Page 2 of Shattered Secrets

Well, the issue wasn’t actually her. It was all him.

Scarlet was a young single mom who was chipper, sweet, and ridiculously pretty. For some inexplicable reason, Matt couldn’t form words around the little sprite.Literallycould not form words. After the first couple of weeks of stuttering and fumbling, Matt had stopped trying. Now he basically grunted and mumbled his way through every meal. It made him feel like an ass. An old, inadequate ass. He had no clue what the hell was wrong with him.

“You still there?” Cade asked, yanking him from his maudlin thoughts.

Matt cleared his throat. “Sure. Ray’s works. What time?” His eyes narrowed at the chuckle he heard from the other end.

“Now. Can you meet me in fifteen?”

He paused. “Everything okay, man?”

“Yeah,” Cade murmured. “We’ll chat over food. See you soon.”

Standing, Matt slipped his phone into his pocket, then bit back a grimace when it dinged another incoming text.

Christ, Cade was being needy. Pulling his phone back out, he prepared to send some sort of text making fun of his friend. Instead, he stilled.

The text wasn’t from Cade. Rather, it was from Gavin Frazier, the owner of Hudson Security.

Gavin

You free to assist? We have a case that could use your expertise. You’d be working with Bean.

Instead of texting back, he hit Gavin’s name and brought the phone to his ear.

“I take it this means I’ve caught your attention?” Gavin asked by way of greeting.

“More than,” Matt replied. He’d helped out a few times with Hudson Security, and those experiences were part of the reason he’d officially put in his resignation. Gavin’s company—and his employees—were solid, and they didn’t have to wade through the bureaucratic bullshit.

“Good to hear. Can you come in later this afternoon? Say three—wait, hang on.” Gavin’s voice was muffled as he spoke with someone. “Make that four. Bean’s got a program that needs to run for... hell, I don’t know, but she says four works better.”

Bean was Hudson Security’s IT specialist. Though Matt was pretty sure her job description fell more in line withhackerthanIT specialist. Regardless, Bean was a damn genius when it came to all things tech, so when she said she needed more time to do her thing, more often than not, she got her way.

“Sure, four works for me,” Matt said, locking his front door and hitting the key fob for his truck. “Hey, Gavin?” He hesitated as he slid into the driver’s seat, heart thumping nervously in his chest.

“Yeah?”

“That job offer still open?” The man on the other end went quiet, and Matt tensed.

Then, after what felt like forever, Gavin chuckled. “Fuck yeah, brother.”

The tension in his shoulders eased, and he exhaled. “Great. I put in my resignation this morning.”

Gavin’s chuckle turned into a full laugh. “About damn time, man. You can bet your ass I’ll have all the fucking employment paperwork ready for you to sign when you get here. No take-backs, dude.”

Gavin was stoic. Serious. Many called him intense. So hearing his enthusiasm—something not many people were privy to—had the corners of Matt’s lips lifting. “I’m looking forward to it. Later, Gav.”

And he was looking forward to it. The few times he’d assisted Gavin’s crew had been thrilling. They’d filled that gaping hole in him that had been steadily growing the longer he’d been on leave. Matt loved being a detective with the SPD. Putting the puzzle pieces together was a rush he couldn’t fully describe. Not being able to do that in the last year had nearly driven him mad.

Right up there with that adrenaline rush? He’d sorely missed the camaraderie. Being part of a team. But that’s one of the things that burned the most when he thought about the SPD. One of the reasons he’d decided to not return. To know a brother in blue had betrayed?—

Nope. Donotfucking go there.

Matt focused on the short drive to Hudson Island’s quaint downtown. The three-block hub was a far cry from Seattle, where he and his twin had been born and raised. There was zero hustle and bustle on Hudson. The little town was a throwback; all the locals were in each other’s business, and gossip was a sport. But also, when push came to shove, those gossipyneighbors had each other’s backs. And that’s what mattered. That’s why this little town was growing on him.

After pulling into a parking spot in front of Ray’s Diner, he nodded to a couple of familiar faces and made his way into the busy restaurant. Brunch was in full swing, and the scents of bacon, pancakes, and other savory delights had his stomach growling. He hadn’t eaten since his post-workout smoothie at the ass crack of dawn.

Martha, the spry octogenarian who owned the diner with her husband, Ray, called out a greeting from behind the counter. Matt waved at the sweet woman, then quickly scanned the restaurant. He spotted Cade at a booth along the far window.

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