Hidden Fates (Hidden Heroes #4)

Epilogue

“There you guys are,” Tanner said to Reese and Garrett, holding a blue glow-in-the-dark drink. “This is really something.” He hadn’t really paid attention to the details when Skyla was planning this event, but he was impressed with both the execution and the turnout.

“I know. Skyla did such an amazing job,” Reese said, stealing a glance at Garrett. Her cheeks were flushed, probably because the two of them had just been dancing and making out like teenagers.

Garrett grinned like a high school boy in love, hardly taking his eyes off her. “It’s been such a crazy few weeks. I’m just glad everything worked out.”

“The woman definitely knows how to outdo herself,” Tanner said, shuffling his feet. There was something he needed to tell them, but he wasn’t sure if now was the right time, or if it would keep until morning.

“What’s up?” Garrett asked. “You’re doing that nervous foot shuffle you do when you have something to say but don’t want to say it.”

Reese visibly tensed, and Tanner decided now was as good a time as ever. “Just thought you should know; I got word about an hour ago that Ryker was brought into the prison infirmary after being stabbed multiple times during a transfer.”

Garrett went still and tightened his arm around Reese. Tanner braced himself for whatever their reaction would be, but Reese just nodded and Garrett didn’t look the least bit bothered either.

Tanner knew that Reese had seen Ryker die in prison, but he wasn’t sure how knowing that it had actually happened would affect her. “He didn’t make it,” Tanner added.

“Thanks for letting us know,” Garrett said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Reese added. “How’s your drink?”

Oddly enough, their even-keeled reaction made Tanner breathe out a sigh of relief. “Everything Skyla makes is great. Best grand re-opening I’ve ever been to, that’s for sure. Skyla’s going to have a bunch of very happy and buzzed people on her hands.”

“Just the way she likes it,” Garrett joked.

Tanner barked out a laugh, taking an involuntary step back.

“Ah!” Someone yelled from behind.

Tanner spun around, splashing a neon blue drink out of a small, perfectly manicured hand. “I’m so sorry, excuse me,” he said, taking in the petite woman with curly brown shoulder length hair and thin framed glasses that totally gave him a sexy librarian vibe. “I definitely wasn’t watching where I was going. My name is Tanner. Please, let me buy you another drink.”

She looked a little perplexed for a second, then offered him an unsure smile. “Okay.”

He hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly, but he was pleased that she had. “Awesome. Come on.” He led her to the bar where a couple was just leaving their barstools. He nabbed one for himself, while holding the other out to her. “Here,” he said. “I know the owner, so she’ll come by this way as soon as she sees me here.”

The woman sat down, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

“I’m Tanner,” he said again in case she didn’t catch his name over the incredibly loud club music blasting over the speakers.

“April,” she said. “You really don’t have to buy me another drink. It was an accident.”

“I don’t mind. Besides, it will give us a chance to talk for a few minutes.”

“About what?” She gave him the once over. Twice. She was either checking him out or sizing him up. Either way, he liked the feel of her gaze on him.

“Well…” He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had actually put him on the spot like this and made him nervous. At six foot two, with a lean and muscular runner’s body, the women usually came to him. “Let’s see… you probably get this all the time, but were you born in the month of April?” He inwardly cringed at the lameness of his question. This was definitely not going to lead anywhere after a nonstarter like that.

She surprised him with a small chuckle. “I do get that a lot, and no. It’s actually a thing in my family. The first-born daughter on my mom’s side always gets named after the month her mother was born in.”

“Oh,” Tanner said. “That’s different. But wait, not all months lend themselves to names, like what happens if your mom’s born in October?”

“My cousin’s mother was born three days before Halloween, and my aunt named my cousin Candy.”

“Tell me you’re joking,” Tanner said.

“Nope, and she’s not even sweet. Kind of a b-i-t-c-h if you know what I mean. She hates her name and swears she’s going to change it one day, but I don’t think she will because… you know… tradition.” April shrugged like it was no big deal.

“Right.” Tanner knew all about family traditions. He was born and raised on a working ranch. His grandparents and parents followed many traditions that he and his sister still follow to this day. “So what month were you born in?” He asked, hoping he wasn’t over stepping.

“June.”

Skyla came over and he ordered two more drinks like the one April had been drinking when he bumped into her. Then he turned his attention back to April. “June? So, is that what you’re going to name your first-born daughter?”

April wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I’ve never liked that for a name.”

“Okay,” Tanner thought out loud, not wanting this conversation to end. Every time April smiled, her entire face lit up, making him want to make her smile even more. “Well, when in June were you born?”

“The thirtieth. I was almost a July baby.”

“Perfect,” Tanner said. “You could name her Summer. I mean, technically summer starts on June twenty first, so...”

“I love that name,” April gushed, then put her hand over her mouth.

“What?” Tanner asked, not sure why she was suddenly acting shy.

“Did we just name our first kid?”

Tanner’s jaw dropped and April laughed, making him crack up, too. “That depends, do you have a tradition about naming boys?” He asked.

April laughed again. “You just want to know all my family secrets, don’t you?”

Skyla brought their drinks over, but Tanner couldn’t take his gaze off April. He smiled, but didn’t say anything because in all honesty, yeah, right then and there, he wanted to know not just all her family secrets, but all of her secrets, too.

To his dismay, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. “Sorry, excuse me for one second,” he said as he pulled it out and looked at the screen. He groaned inwardly when he saw it was his captain calling. But he was on call tonight, so he had to answer. “Captain Andrews,” Tanner said, plugging his other ear so he could hear him better. “What’s going on?”

“Got a body for you. I need you to come in right away. This death could lead to an all-out club war.”

“Club war, Sir?” Tanner asked, not sure if he’d heard him right over the blaring music.

“Our victim is Arlo J. Get your ass to the precinct pronto.” Captain Andrews’ words had Tanner’s blood running cold. Arlo J was the president of the Deathly Hollow Motorcycle Club. His death would not only upend the city, it could bring danger right to Madigan’s doorstep. He needed to warn Blake and Skyla, but as he looked over at April, he caught her watching him with a curious gaze and a hint of a smile. There was something about this woman that both put him on edge and excited him in equal measure. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her now. They’d just started talking, and he wanted nothing more than to keep getting to know her.

“Yes, Sir,” Tanner said, then ended the call.

So much for a fun night. He pulled out his business card, wrote his cell phone number on the back and handed it to April. “I’m so sorry to do this to you, but I have to go. If you don’t mind hanging out with a detective, I’d love to see you again. Maybe we can talk boy names over dinner.”

She stared at him for a long moment as if considering his words, then slipped his card into her small handbag. “I’ll text you.”

“I’d like that.” He threw some money on the counter to cover their drinks and a generous tip for Skyla, then spotted Blake across the bar, talking with someone who looked like a regular. He flagged Blake down, and motioned for him to meet him in the back.

Tanner walked past the bar and stopped just inside the corridor leading to the restrooms.

“What’s going on?” Blake asked, holding a neon drink and wearing a silly grin like a man who had everything.

Tanner sighed. “We might have a problem. Just keep an eye on Skyla and this place.”

“Whoa,” Blake said. “Don’t give me some cryptic bullshit. Talk to me.”

“Arlo J was just found murdered. I’m on the case, so I’ll keep you in the loop. But keep your eyes open.”

“Will do,” Blake said, a dark shadow crossing his eyes. He and Skyla had gone through so much not too long ago, and it was all because of Arlo J. Tanner had no idea what the man’s death was going to bring up for his friends, but he didn’t want them to be blindsided. “Thanks for the heads up,” Blake added.

“No problem. I have to run.” Tanner wasn’t looking forward to what he knew would be a long night ahead of him. With any luck, they’d find Arlo J’s killer sooner rather than later. He was just about to leave through the backdoor since he’d parked his cruiser in the alley behind Madigan’s when Skyla came rushing in from the bar area., She stopped abruptly as soon as she spotted Blake, a look of panic mixed with tears in her eyes. “What is it?” Blake asked, shoving his drink at Tanner as he moved toward her.

Tanner barely had a chance to grab the glass with the neon liquid before it crashed to the floor. “Skyla?” Had Arlo J’s men already done something? Did they think she was responsible for his death because of her history with him? There was no way she could ever…

“Something’s wrong,” she told Blake. Then she pushed the door open to the ladies’ room and disappeared inside.

“What happened?” Blake called after her, following her inside.

Tanner really needed to get going. The sooner he solved Arlo J’s murder, the sooner Skyla and Blake would be safe from anyone who tried to avenge his death. He set Blake’s drink down on an empty chair in the hallway and was about to leave when Blake yelled, “Call an ambo, Tanner. She’s bleeding.”

***

April Hornby stood on the curb outside Madigan’s Bar and Grill waiting for her Uber as she stared at the business card in her hand. She hadn’t planned on going out tonight, but work had been rough, and she needed to blow off some steam. There were a lot of people who hated their boss, but April hated hers so much, she often found it hard to breathe around the man. The worst part was that there was nothing she could do about it. It wasn’t like she could leave. That wouldn’t solve anything.

When April’s Uber pulled up to the curb, she got into the backseat and said a quick “hello” to the driver. Then she fastened her seatbelt and dialed her best friend, Zara Montgomery.

Zara lived in a posh area of Los Angeles where she was a highly sought-after esthetician to some of the world’s A list celebrities. Their moms had been best friends, and they’d grown up together, seeing each other through so much that they were more like sisters than friends.

“Hey, you’re up late tonight? How’s our girl doing today?” Zara’s sing-songy voice always made April smile, even on her worst days.

“I ran into him,” April said, cutting to the chase. She still couldn’t believe how tonight had unfolded.

“Who?” Zara asked, already completely enthralled in the conversation. “Are we talking about a football player, a celebrity, or some famous chef I don’t know about?”

“Tanner Rhodes,” April said plainly.

There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then, “Whaaaat? Oh my God, what was he like? Is he as cute as his picture?”

April smiled. He was better than his picture. “Zara, you know that doesn’t matter.”

“It matters.” Zara insisted. “So, tell me about him. Is he a possible solution to your major dilemma?”

April sighed. “I don’t know. Yes, he’s good looking. He seems nice. He bought me a drink.”

“Really? That’s more than Troy has done for me in the last five years. I’m kind of rooting for this Tanner guy now.”

“You have very low standards, Z,” April teased. “Oh, and he gave me his business card with his cell phone number on the back.”

“Get out of town! Did you tell him?”

April’s heart sank. She knew exactly what Zara was asking. “No. Of course not. I don’t even know if he knows that Violet exists.”

“April, the man has a right to know he has a daughter. Especially if he’s a nice guy, and it sounds like he is.”

“I thought Ned was a nice guy once upon a time,” April said. “And don’t forget what Tanner did to Kasey. She came to him seven months pregnant and he turned her away.”

“It wasn’t him,” Zara reminded her. “She said some bitchy woman turned her away.”

“So? He never even reached out. It’s like he didn’t care.”

“Unless she never told him.”

Zara’s soft words landed heavy in April’s gut. Tanner did seem like a great guy. Would he really turn his back on his own child?

“I’m sorry. I know you’re between a rock and hard place. We can’t trust just anyone with our Violet, but he has to be a better choice than Ned, right?”

“I don’t know,” April said, nearly on the verge of tears. “What if he turns out to be worse or what if he doesn’t care?” She was probably overreacting, but after how things had turned out with Ned, April couldn’t be too careful. Violet’s life and entire future was on the line here.

Zara was silent for a long moment. “Men can be such dogs. How’s Violet doing? Is she still writing new stories?” Zara’s change of subject was a welcome one. April could talk about her niece endlessly and never get tired of it.

“She’s okay. I think she misses her mom though. She came up with a story the other day about a baby duck who lost its mom and was raised by a cat.”

“Sounds like she’s been watching too many animal shows,” Zara laughed. “When do I get to see some of these stories? I bet I could get them in front of an agent. I can think of at least four that come in regularly for facials and other treatments.”

“Violet would love that,” April admitted, sadly. “But if Ned ever caught me taking anything out of DynaTech, I don’t think I’d ever get to see Violet again. I just can’t risk it.”

“I understand. Hang in there. Something’s gotta give, right? And maybe you running into Tanner tonight was a good thing. It could be the beginning of something incredible.”

“I’m not trying to date the man,” April said.

“I know. But what better way to get to know a guy than to go out with him a few times.”

April hated to admit it, but Zara made an interesting point. “You really think I should go on a date with him?”

“He gave you his number, April. I’m pretty sure that’s what he had in mind.”

“Maybe,” April conceded. “But only for Violet’s sake. I’m not actually looking to date anyone right now.”

“Of course not,” Zara said in a somewhat mocking tone. “Because why would my beautiful, brave, and smart as hell best friend want to find someone to share her life with?”

“Whatever,” April chided. “I can’t think of Tanner as a dating prospect. I have to stay objective about him.”

“Okay, so stay objective and let the man treat you to dinner. What could be the harm in that?”

April couldn’t believe she was actually considering this. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Give Violet a kiss from me when you see her in the morning, and tell her I can’t wait to read her stories.”

“I will. Thanks for cheering me up, Z.”

“Anytime. Let me know how your first date goes.”

April rolled her eyes. She hadn’t looked for Tanner Rhodes because she wanted to date him. Besides, a man like that would never date a woman like her. Not after he found out what she’d done. No, this was all for Violet. “Good night, Z.”

“Night, Ape.”

April cringed at her best friend’s annoying nickname for her and ended the call. Tanner could be the key to ending Ned’s reign of terror over her niece, or he could be a flake who didn’t want his own daughter. And Violet was anything but a normal child.

The Uber was quiet now, with just soft music playing in the background. April’s thoughts once again drifted to her brief encounter with Tanner. She couldn’t deny the attraction she’d felt for him, but that’s not what this was about. She needed to find out if he was -

The loud ringing of her phone caught April off guard and made her jump a little. It was coming from an unknown number, and April wasn’t expecting any calls this late at night. She nibbled her bottom lip, debating on whether or not to answer. Just before it went to voicemail, she clicked the green button and brought it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hi Aunt April,” Violet’s sweet little voice said. “Don’t be mad that I called, okay?”

She wasn’t mad. She was shocked. “I could never be mad at you, Sweetie, but how are you calling me?” As far as April knew, her niece didn’t have access to any technology that could be used to communicate with the outside world. Not even an internet connection on her computer.

“I stole one of the soldier’s phones,” Violet said matter-of-factly. “He left it on a table and it didn’t even have a lock on it. So now I can play his games, too.”

April searched for the right thing to say. This could get Violet in so much trouble. “Sweetie, you shouldn’t have done that. What if Ned or Echo find out?”

“I don’t care,” Violet said indignantly. “It’s not like they’re going to hurt me. Right?”

April had no idea what Ned would do or how far he’d go in doling out punishment on his six-year-old step daughter. In the past, when Violet acted out, he would keep April from seeing her, or take away her favorite books or toys. It was beyond cruel considering how awful he already was to her on a daily basis. But Violet had never done anything like this before. “Maybe you should give it back to the soldier,” April suggested, not wanting to think about what the repercussions of her actions might be if anyone found out.

“No. Then I won’t be able to talk to you.”

The desperation in her voice was the only thing that kept April from giving her niece a lecture on stealing. “Violet,” April soothed, wanting to comfort her. She’d give anything to be there for her right now, but that was against the rules. “I’ll see you in the morning. Besides, shouldn’t you be asleep?”

Violet sighed. “I had a bad dream. Please don’t tell Ned about the phone, okay?” There were tears in Violet’s voice, and April had to swallow back the lump in her own throat.

“I won’t,” April promised. She’d made Violet memorize her phone number in case of an emergency. She just never thought her niece would resort to theft. “But I want you to turn it off and put it away as soon as we hang up. Somewhere no one will find it. Then go back to sleep, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Violet said, adding a little sass to her tone.

April smiled. “I love you, Sweetie.”

“I love you too, Aunt April. Good night.” Violet ended the call, and April sat back in her seat. She had no idea when Violet would’ve had the opportunity to take the phone, or even from which soldier. Ned had an entire army of them in the building at any given time, all of whom were in constant contact with Violet, even if they didn’t know it.

The whole operation was a complete disaster as far as April was concerned, but there was nothing she could do about it. She slid her cellphone into her handbag and pulled out the business card she’d been staring at before calling Zara.

Tanner Rhodes. Homicide Detective.

A strange mixture of fear and relief pulsed through April’s veins as she carefully examined the black lettering on the front of the card, and the legibly scrawled phone number on the back. So this was the man who’s picture she’d been looking at online for weeks now. All six feet two inches of pure muscle, sultry blue eyes, and a Cowboy hat that made her feel like she’d just stepped into an old Western. He wasn’t really how she’d imagined him. After what Kasey had told her, April didn’t think he’d be as nice as he was, or as funny. He’d made April laugh though, multiple times, and unless she was talking to Zara or spending time with her niece, that wasn’t easy to do these days.

The Uber driver turned onto April’s street when red and blue police lights flashed into the car. “What’s going on?” April asked, turning around to see they were being pulled over.

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t speeding.” The driver pulled over to the curb and opened her window. They were just two blocks from April’s one bedroom apartment. Had the driver run a stop sign or something?

An uneasy feeling settled deep in April’s gut as a police officer approached the vehicle. “License and registration,” he told the driver. She pulled out both and handed it to him. “Be right back.”

April was debating getting out of the car and just walking home. She was exhausted and she didn’t want to be late for work in the morning. Violet needed her. A slight tap on her window startled April as she met the gaze of a second police officer. He smiled at her and gestured for her step out of the car.

April shook her head. There was no way in hell she was getting out of this vehicle unless it was to go straight into her apartment building.

He knocked on her window again. Harder this time. She opened it a crack, just enough to be heard. “I’m not getting out. I wasn’t driving.”

“This isn’t a traffic violation stop,” he said with a smirk. “We have a close mutual friend, and he just asked for a welfare check on you.”

April groaned. Because, of course, Ned Dynam had paid off local cops to do his bidding. And he wanted her to know just how far his reach went. “Tell him I’ll do whatever the heck I please on my own time, and he can kick rocks if he doesn’t like it.”

The officer tried to hide a grin but failed. “He warned me that you were a feisty thing.”

April wasn’t being feisty. She was furious. And she couldn’t wait for the day when Ned Dynam would finally pay for everything he was putting her niece through.

***

Keep reading for a sneak peek of Hidden Games , Book #5 of The Hidden Heroes Series.