“I agree,” Tanner said. “The safest house I can think of is where I’m taking them.”
“And where’s that?” Blake asked.
“My place,” Tanner answered. “Let’s go. I don’t want to risk any of Ned’s other goons showing up here.”
“What about my ice cream?” Violet complained still having half a scoop left in her bowl.
“I’ll get you all the ice cream you want, Violet, but right now, we have to move,” Tanner said.
Violet sighed and begrudgingly put her spoon down as she slid out of her chair. “Aunt April, when can we go back and get my things?”
April knelt in front of her niece, her heart breaking all over again for how much this little girl had already gone through. And there was no telling how much more Ned was going to put them through before they were finally really and truly safe from him. “Remember what we talked about before leaving?”
Violet nodded, solemnly. “We can’t ever go back, can we?”
“No, Violet. We can’t.” April didn’t want to sound mean, but there was no nice way of telling her that she’d probably never see her things again.
“All my toys. My books. Never again?” Violet asked, tears pooling in her eyes.
“I don’t know,” April answered honestly. “But I’ll get you more books and toys. I promise. I did bring something thoughthat I completely forgot about.” When she’d reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, something caught on her finger. After Echo left and before heading back inside, she’d remembered about Violet’s new pink friendship bracelet. She pulled it out of her pocket now. “I saw this when I was in your room this morning and I wanted to tell you how pretty I thought it was.”
Violet sighed, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “I was going to surprise you.”
April held it out to her. “That’s very sweet and I love it, but would you like to wear it for now?”
Violet gave another deep sigh. “Okay, but just for a little while.”
April slipped it onto her wrist and pressed a kiss to Violet’s arm. “Better?”
Violet lifted her arms for April to pick her up, but Tanner kneeled beside April then and said, “Mind if I carry you, Darlin’? That way we can give your Aunt April’s arms a chance to rest for a bit.”
April’s heart just about melted at the tenderness in his voice and the sweet thoughtfulness for her arms that were a bit sore from carrying her while running earlier.
“We’ve got plenty of toys and clothes that I think will fit you perfectly where I want to take you and your aunt,” Tanner continued. “What do you think?”
Violet thought about it for a moment, then nodded, and let herself be picked up by Tanner. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Tanner held her close, then placed an arm around April’s shoulders pulling her into his side. “Let’s get you two somewhere safe.”
Chapter 16
Tanner didn’t miss the shock in his friends’ expressions when Violet had Echo suspended mid-air. He was planning on telling them about her ability, but then Violet took matters into her own hands and knocked the socks off everyone. He honestly nearly lost his shit witnessing the power that six-year-old little girl controlled with nothing more than her mind. But the only thing he saw in Violet at that moment was vulnerability and fear. She wasn’t acting out of power, but out of a deep-seated fear of being separated from the one person she loved and trusted.April. He hated that someone so young had to grow up so fast, and he vowed at that moment to always be there for both of them.
“Where are we going?” Violet was sitting in the back seat in Sienna’s booster seat while April sat beside him in the front, the sweetness of her sugar cookie scent filling his vehicle. He checked his rear-view mirror for the tenth time in as many minutes to reassure himself that his friends were following close behind, and no one else.
If Ned tried to pull something while they were on the road, Tanner wanted to make sure he had plenty of back up. There was no way in hell he was going to depend on the abilities of a six-year-old to protect them. If anything, Tanner hoped Violet would soon realize that she had so many people surroundingher, ready to protect her and love her, that she never felt the need to use her gift for protection again.
“A very special place,” Tanner said. “If you liked Garrett’s house, I think you’re really going to like this one. It has even more space to run around in, and my niece, Sienna, who’s about your age, lives there and will be very excited to meet you.”
“Sienna,” April breathed. “You’re taking us toyourhouse. Tanner, are you sure that’s safe?”
“Yes.” His only regret was that he hadn’t already brought her home to introduce her to his family, but he’d been busy with Arlo J’s case.
Before leaving the precinct, he’d talked to Wilder and asked him to follow up with the club members and see which ones he could get alibis for. Even though the Feds were officially taking over the case, Tanner hadn’t had a chance to talk to Caden about it yet, which gave him and Wilder more time to work it themselves. Tanner needed to focus on getting April and Violet settled and safe, but as soon as that was done, he was determined to find Arlo J’s and Baby’s killer.
Not only was this the biggest case of his career, but he knew how important it was to his friends. Blake and Skyla had been through a lot, and they were counting on him to see it through to the end. Tanner trusted Caden, of course, but once the Feds took over, there was no telling whose desk it would actually land on, and when or how it would get solved. Tanner wanted to – needed to – make sure this killer was caught and put behind bars. He didn’t know much about the guy killed in Oklahoma City, but Arlo J and Baby were killed in his city, and Tanner wasn’t about to let that go.
As they approached the gate to Off Rhodes Ranch, Tanner’s cell phone rang. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey, did you want us to follow you in?” Caden asked.