One Choice (Hogan Brothers 2)

“Back up, Joey.” Soph’s smile was gone and in its place frustration. Thankfully, he listened.

“My bad.” His hands were in the air as he rounded the desk. “Levi doesn’t usually come in until around nine,” he explained, his eyes still roaming up and down her body. More in appreciation than lasciviousness. He still made her uncomfortable.

“Ignore Joey, he has no filter,” Soph told her.

Nodding her head, Hayes asked, “Nine?”

“If he’s not with some chick,” Joey repeated.

Her flinch at his words couldn’t be masked, nor could the tears that threatened. “Shut up and get back to work, Joey.” Soph’s voice was threaded with steel as she told him what to do.

Both men left talking about Levi with some other woman. Soph just shook her head at their antics. Hayes felt like she was dying inside.

“He doesn’t do that,” the other woman said, obviously sensing Hayes’ pain. She was trying to comfort her.

“Okay.” Looking around, she realized Lys might be right, she shouldn’t have come. “I’ve gotta go.” She turned to leave.

“What’s your name? Can I tell him you stopped by?”

“Umm, no, thanks.” And she was gone. She felt like such a fool for even thinking that surprising him was a good idea.

It’s possible that the concept of being with him was dumb altogether. She was a high school girl. He was a full-grown man. What could he possibly want with her?

When Levi woke up that morning, he’d missed having Hayes in his arms like crazy. He’d slept better with her in his bed than he had in years. He needed her by his side. However, he’d promised her parents he would wait at least two more weeks until graduation. It was going to be brutal.

Stopping for coffee and muffins on the way in to the garage, he was earlier than usual as he entered the building. The bay doors were open out front, and Metallica could be heard blasting through the speakers while Joey and Asher worked on an old Mustang.

“Morning, Soph.” He kissed her cheek as he walked past.

“He’s so dead,” Mac muttered as he passed him.

“Who’s what now?”

“Shut up, Mac,” Soph hissed at him.

Plopping the muffins on the counter, he looked between the two who had become thick as thieves the past few weeks as Soph filled out her little tyrant pumps and told everyone what to do and when. “Care to fill me in on why I’m so dead?”

“Not you.” Mac whistled. Soph elbowed him.

“Talk,” Levi commanded.

Soph rushed to speak. “A girl came here this morning looking for you. I don’t know who she was, but dumb and dumber just had to open their mouths spewing a bunch of crap, and she was almost crying when she left.”

It took a moment for Soph’s rapid fire words to catch up to his brain. He had a bad feeling in his gut. “’Bout your height, red hair, looks like a tomboy?” he asked her quietly. She nodded. “Who said what?” His words were snarled.

“It was a joke,” Mac defended.

“They were just being them. They had no idea who she was.” Soph helped Mac out.

“Who. Said. What?” Levi’s voice was damn near deadly by then.

Sighing, Soph finally answered him. “Joey joked you were probably at home banging some girl from the weekend.”

Blood rushed through him at her words. “Fuck!” he yelled, slamming his hand on the counter making Soph jump and Nox come screaming out of his office.

“What the fuck?”

“I’m gonna kill Joey,” he warned and was off into the shop, fully intent on stringing the little bastard up by his neck on one of the hoists.