Page 22

CHAPTER 22

Brooklyn struggled to keep her eyes open as she watched Jackson and Liam play a video game. They were sprawled on the hospital bed, trash-talking each other with the kind of playful banter only the male of the species could manage. The sound of their laughter was the best thing she had heard in days, a balm to soothe the exhaustion pressing heavily on her.

She stood from the chair, rolling her stiff shoulders. "I’m going in search of some coffee. Can I get you guys anything?"

"No thanks," Liam called out, grunting as he twisted the controller in his hands. Resilience. Kids were the best at bouncing back. Her brother looked exhausted but happy. He met her gaze and mouthed thank you yet again. He’d been thanking her since he landed and arrived at the hospital.

She smiled in response before stepping into the hallway. Her limbs were leaden. She didn’t need coffee; she needed sleep. She pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a text to her brother. She was going to go home and crawl in bed. It had been a long week and she’d been running on adrenaline for the vast majority of it.

Taking the elevator to the ground floor, Brooklyn headed out of the hospital. She was standing on the curb before she realized that she didn’t have her car. She’d arrived at the hospital in the ambulance with Liam. “Shit.” She could call Ethan. She knew he’d come get her, but she really wasn’t ready to see him at the moment.

She owed him an explanation for not confronting him about their first night together. If this were a romance novel, she’d call the heroine who did this ‘too stupid to live,’ but being on this side of it, she realized it was all well and good to say everything could be solved with a conversation, but the reality was different. In real life, that conversation would have been so excruciatingly humiliating for her, considering she still felt like a moron for not knowing her ex had been cheating on her.

Nope, she wasn’t ready to eat humble pie just yet. She was going to need a hell of a lot of sleep and possibly a few drinks before she was willing to go down that road.

She pulled up one of the ride-share apps on her phone when she heard a voice calling her name. Looking up, she smiled. Leilani was walking toward her. “I’m so glad I ran into you,” she said giving Brooklyn a hug. “Keoni made me promise to check on Liam. He’s still stuck at home, and he can be quite demanding.”

Brooklyn nodded. “Teenage boys are no joke. Liam’s doing fine though, thanks for asking. He’s upstairs playing video games with his father.”

Leilani chuckled. “Why am I not surprised? Where are you headed?”

“Going home,” Brooklyn said. “I could use a shower and some serious sleep.”

“I bet you could. What a horrible experience for you. Do you want a lift?”

“Are you sure?” Brooklyn responded. “I wouldn’t want you to go out of your way.” She really didn’t want to inconvenience Leilani, but a ride home would be magical.

“It’s not a problem. It’s the least I can do.” Leilani linked her arm through Brooklyn’s and the two women walked through the parking lot to Leilani’s Mercedes convertible. “Hop in.”

“Thank you so much for this.” The cushy leather seats seemed to hug her body, and she hoped she wouldn’t fall asleep on the drive home. Good thing the roof was down. They pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward home.

“Did they ever find out who was behind the kidnapping?” Leilani asked as she made a right turn.

Brooklyn shook her head. It was the one black cloud lingering over all this. “No. Still no idea who was behind it.”

“My money is on Hiroshi Yamamoto, Ren’s grandfather. He is definitely up to something. I keep seeing him holding secret meetings at the club. As soon as he walks in, they close the blinds, and the men he’s meeting with… look shady. Hard as nails.”

Brooklyn tried not to let the anxiety build in her chest. Liam was fine. They were keeping an eye on him at the hospital. There were copies of the thumb drive around even if they were still encrypted. The danger must be passed. The thumb drive. She’d gone with Liam in the ambulance and hadn’t thought any more about it. She didn’t bother to reach for it, she knew it was still in her pocket. Shit.

“Maybe, but I think the police cleared him.” Was Nova wrong about him? Her stomach gave a lurch.

“I think they should look again,” Leilani said. “I’m sure they’ll find something if they look harder.”

Brooklyn glanced at Leilani. Her face was a mask of neutrality, and her eyes were hidden by large black sunglasses. But her tone made a shiver go up Brooklyn’s spine.

“Well, I will tell them to look again when I see them.”

“And to think all of this over a USB drive.” Leilani shook her head.

Brooklyn’s head jerked back in confusion. Had she and Ethan mentioned the thumb drive when they spoke with Leilani? Had they even known about it then? She was so tired and frazzled she couldn’t remember. Maybe Liam mentioned it to the boys. That made more sense. She was being silly. This was Leilani. They’d hung out at soccer games together, discussed what it was like to be the aunt to the boys but have a mother-like role. She really was losing it. The sooner she got home, the better.

They got on the highway and drove in silence for a few minutes. When Leilani blew by their exit, Brooklyn’s unease returned with a vengeance.

“Hey, you missed the exit.” Brooklyn had her cell phone on her lap. How could she pick it up and call for help without the other woman noticing?

Leilani turned to Brooklyn. “Do the police have the thumb drive?”

Brooklyn tried not to panic. This was beyond her only being tired. This was something altogether different. “Um…I think so?” She didn’t want to admit to having it. This whole conversation was making her extremely uneasy.

“That’s unfortunate,” Leilani clucked.

“What? Why?” Brooklyn was openly staring now.

“Because I know you’re lying.” Leilani’s face went hard. “And I hate being lied to.” She quickly snatched Brooklyn’s cell phone. Brooklyn watched her last lifeline as Leilani tossed it out as she sped down the freeway.

Now what the hell was she supposed to do?