Hidden Lies (The Hidden Series Book 2)

by Kristin Coley

  “They’re trafficking.” My words had all of them stilling, the idea of human trafficking going on in our small town, the girls being taken from our local college horrifying each of us.

  “Cargo containers aren’t warm.” Danny’s observation had us looking at him. “I’m just saying. I’ve been inside of a few, welding. They’re damn cold, especially now. And you said Deidre was warm. So she’s not in a cargo container.” He jerked his shoulder, uncomfortable at the attention, but I also noticed he hovered next to Carly; close, but not touching. I hoped the lack of touching had more to do with him being soaking wet, and not because he didn’t want to touch her.

  “Which reminds me, you need to change. You’re gonna freeze.” Danny glanced down, seeming surprised by his own soaked state.

  “Oh my God, she’s right. You have to get out of those wet clothes.” Carly gasped, plucking at the wet material that clung to his well-defined chest. “Not that I mind the view, but I don’t want you to get pneumonia or something.”

  He gave her a startled look, and then a pleased smirk replaced it. Jake attempted to cover a knowing smirk with his hand, but Connor didn’t even bother, a wide grin splitting his face.

  “I mean I appreciate the view as well, but we can’t have you getting sick now, sweetie,” Connor said in a false soprano, wiggling his fingers at Danny, who swung a punch that Connor deftly dodged. “Getting slow, must be the cold, right?”

  We all laughed, none of us forgetting the dead man at our feet, but relieved to have something else to focus on. Our dead kidnapper had taken his knowledge to the grave with him, but he still might have some secrets I could learn.

  “They’re right, man,” Jake interrupted. “You need to change. It’s freezing out here. I mean your nipples are practically headlights.” The stunned silence only lasted a second before we were all laughing, and Danny was crossing his arms to hide the ‘headlights.’ It wasn’t often Jake joined in the teasing, usually keeping to his role as the serious one, but when he did, it was all the more hilarious.

  “Fuck y’all,” Danny told us, flipping the bird, but his smile belied any insult.

  “We need to finish clearing the scene. Regroup at our place tonight?” Jake still had his arm wrapped around me as he said it, and as everyone nodded, it didn’t escape me he’d referred to his apartment as ‘our place.’ I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but the dead man in front of me demanded that more important matters take precedence.

  Jake dropped a quick kiss on my cheek, whispering, “I love you.” I gave him a tight squeeze around his middle, echoing his words.

  As we walked back toward the caution tape, I heard Carly ask Danny, “Do you want a ride to your apartment?”

  “I’ve got my bike,” he replied, and I heard the distinct pause as Carly replied disbelievingly, “You want to ride your bike while you’re soaking wet?”

  “Uh,” was his intelligent response, and I smiled as Carly said, “Nope. Not happening. I’ll take you home, you change, and then bring you back for your bike. You’ll be there tonight?”

  “Yes,” he answered, and I imagined he didn’t know what had just happened. Carly tended to have that effect on people when she was on a roll. I opened the door to the backseat, already knowing he was coming. The drive to his apartment was quick, since he lived only a few blocks from the river. Some of the neighborhoods around here had started to be revitalized, people buying the old homes and making them showplaces. There was a push to develop the abandoned warehouses and turn them into high end condos, bars, restaurants and hotels. The idea was good, but there were still plenty of rundown apartment complexes around, and one of them was Danny’s. We parked, and I thought he’d just run in and change, but that wasn’t the case.

  “Come on,” he said, leaning back into the car. “It’s not safe for you to stay down here.” Carly turned the car off and hopped out. I followed more slowly, looking around. The area was rundown and old. It had the feeling of being tired, more than criminal. I thought Danny was being a tad overprotective, but I should be used to that by now. I was surrounded by overprotective peeps.

  The reason for Carly’s eagerness was apparent, the second we stepped into his apartment. She should be dizzy with the way her head kept turning to look at everything. The place was clean. I’d give him that. Old as dirt, no way to hide it, but he didn’t have stuff lying around, and it smelled clean. I wasn’t sure if I was expecting the odor of sweat, or maybe joints. I really couldn’t be sure with Danny. The kitchen counters were an old wood grain laminate, and I thought the carpet might have been orange at one point, but it was hard to tell with the stains. There was an old plaid couch and some folding chairs to sit on, so I sat on the couch.

  I was exhausted, the day full of unforeseen surprises, and the knowledge of another missing girl was tough for me to accept. It felt like I should have done more to prevent it. If I’d asked more questions, maybe we would have found the kidnapper before he wound up in the Mississippi.

  I hadn’t forgotten my startling meeting with Wade and his Grannie, either. The thought that they may have answers for me wouldn’t leave me alone. I’d never met anyone with abilities, much less someone who seemed to know what I was. It had never occurred to me that what I could do had a name.

  Truth seeker. The term drifted through my mind, along with something else she’d thought … human lie detector.

  The idea was appropriate enough. My ability could easily be seen as one that could detect lies. It didn’t matter what people told me. I could see the truth when they asked a question. My eyes felt weighted, as thoughts continued tumbling around inside of my head: the image of the kidnapper’s bloated body, Grannie’s face, Piper, and Deidre’s disappearance, combined with the knowledge that if we didn’t find the girls quickly, they would be gone forever.

  I jerked awake, not recognizing where I was, a low murmur of voices grabbing my attention. My heart raced from a combination of the dream I’d just had and confusion over where I was. The thumping slowed as I remembered Carly and I had gone with Danny to his apartment. My fingers ran over the rough plaid material on the couch, and I recognized Carly’s voice. The dream was slipping away from me, and I closed my eyes tightly, trying to recall the details of it. The dream had consisted of flashes from the numerous questions I’d heard, but something had struck me, a flicker of an image that I didn’t think was the past, but the future. If I could only grab on to it.

  A cry escaped me, as I finally had it, and Carly rushed over to me.

  “Hey, are you okay?” she asked, hugging me. “We saw you fall asleep and figured you needed the rest. Did you have a bad dream?”

  I held tightly to her, my fear for her overwhelming. Danny caught my eyes over her shoulder, and from his expression he realized whatever I’d seen was disturbing.

  “It’s okay,” she soothed, rocking me. “It was just a bad dream.” I nodded and loosened my hold, not wanting to frighten her. I forced a smile and stood up.

  “We should go drop Danny off and get over to Jake’s.” My voice was surprisingly steady as I said it, and Carly agreed, grabbing her purse.

  We walked out of the apartment, Carly moving ahead, as Danny clutched my arm. His grip was tight enough to stop me, but not painful.

  “Is it Carly?” His words slammed into me with the force of a freight train, and I swayed, seeing the possibilities more clearly than ever. He held me up, and I heard the fear in his voice when he said, “I guess that’s my answer.”

  “We have to protect her.” I groped behind me blindly, catching his hand in mine and squeezing hard. “We have to.” I felt more than saw his nod in the dark hallway and released him. My legs were shaky as I walked down the hall hearing Carly call behind her, “Come on, slowpokes. We’ll be late.”

  We dropped Danny back off at the docks with the promise that we would go straight to Jake’s place, no stopping anywhere. Carly kept her word, and we arrived in no time. She stopped me as I was getting out of the car.
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  “Are you okay?” Her eyes were concerned, and I could feel the worry in her question. I nodded, attempting to be positive. She didn’t look fooled. “It’s been a crazy day. When you fell asleep on the couch, I convinced Danny to let you sleep for a few minutes. I thought it would do you good, but you seem out of sorts since you woke up. Did you have one of those dreams?”

  I knew what she meant—did I have one of my psychic dreams—and as much as it pained me to do it, I lied to her.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just, everything from the last few days caught up with me at once.” I forced a smile, wondering if I was making a mistake not telling her what I’d seen. “But with the missing girl, it got me thinking.” I paused, catching her eye. “We need to do another self-defense class with the guys.” I could see her about to protest the idea, so I added, “With Danny, we have sparring partners for everyone.” That stopped her protest in its tracks. I knew she’d take any opportunity she could to see Danny hot and sweaty.

  “You know that sounds like an excellent idea,” she nodded, her grin telling me she’d figured out the potential advantages of sparring with Danny. I laughed and told her, “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  A low rumble interrupted her reply, as a big motorcycle came up alongside her car. Danny removed his helmet and nodded, “Ladies.”

  We got out of the car and waited on the sidewalk for him to join us. Carly not so subtly checked his ass out as he bent over to store the helmet. I poked her in the side, and she shrugged, mouthing, “What?”

  “Do I want to know?” He stepped between us, catching the tail end of our little mime show. Carly immediately flushed at the thought of being caught ogling him, and I laughed.

  “Doubt it.” I answered, smirking at Carly’s flush. He nodded, a faint smile playing on his full lips.

  As soon as we stepped inside the apartment, I was once again engulfed in a bone crushing hug. “What were you thinking?! Do you know how worried I was?”

  The force of her emotions almost had my knees buckling as I felt them wash over me with her screeched questions. She seemed to realize it the second it happened, because I heard, “I’m sorry. Damn it. I know better. I was worried and angry.”

  I managed a chuckle as I told her, “I noticed.”

  “Jules, could you quit trying to break my girlfriend?” Jake sighed, pulling me into his embrace.

  “Uh huh, and who was the one calling me in a panic earlier today because you couldn’t get a hold of her? Huh? Oh yeah, that was you, buddy!” She poked him in the chest with her finger, and went to sit on the loveseat. I blinked, surprised at her little outburst. She was definitely not herself as she sat there frowning. Connor looked a little puzzled too as he went and tucked an arm around her. I curled up on Jake’s lap as Danny and Carly sat on the sofa, a little closer than normal, I noted happily.

  “So obviously, we know another girl is missing; the kidnapper is dead; it’s definitely a trafficking ring; and since our dead guy is tied to the girls, maybe we can get a little more info on the missing girls.” Jake summarized the events of the day, going over the identity of the kidnapper, Tyler Hamilton, and what we knew of the girls. “Anything else we need to add?” he finished, and Carly raised a questioning eyebrow to me, while Danny gave me a hard look. I knew Carly wanted to know if I was going to mention meeting the psychic earlier, but I wasn’t ready. This wasn’t the time or place. They might be able to answer questions about who I was, but we needed to focus on the missing girls.

  Danny was a little harder to ignore. He suspected Carly was in danger, and I knew it. I gave a slight shake of my head in the negative, and his eyes narrowed. I wondered if he would push it, but he sat back, draping his arm over the back of the couch, not quite putting his arm around Carly. Her head turned and she wiggled a bit, looking confused by the sudden turnabout in Danny’s attitude. He stared at me, stating his position. If I wouldn’t protect her, he would. I frowned, not liking his implication. If I thought telling everyone right now, including Carly, what I saw would help, I would do it in a second, but I didn’t believe that. It would only put everyone more on edge, and resolve nothing.

  “We’re having dinner at Mom’s house tomorrow,” Jules threw in, redirecting our attention to her.

  “Okay,” Jake drawled, obviously puzzled by her telling everyone. He glanced over at Carly and Danny. They’d never been to his Mom’s for dinner, and none of us was sure if Jules’ invitation included them.

  “Them too,” she added, catching our looks. “The whole freaking world is invited to the baby party.” She stood up and left the room with that proclamation.

  Jake shut his eyes, a pained expression on his face. He kissed my temple and shifted me, standing up. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Connor had stood up to follow Jules, but Jake waved him back. “Let me.” He gave him an understanding nod, but Connor just looked confused.

  “I think Natalie and John are expecting baby number two,” I told them. Connor sat back down, but still glanced at the door Jules had disappeared through every few seconds. He knew he was missing something, but until Jules told him, there was nothing I could do.

  “The Kincaid’s are really nice,” I told the other two as they sat there uncomfortably.

  “Oh well, I wouldn’t want to impose,” Carly started, obviously feeling like the invite was lacking.

  “No, no. You need to come. Both of you. You’ll be expected.” Connor shot me a ‘what are you doing?’ look, and I quirked an eyebrow, asking him to play along. Jules’ invitation for the family dinner had sparked an idea, and I needed them to attend.

  “Yeah, if Jules mentioned it to her parents they’ll be expecting you and you don’t want to disappoint them.” Connor backed me, having no idea what I was planning, but trusting me. Danny had refusal written across his face, but then Carly turned to him.

  “You’ll go, right? I’d hate to be a fifth wheel.” I almost chuckled at the change in his expression. He did a complete about-face, nodding as she spoke.

  “If you’ll be there, I’ll be there,” he told her, causing Connor to blink and look at me. He jerked his head to the door, cutting his eyes and basically trying to tell me to get up and go to the door with him. I pretended like I didn’t see him, and he frowned.

  “Addie,” he called me out, and I glared at him. “What’s the deal?” His question was pointed, and I stood up.

  “We’ll be right back,” I tossed over my shoulder, stepping in front of Connor as we got to the door.

  “Are we in the fucking Twilight Zone?” he hissed, as soon as we were in the hallway. “Jules …” he waved an arm down the hall, not even knowing how to describe her outburst. “And Danny and Carly? Did I miss that? Oh, and don’t think I missed those looks between you and Danny, and you and Carly. What is going on?” His frustration hit me in a wave, and I leaned against the wall, sorting through everything, deciding to answer the simplest things first.

  “Yes, Carly has a huge crush on Danny, and I think he might return it. I don’t know about Jules. Thanks for going along. I wanted Danny and Carly at the dinner tomorrow.”

  That effectively deflected his line of questioning and gave me breathing room. “Yeah, why did you want them there?”

  “I saw something this afternoon—the reason Danny was willing to jump in the river to pull the dead guy out. He doesn’t have a reason to live. He thinks it doesn’t matter if he dies.”

  Connor’s eyebrows drew down at my words, and he appeared horrified. “What?” I nodded, remembering the swirl of thoughts Carly’s question had set loose.

  “I was thinking we could invite Danny’s parents to the dinner tomorrow.” I gave him a wide-eyed stare, and he caught on immediately.

  “Force a reunion.”

  “Mmhmm. They miss him, and he hasn’t budged on a reconciliation, but maybe if he saw them … listened to them.”

  “He’d forgive himself for Samuel,” Connor said, nodding. “Not a bad idea. Gra
nted, it could also blow up in your face. You do realize that?”

  “Yes, but I have a good feeling.”

  Jules and Jake came down the hall then, and Connor leaned down and whispered, “Don’t think I forgot my other questions.” He gave me a narrow glance and turned to greet Jules.

  “Hey, babe.” He wrapped her in a big hug, not asking questions, and she smiled at him as they walked back into the living room.

  Jake stared at me knowingly and then asked, “Do you know?” I nodded, his question confirming what I’d learned from Carly’s question earlier that morning. It seemed like a lifetime ago now. I hugged him, knowing he hurt for Jules.

  “It’s hard for her. John doesn’t know, neither does Natalie.” I peeked up at him, a question in my eyes. He nodded. “She was okay with you knowing, and I told her Connor needed to know. He’ll understand, but she’s understandably nervous about telling him.” I leaned my head on his chest, hugging him tighter. Jules and Jake were extremely close, barely a year apart and best friends. They felt each other’s pain like their own, and would do anything for one another. But neither could fix this, and it hurt.

  “So what were you and Connor whispering about?” Jake asked, looking down at me, an expectant look on his face. I grinned, using him as leverage as I rocked back. He braced himself, his arms locked behind me as I hung suspended.

  “Our torrid affair that we don’t want anyone to find out about.” I managed to keep a straight face as I said it, causing him to loosen his arms a tiny bit, so I had the sensation of falling before he locked them back, and kept me upright. I laughed and he said, “The truth.”

  “I want Danny and Carly at the family dinner tomorrow.” He cocked his head, waiting. “And I want you to invite Danny’s parents,” I finished in a rush, watching his eyes widen the slightest bit. He glanced toward the living room and then back at me. “You have your reasons?” I nodded, glancing over my shoulder and catching a glimpse of the back of Danny’s head. He was teetering on the edge, and we had to find a way to push him back.