Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
Jacob sat back in his seat, staring at the document in his hands. The address on it was from a place on Kauai. It appeared to be a personal letter from a loved one. It could be a starting point for their search for Hawk across the border. “Let’s go back to the Big Wave. I need my truck.”
“Your truck…or your gun?” Casey asked, shooting a glance in his direction.
He looked up at her. “Both.”
Her fingers gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “You think they’ve taken him to another island?”
“At this point, we don’t have enough information to know what’s happened to Hawk. If Camila is involved, that would be my guess. She’d want to get him away from Honolulu, maybe even off the island altogether, to make it harder to find him. I doubt they could get him on a flight back to California or Mexico. Either way, I’d like to have my truck and what’s inside it in case I need to get somewhere quickly.”
Casey nodded. “We’re going to find him.”
“Yes, we are,” Jacob said. “Sooner rather than later.” He looked out the side window. “I’m wracking my brain for any other reason someone would want to kidnap Hawk. I’m coming up with nada . It might be time to get Kalea in on this search. If Camila isn’t the one who had him kidnapped, Kalea might have an idea of who else might be after him. Kalea ran into some trouble recently that Hawk helped her resolve. They might have left some loose ends lying around that have come back to haunt them.”
Casey sighed. “I think you’re right.” She glanced at her watch. “Kalea’s at the spa right now. They should be finishing up her nails and facial. After we get your truck, we could run by there and bring her up to speed.” She shook her head. “She’s going to freak out.”
“Can’t be helped,” Jacob said.
“I know. And she’d want to know.” Casey grimaced. “She’s going to be mad that I didn’t tell her sooner. Hell, if it were my fiancé, I would be livid.” She shot a glance toward Jacob.
He met her gaze. If someone had taken Casey…if she were his fiancée… He shook his head. The woman was practically a stranger. One night of fabulous sex wasn’t a commitment. Nor had she intended it to be. He was an active-duty Navy SEAL. Casey knew what that meant. An absentee boyfriend, lover or husband. No. Just no. He couldn’t do that to her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts of that dangerous path he didn’t want to go down. Dating was one thing. Anything deeper was off-limits until he was off the SEAL team.
“Well, it can’t be helped now,” he said. “You have to tell her. We need any information she might have that could assist us in finding him.”
“I know.” Casey came to a halt in the parking lot at the Big Wave and started to get out.
Jacob placed a hand on her arm. “You might want to stay with your vehicle.”
“Where you go, I go.” Casey frowned. “We’re in this together. We both need to get Hawk back. If we hadn’t been?—”
Jacob placed a finger on her lips, loving how soft they were to his touch. “Like you said. We don’t know that for sure. I could’ve slept right through it all. I mean, who would’ve predicted that our groom would be a target for kidnapping?” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.”
She leaned into his palm, breathed in a deep breath and met his gaze. “What if they hurt him?” Casey’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t think I could forgive myself.”
Her tears made his heart contract. “You have done nothing to be forgiven for.”
“I talked Kalea into this wedding taking place here. They might not even have come to Honolulu to make it happen. Her father wanted her to have it on Parkman Ranch, where she’d be safe. Where Hawk would be safe.”
Jacob gave her a crooked grin. “Hawk was excited to share his bride with his teammates. We were coming no matter where the wedding took place.”
Casey sighed. “Kalea wanted her wedding to be a more intimate event, not something for all the Parkman Ranch employees and the surrounding area to witness. I talked her out of going to the courthouse. I told her she needed a real wedding and memories to last a lifetime.” She laughed. “I guarantee she won’t forget losing her groom the day before the wedding.”
“She’s a badass from what Hawk’s told me. She will handle it,” Jacob said. “Hawk couldn’t wait for me to meet her. I would have come to meet the woman who captured his heart, wedding or not.”
Her lips lifted tremulously. “I’m glad you did.”
“Me, too.” Jacob pushed open his door. “I’ll follow you to the spa. Then we can swing by your apartment. Hopefully, with what we know so far and anything Kalea might recall, Hank and Swede can use the information to dig up more leads on where we can find our groom.”
Casey stayed in her SUV as Jacob climbed into the driver’s side of the black, four-wheel-drive pickup he’d rented for his time in Hawaii. He checked under the seat for the nine-millimeter Glock pistol he’d almost left behind in San Diego, packing it in his checked luggage at the last minute. It was there with a magazine full of bullets Hawk had supplied him with. Reassured by the solid feel of the weapon in his hand, he shoved it back in the compartment, started the engine and followed Casey to the spa and Kalea.
Casey parked, got out and waited for Jacob.
He joined her, and they walked into the spa together.
The white columns and lush greenery on the outside were nothing compared to the extravagance of the marble floors and soothing water features on the inside.
They had just stepped up to the reception desk when a door opened and Kalea emerged, her face clean of makeup, her hair piled high on her head in a loose bun. She smiled when she saw Casey. “That massage and facial was amazing. And look…” She held up her hands to display her fingernails.
Jacob wasn’t sure what she was showing them that was any different than what he’d consider normal.
Casey took Kalea’s hands and smiled. “They do the best French manicures in the state. Your nails look wonderful.”
“I know, right?” Kalea hugged Casey. “Thank you for the wedding gift.”
“Only the best for my favorite bride.” She hugged her back and then set her at arm’s distance. “Kalea, we have a problem.”
Kalea’s smile faded. “I knew it.” She drew in a deep breath. “What is it? Did my father miss his flight?”
“No,” Casey said.
“Thank God. Did the florist not order the right flowers?” She laid her hand on Casey’s arm. “I’d be okay with a bunch of wildflowers at this point. Don’t get all worried that the ceremony won’t be absolutely perfect.” She smiled at Casey. “You’re doing a great job.”
Casey shook her head. “No, really. You see…” She glanced toward Jacob. “The thing is…”
“Hawk’s missing,” Jacob said, cutting to the chase.
Kalea’s eyes rounded. “He’s what?”
“Missing,” Casey said, her tone flat. She gripped Kalea’s arms. “We’re working on finding him now.”
“Wait.” Kalea held up a hand. “Let me get this straight. When I called him this morning, he didn’t answer because he’s missing?”
Casey nodded. She opened her mouth.
Jacob jumped in before Casey could speak. “We thought we’d find him before we alarmed you.”
“Did he cut out because he doesn’t want to marry me?” Kalea asked. “If that’s the case, he could have just told me.”
“No,” Jacob said. “He was very much looking forward to marrying you. So much so, he didn’t want a lap dance from the stripper.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I should hope not. But if he didn’t skip out, I don’t understand.”
“We checked his room after your call this morning.” Casey brought her hands together and looked down at where she clasped them in front of her. “He wasn’t there.”
“Not only was he missing, it appeared that he’d put up a fight,” Jacob added.
Kalea frowned. “And you’re just now telling me?”
Casey nodded. “I’m sorry. That was my fault. I didn’t want to worry you on your spa day.”
“I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about spa day. If Hawk’s in trouble, I needed to know about it.” She started for the door. “We have to find him.”
“We’re working on it.” Casey hurried after her. “We have the police searching, and Hawk’s boss has his computer guru searching his sources.”
Kalea stopped. “Hank’s here?”
Jacob nodded. “He’s here, and he’s connected online with his computer guy back in Montana.”
“Swede?” Kalea pressed a hand to her chest. “Thank God. If anyone can find Hawk, Hank and Swede can. When was the last time you saw him?” Kalea asked all business again.
“Last night, we took him to his room and got him to bed,” Casey said.
Jacob reached the door before the ladies and held it open. “He’d had a few drinks, but he seemed fine.”
“Apparently not fine enough to defend himself.” Once outside, Kalea looked right and then left. “Damn. I took a taxi to get here.”
“We’ll take my car.” Casey hooked her arm and led her toward her SUV.
“Where?” Kalea threw up her hand. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“We’re going to my place,” Casey said. “I offered it as a command center to Hank since I have high-speed internet.”
“Okay. We’ll go there.” Kalea slid into the passenger seat and glanced up at Jacob, who was preparing to close her door. “Wait. Aren’t you coming with us?”
“I’m driving my truck,” he said. “We’re all going to the same place. It’s okay. We’re going to find Hawk. Casey will fill you in on what we’ve done so far.”
He would rather have had Casey with him, but he needed to keep his truck close at hand, and Casey had to drive her vehicle back to her apartment. For the first time since they’d made love, they would be separated. Jacob hadn’t realized just how much he liked having Casey around. She was sexy, smart and…well…she smelled good.
He hurried to his truck. The sooner they got to her apartment, the sooner he could be with her again. His need to be with Casey was worrisome and intriguing. Once they found Hawk and got the lovebirds through their wedding, Jacob could focus on whatever it was he was feeling for the pretty little brunette.
Kalea waited until Casey got into the driver’s seat. “I’m still mad at you for not telling me earlier.”
“I understand,” Casey said. “And what would that have accomplished?”
Kalea shrugged. “I could’ve helped.”
“You would have been breathing down our necks. Instead, you enjoyed a massage and a facial, and you got a fabulous set of nails.” Casey gave her a crooked grin. “That has to count for something. And I’m confident you’ll both be there at the church on time tomorrow.”
“I don’t care about the wedding.” Kalea pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m just worried about Hawk. Who would have done this?”
“We have some ideas, but we wanted to hear from you.” Casey shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking lot of the spa. “Were there any loose ends in the case he helped you solve at your home on the Big Island? Is there anyone who might still have a bone to pick with him or you?”
Kalea shook her head. “We got the woman who tried to kill me and the hired assassins she employed. There weren’t any others. What did you two come up with? What are the police doing?”
“I’m not sure what the police are doing,” Casey said. “We told them everything we knew. Apparently, Hawk had a stalker when he lived at Coronado. He dated her twice. She took that as a commitment. He didn’t. She showed up at the Big Wave last night and made a scene. The off-duty cop I hired had to escort her out.”
“That bitch,” Kalea said through clenched teeth. She turned to Casey. “You think she had something to do with Hawk’s disappearance?”
Casey chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe.” She explained the getaway van and its connection to the Jalisco Nueva Generación. “Hawk’s stalker, Camila Torres, is related to members of the Cartel Tijuana Nueva Generación . Her uncle lives on Oahu and owns a fleet of vans, one of which we think took off with Hawk.”
“By the gods,” Kalea murmured. “Sounds like Camila could be responsible.”
Casey nodded. “We went by her uncle’s place here on Oahu. He wasn’t at home, and there was no sign of Hawk there.”
“Any idea where they might have taken him?” Kalea asked.
“No,” Casey said. “I’m hoping Hank Patterson and his computer guy have come up with some ideas. We’re fresh out.”
Minutes later, Casey pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building and parked.
Jacob slid his truck in beside her vehicle and got out.
Together, the three of them entered the building and climbed the stairs to Casey’s apartment on the second floor.
She hoped Hank had something for them to go on. The longer Hawk was missing, the more likely he would be hurt or even…
Casey refused to go down that route.
Hawk would be all right. He had to be.
Jacob held the door for the women to enter the apartment.
As Casey walked past Jacob, she could smell his tantalizing scent. She could still smell his cologne on her skin after the night they’d spent together. Finding Hawk was a goal, not only to get his friend back safely but so that Casey could then focus on what she was feeling toward the handsome SEAL. Not that she would take it any further. The man was on active duty. As a Navy brat herself, she knew the kind of life a girlfriend or spouse would be subject to.
No way. That life wasn’t for her.
Inside, Hank sat at Casey’s dining table, his laptop in front of him, a cell phone on the table near his hand. He looked up as they entered. “Good. I’m glad to see you brought Kalea.” He stood and held open his arms.
Kalea walked into them. “Hey, Hank. Thanks for being here.”
“After everything that happened on the Big Island, wild horses couldn’t have kept me away.” He hugged her tightly and then set her at arm’s length. “Sadie sends her love. She’s in LA with her agent and Emma. She plans on being here tomorrow by noon.”
Kalea smiled. “That’s sweet of her. She’s a busy lady with her career. I didn’t expect her to come.”
“She insisted. After you and your father had us out to the ranch, she feels like you and Hawk are family.”
“We feel the same.” Kalea smiled. “And Emma is such a little doll. If you need a babysitter while you two go on vacation, you can count on me.”
Hank chuckled. “You and a dozen other people we know. Emma has a fan base that rivals her mother’s.”
Kalea’s brows rose. “You better watch her. If she’s half as beautiful as Sadie, she’ll be as famous as your wife.”
Casey still couldn’t believe Hawk’s boss, Hank “Montana” Patterson, was married to the megastar Sadie McClain. As it was, Hank was every bit as gorgeous as Sadie in a masculine, sexy way.
Hank’s brow descended. “I know. I’ll be waiting at the door with my shotgun loaded when the boys start coming around.” He nodded toward his laptop. “In the meantime, we have a groom to locate.”
Kalea drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Casey told me what’s happened so far. Do you have any more news?”
Hank glanced toward Casey and Jacob. “Swede has been going through the data he can find online. We learned two things that might help.”
Jacob moved in closer. “Swede’s amazing,” he said. “What’s he got?”
By clicking the mouse, Hank woke the monitor. “Swede tapped into the cameras located at the piers around Honolulu, searching for movement, specifically, looking for two big men rolling a laundry cart or carrying a body. Swede spent some time going through the online video images between the time the delivery van left the hotel and sunrise, to start with. He found the van matching the description and the license plate parked at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor at four o’clock this morning. Jimenez owns a boat, and he keeps it moored there.” He brought up a blurry image of the van parked outside the marina.
Kalea pressed a hand to her chest, tears welling in her eyes. “If he was in that van, the drug cartel could have taken him anywhere.”
Hank nodded. “As soon as Jacob gave us the address on the envelope he purloined from Jimenez’s home on Oahu, Swede discovered that Jimenez owns that home on Kauai. His wife lives there full-time. It’s too small to hide a kidnapped man and his kidnappers. Swede’s been in touch with the DEA and ATF folks who specialize in following cartels and drug traffickers. They have some leads, but the cartel has been targeted not only by drug enforcement agencies but also by rival cartels. They move their compounds on a regular basis to avoid being ambushed.”
“In other words, you’re telling me we have no idea where they would’ve taken Hawk.” Kalea sank into the chair beside Hank. “Won’t that make it impossible to find him?”
“Don’t give up on Hawk,” Casey said.
“That’s right,” Hank said. “We’re still working on it. That brings me to the next bit of information we dug up. Actually, I found this because of my lovely wife. Since Emma was born, Sadie’s been all into our heritage and wanting to know where we came from so that we can pass that information down to our children. She joined one of those ancestor sites that lets you enter your information and find relatives you never knew existed.” Hank gave Kalea a twisted grin. “I entered Camila’s name, hoping I’d find something.” His grin broadened. “I hit pay dirt.”
“Yeah?” Casey frowned. “What did you learn?”
Hank clicked the keyboard and brought up the ancestor website. “I entered Camila Torres and her address.” He demonstrated what he was saying, and the monitor blinked and brought up a huge tree of names and how they were related. “Apparently, one of Camila’s relatives is an active member of this application and has documented aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters and grandparents. Besides her Uncle and Aunt, Camila has several cousins in Hawaii. The cousin who entered the data is here on Oahu. Her name is Mina Perez. I was able to get her home phone number. Her grandmother answered and said Mina was at work. She’s a licensed cosmetologist. She has a beauty salon a couple of miles away from here.”
Jacob frowned. “And you think she might know where the compound is?”
Hank’s brow twisted. “I don’t know about that, but she might know who does.”
Jacob pulled out his cell phone and brought up his map app. “Address,” he demanded.
Hank gave him the address.
Jacob keyed it into his phone. “I’m going.”
“I’m going with you,” Kalea said.
“It might be better if you stayed with me,” Hank said. “I’m waiting for Swede to get back to me with whatever information he’s able to get from the DEA and ATF. They have a better chance of giving us the information we’re looking for.”
“Hank’s right,” Jacob said to Kalea. “It would be better if you stayed here. The shop is close. I won’t be gone long. And if I learn something, I’m not going to go off half-cocked. I’ll need a team to extract him. I’ll be back shortly.” He headed toward the apartment entrance.
Casey followed, her heart in her throat. She didn’t want him going without her. “I’m going with you.”
“Last time you went with me to question someone, you were almost accosted. I don’t need that kind of excitement again. I can defend myself against four men, but having you in the mix makes me lose focus. Which, in turn, could put you in danger.” Jacob tipped his head toward Kalea. “You should stay with your friend.”
Anger bubbled up inside Casey. “I can take care of myself. And if you can’t focus because I’m there…well, that’s your problem, not mine. Besides, Kalea has Hank to look after her.” Casey tipped up her chin. “And you’re headed into a salon. That’s my territory. I deal with salons on a daily basis, getting my brides ready for their big day. If Mina is working in her salon, she’s more likely to talk to a female than a male.”
Jacob studied Casey. “She might cater to both sexes. In fact, she might prefer talking to a man than a woman since she has to do that every day.”
“To make sure she talks to someone, we both need to go.” Casey walked to the door, her head held high. She opened it and turned to Jacob. “My SUV or your truck?” she challenged, refusing to back down.
His lips pressed into a thin line. “My truck.”
She nodded and headed for the parking lot and Jacob’s truck. Hawk’s disappearance was partially her fault. She’d be damned if Jacob left her behind.
As they hurried toward the truck, Jacob hit the key fob to unlock the doors.
Casey rounded to the passenger side.
Jacob beat her there and opened her door.
As she stepped up on the running board, he leaned close. “We might be in a hurry, and you might have invited yourself along, but I can still be a gentleman.”
“Thank you, but it’s not necessary,” Casey said as she climbed in, her shoulder brushing Jacob’s chest, sending shivers of awareness throughout her body.
“Maybe not to you,” he said, his breath warming the back of her neck. “But in my book, it is to me.” He closed the door and jogged around the front of the truck to jump into the driver’s seat. In seconds, he was out of the parking lot and into the street.
Jacob handed Casey his cell phone where he’d entered the address for Mina Perez’s salon, the Clips Ahoy.
Casey had managed to go along with him this time. Jacob wouldn’t let her bulldoze her way into the next altercation. They were dealing with a beauty salon in this situation. When it came to storming a drug cartel’s compound, Casey might have to leave it to the trained professional combatants.