Page 153 of Secret Shifters Next Door

April sat next to Aiden and took his hand. “Sweetheart, do you remember what happened?”

Aiden shook his head. “I was playing catch with Billy from next door. Then his mom called him in for dinner. I went to walk home… and then I was waking up in Steff’s truck with you and Dad. I don’t remember anything else.”

The cops arrived a few minutes later with Tate right behind them. The officers looked harried and confused. Things had moved faster than they were used to. They also seemed a little put out that we’d gone looking for Aiden without giving them a heads-up.

“So,” the lead officer said, “Exactly how did you know the boy would be at the park?”

“I already told you, damn it,” Kellan snarled. “Ryland Fields took him.”

The officer winced and looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes. “The teacher from the high school? Sir, we already checked that. He was on the phone with a parent for over an hour, which is almost the entire time your son was missing.”

Kellan’s hands curled into fists, his knuckles going white. “Then he fucking lied. Whoever he was on the phone with is part of this. It was him, goddamn it.”

I was positive Ryland would have created an airtight alibi. Whoever had been on the phone had probably been his body double. If I had to guess, he was using Ryland’s phone, and may very well have been talking to a parent. That parent was probably also a hunter. The traditional route wouldn’t work. There was no way the cops would believe the story.

The officer had already closed his notebook. “Look, it’s more likely the boy wandered off. Maybe he got lost and then got sleepy. Fell asleep in the park.”

I thought Kellan was about to go to jail. He looked to be about a second from ripping the cop’s head off. “You incompetent assholes. What are you even good for? Talk to the damn doctors. He was drugged, for God’s sake! How do you wander off and accidentally get drugged?”

I put an arm around Kellan’s shoulder. “He’s very stressed, Officer. You understand. It’s nothing personal.”

The cop nodded but didn’t look happy. “Maybe he found something and ingested it while he was wandering around. You can call us if there’s anything more we need to know. You all have a good evening, now.”

Kellan glared after them as they left the room. He got himself under control and turned back to Aiden, who was looking at him with wide eyes. “Dad, you used bad words.”

Kellan blushed. “Sorry, kiddo. I got really worked up there. I’m sorry.”

I patted Kellan’s chest. “I’m going to handle this, brother. I promise.”

He clutched Aiden’s hand and nodded. He was shaken and freaked out. I’d never seen him like this before. This was all my fucking fault. Aiden was a target because of April’s connection to me. If it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened. This was all retaliation for me somehow stealing her from him. Which was crazy.

That was part of the problem right there. Ryland was batshit crazy. We had to do something fast. Otherwise, we were going to end up with another dead body on our hands. Things seemed to be escalating toward an endgame of some sort. It would be ugly, but it would finally put an end to all this.

TWENTY-SEVEN

APRIL

The next several days passed in a haze of anxiety and worry. All I could think of was Ryland and whatever he was planning next. It was exhausting. Steff tried to help. He and the rest of his friends pretty much had their entire company on high alert. They’d pulled all their employees off every other contract put them on twenty-four-hour rotating watches. They watched me and my family as well as Tate’s. We were the ones everyone assumed would be targeted again if the hunters attempted something else. I couldn’t help but wonder when they would escalate to actually trying to kill Steff and the other shifters. It made me nauseous with fear just to think about it.

The idea of returning to California had been completely wiped from my mind for days. When your life and the lives of the ones you loved were in danger, it was difficult to think of anything else. When Larry called me that Thursday, I cursed when I saw his number. I hadn’t checked in with him in days. I answered the call even though I didn’t want to talk to him.

“April? What the hell? I haven’t heard from you in almost a week. What the hell is going on?”

I gritted my teeth but put on a fake smile. “Sorry, Larry. Been really busy.”

“With getting ready to come home, I hope. I’ve got a big deal with a luxury car company lined up as soon as you get back. I need to let them know something, though. When’s your flight?”

I snapped. I was usually pretty even keel. I’d, thankfully, never developed a lot of the diva habits and personality some women in my world had. I tended to go with the flow. Something about the way Larry was talking to me set my nerves on edge, and I exploded.

“Fuck you, Larry. I told you to see who was interested. I didn’t say to go out and sign me the fuck up with anyone.”

“Uh… I’m sorry… I thought?—”

“No, you didn’t goddamn think, Larry. I know this may be news to you, but, and hear me loud and clear, you… work… for… me!” I shouted the last word into the speaker of the phone. “I have a lot of shit going on right now, and the last thing I’m worried about is rubbing my tits on a fucking luxury sedan, for Christ’s sake. I’m not coming home any time soon. Until further notice, I’m not taking any work. Do you understand me?”

There was a long moment of silence, and I could have sworn I heard a gulp. “I apologize, April. I screwed up. I’m sorry, seriously. I’ll… I’ll wait for your call, okay?”

I sighed, immediately regretting my outburst. “Larry, I’m sorry. There’s been some shit going on here… uh… family stuff. It’s got me on edge. I didn’t mean to bite your head off, but I do want to stay here and not worry about working for a few more weeks.”

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