Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
Just as Maliea reached the cave entrance and started to swim through, she saw a razor-sharp spear zip past Reid’s head and bounce against the rock face of the cliff above the cave’s opening.
Reid swam straight at the man, who pulled a knife out and swung it at Reid.
Maliea started toward Reid to help him overcome his attacker, but something gripped her ankle and yanked her back.
Maliea turned to find another diver holding on tightly to her ankle, dragging her deeper.
She kicked at the hand on her ankle, and though the hand was small, its grip was relentless. The diver refused to let go.
When long yellow strands floated out behind the diver’s head, Maliea realized the diver was female. And she wasn’t going to let Maliea reach the surface without a fight.
If she wanted a fight, she was going to get one. Maliea had to free herself to help Reid, and this bitch had to go.
Instead of struggling to get to the surface, Maliea turned on her captor. The first thing she could get her hands on was the woman’s hair. She twisted her fingers into the long blond strands and pulled as hard as she could.
As soon as the hand on her ankle released its hold, Maliea grabbed the next thing she could reach—the regulator hose.
Planting her feet against the woman’s chest, she yanked on the hose, pulling it free of the female’s mouth.
Desperate for air, Maliea quickly shoved the regulator into her own mouth and pulled in a little bit of air before something sharp sliced into her side.
She twisted, kicking hard to get away.
The woman stuck the mouthpiece of the regulator back in her mouth and came at Maliea again with the knife in her hand.
With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Maliea didn’t slow down enough to feel pain. She had no choice but to stop this bitch. If she succeeded in killing Maliea, she’d go after Reid and help her partner take him out .
Maliea couldn’t let her do that. She had a child waiting for her to return and a relationship to fully explore with a former Navy SEAL who’d made her feel more alive than she had in a long time.
Maliea summoned her inner warrior and met the woman head-on. As the diver swung the knife, Maliea dodged the tip and snagged her wrist. She twisted it sharply, aiming the point in the opposite direction at the same time as she grabbed the BCD and pulled sharply toward her, slamming her body into her own hand and gripping the woman’s hand with the knife.
The woman’s eyes widened in the face mask. Her body went limp as a cloud of red drifted upward.
Starving for air, Maliea kicked hard, heading for the surface. Though the woman had tried to kill her, Maliea couldn’t leave her to die. She dragged her with her every stroke of the way.
Just when she thought she wouldn’t make it, Reid appeared beside her.
The elder came up on her other side and relieved her of her burden, taking the female driver the rest of the way to the surface.
Her lack of oxygen made her vision blur as a gray haze threatened to consume her. Reid swam harder, pulling her up with him. On the verge of blacking out, Maliea exploded out of the water. Holding onto Reid, she sucked air into her lungs, breathing in and out several times before her vision cleared and the gray fog dissipated.
A thumping sound grew louder as the bright orange fuselage of a US Coast Guard helicopter swooped in and hovered over their position.
Reid trod water, holding onto Maliea as a cable lowered a man into the water beside Reid and Maliea.
“Take her first,” Reid said and started to hand her over into the care of the Coast Guard rescue swimmer.
Maliea shook her head. “No. Want to stay with you.”
Reid kissed her forehead. “You’re injured. I’m not. You have to let them help you. Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you later. Someone has to secure this site.”
Moments later, they hoisted her and the rescue swimmer up into the helicopter. She didn’t want to leave Reid down there in the water. What if another bad guy came after him? She tried to sit up but a hand on her shoulder kept her from moving.
She stared up in Jace Hawkin’s eyes and blinked. “How...” she forced air past her vocal cords, “...did you know to come?”
“Swede had set up an alert on Mark Laster’s credit card. When he saw that Mark Laster had turned in the rental car at the airport, caught a flight to Kauai and rented a jet boat, we figured you might be in trouble. The man’s prints on the car matched those in the apartments. We tracked the satellite phone I gave him to find you. Kalea and Mr. Parker put in a distress call to the US Coast Guard. They picked me up on the way across the Big Island. Seems we made it just in time.”
“Thank you,” Maliea laid back, all energy drained from her body. “Nani?” she asked.
“Your daughter and Kalea are bonding over a litter of puppies they found in the barn. She’s fine and happy.”
Maliea smiled, fighting hard but succumbing to the darkness that dragged her under.
She drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the flight. Each time she came to, she asked for Reid and Nani. Each time, she blacked out again.
The next time she surfaced, she opened her eyes to bright lights shining down from the ceiling of a hospital room. One arm had an IV in it, and her other arm was weighed down by a hand holding hers.
Maliea turned to find Reid’s handsome face smiling back at her. “How did you get here so fast,” she asked, her words coming out in a series of croaks.
He lifted her hand to his lips. “I’m quick like that. And you’ve been asleep for over twenty-four hours.”
She frowned. “I must have been really tired.”
He shook his head. “You had surgery. The knife wound resulted in some internal bleeding. They went in laparoscopically and plugged the holes. Thankfully, none of your important organs were damaged. They’ll probably let you leave later today.”
“Nani?” she asked.
“Is still on the Big Island with Mr. Parkman and Kalea. She misses you but has discovered a new love of horseback riding.” He chuckled. “She wants you to buy her a pony.”
“Not only can I not afford to purchase a pony, but I also can’t afford to keep it,” Maliea closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Could you break the news to her? I can’t.”
“You don’t have to. Hawk and Kalea offered to let you and Nani stay with them whenever you like. Nani can ride her favorite pony every time.”
“They don’t understand,” Maliea said, refusing to open her eyes to the glare of the overhead light. “I can’t fly us out to visit every month when I can barely afford to pay rent.”
“You know, you wouldn’t have to worry about paying rent if you got a roommate.”
“My friends all have roommates.”
“Hey,” Reid said. “Look at me.”
Maliea turned toward him and opened her eyes.
“I’m trying to tell you I need a roommate,” Reid said. “My work takes me away often, and I need someone to water my plants and look after my dog.”
“You have a dog?” Maliea frowned. “You never said you had a dog. Nani’s been asking for one since she turned two. I keep telling her it’s too hard to keep a dog while living in an apartment.”
He cupped her cheek, then met and held her gaze. “Focus, woman.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What kind of dog do you have?” she asked.
He laughed. “Whatever kind of dog you and Nani want. I’m trying to ask you and Nani to come live with me.”
Her frown deepened. “Where?”
“I don’t know. We’ll find a house with a yard so Nani can have a dog and a sister when Abby comes to visit.”
Hope swelled in her chest before she could remind herself they didn’t know each other very well. “Are you serious?”
“As serious as sin.”
“We don’t know each other. I didn’t even know you had a dog.”
His lips twitched. “I don’t. I think you’re still loopy from anesthesia.”
“I think you’re loopy from lack of oxygen. How long were you underwater fighting that man?”
“Long enough.”
“Was he that Mark Laster guy who was listening outside the cabin?”
Reid nodded.
“Who was the woman?” Maliea’s eyes widened. “ Did she live? Please tell me she did. I’ve never killed someone before.”
“She lived, and she’s your favorite Teacher’s Assistant.”
“That was Heather?” Maliea’s head spun. “I was willing to forgive her for taking my husband. He wasn’t the right one for me. But she’s turning out to be a major pain in my side.” A twinge of pain made her wince. “Was she using Taylor and my father to find the treasure?”
Reid nodded. “Swede traced the payment to Laster to an account in the Cayman Islands. After digging deeper through the maze of corporations associated with the account, he came up with an owner, Jonathan Walters, a ruthless businessman known for hostile takeovers and his slash-and-burn policy of buying companies, then stripping them down to the bone and selling them.”
“Heather’s last name is Walters,” Maliea said. “Are they related?”
“Heather is his daughter. When he threatened to cut her off for wrecking her third car in as many months while attending grad school, she decided to make her own fortune in treasure hunting.”
“Not so easy money, is it bitch?” Maliea murmured, resting a hand on her sore belly.
Reid frowned. “Are you hurting? Do you need some pain medication? ”
Maliea sighed. “No. I need to know someone is looking after the treasure. I feel responsible for it.”
“Hank Patterson is calling in the big guns to move it. The Robinsons are happy to bring them on for protection services, and they want you to coordinate with the Bishop Museum to house the exhibit. Hank and his wife Sadie will fund the upgrade in the security system they’ll need to protect the lost treasure of Red Beard.”
“Who’d guarding it now?” she asked.
“Members of the Brotherhood Protectors. They’re scheduled to load and move it next week.”
“Which means I need to get out of bed and get to work.”
“Oh, and the State of Hawaii is granting you a full ride to the University of Hawaii for your undergraduate degree through your doctorate, honoring your father and his work to preserve the Hawaiian culture.”
Maliea sat up and winced, falling back against the mattress. “Are you kidding me? Because, if you are, it’s not funny.”
Reid held up his hand. “SEALs honor. It is conditional on your studies including the preservation of the Hawaiian culture.”
“Done.” A grin spread across her face. “My father would’ve been so proud to know I carried on his work.”
“Your daughter will be proud of her mother.” He raised his eyebrows. “Now, back to the question of roommates...”
Her smile slipped. “Shouldn’t we get to know each other before we take such a big step? I have a daughter to think of and set the example for.”
“Fair enough. If you need more time to get to know me and fall in love, I’ll give you all the time you need. You and Nani can each have your own room in our house. We can date for a set number of weeks, abstain from having sex during that time and then discuss resuming sex at that point.”
Maliea frowned.
“Not enough time?” Reid asked. “We can date longer.”
“Can we negotiate the part about abstinence?” she asked. “A shorter timeframe, not longer. Are you sure you want this? Moving in together is so permanent. Are you sure you’ll want me to stay?”
“Maliea,” Reid said. “I’d ask you to marry me today if I thought you’d agree.”
“You would?” she asked. “Why?”
A crooked smile spread across his face. He lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “I never thought I’d say this until I met you, but when you know, you know.”
Maliea’s heart nearly burst with the flood of happiness spreading through her. “Come here.”
He leaned closer.
“No,” she said and patted the bed. “Come here.”
His brow furrowed. “You just had surgery. ”
She scooted over, wincing with the twinges of pain. This time, she pointed to the empty space she’d made beside her. “Here. Now.”
Reid chuckled and eased up onto the bed beside her.
“I don’t need weeks to get to know you. I just wanted you to have the time to get to know me and Nani. She’s a three-year-old. She’s not a perfect angel every day of the week. Teen years are supposed to be the worst, and I don’t want to drag her in and out of relationships.”
“She’s already got me wrapped around her little finger. I’ll love that kid as much as I already love her mother.” He brushed a strand of Maliea’s hair back behind her ear. “I know you’re a package deal, and I’m all in. I already know your heart is big enough to love my Abby as well. The girls will love having a sister and would welcome more siblings.” His eyes widened. “Do you want more children? Because if you don’t, we already have two perfect girls.”
Maliea pressed a finger to his lips. “Yes. I want more children. I always wanted a houseful of little voices and giggles.”
“Let’s give it a go,” Reid said. “If we feel the same in a month, we can make it official.”
“You’ll make a proper proposal?” she asked.
“Down on one knee, flowers, a ring—the whole shebang.”
“You know what?” Maliea said. “I don’t need a month. I don’t need a week without sex. I don’t need a proper proposal. What I need is you. Reid Johnson, I’m falling more deeply in love with you every day, every hour and every minute I spend with you.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Honey, when you know...you know.” Maliea pulled him close. “And I really want to kiss you.”