A knock at the door put everyone on alert, but Tanner opened it, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself, or April and Violet, who were now firmly under his protection. Nico stood there with his hands tucked loosely in his pockets, and a smug grin on his face. “Nico, what are you doing here? Better yet, who let you back here?”
Nico shrugged like he didn’t have a care in the world. “It’s still kind of wild out there, and I thought you could better use me back here.” His gaze landed on April, then lowered to Violet. There was no heat, just curiosity, and something that looked a lot like compassion.
Tanner didn’t even try to hide his annoyance at Nico’s presence. “I’m a little busy right now.”
Nico nodded and it looked like he was about to walk away when he turned back. “If anyone is hurt, one of my guys can help. No charge.”
“No injuries, Nico, but thanks,” Tanner said. If he didn’t know better, he would almost think the other man actually cared, but that was unlikely given his reputation.
Tanner was about to shut the door in his face when Nico raised a hand to his forehead, thumbing his temple. “I saw what she did.”
Tanner took a step toward him, but Nico raised both hands, palms front, in a show of surrender. “I’m not your enemy, and I would never hurt a kid. But power like that, it either needs to be controlled or is already controlled by someone who thinks they have the right to it. Either way, I’m feeling generous. So, if you need something, now is the time to ask.”
“Why?” Tanner demanded. “What’s in it for you?”
“Consider it redemption for past wrongs,” Nico smirked. “Or a show of good faith. Your choice.”
He turned to leave but Tanner said, “You said one of your guys has medical training?”
Nico eyed him curiously. “We call him Doc.”
“Have him come back here, and bonus if he has some numbing medicine and a scalpel on him,” Tanner said.
Nico laughed. “Are you expecting him to perform surgery here?”
“Yes,” Tanner deadpanned. “Minor, but yes. If you want to help, then help, otherwise get the hell out of here and mind your own business.”
Nico rocked back on his feet and took another quick glance at Violet. “I’ll need twenty minutes.”
“Make it fast,” Tanner said, urging him to leave already. The sooner he left, the sooner he could come back and all this could be over. As soon as Nico was gone, Tanner shut the door and turned back to April and Violet.
“Are you going to arrest Aunt April?” Violet asked
“No,” Caden said. “But I will need to talk to her. And to you. Deal?”
Violet nodded and the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. There was so much Tanner wanted to ask April, but he didn’t want to do it in front of Caden. Still reeling from shock at what this little girl could do, he couldn’t stop staring between her and April. The same woman he’d been running with every morning, the woman he’d invited to hang out with his friends at Garrett’s house, the one he’d kissed senseless in the Murphy’s Soup Kitchen garden, had been hiding this huge secret from him. What else wasn’t she telling him?
Orly, Hallie, Skyla and Reese had all kept secrets from their guys, but this was different. They were all adults. This was a little girl. He couldn’t imagine all the horrors she’d been put through, not to mention having to deal with such a powerful gift.
“Does it hurt, Violet?” Tanner asked, suddenly needing to know if saving him had caused her even an ounce of pain. “When you stop bullets or do other things?”
Violet shook her head. “No. But sometimes my nose bleeds or I fall asleep and don’t wake up right away. Aunt April gets scared when that happens, but I don’t get scared. I just have to make sure I stop the bullets before they hit me.”
“Ned doesn’t have you wear protective gear, like a bulletproof vest or something to protect you from them in case you miss?” Caden asked, his tone laced with disbelief and anger.
“No,” April said, chiming in and sitting down in a chair beside Violet. “Ned thinks if she doesn’t believe she’s in danger, then she won’t perform as well.”
Motherfucker, Tanner wanted to put that man in danger, and see how wellheperformed.
“I’ve never missed,” Violet said proudly, breaking Tanner’s heart. And from the look on Caden’s face, they were both ready to kill Ned Dynam with their bare hands.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Tanner opened it and found Nico and another biker he didn’t recognize standing just outside. “Is this your guy?”
Nico nodded and pushed his way in. “It is. Let’s make this quick and for the record, he was never here, and whatever he’s about to do, he never did it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tanner said. “Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter 15