Masked (Superheros Undercover Book 1)

by J. D. Wright

  “I’ll bet,” Bill said, shaking his head. “We’ve seen it happen all too often. Victims going back to their abuser time and again. It usually takes a big event, sometimes fatal before the abuse ends. Or if we’re lucky, the victim finally finds the will and means to leave for good.”

  “I’d like to think that being held at knife-point would do the trick,” Vada said. “Either way, Mr. Hanson won’t be getting out of jail for a while.”

  “Wow.” Josh shook his head in amazement. “So if that other super hadn’t been there, what would you have done?”

  Silence fell over the table as Vada stared down at her plate. What would she have done? Had James call the police? Waited for them to arrive and treated it like a hostage situation? It would have been entirely her own fault for underestimating the man.

  “I actually heard some bad news this morning before I headed over,” Josh said, filling the quiet. “They found a girl at school last night. Her body, I mean.”

  “What?” Vada’s head snapped up. “Another one?”

  “Another what?” Garret asked, looking around the table.

  “There was a boy found dead in the alley near my school,” Vada said. “A seventeen-year-old.”

  “This girl was twenty,” Josh added. “I didn’t know there’d been another person found. Anyway, they said on the news that her cause of death is unknown. What exactly does that mean?”

  Michelle cleared her throat and shoveled food into her mouth so she didn’t have to answer. Bill gave his wife a glare, then turned back to his children with a frown.

  “It means that they don’t know what killed them.”

  “So then…they died of natural causes?” Vada raised a brow, hoping to coax an answer out of her father.

  “No, not necessarily. It means that the authorities found no cause of death.”

  “How can that be true?”

  “I’m not a medical examiner, Vada. I can’t answer that question.”

  “We really shouldn’t be discussing these things at the table,” Michelle said. “How is school coming along, Joshua?”

  “But when you say authorities,” Vada probed deeper. “Do you mean to say that the S.U.C. is the one who tested the bodies?”

  Bill and Michelle’s eyes snapped to each other and then to Vada.

  “What your mother meant to say is that we can’t discuss this—” Bill started.

  “So then it does have something to do with supernaturals!”

  “Vada,” Michelle warned. “Either way, this is far above what a novice super should be focused on. You absolutely will not pursue this, young lady.”

  Vada didn’t argue. She knew better than to let on that she had already been investigating this very case. She’d even been to one of the crime scenes and was now considering visiting the other. But it would obviously be best if she kept that between her and James.

  The rest of lunch was filled with small talk and awkward silences. After the plates were cleared, Bill and Garret went outside to the gym to train. Michelle said something about needing to call into work and disappeared into the office. Vada found herself alone in the kitchen with Josh and waited no time at all before pouncing on him for further information.

  “Where did they find the girl? Did you know her?”

  “Whoa! Take it easy, Nancy Drew,” Josh laughed. “All I know is that they sectioned off the area behind the student center. I didn’t really know her, but you might have. Her sister, Annabeth, goes to your school.”

  Vada felt her face turn pale. “Annabeth Hines? Miss Hines’ little sister?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe?”

  “That’s right. You wouldn’t know her because this is Miss Hines’ first year at Guillotine. They just moved here last summer. Her younger sister is Annabeth, and she’s a senior like me. Her sister—the one they found—must have been Georgia.”

  “So you did know her?”

  “I met her a few times. She was at that party with Annabeth. The one me and Henley went to a while ago when you were here?”

  “I remember.”

  “Yeah. She was there. She danced with us a few times and I remember asking her how she liked college. She was a nice girl.”

  Josh stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You aren’t planning to do something stupid, are you?”

  “Define stupid.”

  “Vada,” he growled. “Mom and Dad might be tight-lipped about a lot of things that involve the S.U.C. and supers, but this? This is insanely dangerous.”

  “Says the boy who lives on campus with a murderer.”

  “It could have been an overdose or something.”

  “Do you really think that?”

  Josh sank against the wall beside him. “No. From the way the news talks about her and her 3.9 GPA, I doubt she was into anything that heavy.”

  “Exactly. But if she was just a kid with no super affiliation, why does the S.U.C. care about her murder?” Vada argued. “Sure, it’s a bad thing to happen, but the S.U.C. only gets involved when it deals with the supernatural.”

  Josh shook his head and looked up at the clock. “Hey, don’t you have a prom to prepare for?”

  “Crap. I forgot all about it.”

  “Really?” he laughed. “It’s your senior prom. How did you forget about it? Do you even have a dress?”

  “No. I mean, yes.” She glanced at the time too. “I forgot it was today.”

  “Well, you must not be very excited. Got a hot date?”

  “James is my date and some might consider him to be hot, I guess.”

  “What happened to that boy you were seeing before Christmas?”

  “Gordon?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He got a little too clingy. Had to cut him loose.”

  Her brother raised an eyebrow and frowned. “You mean he wanted more than your standard five dates?”

  “He wanted me to meet his parents.”

  “Oh, Vada.”

  “Don’t sound so disappointed. Shouldn’t you be happy I’m not interested in the sappy high school romances which end in tragic despair that will cause me to lock myself inside my room and swear off love forever?”

  “What you just said sounds like a desperate plea for a hug,” Josh teased. He began to chase her around the island, and with his speedy flying, he was able to catch her easily. Vada squirmed in his arms and giggled like a small girl when he tickled her ribs.

  Josh sat her back down and laughed. “I know being in a superfamily isn’t easy when it comes to stuff like dating. I get that. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it out.”

  “I do try it out and once it gets too…personal, I bail.”

  Romance for supers usually went one of two ways. One, you dated someone and kept your super side a secret until marriage and then crossed your fingers that your new spouse would accept you. Or two, you spilled your guts earlier and had to live with whatever outcome you got. Sometimes people accepted the super side and loved them both. Sometimes…they didn’t.

  Heartache was a common thread among supers, and that’s why they tended to only date each other. Bill and Michelle were a prime example of that. They met while working in their suits and liked each other well enough to meet in their normal identities. Since they already knew the other was a super, at least that part of the problem was out of the way. The two fell in love, married, and never looked back.

  But some supers weren’t that lucky. Vada remembered when a pair of supers fell for each other in their suits and when they discovered each other’s normal identity, things went south in a big way. One super’s father had wronged the other’s years before. Once the secret was out, a war between two superfamilies ensued. It resulted in the sinking of a small cruise ship in Cyper Bay. Needless to say, love for supers didn’t always come easy.

  “I just don’t want to make that sort of commitment,” Vada said. “I’m young and at the beginning of my career. I don’t need a boyfriend to make me happy, Josh.”

 
; “I get it. But going to prom with James? That’s pretty pathetic of him. He could totally do better.”

  Vada punched Josh in the arm. “Hey!”

  “Haha! I’m kidding, Vayday.” Josh cleared his throat and took on a more serious tone. “But seriously, leave the serial murder case to Mom and Dad. There will be plenty of time for that once you graduate.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” She rolled her eyes but made no promises.

  Instead, she went upstairs, locked herself inside her closet, and called James to relay her new information. Whatever was going on, they would get to the bottom of it.

  The line for The Halo Club was already wrapped around the corner and the sun had barely even begun to set. People stood, sometimes for hours, with no guarantee that they’d ever see the inside of the club. The thumping music leaked out into the street, providing a haunting soundtrack for the fifty or so people who hoped to gain entry.

  Eden didn’t bother to wait. She swayed her hips as she strolled past dozens of people, unaffected by the whistles or angry calls from those who accused her of cutting the line.

  The bouncer at the door wasn’t impressed, either. He crossed his arms and stood firm when she stopped in front of him.

  “We’re at maximum capacity.”

  “Tsk, tsk,” Eden purred. “I’m sure there’s enough room for two more. But that’s not why I’m here.”

  The man’s giant head looked down and he frowned. “What do you—”

  “You probably don’t remember me,” Eden said, stepping closer to him. “The last time I was here, I wasn’t anywhere near as…memorable. But I remember, crystal clear.”

  “I don’t want any trouble, lady. I’m just—”

  “Doing your job? I understand completely. But you see…” She leaned up on the toes of her heeled boots and grabbed the man by the neck, forcing his eyes to meet hers. “I’m the sort to hold a grudge, and I don’t like being told to ‘get my skinny ass home and do my homework.’ I’m sure you can understand my frustration.”

  He began to speak, but Eden lowered her voice so that only the man could hear her.

  “Take a walk to the Cyper Bay Bridge, and when you get to the middle…jump.”

  The bouncer slowly turned on his heel and marched off in the direction of the bridge.

  Velocious appeared behind Eden and he gave a low laugh. “That fall will kill him.”

  “I know.” She spun toward him, threw her arms around his neck, and gave him a chaste kiss under his dark hood. “Do you think I went too easy on him?”

  Velocious shook his head, “Should make for an interesting news report in the morning.”

  “I’m thirsty. Let’s get a drink.”

  Eden took Velocious’ hand and led him into the club. The darkness and smell of cigarette smoke hit them the moment they entered. After a few more steps, the hallway opened up to a wide dance floor filled with people bouncing along to the electronic mix pumping out of giant speakers. The bar and floors were lit in neon blue and green.

  “I can get us a VIP room,” Eden said, licking her lips. “But I’d rather just—”

  She stopped abruptly when she spotted a woman wearing a short green dress that was tight in all the right places. Without saying another word to Velocious, Eden walked up to the woman and smiled.

  “I just love your dress.”

  The woman’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She and her two friends stopped dancing at once and looked at Eden with nervous eyes. “Umm…thank you? I, uh, I like your…outfit too.”

  “Well, thanks, doll. I was just wondering, where did you get that?”

  “Uh,” the woman said, then stuttered a bit. “The m-mall. Birminton’s, next to—”

  “Oh, I know that one!” Eden smiled even larger, then leaned in closer to the woman. “When you get home, take off this dress and burn it. Then never wear green for the rest of your life.”

  The woman nodded, then her two friends pulled her away and out of sight.

  “Have any trouble with your power?” Velocious asked, stepping up behind Eden. He ran his hands down her hips and pulled her tightly against him as they swayed to the music.

  “None at all, thanks to you.” She spun around and crushed her mouth to his. After several seconds of tangled tongues and limbs, she pulled back with a smirk. “What if I want to be stronger?”

  “You will be, with practice.”

  “Or…you could just give me another dose of that magic formula of yours.”

  “Eden,” Velocious gripped her tightly around the waist. “That drug is dangerous, and taking more of it can kill you.”

  “Okay, okay. Don’t get your supersuit into a twist. It was only a suggestion.”

  “Just don’t do anything to get that pretty ass in trouble,” he said, smiling down at her.

  “I won’t,” she replied with a sweet smile. “Now, I want to go get that dress.”

  “Whatever you want, baby.”

  “Be careful, Velocious. Agreeing with me so easily? A girl could get used to this.”

  “Lucky for you, my girl gets whatever she desires.”

  Eden bit her lip and let out a purr. “And what do you desire?”

  Velocious moved to the side and nipped at her ear. “That dress you want? I get to rip it off of you.”

  Eden didn’t waste time agreeing. She took his hand and started to lead him out of the club. But he was quicker. Using his superspeed, Velocious had them outside, onto his bike, and speeding away before she could take her next breath.

  The mall parking lot was full, but Velocious parked in the grass, instead. As they walked away, he clicked a button on his belt and his bike disappeared from sight. Eden took his arm and they walked right in, ignoring the looks they got from people who stopped to stare.

  “Oooh! Look at this.” She ran up to a window filled with mannequins draped in elegant dresses in every color. Some were covered in tiny jewels and one in sequins. But it was the green gown in the center with silver gems around the top and long splits in the sides that caught her attention.

  “Go try it on,” Velocious said, nodding toward the door. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Eden bounced inside and went straight for the window display. Velocious changed the sign next to the doorway to “closed” and pulled the metal gate across the door, slamming it so that it locked.

  “What are you doing?” a woman shouted, running forward.

  “My lady is doing some shopping,” Velocious said, sliding his swords from his back. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  The woman quickly shook her head and scurried away toward the back room. Velocious nodded and sheathed his weapons. Then he dropped down on the long sofa in the center of the room and propped his legs up, watching while Eden stripped off her suit and shimmied into the evening gown.

  Eden caught him staring and gave him a smile. She strutted over to stand in front of him.

  “What do you think?”

  “Stunning,” he said, without hesitation. He slid his hands up her thighs as he stood. “But I’ll bet it would look even better on the floor.”

  She started to say something but her attention rested on the cork board behind the register. One of the papers tacked to the board had a familiar name in bold letters across the top. When Velocious leaned down to kiss her, she ducked out of his arms and hurried over to the colorful fliers, ripping one from the board.

  “That would be nice to wear out tonight,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll want to show it off. So which club do you want to go to next?”

  “No club,” Eden said with a sly smile. She held up the flier and gave it a wave. “I want to go to prom.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Vada stepped in front of her mirror and adjusted her gloves. They matched the gold details on her red gown. Even her mother’s borrowed jewelry was gold, as was the hairpin that held up one side of her blonde hair, curled for the evening. She let her creativity soar with designing her supersuit, but she preferr
ed simple in her normal life.

  Not to mention, she hated wasting money on a one-night-only deal. She’d found her gown on a clearance rack at the dress shop. Her mother had given her $200 to spend and she’d only needed to use $80 of it to get her gown and accessories.

  She’d pocketed the rest and was grateful to have done so since Henley had bailed on her as her ride to school. She’d probably have to spring for cab fare for the rest of the semester or be forced to walk. This way, she could catch a cab or the bus and her parents wouldn’t ask questions about why Henley had practically disappeared from her life.

  Tonight was supposed to be their big night out. They’d been talking about it for months. Sadly, it wouldn’t go as she’d planned. She doubted Henley would even show.

  As she gave herself one last glance, Vada noticed a shimmer in the mirror behind her. With just a flick of her mind, she sent the two pillows from her bed flying at the hidden figure.

  “Ow!” Garret shouted with a laugh as he materialized. “Okay! Sorry!”

  “You’ll never learn, will you?” she asked, turning around. “You can’t fool me.”

  “Whatever.” He looked his sister over. “You look nice. It’s too bad you don’t have a real date other than Game Boy. You’re such a loser.”

  “Well, thanks. Way to turn a compliment into an insult.”

  “It’s a gift,” he said with a shrug. “Oh, yeah. Dad told me to come get you. He said that Game Boy’s here.”

  “His name is James.”

  “Whatever!” Garret was already sprinting from the room.

  Vada snagged her purse from the bed and turned to go. Then she stopped and hurried back to grab her supersuit compact, hiding it inside her purse as she walked down the stairs. It didn’t hurt to always be prepared.

  “There she is,” Bill said, moving forward and kissing his daughter’s cheek. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”