“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 allhersecrets, 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 lookedat 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.
When April’s Uber pulled up to the curb, she got into the backseat and said a quick “hello” to the driver. Then she fastened her seatbelt and dialed her best friend, Zara Montgomery.
Zara lived in a posh area of Los Angeles where she was a highly sought-after esthetician to some of the world’s A-list celebrities. Their moms had been best friends, and they’d grown up together, seeing each other through so much that they were more like sisters than friends.
“Hey, you’re up late tonight? How’s our girl doing today?” Zara’s sing-song voice always made April smile, even on her worst days.
“I ran into him,” April said, cutting to the chase and ignoring her friend’s question. She still couldn’t believe how tonight had unfolded.
“Who?” Zara asked. “Are we talking about a football player, a celebrity, or some famous chef I don’t know about?”