Hidden Hearts: A Mastered Hearts Short Story

  Contents

  Note from the Author

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Rachel

  Tyler

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Note from the Author

  Warning:

  If you haven’t read Avenged Hearts,

  Book Three of the Mastered Hearts Series,

  this short story is one big spoiler.

  You’ve been warned…

  Dedication

  This short story is dedicated to my readers. Thank you for taking a chance.

  A year after I faked my own death.

  “Hi, I’m Mr. Wilcox, your History professor for this semester,” I tell the group of college freshmen sitting in front of me, who give me the proverbial deer in the headlights look. I imagine that’s how I looked when the FBI approached me about going into the Witness Protection Program.

  I’m still getting used to my new name, and my new life. Gone are the days of Vincent “Viper” Wright. Was it tough to leave my friends and family behind? Fuck yeah, it was, but I really didn’t have a choice. I was the only one who was in a position to bring down some of the guys in the motorcycle club. The shit Franny told me was enough to put away Dagger and a couple members of the Falcons.

  I took the deal to testify and fake my death because I wanted to protect Franny, Colt, and Alex. While Franny’s life was pretty much shit, she didn’t deserve to have the MC come after her. She’d always own a piece of my heart, and if the circumstances were any different, I probably could’ve married her. Then, there’s Colt and Alex. They were just starting their relationship and have since married. I couldn’t have put either of them in a position to leave one another.

  “Mr. Wilcox, will there be a lot of homework in this class?”

  “Mr. Wilcox, what happens if I skip class?”

  My American History 101 class brings me back to my current life.

  “OK, first, there will be enough homework to keep you busy.”

  A collective whine could be heard around the room.

  “Second, don’t skip class. I share a lot of information that isn’t in your textbook.”

  The groans grow louder when I hand out the syllabus.

  “All right, everyone, pipe down. We’ve got a lot to go over today, so let’s get started.”

  * * *

  The first day of the semester went as planned. I’m grateful I was able to spend the last year earning my graduate degree in American History, albeit under a different name. I’ve always wanted to teach, but with helping Murph find his father’s killers, I just didn’t have the time. Let’s face it, people who know me would be shocked to see me now. The former bike mechanic slash bartender teaching at a college in Idaho is stuff books are made of.

  Thinking about Murph, Alex, and Franny still breaks my heart. I know I needed to testify against the dirty cops that killed Murph’s dad, and putting them away for life was worth never seeing my friends again. I just need to remind myself of that every once in a while.

  My new two-bedroom apartment is a mess, and I’m still living like a bachelor. I rarely clean or cook, so I decide to order dinner from the closest Chinese restaurant. Needing to prep for Wednesday’s class, I work at my table while I wait for my delivery.

  While the feds did a nice job setting me up with my new life here in Boise, it’s definitely different from Florida. It’s only the first week of September, but I’m colder than I’ve ever been. My toes are frozen, I can see my breath, and there’s frost on the car. Winter can take its time for this former beach bum.

  My flight to Boise was bumpy, to say the least, and I can’t shake the feeling this is how my reunion with Viper will go. Shit. I need to stop thinking of him as Viper, or Vinny, because as far as anyone knows, that guy is dead. Tyler. His name is Tyler now. And I’m no longer Franny. I can finally go by my real name…Rachel Madigan.

  I’ve been dreaming of this day for the last year, ever since Tyler went into Witness Protection. I knew when I was running information to him, the FBI wouldn’t like it, but there were some agents on the team I didn’t trust. And Tyler, well, I trust him with my life.

  When I confessed what I’d done to my boss at the FBI, I was given an ultimatum…forget about Tyler forever or turn in my badge. What my boss didn’t know is I was pregnant at the time with Tyler’s daughter. A beautiful little girl named Jamie. She has his loving personality and big blue eyes that will be sure to melt his heart.

  Even if I hadn’t been pregnant with Tyler’s baby, I would’ve turned in my badge. Tyler was my life. I’m the one who insisted he cut a deal with the FBI. He thinks he did it to save me when, in reality, I did it to save him.

  I remember begging him to work with the feds. He put up a good fight, but Colt was finally able to break through to him. Of course, Colt had no idea who I was at the time, and still doesn’t. To him, I looked like his desperate secret girlfriend who wanted to get out of the MC life.

  Neither Colt nor Tyler could stand to see me being abused by Dagger, nor could my team. On more than one occasion, they threatened to pull me if Dagger continued his abusive ways.

  I had to fight my own supervisors to stay in the operation. I could put up with a few black eyes in exchange for doing my job, and doing it well. If it weren’t for the goal of putting Dagger away, I never would’ve sacrificed myself the way I did.

  Now, Dagger is dead. The head of the cartel, the dirty cops who killed Colt’s dad, and Officer Knight, are all in prison. Last I heard, there had been an attempt on Miller and Anderson’s lives, so they were moved to protective custody. It’s not surprising, though. When your crimes lead investigators to bring down the heads of both a motorcycle club and a drug cartel, well, the odds aren’t really in your favor.

  My thoughts go back to Tyler and the way we left things. God, he was on the slab in the morgue. My tears were real, knowing I’d probably never see him again. Every day, I’ve regretted not telling him who I was. Even though it would’ve been so easy to run away together, getting the convictions was more important.

  God, what is he going to say when he sees me? How pissed is he going to be when I tell him I lied to him for two years? What’s he going to say about Jamie? I glance down at my baby girl, sound asleep in her stroller as I wait for our luggage.

  I glance around to check my surroundings, having never been able to turn off my cop intuition. Coming here is dangerous. Seeing Tyler is even more dangerous, for all three of us, but he needs to hear the truth from me. If he hates me and doesn’t want to see Jamie, then I’ll understand. I’ll be heartbroken, but at least he’ll know the truth.

  I slowly open my eyes to a dark room. Glancing over at the clock, the bright blue display says 6:03 a.m. I’ve always been an early riser, but this morning I’m slow to get up. Forcing myself to get out of the warm bed, I curse my new life in cold Idaho.

  I need to shake off my nerves and go for a run. Even a year later, I’m suspicious of everyone. I still look over my shoulder everywhere I go, something the feds told me I would, probably for the rest of my life. I can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me. Even though everyone I testified against is in prison or dead, an MC has a long reach and so do dirty cops.

  I pull on a pair of running pants, an Under Armour shirt, and a hoodie, then lace up my shoes. I tug a beanie down over my ears, and set out to brave the cold. Have I
mentioned how fucking freezing it is here?

  After grabbing a cup of coffee once I’ve finished my run, I head back home to shower. I don’t teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I can spend the day getting ready for tomorrow’s class on the Civil War.

  As soon as I round the corner to my street, I come to a halt when I spot a woman with a stroller getting out of a taxi. It looks like she’s stopped in front of my building. In a big hat and dark glasses, she stands out like a sore thumb. She’s definitely hiding her identity.

  Would someone send a woman with a baby after me? Fuck only knows, but I’m going to find out. Moving closer, I tug my baseball hat down so the woman can’t see my face and watch her closely as she pays the taxi driver before looking up at my building.

  She may not be here for me, but I have a feeling she is. Keeping my head down, I move up the sidewalk, closer to where she’s standing. The woman has several bags at her feet, along with the stroller.

  I’m about ten feet from her when I notice she buzzes my apartment. What the fuck? The baby in the stroller starts to fuss.

  “It’s all right, sweetie. Maybe Daddy isn’t home.”

  Daddy? This woman must have the wrong apartment. I decide to bite the proverbial bullet and try to help her.

  “Ma’am, can I help you?”

  Oh shit.

  Tyler’s right behind me. My heart starts to pound, and it’s become hard to breathe all of a sudden. This is what I’ve been waiting for, so why am I so scared? Jamie starts to fuss again, which only adds to my nerves. As I pick her up, I hear him ask a second time, and I can tell he’s getting nervous about the situation.

  I turn to face him, and my breath escapes me when I lay eyes on the man I fell in love with, for the first time in a year. He looks the same yet different…the same man with a new name. He stares at me for a moment and I can see the instant he recognizes me.

  “Franny?”

  I remove my sunglasses and give him a small smile. “It’s me.”

  Tyler moves back to take me in. I know I look different. Gone are the skimpy clothes I wore when I was Dagger’s old lady. It was all an act anyway. Well, not my love for Tyler. That was the only real thing about the past few years.

  “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” he questions as he looks around.

  “I need to talk to you. Do you think we can go up to your apartment? I have to change and feed Jamie,” I say, as I nod to our daughter.

  “Jamie? You have a baby?”

  “Please, Tyler, let’s talk about this upstairs.” I use his new name, in case anyone overhears us.

  He moves closer to me. “Does Dagger know you’re here?”

  I shake my head. “Please, let’s go in. I’ll explain everything.”

  Tyler looks at Jamie and nods. “Don’t make me regret this, Kitten.”

  The moment he calls me Kitten, my heart aches for his touch.

  After grabbing my bags, Tyler unlocks the door to the building. I follow him in silence as we get on the elevator. He glances over at Jamie, who is now sleeping on my shoulder. It’s difficult to look at him. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for since the last day I saw him, but I’m scared he’s going to hate me.

  His apartment is right off the elevator. We haven’t uttered a word to each other, only stealing quick glances, and the silence is deafening.

  Tyler opens the door to his apartment and steps aside, letting me in first. Thankfully, Jamie is still asleep.

  I jump as Tyler kicks the door shut with his foot, dropping my bags on the floor. He tosses his keys on the table and walks up to me, the expression on his face unreadable.

  I swallow hard. “Um, let me just put Jamie down in her stroller so we can talk.”

  To say I’m shocked to see Franny would be an understatement. How did she know my new name and where I lived? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve missed her with everything that I am, but this is dangerous for both of us, especially if Dagger finds out.

  I watch her put her little girl down in the stroller. Franny has more curves than the last time I saw her. Wait. The last time I saw her, she identified my body in the morgue. Someone had to do it and from what the feds told me, she volunteered.

  She sobbed as she said goodbye to me. It broke my heart. I nearly opened my eyes to comfort her but I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want her to know I was choosing to leave her for good. It was better she thought I died.

  She shrugs off her coat, showing off her delicious ass, and my concern for my safety is quickly waning. Looking at her, I see she’s changed a bit. Her hair is no longer bleach blonde. It’s brown with a red hue. She’s not wearing as much makeup as she used to, but it’s better. Still stunning, but not the same Franny.

  I clear my throat, needing to know what the hell’s going on. “All right, Kitten. Tell me what you’re doing here, and how did you find me?” I ask, pulling a chair out for her.

  Franny is nervous, looking down at her hands and fidgeting with her fingers. I place my hand over hers, touching her for the first time, and I can sense the tension fade from both of us.

  “I don’t know where to start,” she says with a slight smile.

  “OK, I’ll start then. You saw me in the morgue and cried over my body, Franny. How did you find out I was still alive?”

  She looks up at me with apprehension in her eyes. “First, my name is not Franny. It’s Rachel. Rachel Madigan. When we met, I was an FBI agent assigned to bring down the Falcons. The first time I saw you, I knew you were different, but I never thought I’d fall in love with you.”

  What the fuck am I hearing?

  “I’m the one who made the arrangements for you to go into Witness Protection. I needed to make sure you were safe after you testified.”

  Shaking my head, I drop my face into my hands before bringing my gaze up to stare at a spot on the wall just over her shoulder. I push away from the table, and Rachel jumps as the chair screeches against the kitchen floor.

  I replay the last few years over in my mind, confused about what she’s telling me. I’m pissed she lied to me, but I’m happy to see her again. It’s almost too much to process. I start to question Rachel when her daughter starts to cry.

  “Sorry, I need to change and feed Jamie.”

  She stands to tend to her daughter, but I move back to her, grabbing her by the wrist. “You do that, then you’re going to answer some questions.”

  Franny…Rachel nods as she heads into my living room. I still can’t believe she’s here, and with a baby nonetheless. Suddenly, it hits me. I fall into a chair, my heart pounding. Jamie looks to be about three months old. The timing is right.

  Is this my baby?

  The minute I laid my eyes on him, everything came flooding back. The love we had for each other, how he tried to save me from Dagger. He was so frustrated when I wouldn’t leave, but maybe now he’ll understand.

  Needing to comfort Jamie, I set her on Tyler’s couch while I gather a diaper. I try to focus on my baby, but I see movement in my peripheral vision. Tyler. He stands a few feet away, large and looming.

  “I just have to finish mixing her bottle and get her fed. It won’t take long and she’ll be asleep again.” I smile, hoping to ease the tension.

  Tyler can’t keep his off Jamie as he sits in the chair facing me. It’s amazing how much she looks like him. By the way he’s studying her, I think he’s starting to put two and two together.

  After mixing Jamie’s bottle, I cradle her in my arms and begin to feed her.

  “All right, Kitten. You’re going to start talking.”

  Why is this so hard? I’ve rehearsed this in my mind for a year now.

  “As I said earlier, I was an FBI agent assigned to infiltrate the Falcons as an old lady. Dagger was my target. My goal was to gather intel between the MC and the cartel. I was already in when I met you at Cheeser’s. I never meant to bring you into my operation. I tried to push you away, but you wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  T
his earns me a smile.

  “I remember, Kitten. I couldn’t stay away. You had me wrapped around your finger from day one.”

  Suddenly, I see his expression shift to something darker, and I need to set his mind at ease that what we had was real.

  “I lied about who I was but never about how I felt about you.” I glance down at Jamie and take a deep breath. “I never lied to you when I said I loved you. You were the only thing that got me through the hardest days. Every time you asked me to run away with you, I was so tempted, Tyler.”

  He cuts me off as he leans in closer to me.

  “First of all, my name is not Tyler. It’s Vinny, just like yours isn’t Franny. Second”—he stops and stares at me—“I need to know before we go any further… Is Jamie mine or Dagger’s.”

  I smile as I look down at my beautiful baby girl—our girl. “She’s our baby, Tyler. Yours and mine. She’s what’s kept me going this last year since you left.”

  “Fuck me,” he says as he stands and paces the room.

  I follow his movements as I try to explain why I did it. “I’m sorry I lied to you but I had to. I needed to keep you safe. That’s why you have to leave the name Vinny in the past. It’s too dangerous…and I know you know that too.”

  He’s facing away from me so he can’t see my pleading eyes. Please don’t kick us out. We don’t have anywhere to go.

  “Doesn’t matter now, Kitten. What’s done is done. If Jamie is mine, I want to take care of her.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat, noticing he doesn’t say anything about taking care of me.