it out on your own.” She nibbled on her nail, which barely had a nail left.

  “Kenzie, I’m not putting you in the middle of my shit.” There it was, the protective side of Taylor. Not many saw it, but Kenzie did. Taylor had been taking up for her and having her back since the ninth grade.

  “You would do it for me.”

  Taylor turned and stared back at her. Taylor’s eyes softened, and the stress lines marring her forehead seemed to ease. For as flawed as their friendship was, loyalty never wavered for either of them. If the roles were reversed, she knew Taylor would have her back, no matter what.

  “What’s the plan?”

  Taylor rested her hands on her hips, sighing. “You’re not gonna like it.”

  Kenzie dropped her head to her chest, completely deflated. This would end badly, her gut said so. “Let me guess. It’s going to make for a great story someday.” Those were Taylor’s infamous words she recited before Kenzie was dragged into a scheme or shenanigans that usually ended up in the principal’s office, her kitchen table at home, and the police station. Twice.

  “It will.” She sighed. “Hopefully we won’t be telling it through the glass wall of a prison.”

  “Oh, God. I need to sit down.” She ambled to the couch and dropped into the cushion, tugging her knees into her chest.

  “I’m kidding.” Taylor chuckled. “Look, it’s really simple. I need to find Drew, get him to the bail bondsman, and then my ass is clear, and I can be done with that douche forever.”


  “Yeah, okay, but you’re forgetting the key point to this plan. You have no idea where he is.”

  “True. I need to lure him out of hiding.” She smirked. “And if I know Drew, which I do, the carrot I’m going to dangle will be impossible for him to resist.” She crossed her arms in a confident stance, cocking her hip to the side.

  “Ew.” Kenzie gazed down her best friend’s body.

  “Not me. Trust me. I’m a dime a dozen for Drew, that much I’ve learned. I’m talking about money. He’s on the run, and he’s got more enemies than friends. He may have people helping him now, but Drew wears people down. Sooner or later, he’ll be on his own again. What Drew needs is money, and I’m going to get it for him.”

  Was she insane? “You’re going to give him money? Why?”

  “Well, I’m not actually going to give it to him. Instead, I’m going to lure him out from the rock he’s hiding under and have him follow me straight to the bonds company, Lock-Hart. They’ll get him, put him in jail, get their money back, and get the hell off my ass. It’s perfect.”

  Kenzie closed her eyes, rubbing her temples in a circular motion. She felt a migraine coming on. They were usually induced by Taylor’s asinine schemes. “Yeah, okay, but there’s one small problem with this plan. You don’t have any money, Taylor.”

  “Not now, but I’m gonna get it.”

  Kenzie shook her head. “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “It’s actually pretty brilliant. See, through Drew, I met Dante. He runs an underground fight club downtown. Cash only business.”

  Kenzie burst out laughing. “And you think he’ll lend it to you.”

  Taylor’s gaze darted away to the door. “Not quite.”

  “Then what?”

  “Look, all I have to do is go in, chat up this guy, Dante. He’s the one that collects the cash from the door, and he transfers all the bets. And I’m talking thousands of dollars.” Taylor sat down on the couch next to her. “I’ll just lift the cash when he’s not looking. He’ll never know. The way Drew described it—it’s just a pile sitting in a gray bag. Once I get the money, I’ll reach out to Drew’s only contact, show him the money that gets Drew to come out of hiding and voila, I’ll personally hand him over to Lock-Hart. What do ya think?”