ahead of me into the shop while I scan the area, texting the location to my crew.
Catching up with her later, we buy a few boxes of cookies, and then, handing the girl at the register several extra bills, I describe Lorelei Gerard in detail and ask her to let the woman cut in line when she shows up. I also tell her to make sure Lorelei knows to meet us at ABC Store next door after she’s got her cookies.
I’m pulling no punches, doing everything to throw off anyone we haven’t noticed who’s got one eye on us.
The girl agrees, then Val and I go browse around the touristy trinkets and cheap shirts next door.
It takes another twenty minutes before she spots her mother. Val taps me on the shoulder and we watch as a confused Lorelei makes her way through the door.
“What’s going on here?” she asks as soon as she’s found us.
“Shhh,” Valerie whispers, looking up at me. “Flint?”
“You aren’t safe right now, Mrs. Gerard.” I say, leading them through the back door to the employee lot where I’d parked.
“Safe?” Lorelei asks. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Listen to him, Mother,” Valerie says. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d be dead.”
“Dead?” Lorelei chokes on the word like it’s rotten meat.
“Dead, Mother. Finished. Or just 'missing,' like Ray. But Flint knows what he’s doing. He’s a professional. He’ll get to the bottom of it, you just have to trust him.”
“This man saved your life?” Lorelei asks, frowning.
“Yes,” Valerie says, a rough edge in her voice. “He was a Navy SEAL. He’s kept me safe ever since the accident. We never went to the Big Island. We’ve been on Oahu the entire time. He’s been trying to figure out who tried to kill me.”
“Kill you? Oh my God. You’re telling me this is why Ray disappeared?” She looks frayed, utterly distraught, and who the hell can blame her?
“We’ll figure this out, Mrs. Gerard,” I say, keeping them moving.
The poor woman looks totally bewildered.
For a second, I flash my tattoo, the eagle holding the trident. “Every word Val said is true. I served with the best. I’m here to help. Just need you to answer some questions about Ray.”
“I’m so worried,” she murmurs. “He’s just been odd lately. It reminds me of Stanley years ago, how he wouldn’t tell me what was going on, all these secret meetings, but I could tell it was something awful. He was so stressed.”
“Stanley or Ray?” I ask, leading them through a narrow space to the truck.
“Both,” she says. “Stanley was terrified a decade or so back. He thought he’d have to file bankruptcy. But after he partnered with a new investor, things changed. We expanded. All went well for several years. His worries were gone, except for the first ship that went missing, lost in that terrible storm. Then Stanley died...and it’s Ray who’s been stressed lately. He’s gone all the time, but he’s not at the office. He hasn’t been the same since two of our ships turned up missing last year.”
“You mentioned a new investor.” Zeroing in on it, I ask her point-blank, “Who?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “I never knew much about it. Still don’t, I’m afraid. Stanley kept his business affairs close to his chest, just like his son.” Tears gleam in her eyes. “You have to find him. I’m afraid something terrible has happened.”
“We’ll find him,” I say. “Right now, we need to find you a safe place.”
“Me?” Fear flashes in her eyes as she looks from me to Val. “You think someone wants me, too?”
“There’s a strong possibility,” I say, opening the door to my truck.
This is where the rubber meets the road.
My eyes flick to Val, who’s gone quiet, hashing the latest agony injected into her life.
It isn’t fucking fair.
Somehow, some way, I’ll keep her and Lorelei safe, and then I’ll end this cloak and dagger fuckery once and for all.
17
A Little Heart-to-Heart (Valerie)
I’m starting to think life without Flint Calum doesn’t exist.
He’s saved me, and now he’s taking care of Mother.
He ferried her out of Honolulu, then convinced her to take a private flight to Kauai, to stay at a resort there, one he knew was safe, until we get this sorted.
That’s the word he uses, and it kinda makes me smile.
It’s a lot easier to handle something that sounds like a bad mess of laundry than a missing snake of a brother and soulless men who want us dead.
Whatever else happens, I’ll