Shattered Secrets (Hudson Island #2)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

M att Alvarez leaned back in the oversized Adirondack chair. He paid no attention to the unobstructed view of Puget Sound. Ignored the blue skies and the crisp breeze that whipped around him. He focused solely on his phone. Or rather, the email that he’d fired off moments earlier.

Holy fuck . What had he just done?

His fingers itched to call his captain, to tell the man who’d become a mentor and friend to disregard the email. Say he wasn’t going to retire, after all. That he’d changed his mind and was still a detective with the Seattle Police Department.

Instead, Matt took a steadying breath. Then exhaled. He repeated the movements a few times until he recognized the tingling in his belly. Beneath that initial panic was something he didn’t want to acknowledge, didn’t want to admit.

Relief.

Knowing he no longer had to go back to Seattle, back to his old life, was a fucking relief. But one that shamed and embarrassed him. Getting shot had changed him in more ways than one.

Physically? Well, fuck. He’d worked damn hard to get back into shape. Some would say he was in better condition now than when he’d been on the force. And they wouldn’t be wrong. He’d added twenty pounds of muscle, and his cardio fitness was ridiculous. However, he had lingering nerve damage in his right hand. It wasn’t enough to sideline him from work, but it was enough to bother him.

Mentally? To put it simply, the shooting and the aftermath of it all had fucked with his head. Big-time. And unlike his body, his mind was still a work in progress. It didn’t help that, while he’d still been in the hospital recovering from his gunshot wound, his personal life had imploded in a horribly spectacular manner.

Bitterness burned in Matt’s chest, and he shook his head. To say that he’d been working through some serious anger issues over the last year was a gross understatement.

The forced downtime had made him take a step back and reevaluate. He loved what he did. Truly. Investigative work got his blood pumping. There was nothing quite like the rush of the chase, of catching those who thought they were above the law, of bringing justice to the victims who’d been wronged. But the longer he’d been away, the less sure he’d become about wanting to go back down that bureaucratic, red-taped path.

His finger hovered over the phone icon. With another shake of his head, he sighed and flipped his phone so it was face-down on the chair’s arm.

At last, Matt took in the view. Mid-June in the Pacific Northwest was picturesque. The sun was shining and the dark waters of Puget Sound glimmered. Soft white caps dotted the horizon, and as he watched the churning of the sea, the tension in his chest released. God, he loved this place.

After getting shot, he’d undergone two surgeries and had been hospitalized for two weeks. After his release, his twin brother, Jake, and Jake’s then-girlfriend, Carmen, had insisted he stay with them. So he had. It was safe to say Matt hadn’t been the best roommate, but his brother had stuck by him.

Nearly a month later, when Jake had offered up his vacation home on Hudson Island, Matt had jumped at the offer. The minute he’d arrived, a weight had lifted from his chest. He’d still been in a world of hurt—both physically and mentally—but for once, he’d actually been able to breathe.

A little over a year had passed since that day. Aside from taking the ferry to Seattle to see his doctors, he rarely left Hudson Island. He barely kept in touch with his parents and knew his brother was acting as the go-between. Jake, the persistent bastard, visited him every month or so. It wasn’t like he could refuse the guy since he’d been freeloading off him for the past year.

Basically, Matt was a miserable fuck. An angry, miserable fuck. But in all his wallowing, he’d carved out a small space for himself here. He’d made some acquaintances—fine, they’d become actual friends, friends who were recruiting him hard to join their organization, and?—

His phone rang. Flipping it back over, he glanced at the display. Cade. Aside from his twin, Cade was his closest friend. He silenced the call. Seconds later, his phone dinged a text notification.

Cade

Call me back, you motherfucker.

Matt’s lips twitched, then turned into a frown. A surge of anxiety warred with his earlier relief as reality set in. For the first time since high school, Matt was unemployed. Holy shit.

His phone started ringing again, and Cade’s face popped back up on the display. Answering the call and putting it on speaker, Matt welcomed the distraction from his spiraling thoughts. “What’s up, man?”

“What are you doing?” Cade replied.

Matt slumped into the chair and rested his head against the back, closing his eyes. “You’re the one who called. You tell me.”

“Dude. Seriously, what are you doing?”

Aside from wallowing in self-pity, Matt was doing jack-shit. “Nothing. What’s going on?”

“Can you meet me in town?”

His knee-jerk response was to say no, but he knew Cade, like his twin, was a persistent fucker. “Sure. Where?”

“Ray’s Diner.”

Matt frowned, and he was thankful they weren’t on a video call. He had no issues with Ray’s Diner. In fact, it was one of his favorite places to eat in town—their fried chicken platter was fucking divine. His issue came in the form of a pint-sized waitress with rainbow-streaked hair. Scarlet Miller.

Well, the issue wasn’t actually her. It was all him.

Scarlet was a young single mom who was chipper, sweet, and ridiculously pretty. For some inexplicable reason, Matt couldn’t form words around the little sprite. Literally could not form words. After the first couple of weeks of stuttering and fumbling, Matt had stopped trying. Now he basically grunted and mumbled his way through every meal. It made him feel like an ass. An old, inadequate ass. He had no clue what the hell was wrong with him.

“You still there?” Cade asked, yanking him from his maudlin thoughts.

Matt cleared his throat. “Sure. Ray’s works. What time?” His eyes narrowed at the chuckle he heard from the other end.

“Now. Can you meet me in fifteen?”

He paused. “Everything okay, man?”

“Yeah,” Cade murmured. “We’ll chat over food. See you soon.”

Standing, Matt slipped his phone into his pocket, then bit back a grimace when it dinged another incoming text.

Christ, Cade was being needy. Pulling his phone back out, he prepared to send some sort of text making fun of his friend. Instead, he stilled.

The text wasn’t from Cade. Rather, it was from Gavin Frazier, the owner of Hudson Security.

Gavin

You free to assist? We have a case that could use your expertise. You’d be working with Bean.

Instead of texting back, he hit Gavin’s name and brought the phone to his ear.

“I take it this means I’ve caught your attention?” Gavin asked by way of greeting.

“More than,” Matt replied. He’d helped out a few times with Hudson Security, and those experiences were part of the reason he’d officially put in his resignation. Gavin’s company—and his employees—were solid, and they didn’t have to wade through the bureaucratic bullshit.

“Good to hear. Can you come in later this afternoon? Say three—wait, hang on.” Gavin’s voice was muffled as he spoke with someone. “Make that four. Bean’s got a program that needs to run for... hell, I don’t know, but she says four works better.”

Bean was Hudson Security’s IT specialist. Though Matt was pretty sure her job description fell more in line with hacker than IT specialist . Regardless, Bean was a damn genius when it came to all things tech, so when she said she needed more time to do her thing, more often than not, she got her way.

“Sure, four works for me,” Matt said, locking his front door and hitting the key fob for his truck. “Hey, Gavin?” He hesitated as he slid into the driver’s seat, heart thumping nervously in his chest.

“Yeah?”

“That job offer still open?” The man on the other end went quiet, and Matt tensed.

Then, after what felt like forever, Gavin chuckled. “Fuck yeah, brother.”

The tension in his shoulders eased, and he exhaled. “Great. I put in my resignation this morning.”

Gavin’s chuckle turned into a full laugh. “About damn time, man. You can bet your ass I’ll have all the fucking employment paperwork ready for you to sign when you get here. No take-backs, dude.”

Gavin was stoic. Serious. Many called him intense. So hearing his enthusiasm—something not many people were privy to—had the corners of Matt’s lips lifting. “I’m looking forward to it. Later, Gav.”

And he was looking forward to it. The few times he’d assisted Gavin’s crew had been thrilling. They’d filled that gaping hole in him that had been steadily growing the longer he’d been on leave. Matt loved being a detective with the SPD. Putting the puzzle pieces together was a rush he couldn’t fully describe. Not being able to do that in the last year had nearly driven him mad.

Right up there with that adrenaline rush? He’d sorely missed the camaraderie. Being part of a team. But that’s one of the things that burned the most when he thought about the SPD. One of the reasons he’d decided to not return. To know a brother in blue had betrayed?—

Nope. Do not fucking go there.

Matt focused on the short drive to Hudson Island’s quaint downtown. The three-block hub was a far cry from Seattle, where he and his twin had been born and raised. There was zero hustle and bustle on Hudson. The little town was a throwback; all the locals were in each other’s business, and gossip was a sport. But also, when push came to shove, those gossipy neighbors had each other’s backs. And that’s what mattered. That’s why this little town was growing on him.

After pulling into a parking spot in front of Ray’s Diner, he nodded to a couple of familiar faces and made his way into the busy restaurant. Brunch was in full swing, and the scents of bacon, pancakes, and other savory delights had his stomach growling. He hadn’t eaten since his post-workout smoothie at the ass crack of dawn.

Martha, the spry octogenarian who owned the diner with her husband, Ray, called out a greeting from behind the counter. Matt waved at the sweet woman, then quickly scanned the restaurant. He spotted Cade at a booth along the far window.

Sliding onto the opposite seat, he lifted his chin at his friend. “Hey, man. What’s going on?”

Cade returned the chin lift and pushed the menu toward him. “Order first, then we’ll talk.”

Matt’s brow arched in question. It wasn’t like his friend to hedge. Cade didn’t beat around the bush. He was straightforward and to the point. It was one of the things Matt appreciated about the guy.

He pushed the menu back. “You know I always get the same thing. Now talk.”

Cade picked up the menu, then set it back down, shifting in his seat like his damn pants were on fire.

Matt leaned back in the booth and draped his arm along the back. “Dude. Everything okay?”

Cade nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, sorry.”

Matt took a sip of his ice water and waited. When Cade remained silent, he let out a sigh. “Are you going to tell me what’s up or not?”

“Right. So you know how Poppy officially moved in a couple weeks ago?”

Matt nodded and eyed his squirmy friend.

“Well, as you know,” Cade continued, “when Poppy moved in, we adopted two cats. And as you also know, I’m heading over to London at the end of this week for a fight.”

Matt nodded again. Cade was a former MMA champion—basically an MMA legend—and now one of the most sought-after and successful coaches in the world. Two of his fighters were headlining a huge UFC fight card in England the following weekend.

Matt made a circular motion with his hand. “Aaand?”

“And I’m bringing Poppy and the twins with me.”

“I thought the twins were interning this summer at Hudson Security?” Poppy’s sons were great young men who’d just finished their freshman year at the University of Washington.

“They are—and Gavin knows—but I wanted to surprise them with a European vacation. After the fight, we’re gonna take about three weeks to travel around.”

Staring, Matt prodded, “Sooo... you need me to watch your cats while you guys are gone?”

“Yeah. I’d usually ask Dante, but he took Rebecca and the kids to Seattle to visit our folks for a few weeks. Our parents haven’t had a chance to spend much time with their new baby and?—”

“Dude, stop.” Matt held up a hand, halting his friend’s verbal diarrhea. If Cade was babbling, something was seriously wrong. “I have no problem watching the cats. You know that. Why are you acting so weird?”

“What?”

Matt arched an eyebrow.

Cade took a deep breath, then his words left him in a whispered rush. “I’m gonna propose to Poppy when we’re in Europe. I was thinking the Eiffel Tower, but is that too cliché?” His friend shook his head. “No, that’s too cliché. I shouldn’t do anything too touristy, right? Yeah, I definitely need to stick with something original. But what about?—”

“Take a fucking breath, brother.” Matt laughed and kicked Cade under the table. “Look at me.” When panicked eyes stared back at him, he did his best to rein in a chuckle. “Poppy’s not going to care where you propose to her. She’s not pretentious like that. So if you want to propose to her? Just do it. If you want to sweep her off her damn feet with roses and champagne and the Eiffel freaking Tower? Do it. And, dude, if you have the twins with you, then all the better. It’ll be perfect, Cade. Stop overthinking it.”

Cade let out another breath. “You think?”

“Yeah,” Matt said, happy to see some of the earlier panic subsiding. “You’re making it way too complicated. Keep the ring on you and just ask her.”

“Simple as that?” Disbelief colored Cade’s features.

Matt shrugged. “You obviously know her better than I do, but even I know she doesn’t care about fancy. You and the boys are what matter most to her. However, my one piece of advice is to do it early on in your trip. That way, this ”—he waved his hand at his friend’s anxious expression—“is curbed. I mean, as entertaining as this freak-out is, I suspect you guys want to actually enjoy your time in Europe?—”

“Hi, Matt,” a sweet, melodic voice interrupted. “Can I get you anything to drink besides water?”

Everything inside him locked up like a hundred-pound weight had suddenly dropped onto his chest. He glanced at the young woman in the old-fashioned bubblegum-pink waitress uniform. Scarlet’s kind smile, her vibrant brown eyes, and her rainbow-streaked hair had his tongue twisting and the words sticking to his throat.

“I’m good,” he mumbled. Fuck.

For a split second, her smile seemed to slip, but then it was back in full force. “Well,” she said, topping off Cade’s coffee, “I’ll give you guys a minute to look over the menu, and I’ll be right back.”

“Holy shit,” Cade said once Scarlet was out of earshot. “And I thought I had problems.”

Matt glared at his friend. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Cade looked at him like he was a dumbass. Which he probably was. “We’ve known each other a long time, man, and it’s honestly getting painful to watch.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” He was pretty sure he knew exactly what Cade was talking about, but he wasn’t going to admit shit.

“Right.” Cade took a sip of his coffee as his eyes rolled. “Just ask her out already.”

Matt stilled. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t bullshit me, dude. You just talked me down from the proverbial ledge, and now I’m going to return the favor.”

“No, thanks,” he grumbled.

Cade continued as if Matt hadn’t spoken, “Yes, you’ve been a growly-ass beast since you moved here, but you can speak. In fact, you speak perfectly fine with everyone whose name isn’t Scarlet Miller. Then you’re that .” Cade waved his hand in Matt’s face. The fucker.

Matt shook his head and took a drink of water. He couldn’t deny anything Cade was saying. It was all true. He’d been a grumpy asshole—and he was certain many would say he still was—but he could have normal, friendly, polite conversations with people.

Unless they were Scarlet.

He could count on one hand the number of times he’d spoken to her without tumbling over his words.

“You like her,” Cade said. It wasn’t a question. He opened his mouth to add more, but Matt kicked him again.

“Hey, guys,” Scarlet said, approaching their table. “What’ll it be today?”

Matt managed to speak like the mature fucking adult he was supposed to be as they placed their orders—making it the fourth time he hadn’t stumbled over his words around her—and Scarlet left with a chipper, “Your food will be right out.”

When her back turned, Matt dropped his chin to his chest. He glanced up at Cade’s chuckle, then let out a resigned sigh. “Remember when you were in middle school and the super pretty, super popular girl that didn’t know you existed asked to borrow a pencil?”

The smile on Cade’s face grew. “Oddly specific, but yeah?”

“I gave her my pencil and acted all cool, like it was no big deal...”

Humor twinkled in his friend’s eyes. “But inside, you wanted to puke?”

“Exactly.” Matt nodded to where Scarlet was helping a table across the diner. “It’s a bit like that.”

Cade laughed and shook his head. “You’re stupid. You know that, right?”

He shrugged.

“It’s not like you don’t know her. Scar’s one of Poppy’s closest friends. Just ask the woman out already.”

“I can’t.”

Cade tilted his head. “Why?”

His friend had to be fucking kidding him. “Come on, De la Rosa, you know why.”

Cade’s eyes narrowed as he leaned across the table and dropped his voice. “You won’t ask her out because she’s a single mom?”

Matt reared back, and his jaw dropped. “Fuck you, man,” he hissed. “That’s not the reason I can’t ask her out.”

Cade pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then what is?”

Jesus Christ, did he have to spell it out for the fucker? “Duuude. She’s way too young for me.”

Cade looked at him like he was a moron. “What are you talking about? She’s in her twenties.”

“She’s twenty- three .”

“And?”

He glared at his friend. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? I’m forty.”

Cade shrugged. “Yeah, but you’re immature as fuck.”

Matt rolled his eyes. Cade was nuts. His best damn friend, but fucking nuts.

Pursuing Scarlet was out of the question. He was too old, too grumpy, too... everything. It’s out of the question, Alvarez.

Her laughter carried across the diner, and he frowned. Yeah...

He just needed to keep reminding himself of that.