Page 146 of Savage Bosses

Even though our relationship was strained, Wes was still my brother, and the thought of him succumbing to such darkness made me sick. Why was he such a loser? We weren’t raised that way. We had the same parents, and I didn’t understand how we were so different.

“Hey,” I said, looking up and over Ashley with determination in my eyes. “We’re going to find him, okay? And we’ll figure out what’s going on with him. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Kyle.” Her gratitude shone through her teary eyes, and for a moment, I saw a woman who had reached her limit. Maybe there was still a chance to save my brother from himself and repair whatever damage he’d done to his life and relationships. But I wasn’t going to hold my breath.

“I’m sure he’s fine, Ashley,” I said dismissively. “He probably got drunk and crashed at a friend’s place.”

“I called all his friends. No one has seen or heard from him since yesterday,” Ashley said, her eyes welling up with tears. “And I found out he crashed his car a few days ago. The police called the house for him.”

That makes me sit up straight. My stomach dropped. Wes can be reckless, but totaling his car is serious. Was that why he was asking me for money?

“Shit,” I mutter. “Any idea where he might possibly be?” Ashley’s words echoed in my mind. I stood and stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office into the parking lot.

“He didn’t come home last night. I’m really worried, Kyle.” She repeated.

Her voice quivered slightly, but she held it together. Ashley has always been the strong one in their relationship. Wes leaned on her too much. She acted like his mother now that we’d lost our mother.

I turned back to face her. “When was the last time you heard from him, exactly?” I asked.

“Around 8 AM when he left for work yesterday.”

I nod. “It’s been more than twenty-four hours.”

“He took my car Monday and Tuesday. I woke up this morning, and it was gone from the driveway. He never came home after work on Tuesday. I have a job. I need my car. I can’t keep calling in.”

“I will send a car to the house for you. How did you get here?”

“I Ubered here. I’m taking an Uber back to the house. I need to be there if he comes home.”

Ashley shook her head as tears spilled down her reddened cheeks. “I’m really scared, Kyle. This isn’t like him. I know he’s not an angel, but he never cuts off all communication. He could have a concussion from the car accident or something. I just don’t know.”

It was precisely theor somethingthat worried me. I rubbed my temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. Dealing with my trainwreck of a brother is the last thing I needed today. But Ashley looked so distraught; I couldn’t just brush her off. She did love my brother.

“Okay, just try to stay calm,” I said gently. “I’ll make some calls and figure out what’s going on with Wes. I promise I’ll find him and force him to go to rehab.”

I felt a swell of protectiveness for my brother’s girlfriend. Wes didn’t deserve her loyalty. But I vowed in that moment to do whatever it took to bring him back safely, for both their sakes.

Ashley gave me a quick hug before she left my office. Her words echoed in my mind. Cheating, drugs, alcohol, car accidents. It felt like Wes was slipping further and further away from the person I’d grown up with. But I couldn’t let him go without a fight. I owed it to our parents to do everything in my power to pull him back from the brink of destruction. He was my brother, the only family I had left now that our parents were gone.

The moment the door clicked shut behind Ashley, I slammed my fist on the desk, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me.Goddamn it, Wes! What the hell are you thinking?I grabbed my phone and punched in the number for Aerica’s extension.

“Aerica, can you come in here?” I growled as soon as she picked up. I knew I sounded irritated, but I can’t help it. The situation with Wes had my stomach tied up in knots.

I needed to vent about this Wes situation and get her take on it. Where the hell was my screw-up brother and what kind of trouble had he gotten himself into now? He was too reckless and stupid to be dead. That wasn’t a fear I had at this time.

A minute later, Aerica knocked lightly on my office door before entering. I gestured for her to close the door behind her. As she did, her gaze swept over me, immediately noticing my tense posture and the deep furrow between my brows.

Aerica was impeccably dressed, as always. She was in a sleek purple pencil skirt and a silky violet blouse that hugged her curves. She was wearing the colors just for me and I knew it. How fucking sexy she would look stepping out of my metallic purple Porsche. I allowed myself a moment to admire how sexy she looked before gesturing for her to take a seat.

“What’s up, boss? You look stressed.” She sat in the chair Ashley just left and crossed her legs smoothly.

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “It’s Wes. He’s pulled another disappearing act and his girlfriend just showed up freaking out about it.”

Aerica frowned, leaning forward in concern. “Do you have any idea where he might be?”

“No clue,” I say. “Apparently, he wrecked his car sometime over the weekend and took off with Ashley’s car.”

“He was here on Monday and Tuesday. How did he disappear so quickly?” Aerica said with concern in her tone.

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