One Chance (Hogan Brothers 1)

“Whoa, no man. She came busting out the door like her ass was on fire and ran into the hood of my car. She walked off just fine.”

Lennox wasn’t listening as he ran out the door, hoping to find her, knowing he wouldn’t.

“I can’t believe I fucking hesitated,” he snapped at himself. He was going to kill Braxton when he got ahold of the man. Making her believe whatever cruel things he’d said.

Going back into his office, he searched her purse until he found her phone. Turning it on, he prayed it wasn’t password protected.

As the screen lit up, it started chiming with missed calls, texts, and voicemails as he swiped across the screen. Relief swamped him when it didn’t ask for a passcode. Seeing the angry texts from Braxton telling her to stop being a spoiled brat boiled his blood. Once he found Soph, he’d deal with whatever the other man had done to make her so upset that she’d essentially run away from home.

Going through her contacts, he didn’t see more than a dozen numbers. His, his mother’s, Braxton’s, her parents’, and a few businesses’. Nothing personal. No friends or other family members. Nada.

He knew she was sheltered, kept to herself, but he hadn’t thought it was quite that lonely. Seeing the evidence of it, he was a little sad for her. She had no one to go to when she needed a break from her home life.

A quick decision had him entering Lochlan and Levi’s numbers just in case she needed an escape and couldn’t get a hold of him.

Putting her phone back in her purse, he heard a car come screeching into the parking lot moments before the front door jingled. Walking into the reception area, he saw Braxton entering, his eyes narrowed as they landed on Nox.

“Where is she?” the man growled.

As he was about to answer, Rebecca walked in.

“Nope,” his eyes bore holes through her, “get out.”

“Excuse me?” Her fake innocence didn’t fool him.

“You are banned from my property. Get. Out,” he spoke through gritted teeth.

“I’m a paying customer!” Her outrage was unnecessary.

“Not anymore you’re not. You have no open business with us. Now get out before I have you arrested for trespassing.” He threatened.

“You wouldn’t!” She gasped.

Mac picked up the phone, a smirk on his face. He’d never been fond of the older woman either.

“You’ll regret this,” she shouted, walking out.

“Pretty sure I won’t,” he commented to her retreating back. Turning his attention back to Braxton. “What do you want?” he feigned a bored tone. Even if Soph hadn’t run off, he wouldn’t give her up.

“Where’s Sophia?” he asked again.

Shrugging his shoulder, he told the man, “Out.” Not caring that he was, in essence, lying even though it was sort of true.

He could see as Braxton processed his lack of a real answer and surveyed his shop before he spoke. “I’ll wait.”

When he went to sit, Nox confronted him. “Why?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Why what?” Braxton matched his stance.

“Why’d you say those things to her? You obviously know and have seen what goes on in that house, and yet you did it anyway. When we first met, you seemed to actually give a shit about her. Is that because she was a good little girl and did what you said?” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Or did you expect her to jump into your bed? When she didn’t do that, you decided to show your real colors?”

There was a flash of emotion in the other man’s eyes at Nox’s words before he quickly masked it. “Mind your fucking business, Hogan, you have no idea what’s going on.”

Curling his upper lip in disgust with the so-called bodyguard, he said, “I know enough that the chances are it’s her fucking mother that has her in danger and not her father. I know enough to know that neither of those people gives a shit about her, and you’re only there for looks.”

Taking a step closer to Nox, his voice was filled with menace. “You’re pushing it, boy.”

“No. I’m right on the fucking money. Now get the hell out of my shop before I have you thrown out. Soph won’t be going back.” He vowed. She wouldn’t. Her home was toxic, and he was pissed at himself for allowing her to stay to begin with.