Hidden Games (The Hidden Heroes #5)

Prologue

“There you guys are,” Tanner said, holding his own glow-in-the-dark drink in his hand. “This is really something.” The grand reopening at Madigan’s Bar and Grill was well underway, and he loved the glow in the dark theme.

“I know,” Reese said, turning in Garrett’s arms to better face him, even though she kept her eyes just a bit lower than his gaze.

Her cheeks were flushed, probably because the two had just been making out like teenagers, but Tanner knew that wasn’t why she was avoiding making eye contact with him.

Reese’s ability to see a person’s moment of death when she looked into their eyes was probably the coolest thing Tanner had ever heard of, but it also made it hard for her to look into someone’s eyes without possibly being haunted by their future death.

“It’s been such a crazy few weeks with Garrett’s rehab and finishing up my art class for the school year.

I’m just glad everything came together here.

Skyla did such an amazing job with all this. ”

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

“What’s up?” Garrett asked, clearly sensing Tanner’s unease.

Reese tensed in his arms, 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 shanked in the kidney with a shiv.” Ryker was the principal at the school where Reese taught art, until Reese convinced one of her students to speak up against him, and he was arrested for drug trafficking, among a litany of other charges.

Garrett went still at the news and tightened his arm around Reese. Tanner braced himself for their reaction. But Reese just nodded and Garrett didn’t look in the least bit bothered either, simply took another sip of his drink.

“He didn’t make it,” Tanner added.

Reese and Garrett glanced at each other, then looked around the room as if he’d just told them the weather report.

Oddly, it made Tanner breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Anyway,” Tanner continued, “best grand re-opening I’ve ever been to, and these drinks are delicious.

Skyla’s going to have a bunch of very happy and buzzed people on her hands. ”

Reese smiled then, and Garrett loosened his grip on her. “Just the way she likes it,” Garrett joked, leaning into Reese to kiss the top of her head.

Tanner barked out a laugh, taking an involuntary step back. “Ah!” Someone yelled from behind.

He spun around, splashing a neon blue drink out of a small, perfectly manicured hand.

“I’m so sorry, excuse me,” he said, meeting the gaze of a petite woman with brown hair and glasses that brought out her moss green colored eyes.

“I didn’t see you there,” Tanner said, over the loud music, seeing that he’d spilled most of the woman’s drink.

“I’m Tanner. Please, let me buy you another drink. ”

She looked a little perplexed for a second but then gave him the barest hint of a smile. “I’d like that.”

He hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly, but was pleased that she had.

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, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

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

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

“Nonsense, I don’t mind at all. So, tell me, April, you probably get this all the time, but were you born in the month of April?”

She smiled. “I do, and no. It’s actually a thing in my family. The first-born daughter always gets named after the month her mother was born in.”

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

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

“Tell me you’re joking,” Tanner said.

“Nope, wish I was. She hates her name and swears she’s one day going to change it to Candice, but I don’t think she will because… you know… tradition.” April shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, yes.” Tanner knew all about family traditions, and how important they were. Growing up in a large family, with both his parents, siblings, grandparents, and even a niece in the mix, those things were some of the greatest joys and challenges in his life outside of his friendships and career.

“So, what month were you born in?” He asked, hoping he wasn’t over stepping.

“June,” she said with a smile.

Skyla came over then, and he ordered two more drinks just 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 as a name.”

“Okay,” Tanner thought. This was one of the more interesting conversations he’d had with a beautiful woman. It didn’t hurt that every time she smiled, her entire face lit up, making him want to make her smile even more. “Well, when in June were you born?”

“The thirtieth,” she said. “I was almost a July baby.”

“Perfect,” Tanner said. “You could name her Summer. I mean, technically summer starts on June twenty first, I think, 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?” April laughed just as Skyla returned with their drinks.

Tanner’s jaw dropped in a big grin, then he took a big gulp of his drink. “That depends, do you have a tradition about naming boys?”

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

Tanner smiled and kept the answer to himself because in all honesty, yeah, right then and there, he wanted to know not just all her family secrets, but all her secrets, too.

He could easily lose himself in those moss green eyes that reminded him of the lush trees growing all around his family’s ranch.

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.

“Captain Andrews,” Tanner said, plugging one ear with his finger so he could hear him better. “What’s going on?”

“Got a body for you,” the captain said. “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 door.

He needed to warn Blake and Skyla, but as he looked over at April, who was watching him with a curious, but sweet smile, the last thing he wanted to do was leave now.

They’d just started talking, and he wanted to keep getting to know her.

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

So much for a fun night off. He pulled out his business card, wrote his cell phone number on the back and handed it to April.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. If you don’t mind hanging out with a cop, I’d love to see you again. Maybe we can talk boy names.”

She slipped his card into her small handbag. “I’ll text you.”

Tanner nodded, 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 his 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, putting a hand on Tanner’s shoulder. “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 just keep your eyes open.”

“Shit,” Blake ground out. “I hoped to never hear that name again.” He turned to go back to the party when Skyla came rushing past them. As soon as she spotted Blake, she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“What is it?” He asked, handing his drink to Tanner as he moved toward her.

“Something’s wrong,” she said, and shoved the door open to the ladies’ room. Tanner stood outside, as Blake went in after her.

Tanner wasn’t sure what Skyla meant, but everything seemed fine to him, and he needed to get to the precinct. Just as he was about to leave, Blake’s panicked voice yelled through the door. “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 this week, 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.