Hidden Betrayals (The Hidden Series Book 4)

by Kristin Coley

  “Are you okay?” Her voice was controlled, too controlled for Carly, and Danny paused as he came through the door. She was standing still, like she’d frozen in the middle of pacing when she heard the door, but it was the wild look in her eyes that caught his attention. Her hands were clenched together, her body braced as if she was fighting the urge to grab him, and maybe shake him? Or hug him. It could go either way at the moment.

  “I’m fine,” Danny reassured, his voice hoarse after hours of questioning. The smoke and heat from the explosion had only made it worse and he wanted nothing more than to strip down and shower off the lingering scent.

  He held himself still as she stared at him, debating if he truly was fine, but after a minute she must have decided he was okay since he was still standing. He didn’t even see her move, and only when he felt her arms wrap around his waist did he realize she had, as she clung to him with a desperation that surprised him.

  “I’m okay,” he crooned, his hand coming up to cup the back of her head. “I promise. I’m fine. A little tanner than I was when I left this morning.”

  He felt her fingers dig in his side at his attempted joke and he groaned. She let him go instantly, stepping back in horror.

  “Are you hurt?” She eyed him as if she could see through his clothes to any hidden injuries.

  “I wasn’t,” he laughed, rubbing his side where her nails had dug in. “You have claws, kitten.”

  Carly loosened the fist she’d made, glancing down at her nails like she’d never seen them before. His meaning caught up to her and she colored.

  “Oh God,” she muttered in embarrassment, stepping back again. Danny reached over and dragged her back into his arms, refusing to release her when she wiggled.

  “Nope, this is what I’ve been waiting to do all day,” he murmured as some of his anxiety faded at seeing she was okay. If Jace had found him at the garage, it would only be a matter of time until he showed up the office.

  As Carly relaxed in his arms, Danny saw Wade leaning against the living room wall, a questioning expression on his face. Danny shook his head, not ready to go over it again, and Wade gave a short nod and went into the kitchen.

  “I stink,” Danny whispered, the acrid smell wafting from his clothes and reminding him he needed to shower off the stench. “Come on.” He tugged Carly with him, unwilling to let her out of his sight even for the few minutes it would take him to shower. “You can join me if you like, but I need to know you’re here and safe,” he answered at seeing her puzzled expression, and her heart stuttered at the look on his face. She tightened her fingers around his, already knowing he was blaming himself.

  “It’s not your fault,” she told him fiercely.

  “Not directly.” Danny paused outside the bathroom door, and she felt the strength of his grip. It wasn’t painful at all, but there was no denying the hardness that emanated from him. “I didn’t throw the Molotov cocktail, but it wouldn’t have been thrown if I wasn’t there.” He swiped his free hand over his face as self-loathing flashed for a brief second. “Someone could have died today.”

  “Yeah, you!” Carly yelled, poking him hard in the chest. “YOU could have died. And that would not be okay.”

  “I…,” he trailed off, shaking his head.

  “Stop blaming yourself. You are not responsible for someone else’s actions,” Carly hissed, the fear she’d been fighting all afternoon after hearing there’d been an explosion at his work bubbling over. “You are not responsible for Jace. Or me,” she added, eyeing him narrowly. He shook his head, but she held up a finger to stop him from speaking. “No, you want to protect me and I appreciate that. I love that about you.” The word love had his mouth snapping shut as he stared at her, the wild curls that reflected her personality so well spilling over her shoulders as her eyes glittered with emotion. “But if something happened to me it wouldn’t be your fault any more than Samuel’s death was your fault.” She searched his face, biting her lip as she studied the rough planes of his cheekbones. “You put too much on yourself. You’re afraid the people you care about will be hurt because they’re around you and maybe they will be.” Her honesty caused his head to jerk back and she shrugged. “It’s true. Addie’s proof of that. Sometimes being friends with someone comes with a risk. But you need to let those people take that risk.” She poked her finger in his chest again and he stumbled back into the bathroom. “You walked in that door with every intention of pushing me away. Sending me to stay with Addie or Jules. Anyone but you because you were afraid something would happen to me.”

  He flinched at her words, knowing she was right. Carly hadn’t been in his apartment twelve hours and he was ready to send her away.

  “For your protection,” he gritted out, swallowing hard at the flinty expression on his normally sunny girlfriend.

  “Yeah, without even taking into consideration how I felt about it. Kinda like this morning when you showed up to tell me I’d be staying with you.” She made a humming sound in the back of her throat, and he knew better than to say anything. “You didn’t ask me then, but I went along because I know you. I know your need to protect the ones you love, but guess what, buddy? You don’t get to kick me to the curb when you think being around you is more dangerous than being away from you.”

  She crossed her arms and straightened her spine, and the bathroom suddenly shrank to half its size

  “You’re stuck with me. Deal with it.” She marched over to the toilet seat and plopped down. He turned slightly to keep her in his line of sight, watching her cautiously. “You were right. You do stink. And I’m going to sit here while you shower because I can’t bear to let you out of my sight even when you manage to piss me off,” she whispered, her eyes fixed straight ahead even as they glistened. He reached back to turn the knob on the shower and the water hissed, covering the sound of him shutting the door, locking them in the tight space as he stripped down.

  Her eyes shifted to him as he stepped in the shower, catching sight of his broad back and tight ass before they were obscured by the half wall enclosing the shower. The top was glass but it was already foggy with steam so all she could see were his abstract movements as he ran his hands over his body.

  “I can feel you watching me,” he growled and she squeaked in shock. “I like it,” he admitted, his hand swiping over the fogged glass and giving her a clearer view as her eyes snapped to the motion. “Before the bomb went off I was smiling because I knew I’d be coming home to you.” Carly blinked back the sudden weight of tears, listening to the words he couldn’t say when they were face to face. “When it exploded and then the car right after, all I could think was he was going to come here next and that you might not be so lucky.” His hand spread over the glass as if he needed support from the weight of his emotions, and Carly felt herself stand up and press her own hand against the outline of his. His was enormous in comparison to hers, but for the moment they were equals in the strength of their emotions.

  “When Addie called saying a bomb had went off, I was terrified. I’d gotten your text asking if I was alright, but I didn’t know if you’d sent it before. Then you didn’t answer my calls or texts and the fear was incredible. Wade wouldn’t let me leave and I’ll tell you right now, he’s lucky he can still have kids.”

  Danny chuckled and Carly’s eyes closed, her breath escaping at the rare sound.

  “I was afraid I’d never hear that sound again,” she whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek at the realization of all she had almost lost before it had begun.

  The shower cut off and she was roughly dragged against him, water sluicing off him and soaking into her clothes. She slid her arms around him, uncaring as she absorbed the heat radiating from his wet skin. Her head nestled against the hard muscles of his chest and she pressed a kiss to the spot where she believed his heart was. His arms tightened around her, pressing every part of them together and she was reminded that he was naked.

  “Danny,” she whispered, the sound throatier
than she’d intended and she felt him shudder against her.

  “You’re killing me,” he groaned, his hand sliding down her back.

  Banging on the door caused them to jump, Danny spinning and shifting Carly behind him.

  “You better not be christening the bathroom. Remember we share it and I don’t want to be thinking about your white ass getting it on in the shower,” Wade called through the door and Carly choked. “I’m not even going to ask if you’re decent because I like to live in denial. But hurry the hell up, the others are coming over with pizza.” A pause had them glancing at one another, a smile quirked on Danny’s face. “Apparently, they need to see for themselves that you’re alright.” A last single bang on the door announced Wade’s departure and Carly lowered her eyes.

  “This is only a little awkward,” Danny muttered, running his hand over his head.

  “What? Wade’s interruption of our hug?” Carly questioned as she lifted her gaze. “Or the fact that this is the first time I’ve seen you naked?”

  “Both?” He offered, a half smile tilting the corner of his lips. He stepped back and Carly’s eyes snapped up. “Are you staring at the ceiling?” He asked in amusement and laughed when she nodded. “Why? I don’t mind if you look at me. In fact I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy it.”

  “Exactly why I’m not ogling you,” Carly snipped. “You might not mind getting called out in the bathroom but I’d rather not still be in here when Addie and the others arrive.” She couldn’t resist the urge to peek though and Danny’s amusement disappeared as his desire rose. He fought the urge to pull her back into the shower with him, her soaked shirt not doing anything to hide her curves he’d had pressed against him moments before.

  “You may be right,” he rumbled, grabbing a towel to cover his reaction to his thoughts. “Minx,” he added when he caught sight of her smirk. He eyed her damp jeans and see through shirt, and reached over to pluck at the wet material. “You might want to change before you give everyone a show.”

  She glanced down as she realized for the first time how transparent her shirt was, and her cheeks flamed red as she darted around him and out the door before he could say another word.

  “We just need to find Jace and drag him in for questioning,” Connor argued, flipping the lid on one of the boxes of pizza they’d brought to see what was left. “Anyone want it?” He asked as he brought the last piece to his mouth.

  “I’m going to assume that was a rhetorical question,” Wade said dryly as he watched. “And to your point, what are you going to bring him in for questioning for? At the moment, there’s no proof he threw the Molotov cocktail.”

  “Wade’s right. This is an arson investigation for now. And we don’t have proof,” Jake added, blowing out his breath in frustration. “This guy is slick.”

  “Addie?” Carly’s soft voice drew attention to Addie as she sat there, a blank expression on her face. Jake slid closer to her as the others waited.

  “Honey.” He gave her a slight shake and she snapped out of the trance, flushing as she saw everyone’s attention on her. “You disappeared for a second there.” He carefully didn’t phrase anything as a question and Danny admired the ability. There was no question how much Jake loved Addie, the proof was in every interaction they shared.

  “I was lost in thought,” she offered, waving her hand carelessly. “Someone asked a question?” Jake relaxed at her words, content to believe them, but Danny watched Wade’s eyes narrow at Addie’s response. It was easy to forget about Wade’s ability because he rarely ever flaunted it, but Danny was well versed enough in Wade’s ability to know he could spot a lie in someone’s aura, and if his suspicious expression was anything to go by, Addie had just lied to Jake.

  “Addie could tell us where Jace is but that still doesn’t give us a reason to bring him in or a clue when or where he’ll strike next.” Jules settled in the loveseat next to Connor, ever the voice of logic. “We could ask, but I’m not sure we want to.”

  “No, you should ask,” Addie argued, glancing around. “We need to be prepared. We know Jace is targeting Danny. If he has something planned it’s better to be prepared.”

  “That’s under the assumption he has a plan. Jace isn’t like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if today’s exhibit was nothing more than a spur of the moment decision on his part,” Danny stated, apologetic as the other’s expressions fell.

  “But he knew where you worked,” Carly burst out, twisting in the seat to look at him. “That shows some premeditation on his part.”

  “Addie,” Danny started and Jake’s head came up. Addie rested her hand against his shoulder and nodded at Danny to continue. “Did Jace plan the attack on me today?”

  Addie’s forehead wrinkled for a minute and then she shook her head to the sound of groans. “I don’t think so. I kind of understand what you mean though. He’s learning about you but there was no premeditation.”

  “So, we can safely assume Jace is aware of information about Danny, but isn’t the type to plan something we can defend against?” Connor summarized around a mouthful of pizza.

  “Yes,” Addie replied decisively.

  “Great,” Wade muttered crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned back against the wall. “We have an unpredictable and drugged out enemy.”

  “Isn’t that redundant?” Connor asked, a smear of pizza sauce on his face as Wade lifted an eyebrow. “I mean, a druggie is by its very nature unpredictable.”

  Wade blinked and didn’t bother to answer him. Jake cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “We need to stay aware. This guy is dangerous and he could strike at any time. There’s a strong possibility he’ll come here. Or that he’ll come after Carly since she’s with Danny.” He met everyone’s eyes as he continued, “We need to make sure we’re with someone at all times. No walking to class by yourself,” he warned Addie and Carly, both juniors at the local college. They nodded, both remembering the time they had been kidnapped. Danny rubbed the stubble on his jaw as his back teeth ground together at the memory. “Addie is staying with me until this guy is caught. Carly, you’re welcome –”

  “She’s staying with me,” Danny broke in, his tone brooking no argument. Addie compressed her lips but didn’t speak and the others nodded, unsurprised.

  “I’m thinking about hanging out a shingle that says, ‘Strays welcome,’” Wade mentioned and Danny’s gaze shot to his. He hadn’t thought to ask Wade if it was okay to invite Carly, but he relaxed at Wade’s shrug. “Rent’s bound to bring in more money than the PI business.”

  Connor laughed, but was cut off by his wife’s sharp elbow. “What?” He asked clueless as Jules rolled her eyes.

  “Any business needs time to get established,” Jake smoothed over, but it wasn’t necessary. Addie just gave them a serene smile like she knew something the rest of us didn’t, and given her gift it was entirely possible.

  “So, Addie is it true your mom’s hooking up with your uncle?” Connor asked and Addie flinched. The curious expression on Connor’s face disappeared at her reaction and he quickly said, “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to be a question. Hell, I didn’t think it would upset you,” he continued to babble, obviously upset himself at her tone.

  “Connor, you need to learn to phrase your questions better,” Addie reprimanded him in an acidic voice. “I think you meant to ask if they were dating, but thanks to your use of ‘hooking up,’ I now know more about my mom’s sex life than I ever needed to.”

  The room froze at her reply as she glared at Connor. An uncomfortable silence descended over them until Jules stood up jerking Connor with her.

  “And that’s our cue to leave. I swear I can’t take you anywhere,” Jules griped as Connor stared at Addie with a stunned expression.

  “I guess we’ll be going as well,” Jake suggested as Addie attempted to scrub the images from her eyes.

  “I can’t believe my mom is having sex with him.” Addie shuddered, a nauseous expression on her fa
ce. Jake opened and closed his mouth, deciding there was no good answer.

  “Addie, you’ll be here in the morning?” Wade asked, his tone peculiar enough to jar Addie from the thought of her mom’s sex life. She glanced at him and her jaw worked for a second before she gave a sharp nod.

  “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

  Jake didn’t seem to notice the undercurrents, probably grateful to be off the topic of his future mother-in-law’s bedroom partners, but Danny reminded himself to be a part of whatever conversation Wade and Addie had. He had a feeling it was tied to him in some way and he didn’t want anyone risking themselves over him.

  Once everyone had left, Wade glanced at Danny, noticing the palpable tension between him and Carly.

  He gave a tiny smirk and said, “Keep it down tonight, will you? I’m a light sleeper.” He was down the hall before Danny could issue a retort, Carly’s soft gasp the only sound left in the room.

  “It’s been a long day,” Danny hesitated, trying to figure out how to ask her if she’d sleep with him without coming off as a horny asshole. “A good night’s sleep will make everything easier.” He groaned internally, knowing he was fumbling the hell out of it. He took a breath about to start over when she interrupted him.

  “I’m sure the couch is comfortable,” she patted it and added, “Wade told me where the extra sheets were earlier.”

  “He did?” Danny echoed, pasting a smile on his face as he decided to give Wade a black eye in their next sparring session.

  “He did,” she confirmed, nodding as she stared down at the couch cushion. “He wanted me to be comfortable.”

  “He did,” Danny sighed, knowing Wade must have seen something in Carly’s aura. “He’s a good guy about stuff like that.”