Hidden Lies (The Hidden Series Book 2)

by Kristin Coley

  “Captain, it’s good to see you again.” I wedged myself in between the two, ignoring the wide eyed stares I was getting. Almost everyone knew who I was. I’d been the high school girl shot trying to protect two police officers, and that was if they didn’t know me as Jake’s younger girlfriend.

  “Miss Michaels, you’ve returned, and right in the midst of a break in the case for the missing girls. Odd.” He squinted at Jake challengingly. “Do you always bring your girlfriend along when you’re trying to rescue hostages?”

  There was no missing the bite in his question, and I winced in sympathy. He was calling Jake out for challenging him in front of his department. I could feel the tension rolling off of Jake, and knew this little argument needed to be stopped now.

  “Gentlemen, there are five women being held captive twenty miles away from here. At any moment, they could be stuffed into a shipping unit and be out of our reach, never to be heard from again. While your pissing contest is entertaining, it’s not solving the problem.” I felt Jake jolt behind me, and his hand came around to cup my elbow. The captain was shocked by my outburst, and I leaned toward him, not breaking eye contact. “I am the source, and trust me when I say, they’re where I say they are. Send the team. If by chance I’m wrong, at least you tried, based on a tip you received. If I’m right, and you will learn, I’m always right, then you just saved the lives of five terrified women.” I paused, making absolutely sure he understood me. “If you don’t go, I will, and they may not all make it, without the resources you have.”

  “You will give me a full explanation,” he murmured, before raising his voice. “You have my authorization. I hope you are correct and these women’s lives are saved by your efforts. I will be expecting a full report upon your return.”

  I felt Jake nod behind me, and then everyone was moving. Gear was loaded, and Jake and Connor were shrugging on Kevlar vests and hustling out the door. I raced to catch up, grabbing Jake’s sleeve as Connor watched us.

  “Babe, it’s not safe. I don’t want you anywhere near these guys. We don’t know what we’re walking into.” I could see the resolve in his eyes as he continued. “These women … they could be hurt, badly. I don’t want you to get caught up in their emotions.”

  “Jake!” I was exasperated, not by his concern, but by the more logical issue. “You can’t find them without me.”

  His eyes closed in realization, and Connor guffawed next to us.

  “She has us there, dude.” Connor threw me the extra small Kevlar vest he was holding and winked. “Load up, buttercup. You’re coming with us.”

  The drive was tense, with everyone aware the situation was potentially dangerous. The only sound was my occasional directions. It took us thirty minutes to get there, and we had to stop a distance from the turnoff, not wanting to tip off the guards patrolling by the road.

  “Stay here.” He gave me a pleading look. “Please.”

  I nodded, having no desire to be in the midst of them extracting the women. My presence would only distract Jake and Connor, endangering them further, and I had no desire to get shot again.

  “Be safe,” I urged him, fear for his safety always a concern.

  “I will.” My lips pressed against his, sealing his promise.

  “Move out.” The words came over the radio in the van where I was placed to wait, jolting us apart. He gave me a long look as he jumped out.

  The wait seemed interminable, the radio stuttering to life periodically as the men moved into position, the staccato of gunfire interspersed with shouting, causing my heart to pound. My fists clenched so tightly, my knuckles turned white.

  “Clear, clear.”

  “Perimeter is clear.”

  “Report in.”

  “We have them.”

  “Repeat.”

  “We have the girls secured.”

  “They are alive.”

  Relief rushed through me, tears spilling over, as I knew they were safe. I wrapped my arms around my knees, rocking back and forth as the tears soaked into my jeans. The van door jerked open, startling me, and Jake was there, dragging me into a hard hug.

  “You were right. You saved them,” he murmured, over and over, stroking my hair. “You did it.”

  “We did it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “The girls will be okay. Thanks to you.”

  Wade shook his head at my words, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

  “I drew a picture. I had no way of knowing where it was or what it meant. So it seems to me that you are the one owed the appreciation.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not the one who went charging in with guns blazing and got them out. So truly, we should be thanking the officers.” We both looked over at Jake and Connor sitting at the table with Grannie. She had insisted they get a reading when they walked in, stating their energy was so strong, it begged to be read.

  “You have a point,” Connor called, hearing us. “Trust the psychic. She’s never wrong.” I shook my head as Jake snorted. They wouldn’t let me live it down, after telling the captain I was always right, and then we’d brought the girls in, making heroes out of the department. Hours of debriefings, and my own emotional exhaustion had granted me a temporary reprieve from giving the captain his explanation, but there was no question it was coming.

  Jake insisted he’d support me in whatever decision I made. Connor had agreed, backing him up, and I knew they would. I could lie and tell the captain I’d overhead something on campus, but something in me resisted the idea. As I gazed around the tiny shop we were sitting in, owned by two people who unapologetically accepted who they were and what they could do, even knowing the ridicule they could be subjected to, made it difficult to continue denying who I was.

  I’d been living in shadows for a long time, hiding an integral part of who I was from everyone I met, down to my own family. I didn’t think I was ready to announce my ability to the world, but maybe it was time to start admitting it to the ones that mattered, to not hide what I could do. We’d saved lives using my skills, and seeing the sketches on the wall, I knew we could save more.

  “Was he with you at the cabin?” Wade asked me in a low voice, not even bothering to point to the sketch he was referring to. He’d quickly grasped how my ability worked, accepting it easily as he asked me things.

  “Yes, but you knew that.” My look was curious, knowing there was more to the question, but Wade had the ability to cloak his questions, only asking the one he wanted an answer to. He thought my ability was growing stronger, which was why I could hear layers when a question was asked.

  “I suspected,” he corrected absently, watching Jake interact with his grandmother. “When he studied it, his emotions paralleled yours, with one exception.”

  I tilted my head, indicating he needed to expound on his comment.

  “Protective. There was a strong element of protectiveness in his aura as he looked at it.”

  “Protectiveness is an emotion?”

  “For some. Auras don’t read as simply as a book. They have nuance and flow. Colors blend, as emotions cross over one another, flaring brighter as something is felt sharply.”

  “It sounds beautiful,” I murmured, picturing a rainbow of emotion.

  “Emotions aren’t always easy to describe. Sometimes, they must be seen.”

  He gave me a thoughtful look and asked, “What does Jake’s aura look like when he sees Addie?”

  I could see then what he was referring to, and he was right. There was no way to describe the many hues a person’s emotions could take. They swirled and blended into shades I’d never seen, and at the core, winding through Jake’s aura, was a deep purple. It wasn’t the typical color you’d associate with love, but I knew instinctively it represented his love for me. The color was created by blending red and blue, and as I studied it, I could see the individual streaks of those colors forming the dark purple.

  “There’s no doubt of his feelings, and Connor’s are equally stro
ng. His affection for you glows brightly, a sunny yellow with streaks of orange, indicating happiness.” My mouth quirked up in a smile at the thought. I could believe Connor’s aura would resemble perpetual sunshine.

  “You need to stop worrying. You’ve already won her heart. Trust that love always finds a way.” Grannie’s admonishment caught our attention, and we watched Connor flush under her gaze. He nodded, and I knew he’d asked her if Jules would accept his proposal. I’d told him she wanted to be proposed to as they jumped out of a plane skydiving, and after several minutes of hyperventilating, he’d managed to choke out an okay.

  As amusing as it would have been, I knew she’d kill me if he actually did it, so I told him the truth. I described the image I’d seen of a fairytale proposal, surrounded by everyone she loved, and by the time I finished, he no longer wanted to kill me for trying to get him to skydive. At least, until I told him Jake knew he planned to propose, and he’d better ask his permission.

  “And you,” she turned her knowing gaze to Jake, capturing him. “You worry so much over her, fearing things you can’t fight will take her from you.” She stroked his cheek. “Your fear is not unfounded, but you must understand your own strength. You make her strong enough to fight. You make her strong. Have faith. It will stand you in good stead, child, for there will come a day when your voice is the only tie she has left to this world and without it ….” She shook her head, and worry tightened Jake’s face. She sighed, giving him an understanding smile. “She needs you, as you need her. Know that it’s enough.”

  She stood up, and for the first time, I could see how old she was. Jake and Connor murmured their thanks and came over to us. We knew our time was up, but as I glanced at the sketches lining the walls, I knew we’d be back. Mysteries were here for us to solve.

  “Addie.” Her voice drew me to her as the others stepped out to the front room. “The door … have you made a decision?”

  “I have no wish to know the future. There are too many possibilities, with no way of knowing how it will actually turn out.” I knew she would understand what I meant, and her nod encouraged me to continue. “The door can stay shut. I won’t be opening it.” She grasped my hand in hers, her skin like paper, but her grip firm on mine.

  “Sometimes, our best intentions aren’t enough. Remember to listen.” She touched my cheek gently as I nodded. Our eyes met, and I was afraid I understood her all too well. As much as I wished to keep the door closed, it had never been my decision to open it, and I feared what would happen when it eventually did.

  “I have to go.” She nodded, releasing me, and I walked to the curtain.

  “Remember to listen, Addie. Follow it home.” Her words were low, but I managed to catch them as I stepped out.

  “You ready?” Jake’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at me, and I remembered what Wade said about the colors flaring more brightly. I glanced at him, and he nodded, a small smile on his lips. I tucked myself into Jake, and smiled.

  “I’ll see you again soon, Wade.”

  Jake stuck his hand out and said, “Nice to meet you, man.”

  “You too.” He shook both their hands, and Connor gave a last glance around.

  “Cool place you have here,” he smiled. “I have a feeling we’ll be meeting again.”

  We piled into the Camaro, and Connor twisted around to look at me.

  “Are we skipping class?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I laughed.

  “No. One of my professors decided to schedule an exam right before the holiday.” I mock-frowned, my high at seeing the girls saved not destroyed in the least by the thought of an exam.

  “That sucks. You deserve a day off for saving the day.”

  “Uh huh. Afraid real life doesn’t work that way, Con.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.”

  I met Jake’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

  “How long do you think the captain will wait?”

  He shook his head.

  “Not long.”

  We’d talked about what I’d seen from the captain before the rescue of the girls. The fact was, the captain actually thought they were handling too many cases, allowing the other guys in the unit to slack off. That was why he’d been reassigning cases from them. It had nothing to do with them, but the perception of workload.

  Both guys had agreed to give the captain another chance, taking what I knew under consideration. The relationship would take time, but I had a feeling it would develop into a strong one. They all wanted the same things, after all. They just had different methods for achieving them. But we still owed him an explanation for how I’d known where the girls were.

  “After class this afternoon.” My nod was miniscule, but he caught it. “I’ll meet with him then.”

  “And?”

  “Tell him the truth.” I took a deep breath. “I think it’s for the best. I can convince him, and maybe it’ll help him understand.” Understand Jake and Connor’s ability to solve cases was my thought, so maybe it would ease the captain’s suspicions.

  “You sure, Addie?” Connor reached back, gripping my hand, since Jake was driving. He thought I was making the right choice, but didn’t want me to do anything I wasn’t willing to do. They knew how difficult it was for me to explain my ability to others.

  “Yeah. I am.”

  “Okay.”

  We pulled up outside the building where my first class was. I shook my head.

  “So no more babysitters when I get out of class?”

  “Nope. We got the bad guys, and they’re singing like canaries. We have APBs out to pick up the others who weren’t there when we rescued the girls.”

  “Doesn’t mean you don’t need to be careful, though.” Jake’s eyes met mine, his face serious. “And we’ll pick you up after your last class to bring you to the precinct for the meeting with the captain.”

  I nodded, knowing I could drive myself, but wanting their support when I faced the captain. I leaned over, giving Jake a quick kiss on the lips.

  “Yuck, why do you subject me to this?” Connor moaned dramatically, and I bussed him on the cheek.

  “I love you too, Connie baby.” I ruffled his hair and shot out of the car hearing him cry, “Hey.”

  I laughed and waved my hand at them before slipping through the door. Carly was directly on the other side, waiting for me.

  “I was keeping watch.”

  “There is so nothing creepy about that.”

  She huffed and rolled her eyes tugging me to the corner.

  “So … it’s over?”

  I swayed, the darkness swirling under our feet as I fought to keep myself from going under.

  “Addie!” Carly snapped her fingers under my nose. “Earth to Addie.”

  I blinked, steadying, as the dark receded from us.

  “Are you all right?” She was concerned, and now so was I. It wasn’t over. We’d missed something. I didn’t know what, but the darkness indicated danger, and looking at Carly, I was reminded of my flash showing her injured.

  “I’m fine.” I managed a smile, and tucked my arm into hers. “Now, we have an exam to ace.”

  An hour later, I was waiting in the hall for her, having finished the exam first. It was odd standing there with no babysitter. For the first time, I missed them and the peace of mind their presence gave me. The echoing darkness that had come with Carly’s question was more terrifying to me than any bad guy. It hinted at the unknown, the absence of everything, and the thought chilled me.

  Carly burst through the door, startling me.

  “Did I pass?” Her face was haggard, and her backpack slipped down her arm, but she gave me a hopeful look. My wide grin must have given her the answer she wanted, because she proceeded to fist pump down the hall singing ‘We are the Champions.’ I shook my head and followed her, unwilling to ruin her good mood with my own dark thoughts.

  She came to a halt outside the door, looking around like she just realized something. I waited, shoving
my hands into the pockets of my hoodie. My fingers bumped into something, and as I felt it, I realized my stun gun was in my pocket. I wrapped my fingers around it, feeling slightly more protected. Maybe I couldn’t stop the darkness from coming, but I could fight against a physical foe.

  “No bodyguards,” Carly said in wonder. “So weird.”

  She shot me a playful look, “We can go off campus for lunch.”

  “You’re a wild one,” I laughed, her euphoric mood rubbing off on me. Jake would come after my last class. We would talk to the captain, and I would explain this lingering feeling of danger. Together, we could figure out what it was and stop it. For now, food was in order.

  “Let’s go to Acme’s. I’m in the mood for oysters.”

  “Yay! That’s what I was thinking too,” Carly grinned, and we headed to her car.

  “How’s everything with Danny?” I questioned her, our conversation with Jules feeling like it was days ago, instead of just yesterday.

  “Eh.”

  “Eh? Really? This from the girl that gushed over how your souls spoke to one another?”

  “I know, and they do. But I don’t know. He runs hot and cold.”

  “He likes you. Trust me, I know that much.”

  “I believe you, but he’s been withdrawn. Yesterday, he was super distracted, and I don’t know what’s going on with him. I ask if everything is okay, and he says it’s fine. But it’s not.”

  She squeezed into a tiny parking spot behind the restaurant, one of the only spaces left, since we’d managed to arrive in the middle of the lunch rush.

  “Ugh, their parking sucks.”

  “They’re popular.”

  “I hate parking out here though. It’s isolated.”

  “We’ll be fine. I’m sure there will be plenty of people around when we leave.”

  We hopped out of the car, and I continued my line of questioning.

  “Do you want to be with Danny?”

  “Yes. But it takes two people to make a relationship. I want what you and Jake have; what Connor and Jules have. And for a minute, I thought Danny was stepping up. He asked me out, and we had a great time. It seemed like things were looking up.”