Chapter 5 #2
Kimo stripped out of her clothing, turned on the tub faucet and adjusted the temperature. When it was warm enough, she stepped over the rim of the tub, keeping her injured calf outside the shower curtain. Though it was an awkward stance, she managed to duck beneath the spray.
She quickly rubbed shampoo into her hair and over her body, washing away the crusty feeling of dried salt on her skin.
All the while, her thoughts poured over the events of the previous night, finding the shipping container and its grisly contents, watching helplessly as Alana had been abducted and crashing into Rex’s arms as she’d flung herself from the back of the ambulance.
So much had happened. The one thing in all of it that had kept her grounded was the tall, broad-shouldered former Delta Force soldier who’d come to protect her.
She’d learned to count on herself after her parents had died in a plane crash when she’d still been in college.
An only child, she’d had no family to fall back on.
Though her friends had helped her through her grief, Kimo prided herself on her independence.
She normally refused help, preferring to manage situations under her own steam.
But she had to admit, this situation was different. The stakes were higher. Secrets were deadly, and people had died. Whoever was responsible was going to great lengths to keep those secrets. They obviously had the personnel, equipment and connections to make it happen.
As the only person raising a red flag that something horrible had happened, Kimo couldn’t—no, wouldn’t—stop striving for justice for Alana and the people who had drowned in the shipping container. Those responsible had erased the evidence; now all they had to do was remove the only other witness.
Her.
Though she’d been resistant at first to having a bodyguard, the gravity of her predicament was becoming clear. She needed someone to have her back, especially if she planned to go after the camera and start her own search for Alana.
It didn’t hurt that her bodyguard was strong and attractive in that ruggedly sexy way.
If she weren’t so worried about Alana, she would be tempted to explore that attraction.
Having lived on Maui all her life, Kimo knew most of the eligible men who called the island their home. She’d dated a few but hadn’t felt anything that made her want anything more than friendship.
For too long, she’d been looking for that spark—the mind-blowing “ah-ha” moment her parents had told her they’d experienced with their first kiss.
She’d watched her friends fall in love and realized it was different for everyone.
Her friend Kalea had gone from enemies to lovers when her father had saddled her with Hawk as a secret bodyguard.
She’d resented being shadowed until her shadow had saved her life.
Theirs had been a fiery discovery of their love.
Now, they couldn’t imagine life without each other and their baby only made them happier.
Hawk had settled with Kalea on the Big Island and set up a Brotherhood Protectors branch, recruiting former military to protect those who needed it.
Leilani, her beautiful friend she’d known since they were in grade school together, had found love with one of those men working for Hawk.
She’d literally fallen into his arms while giving a guided tour.
Their struggles through danger had brought them close, sparking a love so strong that Kimo could only imagine what that was like.
Then there was Kiana, a former model, now manager of a Maui resort. She’d fallen for one of Hawk’s men when he’d helped her find her missing sister on Oahu.
Kimo frowned. Was it her turn? Was she supposed to be like her friends and fall for her bodyguard?
She shook her head. Rex struck her as a man with intense focus on his mission. As well, now wasn’t the time to consider dating anyone.
Alana had been abducted. People had drowned trapped in a shipping container and Kimo’s home and life were under attack.
Who had time for such silliness as love?
She squared her shoulders, rinsed the soap from her hair and body and turned off the water, convinced her thoughts were on overdrive and out of control.
Like Rex, she needed to focus on finding that camera. To do that, she needed a boat and scuba gear.
After quickly drying herself, careful not to disturb the dressings on her leg, she pulled on a swimsuit and dragged jeans and a T-shirt over them.
Dressing was fast. Taming her long, wavy hair took twice as much time.
She’d inherited her mother’s Hawaiian genes with her thick black hair, dark eyes and short stature.
Though having long hair was a hassle for scuba diving, she hadn’t had the heart to cut it short.
It reminded her of her mother every time she looked in the mirror.
Once she’d pulled the tangles out, she wove the damp tresses into a single braid that hung down the middle of her back and secured it with a ponytail.
Then she brushed her teeth, grimaced at her makeup-less reflection and shrugged.
“What you see is what you get.” Finding Alana was more important than makeup.
Kimo left the bathroom and went in search of Rex.
He wasn’t in the living room, but there was evidence he had been there.
Overturned furniture had been set to rights and broken glass had been swept away.
Even the black dust the officer had used to lift prints had been cleaned off most surfaces.
In the kitchen, the drawers were back where they belonged, their contents either in the sink or loaded into the dishwasher.
And no Rex.
Noise from the laundry room captured her attention. She crossed through the kitchen and pushed the door open to the small room that served as the laundry room and pantry, where she stored her dry goods.
Rex was in the process of transferring a blanket from the washer to the dryer. When he straightened, he noticed her standing there. “I didn’t think you’d mind if I straightened up.”
“You know, you don’t have to clean my house.” Kimo shook her head. “I’ll get to it eventually.”
“I don’t like standing around when there’s work to be done.” He tipped his chin toward the living room. “The pictures of turtles, coral and fish that were hung on the wall...did you take them?”
Kimo nodded. “I’m afraid they’re too damaged to salvage. And if I can’t recover my files, I won’t be able to replace them.”
“Give Swede time. He’s really good with computers and the internet.” He turned to the dryer, adjusted the settings and pressed the start button. When he faced her, his gaze swept her from head to toe. “Feel better after your shower?”
She nodded. “Almost normal, though it was a challenge to shower with one leg out of the tub. I don’t know why I bothered to hang it out of the shower when I’ll be diving again sometime today.”
Rex frowned. “I thought you said you would tape something over it to keep it dry.”
“I will. But it might not last in saltwater.” She glanced up into his gray eyes, her earlier thoughts in the shower making her look at him in a different light.
No. He wasn’t her type, she told herself. Too intense. Too serious.
Determined to shelve Rex as a potential love interest, Kimo forced a smile, relieved and a little embarrassed that her thoughts had taken that path. Thankfully, mind-reading wasn’t a thing, or she’d really be embarrassed.
She wondered how many female clients he’d worked with and if any had imagined themselves in love with him.
He did have incredibly broad shoulders and smoky gray eyes.
His dark blond, almost brown hair had enough of a wave to make a girl want to run her fingers through it, especially when an errant strand fell over his forehead.
She lifted her hand.
“Ready?” he asked.
Kimo froze, realizing she’d almost reached out to smooth that strand of hair back in line with the rest.
She redirected her hand to tuck an imaginary hair behind her ear. Heat rose up her neck and into her cheeks. “Uh. Sorry. What did you say?” she asked, flustered at her near slipup.
“Are you ready?”
She blew out a breath in an attempt to calm herself and then nodded. “I am.” Ready to find Alana, not to touch Rex’s hair. “Let’s go.” Before I do something stupid.
She needed to be more like Rex and focus on the mission. Exhaustion was really taking its toll on her if she was fantasizing about a man she’d just met.
Rex was first to exit the house, where he paused to study the surroundings. Apparently satisfied she was safe, he stepped out of the doorway.
As Kimo walked by him, all her senses were on alert. So much so, she could smell the plumeria growing on the tree that shaded the porch and the cologne Rex wore.
Yeah, trauma and lack of sleep. That had to be it.
He held the door open to the passenger side of his truck and helped her up into the seat with a hand at the small of her back.
Once she’d settled, she fumbled with the seatbelt.
Rex stepped up onto the running board, reached across her and secured her belt. His shoulder grazed her breast, sending sparks of electricity shooting through her body.
He paused on his way back across her and stared into her eyes. “Are you all right?”
Again, her cheeks heated. “Why do you ask?”
“Your face is flushed.” He reached out and touched his palm to her forehead. “You don’t feel feverish, but our first stop will be the pharmacy for those antibiotics. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to dive today.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Really. Besides, I’m the only one available who saw that container and then escaped the gunmen. No one else could come close to figuring out where I might’ve dropped the camera. The chances of finding it out there are pretty slim—impossible without me.”
Rex touched the bandage on her calf, shaking his head. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“We don’t have much of a choice. No one else is having any luck locating Alana. She’s my friend. I have to do something. She’d do the same for me.”
Rex nodded. “Let’s get those antibiotics and pay a visit to the dive shop. Maybe by the time we get to Jako’s, Swede will have recovered your data.”
“Hopefully, the image of the container will show something useful marked on it to lead us to who owns it.”
“Then we’ll follow that trail.” He dropped to the ground, strode around the hood and slid in behind the wheel. “In the meantime, we’ll play the diving by ear.”
Kimo didn’t argue. It served no purpose. If she needed to dive, she’d do it.