26. Steff

TWENTY-SIX

STEFF

The baseball camp had finished a few days before, but there'd been a little picnic banquet to end it off. We were on the way home from that, and I could tell Aiden was a little down about it being over. I was beyond thrilled that the time and help I'd donated had given him so much joy. But, like all things, it had to end sometime, and he was having a tough time with it.

I glanced in the rearview and saw his head hanging. I nudged April, who followed my glance. She grinned and shook her head. "Hey, buddy? Why so low? You look like someone just stole your bike."

Aiden shrugged. "The camp's over."

"Well, yeah. It is," I said. "But the city league games don't stop until the fall. You've still got like fifteen or twenty games, and at least that many practices left. You've got so much baseball coming up you won't know what to do with yourself."

April laughed as she watched the realization dawn on Aiden. His whole face lit up. "Holy cow. I totally forgot about that. Nice. I guess it won't be that bad, then."

"Agreed." April nodded and shot me a smile.

We pulled up at Kellan's house, and Aiden unbuckled. He leaned over the seat and threw an arm around my neck in an awkward, but sweet, hug. "Thanks for the ride, Coach."

April said, "I think I'm going to stay and hang out for a bit. You cool with that?"

"That actually works. I need to stop by the office for a bit and check in with the guys."

Aiden climbed out of the truck and ran over to the porch of his house. April opened her door, but leaned over to kiss me before she got out. "See you in a little while."

"Call when you're ready for me to drop by and get you."

I waved to her as I pulled out of the neighborhood. The drive to the office was uneventful, but I'd formed a habit of glancing around and looking for anyone who didn't belong. What I thought would be a one- or two-day task had turned into an ingrained practice. It might have seemed a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

The guys were in Miles's office, as per usual. "Any word on the hunters?" I asked as I pulled up a seat next to Blayne.

Miles nodded. "We were just about to get into that. I got ahold of some of my contacts up there. They don't have a lot of dealings with Oregon, but they've heard some whispers about disappearances, vanishings—the same stuff we've seen.

"I called your old pack's Alpha, too. Talked to him for maybe an hour. We went through the history of every person who's missing. None of the ones missing seem the type to up and check out without saying anything. It sounds to me like it's the exact same thing as here. Which begs a new question."

Tate thumped his feet up on Miles's desk, eliciting a wince from Miles. "Are they working in concert or are they two separate groups?" Tate asked, willfully ignoring Miles's discomfort.

Miles nodded at Tate and looked like he was doing his best not to shove Tate's boots off his desk. "If these guys in Oregon are working with Ryland's crew here in Lilly Valley? That's fucking terrifying. It means that whoever this big boss is that Ryland has talked about, he has more power than any hunter ever. If he has two groups working that far apart, he may have even more. They might be all over the country. They're way stronger than we, or any shifter clan, have realized."

Blayne whistled and leaned his elbows on his knees. "Are they government sponsored? Could that be it? Someone high up found out about us?"

"Who knows?" Tate said. "I doubt it. If the government wanted us, they'd send the real troops in. I don't think they'd be sending high-school math teachers after us. Ryland and his crew are obviously well trained, but they don't have the feel of military. I work with guys like that all the time. It doesn't fit."

I stayed silent as the three of them talked through all the theories. I didn't like what was being said. The idea that the hunters, who had targeted the woman I loved, were stronger than we'd thought didn't fill me with confidence. Hunters had always been small splinter groups. People who, when push came to shove, typically vanished when faced with the full strength of a shifter clan. They were good at working in the shadows, but wilted in the sunlight. If someone had managed to build them up even stronger? Connect them across the country? A concerted effort? Anxiety surged through my bloodstream.

"Guys, April is thinking about possibly retiring. Moving back home full-time." It was the first time I'd told them about her plans, and they all looked surprised. "But there's still a chance that she might move back to California to keep working. I want you all to know that if she decides on that, I'll be going with her. At least for a few weeks initially to get her settled and make sure the places she'll be staying are secure. Stuff like that. I don't want to leave the kids I coach without me, but I don't want her out there by herself."

Blayne gave me a crooked grin. "Why don't you convince her to stay? If she's already thinking about retiring, that means the seed has already been planted. Water that sucker, let it take root in her brain."

"Man, I don't want to force her into doing something she's not ready to do. If it isn't 100 percent her idea, she may come to regret it later on."

"He's right," Tate said. "It's her life. We'll work around whatever she decides. For now, I like Steff's plan. If she goes home, you can work remotely."

I nodded. "That's what I'd planned. Conference calls, video meetings, whatever to keep this place afloat. You know without me this whole place would totally crash and burn."

We were all laughing when my phone rang. It was April. Probably ready for a ride home. I hit the green button. "Hey, beautiful. Ready for?—"

"Jesus, Steff. I need you. Oh, God."

She was sobbing and almost screaming. I sat forward, and the smile on my face vanished. The others, with their enhanced hearing, had noticed her distress. Miles, Tate, and Blayne shot to their feet, ready for action. Knowing, like I did, that when someone sounded that freaked out, it was not a good sign.

"April? What's wrong? What happened?"

She gasped twice, sucking in air almost like she was fighting off hyperventilation. Finally, she calmed herself enough to speak. "Aiden. He went outside to play with the neighbor's kids. After a while, Kellan and I didn't hear him anymore. We went to go check and… and… he's gone. Christ, Steffen, he's gone."

A steel fist wrapped itself around my heart and clamped down. My jaw dropped, and I glanced up at the guys. Blayne had his hands on his head, looking as shocked as I did. Miles had his eyes covered and was shaking his head. Tate was showing his teeth, ready to kill. Aiden? Gone?

"We checked with the neighbors next door," April continued. "We asked if he was inside. They told us the boys had finished playing and Aiden had headed back home. Somebody took him. Jesus, Steff, what if it was Ryland? What will he do to him?" Before she could say anything else, she broke down into huge, violent, sobs. I could hear Kellan in the background. It sounded like he was on the phone with the police.

"April, the guys and I will be there soon. Stay right there."

We started moving. Blayne jogged to the surveillance room. "I'm gonna dig up all the camera footage I can find near Kellan's house."

"Good call. I'll go with Steff," Tate said.

Miles already had his cell phone out. "I'm gonna get hold of the guys we had watching Ryland. I need to find out if he somehow gave them the slip. I'll get on the horn to all the other security tech we've got, get them out combing the streets, combing the neighborhoods. All hands on deck."

Still numb and barely able to comprehend what was going on, I let Tate lead me to the truck. I was able to pull my mind back under control and hop into the passenger seat. Tate took the trip at damn near seventy. The truck almost went up on two wheels during one sharp turn. We arrived at Kellan's house before the police got there.

I jumped out of the truck and saw Kellan was on his knees in the driveway. Tears poured down his face as he stared down the road, like he hoped Aiden would come running up at any moment. I heard the sirens approaching in the distance. April stood next to him, arms crossed and a steady stream of tears sliding down her cheeks. She, at least, looked a little less out of it than Kellan.

The second she saw me, she sprinted over to me, slinging her arms across my shoulders and almost collapsing into my arms. She was shaking so hard, she was almost vibrating. I could smell her fear and her terror. I glanced over at Tate, and he nodded. The smell of fear in that spot was overwhelming.

"It's going to be okay," I murmured.

April pulled back and looked at me. "Aiden's a smart kid. There's no way he would willingly go with a stranger."

Tate looked from April to Kellan. "If that's true, Aiden might know whoever took him. It would have to be a familiar face for him to go with someone."

"Whoever it is," Kellan hissed at us as he finally stood, "they're gonna die. They are going to fucking die."

In all the years I'd known Kellan, I'd never seen so much rage on his face. He'd gone from heartbroken loss straight to murderous rage. At that moment, looking into a father's eyes, I was terrified for whatever son of a bitch had taken Aiden. If Kellan found them before anyone else, the guy stood zero chance of getting out of a painful and excruciating death.

The first police cruiser came screeching to a halt at the curb. The police started questioning Kellan first. April fell back with Tate and me. We were waiting for our turn to speak to the cops when my phone rang.

I checked the screen and looked at Tate. "It's Miles." I answered the phone. "What have you got?"

"Gone," Miles roared. It sounded like he was talking through fangs. "Ryland is gone."

"The fuck? How is that possible?" I asked.

"Body double. Some fucker who looked like him and walked around his house to screw with the guys watching. Once I gave them the go ahead, they moved in and got all the way to the front door before they realized it was the wrong guy. The asshole went outside and flipped them off. I think he knew they were there the entire time. He slipped out at some point. It's gotta be him. He's the one who took Aiden."

I stiffened. Ryland, that fucking asshole. He had been out here, unwatched, and had taken Aiden. What would he do with him? Aiden was just a kid, for fuck's sake! April's phone rang, grabbing my attention.

She looked at her screen. "It's a blocked number."

I was still on the phone with Miles, and I heard Blayne yelling in the background. "I'm tracing an unknown number coming to April's phone. It's local, coming from a tower right here in town. Answer it. I'll route the audio to your phone, Steff."

We moved further away from the cops. We didn't know what Ryland might say and didn't want even more questions. I put my phone on speaker and nodded for April to answer. "Hello?"

"I was beginning to worry you weren't going to answer, April." Ryland's voice set off an explosion of rage within me. My bear was ready to leap out of my skin and through the phone.

"Where's Aiden? Please, Ryland, don't hurt him. He's just a little boy." April's voice trembled as she spoke, but she managed to keep her tears at bay. I'm sure the last thing she wanted was to give Ryland the satisfaction of hearing her cry.

Ignoring her, Ryland said, "Hello, Steff. I'm sure you and the other… things are listening. I'm glad you're there. It means I won't have to repeat myself."

"We're here," I growled.

"Good. April, I'm a lot of things, but a child murderer is not one of them. I assure you that your nephew is safe. However, I do know some people who don't share my views on violence. Sadly, they may actually take pleasure in injuring a child."

April's strength broke, and she started sobbing. I watched as her knees went weak, and she slowly lowered herself to the ground. I knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around her.

"Please," she whimpered. "Please don't let anyone hurt him."

Ryland clicked his tongue in disappointment. "April, you know I'd never hurt you. I've loved you for years. I only wanted you to think I didn't know who you were when we met. I've watched out for you and done what was necessary. Like that disgusting leech who'd been bothering you? I hoped you would enjoy the gift I left for you. He screamed so loud. I bathed in his cries, and knew they were all for you."

This guy was a fucking nutjob. Listening to him sent chills down my spine. I glanced up at Tate. A worried frown creased his face, and his brows were knitted in concentration. He shook his head at me. Not good.

"Now," Ryland said, "your nephew is safe and sound. You'll find him at a park. I'll text the exact location once I get off here. I want all of you to remember that this was a warning. You think you hold all the power. I did this to remind you that you have no power. As easily as we took that boy, we can take whatever we want."

The threat was obvious. He wanted April. He was telling us he could take her whenever he wanted. He'd been playing games this whole time. Biding his time. I growled, sending a threat right back to him.

Ryland chuckled at the sound. "Don't forget what I told you before. If I die? All the evidence I have forged will come out. It will point the cops right back at you. You all had better be mindful of your next move. I'll see you soon, April."

He hung up before any of us could say another word. A few seconds later, April received a text. It had an address and a picture of a shrub beneath a street lamp. Tate patted my shoulder. "Take her and Kellan. I'll take care of the cops."

April and I stood and waved Kellan over. Tate went to the police, telling them he needed to give his statement. He was so massive and intimidating that the two officers didn't question it and looked a little scared to turn him away.

Kellan came toward us, his hands clenched into fists. "What is it?"

"We know where Aiden is." April showed him the phone.

Kellan's eyes softened, and his face went slack. "I know that place. It's a walking park and playground. It's only ten minutes from here. Let's go."

It was all I could do to keep up with Kellan as he ran to my truck. I leaped into the passenger seat, and April took a spot in the back seat. I drove to the park almost as fast as Tate had driven to Kellan's house. I screeched to a halt in the parking lot, and Kellan was out of the car and running before I even had it in park. April followed a moment later. I cursed and jumped out, chasing after them.

Kellan ran to three different lamp posts, each with similar landscaping and looking almost identical to the picture Ryland had sent us. April and Kris checked the third one and moved on, but I sniffed the air. He was there.

"Stop. Come back," I yelled. I ran to the bushes and started digging through the leaves and limbs.

April and Kris hurried back to where I was. The shrubbery was thick, and it seemed like we'd never dig to the bottom. Then I felt my hand brush something that didn't feel like a plant. It was hair. I finally saw a thick green blanket with bright red hair sticking out from beneath it. They'd hidden him so well, it would have been hard for anyone but a shifter to find him.

Kellan gasped in relief and pulled Aiden out from under the bushes and vines. The boy was breathing steadily. Unharmed, just asleep. Kellan was crying but smiling at the same time. He ran his fingers over Aiden's body and pulled his shirt up, looking for injuries. Seeing that the boy was fine, Kellan pulled him close and wrapped him in a hug. He sat sobbing and rocking his son while April clung to me, burying her face in my chest.

"Steff, I can't stand this," April murmured into my chest. "We have to do something. Ryland has to be stopped."

I couldn't agree more. My mind played through a thousand different possibilities. Each one ended in Ryland screaming and covered in blood. It scared me how much the images I imagined pleased me. It made me wonder if I could control myself the next time I came face to face with him.

Kellan looked at us. "He won't wake up. What's wrong with him? He's breathing, but I can't get him to wake up." He patted Aiden's cheek gently, "Aiden? Buddy? Wake up for Dad, okay?" He glanced back up at us. "Why won't he wake up?"

"Let's get him to the hospital. I'm sure he's okay, but it's best to get him checked out." I said that to calm him down, but I was worried.

I drove, letting April and Kellan sit in the back with Aiden, who was finally starting to wake up. He was definitely acting like he'd been drugged. I shot a text to Tate, letting him know we'd found him, and to tell the cops to meet us at the hospital.

It was a small regional hospital, and thankfully, they were almost empty when we got there. The doctors took Aiden and Kellan back immediately. We made sure to have them test his blood for whatever they'd used to knock him out. Kellan demanded they let me and April come back. I was happy to see Aiden sitting up in bed, awake and safe.

"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm good, Coach."

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.