Hidden Fates (Hidden Heroes #4)

Chapter 3

Reese had spent the day polishing off the last of the s’mores and finishing a book she’d started on Garrett’s tablet a few days ago. She also spent several hours applying for jobs in the Dallas area. None of them really appealed to her, but with a master’s degree in art, there wasn’t too much she was actually qualified to do. There was one job that seemed kind of interesting, but she doubted she could even get an interview for it, let alone the job itself.

Later that night, the lights in Garrett’s house were on and she caught his shadow moving about as he did whatever he did after he got home from work. Sometimes he stopped by to see if she needed anything, but that wasn’t every day. She was just about to sit down with the book she was reading when the lamp she had turned on suddenly went out. Not alarmed by the darkness, Reese stood and carefully padded over to the window where she saw that Garrett’s lights were also out. A power outage?

A soft, familiar knock on her door had her smiling as she put the tablet on the kitchen table. Of course, Garrett would check on her. She went to the door and opened it. Garrett stood holding a blanket. “Hi, it seems like the lights have gone out.”

“I know,” she said, noticing the blanket draped over his arm. “I’m okay though. The darkness doesn’t bother me.”

Garrett shifted, shuffling his feet a bit. “I’ve noticed you seem to prefer the dark. The shadows. Honestly, I can’t blame you. I think sometimes it would be nice to be shielded from all the things I see in the light of day. They’re definitely not all pretty, if you know what I mean.”

Reese nodded. How he understood her so well made her heart warm, but it was a nice night, so it made no sense why he’d come with a blanket. “I’m not cold,” she explained, gesturing to it.

“No, I didn’t think you would be. I was actually wondering if you might want to join me on the dock for a little while. I promise I won’t toss you in the lake, and I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, but with the power out, there really was no chance of looking into his eyes, and even if the power did come back on abruptly, the dock only had dimmed solar lights, so they would still be cloaked in enough darkness that she could avoid making eye contact with him. “Okay,” she said. Just that one little word seemed to make all her muscles instantly relax. She’d been wanting to spend time with Garrett since she first got here, and it was like her whole body sensed it. “Sitting on the dock with you sounds nice.”

She was still wearing her shorts and t-shirt, so she slipped on her flip flops that she’d left by the door, and stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. They walked across the property in near pitch darkness. She could just make out his silhouette as he moved in front and a little to the side of her. “Have you gone swimming in the lake yet?” Garrett asked.

“No. Though when I sit on the edge of the dock, my toes touch the water.”

Garrett nodded. “Just be careful when you do that. Like I said, it’s safe to swim, but I don’t want you losing your balance and accidentally falling in. You do know how to swim, right?”

The concern in his voice was touching and sweet. “Yes, you really don’t have to worry about me.” Reese had been taking care of herself for years now. She didn’t want him to think she was some helpless victim. The last year hadn’t been good to her, but aside from that, Reese thought she was doing pretty well.

They reached the edge of the dock and Garrett tossed the blanket over the wood planks, spreading it out so they could both sit on it. He held out his hand, and she paused for a brief moment, not taking for granted that this would be the first time they touched since he’d rescued her from that motel. She placed her fingers in his palm, and struggled not to look up to meet his gaze. She’d never wanted to look into anyone’s eyes more than she wanted to look into Garrett’s right then. If only it didn’t activate her stupid ability.

His fingers closed around hers, and he held her steady as she lowered herself down. “Thank you,” she said, suddenly not wanting to let go of the calloused fingers gently gripping her hand.

Garrett sat beside her, his hand still holding hers. “You’re more than welcome.”

It was too dark to be sure, but Reese could swear his eyes were looking into hers at that moment, and it was the most at peace she’d felt in over a year. “How was your day?” She asked, not wanting things to get too awkward.

“Good,” he said. His legs dangled out in front of him over the edge of the dock next to hers, and it gave her the kind of thoughts she probably shouldn’t be thinking right now. “I’m actually working on a case with the FBI so I’ll get to work with one of my friends who was here yesterday. His name is Caden. He’s engaged to Hallie. She runs a store called The Mystic Cow. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Reese kept her gaze on the fireflies over the water, but shook her head. “No, sorry. I haven’t exactly been out to sightsee yet. It sounds like an interesting place.”

“The shop is great, but I think you’d like Hallie a lot, too. You might find that you have more in common with her than you think.”

Reese was intrigued. She’d never met the woman, and she certainly didn’t have a shop or a fiancé, so she had no idea what Garrett was referring to. “Like what?” She asked, not really wanting to put him on the spot, but rather just making conversation.

“Well,” Garrett started to say, his other hand grasping his kneecap as if he was bracing himself for something. “She was kidnapped by Vivian the night we found you.”

“What? Oh my gosh, was she the woman I heard screaming that night?” Reese knew Vivian had taken someone else, and she suspected that it could’ve been Hallie after seeing her scars, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Hallie wasn’t the only one taken that night. My friend, Blake’s girlfriend, Skyla, was kidnapped along with Hallie. Vivian lured both women to Hallie’s store, stabbed and drugged Hallie, then forced Skyla to go with them, or she would’ve killed Hallie.”

“That’s awful,” Reese said, a cold shiver making its way down her back. “Though not surprising. Vivian was a monster. I kind of did a little internal happy dance when she was killed that night.” Reese fidgeted with her fingers nervously. “Sorry. Does that make me an awful person?”

“Not at all,” Garrett said. “It makes you human, and honestly, after seeing what she did to my friends and you, I would’ve totally joined your little dance party.”

Reese smiled at the ease of their conversation, and wondered if maybe telling Garrett about her gift wasn’t the worst thing in the world. As long as she never looked into his eyes, he would never activate her ability. And she couldn’t deny that a part of her wanted to tell him the truth. Maybe then he’d understand her need for shadows and darkness when she was around other people. Though if she got the job she really wanted, she would need to find a way around that because it would put her both in front of a lot of people and in broad daylight.

“Can I ask you something?” Garrett asked softly.

She had a feeling what he was about to ask, and she braced herself. If one of the women Vivian had kidnapped that night was gifted like she was, Garrett had probably put two and two together the night he’d found her.

But instead of asking questions and demanding answers, he’d given her time to decompress and gain her trust while letting her stay on his property rent free, buying her groceries, and giving her access to his internet and nerdy science magazines.

She hadn’t wanted to tell him about her ability, but it honestly terrified her to open up like that to someone she hardly knew. But after a month of living on his property, Garrett Cooper was actually the only person Reese felt she could trust completely. It was the oddest thing, but after everything he’d done for, she suddenly knew deep in her gut that it was the right thing to do. It was time to come out of her carefully crafted shell she’d been hiding in ever since being rescued by the gorgeous man sitting next to her. “Okay.”

“How did you end up with Vivian? I mean, we know she was hunting people with paranormal abilities, so what do you think she wanted from you?”

Reese admired his tact. Instead of getting right to the point and accusing her of being gifted with a paranormal ability, he’d placed the blame on Vivian, and Reese appreciated that more than she could say. “Vivian thought I could do something special. Probably something like what Hallie or Skyla can do.” It was the only reason Vivian would’ve bothered with either of the women.

Garrett had said Vivian took Hallie, meaning she was likely the one with the paranormal gift, though Reese couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was Skyla, and Hallie was just collateral damage. “I never told Vivian anything, so she just kept me in that room in front of the camera, hoping to get me to confess or show her some crazy thing I could do.”

Garrett brushed his fingers along the side of Reese’s hand. It made her skin tingle, but she didn’t move her hand away. She liked the feel of Garrett’s touch. It wasn’t threatening or demanding. Without words, he seemed to be asking permission to touch her, and so without words, she let him know he could. “Would you be willing to tell me?” He asked, keeping his gaze forward as if he was just as captivated by the fireflies as she was. “I hope you know you can trust me with your secret. And I think maybe if I know, I can help…somehow.”

The warm sincerity in his tone seemed to melt away every single wall Reese had ever put up around her heart, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it from him any longer. He’d done so much for her, never asking for anything in return. And if Hallie or Skyla trusted him with their secret, it seemed logical that she could, too. Now she just had to build up the courage to say the words.

***

The night air felt good on Garrett’s warm skin, but not as good as the warmth of Reese’s fingertips brushing against his knuckles. A part of him wanted to sit here with her all night, just talking about whatever came to mind. But he needed to know what Vivian knew, or thought she knew, if he had any hope of helping Reese or protecting her in case Russell found her.

“You’ve heard the saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul?” Reese asked.

“Sure, I know the phrase. Can you see my soul when you look into my eyes?” He asked jokingly.

Reese smiled, and slightly shook her head. “Not exactly. Well, kind of. When I look into someone’s eyes, I see the moment their soul leaves their body.”

Garrett sat perfectly still, trying to understand what she was telling him. “Wait, what?” She couldn’t be serious.

“I see the moment of their death,” Reese explained. Her words came out with such calmness and assertiveness, like it was just a matter of fact.

His first thought would’ve been to question her, to doubt her, but after knowing Orly, Hallie and Skyla, he would never submit her to such scrutiny. Instead, Garrett closed his eyes in horror and held his breath for a beat as he let what she’d said really sink in. No wonder she avoided eye contact with him. How many deaths had she already seen like that? He couldn’t even begin to imagine.

It wasn’t until several silent moments passed that he realized she was still quietly sitting beside him, looking to him for a reaction. Only he didn’t have one. He was speechless.

Orly’s gift of hearing people’s cries for help floored him. Hallie’s ability to see glimpses of the future shocked him. Skyla’s incredible healing powers astonished him. But this…this was horrifying. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, more cheerfully than he’d thought she would be after letting him in on her secret. “I’ve lived with it my whole life. I’m pretty used to it.”

“How do you function? I mean when you’re not holed up in my guest house, which just so you know, you’re more than welcome to stay as long as you want, but before when you were out living your life, how did you do it?”

Reese shrugged. “I used to just deal with it. When it became too much, I started avoiding eye contact whenever I could. I guess I still do, mostly out of fear.”

“Fear?” He asked.

She nodded. “There are people whose deaths I don’t want to see. Like yours.”

Garrett swallowed hard. Even though he’d been shot at before, he’d never really given much thought to how or when he would die. He was too focused on living, enjoying his life, his friends, and his work. He couldn’t imagine only ever seeing how someone died every time he looked them in the eye.

“Can I ask you something now?” She asked.

Garrett looked at her and smiled, not avoiding gazing into the dark circles where her eyes were since it was nearly pitch dark outside and there was no chance of her seeing into his eyes. “Ask me anything.”

“Was there really a power outage, or did you do something with the breaker?”

Garrett laughed. She was smart and funny, and so damn sexy with those toned long legs, a slim waist, and perfect breasts that pushed up against the t-shirt she had on. “Will you be mad if I say the latter?”

Her shoulders shook with laughter. “No. I’m kind of glad you did it. Otherwise, I’d worry about the power coming back on. I know the lake would still be dark enough, but…” Her voice faded and he gave her hand a little squeeze.

“I’m happy to kill the power on my property any time you want. In fact, if you’d like, I could invite my friends over this weekend, and we can all sit in the dark, with just some fairy lights, the moonlight, and stars for lighting. That way, you’ll get to meet them without worrying about looking into their eyes.”

“You would do that for me?” She asked with such surprise in her tone that it made him wince a little. Had this woman never been treated right by anyone?

“Of course. I kind of like the idea actually. I mean, I love the guys, and their women are great, but we need to change things up once in a while. Killing the lights might be just the ticket.”

Reese laughed and Garrett found himself loving the sound more and more, wanting to hear it again and again. They sat quietly for a long while before Reese cleared her throat. “Can I ask you something else?”

Garrett nodded. He’d tell her anything she wanted to know.

“What is Hallie’s gift? I mean, why did Vivian take her?”

Except that. He would tell her anything except the secrets he was sworn to keep and protect about the women his friends loved. “You’ll have to ask her yourself,” he said, pushing his legs under him to stand. “Come on,” he extended his hand down to her. “It’s getting late. I’ll walk you back to the guest house, then turn the lights back on so neither of us stubs a toe getting ready for bed.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” she said, taking his hand.

He easily pulled her up. “It’s okay. I just - I don’t share other people’s secrets. And that goes for you, too. When you meet my friends, if you want them to know about what you can do, you’ll have to be the one to tell them. There is one thing though. One exception.”

“What’s that?” Reese asked.

“If you’re ever hurt or are in danger, I reserve the right to tell them if it means getting to you faster or saving you sooner. We don’t trust traditional law enforcement with those who have paranormal abilities. We handle those cases personally.” He had chosen his words carefully, not wanting to let on that the only people he knew with these kinds of abilities were his friends’ women. But she needed to know the circumstances under which he would break his word.

“Okay,” she said. “I can live with that. Thank you, Garrett. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.” They had arrived at the door of the guest house, and standing there with her in the doorway, Garrett had the uncanny desire to kiss her - like this had been a first date and he wanted the perfect ending to it. Instead, he reached into his pocket and said, “I have something for you.” He pulled out a small gadget and held it out to her. “It’s an ‘oh shit’ button with a GPS tracking device. The thing is practically indestructible, water resistant up to one hundred feet, and can withstand an explosion. At least that’s what the manufacturer claims. I’d like for you to keep it with you at all times. Just in case.”

When Reese didn’t say anything and just stood there staring at it, Garrett suddenly wasn’t sure if she’d accept it. He wasn’t trying to invade her space or privacy. His only concern was keeping her safe, and with Russell still out there, he didn’t want to take any chances.

“Wow,” she finally said. “You don’t mess around.”

Garrett shook his head. “Never. Not with the people I care about.”

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she carefully took the gadget and slipped it into her pocket. “Thank you,” she said again, her voice hitching. “No one’s ever gone out of their way to help me or protect me the way you have. I don’t know why you’re being so good to me, but I really appreciate it. And I promise, I will pay you back for everything as soon as I can.”

Garrett shook his head. “There’s nothing to pay back, Reese. I just want you to stay safe. And maybe help us catch your step brother.”

Reese sighed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything useful about Russell. We haven’t been close since he moved out, and I have no idea who this man is that he’s turned into.”

Garrett nodded. “It’s okay, we can talk more about him some other time. Have a good night. I’ll stop by tomorrow after work if I don’t get home too late.”

“I’d like that.”

He waited for Reese to go inside and lock the door before he headed back to his house, stopping to flick the main breaker to turn the power back on. He saw the lamp inside the guest house turn on and then watched as it was turned off. Moments later, the light in the bedroom turned on.

Garrett smiled. He’d been so used to living alone out on his property, it was different having Reese here with him. When he first brought her back here, he had no idea how long she was going to stay, or if having her around would infringe too much on his daily life. As it turned out, he hardly noticed her, so much so that unless he knocked on her door those first days, he had no idea if she was even still there.

Now that it had been over a month, he was used to looking out his back windows, checking to see if her light was on, or watching her walk to the dock alone late at night, wondering what she was thinking about. The quiet companionship was growing on him in ways he hadn’t expected. Every relationship he’d ever been in had ended badly. He’d honestly considered giving up dating altogether.

But as he walked back to his now lit up house, he suddenly wished he was back on the dock with his toes in the water, sitting in the dark with Reese Graham.