Page 5

CHAPTER 5

Brooklyn glanced out the window to the front yard for the umpteenth time. Liam was helping Ethan put up the cameras, and Mojo lay at Liam’s feet. It had to be the last one by the look of things. They’d already finished the back yard, and Liam was holding a flashlight, although Brooklyn was pretty sure it wasn’t necessary. She had plenty of lights on outside and Ethan could probably see well enough without Liam’s help.

Her heart swelled a bit at the sight. Ethan understood what she was trying to do for Liam without her having to say a word. He got it. Liam needed to feel safe again and he needed to feel in control. He’d fallen asleep with no problem last night, but a nightmare had woken him in the middle of the night. The hope was that helping Ethan put up the cameras would make him feel safer and in control.

Ethan said something and Liam laughed. If he hadn’t been such a dick to her since their one night together, she would be falling in love with this man. The way he treated Liam showed her once again why she’d been so attracted to him in the first place, and why she’d broken her own rule about one-night stands. It didn’t hurt that he was seriously sexy in his ass-hugging, faded jeans and black t-shirt. The sight of him made her remember their night together and her lady parts began to tingle.

She quickly reminded herself what a jerk he’d been to her. It was hard. He had a warm smile and a great sense of humor. When she saw him with his friends and other women at Ohana’s, it hurt. Truth be told she was jealous. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that smile and warmth, and she craved it again.

But keeping her distance was key to avoid getting hurt again, and she maintained a coldness when he was around to protect herself. It wasn’t like he had time for her anyway. That wasn’t strictly true. He had all the time in the world for her if she pretended they hadn’t slept together like he seemed to be doing. He treated her as if he hadn’t rocked her world. As if they hadn’t spent hours in bed. He treated her like a stranger that he was interested in, not a former lover. It was almost as if he had no memory of them being together. She half-heartedly wished she could forget.

She frowned. It didn’t matter how he treated her, though, because he was doing this for her and treating Liam as the kind and decent kid he was. She appreciated that more than she could say. She owed this man and as much as it pissed her off to admit it, she was grateful for his help. Glancing at the clock, she swore. It was Liam’s bedtime. She hated to break up his fun because he really did seem to be enjoying himself, but she also knew he was exhausted.

She slipped on her sneakers and went outside. “Hey guys, how’s it going?”

“We just finished.” Ethan climbed down the ladder and met her gaze with his deep green eyes. Her heart thumped. He ruffled Liam’s hair. “Liam is a great assistant.”

“Glad to hear it.” She smiled at her nephew as she tried to calm her racing heart. “It’s time for bed, hon. Go on in and get ready.” She braced herself for a fight, but he just nodded.

“Thanks for letting me help, Ethan. I learned a lot.” Liam offered his hand.

“Thanks for assisting me. You’re a quick study.” Ethan shook hands with the boy.

Liam ruffled Mojo’s fur. “It was good to meet you too, boy. I hope I get to see you again.” He stood and headed toward the door. “Ethan said I could come by the Brotherhood Protector ranch and see Mojo in action. Can we go?”

Brooklyn wanted to say no. That after this, she had no intension of being anywhere near Ethan again. But the look on Liam’s face was so hopeful. “Sure. We’ll drop by sometime.” Maybe if she was vague, Liam would forget. It was doubtful, but she could dream.

Liam waved at Ethan again. “Goodnight.” Then disappeared inside the house.

Ethan gathered up his tools and put them back in the box. “You know, I wouldn’t mind having Liam come over to the Brotherhood Protector base and check out the comms center. We could teach him a lot—he seems like an interesting kid.”

The last thing Brooklyn wanted was for Ethan to start teaching Liam anything. She couldn’t take being around this man more than absolutely necessary. He kept her too off balance and she liked that way too much for comfort. She forced a polite smile and said noncommittally, “Maybe.”

Ethan nodded, picked up the ladder, and walked back into the garage. When he returned a moment later, he paused, his expression shifting. He glanced left, then right, before walking back over to her.

“What is it?” Brooklyn asked, her stomach tightening at his sudden change in demeanor.

“There’s a van parked down the street,” Ethan said quietly. “It wasn’t there five minutes ago.”

Her pulse quickened. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to put all my stuff back in my truck.” Ethan’s tone was calm but firm. “Then I’ll see if I can find out who these people are.”

Brooklyn stared at him, her heart thudding. “Don’t look,” Ethan added.

Of course, that made her want to look even more. Against her better judgment, she stole a quick glance in the direction he’d indicated, trying to act nonchalant. Her stomach dropped—he was right. The white van was parked halfway down the block, its windows dark and uninviting. She forced herself to look away, continuing to talk to Ethan as if she hadn’t seen anything.

A moment later, her neighbors, the Forbes, turned into their driveway. Mrs. Forbes stepped out of the car and came over, her expression concerned. “Brooklyn, how are you, dear?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Forbes,” Brooklyn replied, her voice steadier than she felt.

Mr. Forbes joined them, cutting across the grass. “Brooklyn, how’s Liam? I can’t believe what happened—it’s just horrifying.”

“Yes, Mr. Forbes, it is. Liam’s fine, thank you,” she said, forcing a smile. Then, lowering her voice, she added, “Actually, would you mind doing me a favor? Liam’s already in bed, but would you go in and keep an eye on him for a bit? I need to take a quick drive around the neighborhood with Mr. Foster here, just to check on a few things.”

Mrs. Forbes tilted her head. “You just finished installing the cameras, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Brooklyn said, nodding quickly. “Everything’s set up, but this will just give me some peace of mind.”

Mr. Forbes gave a reassuring nod. “Of course. Take your time. We’ll keep an eye on him.” They walked up onto the porch.

“Mojo, you go with them. You stay here,” Ethan said and followed the couple up onto the porch and into the house. “Go find Liam. Stay with Liam,” Ethan directed.

Brooklyn had never felt so grateful in all her life. The Forbes were lovely, like a set of grandparents to Liam, but they weren’t much protection. She was determined to go after the men in the van and having Mojo stay with Liam made her feel a damn sight better. She opened the door to Liam’s room and the dog trotted inside. He jumped on the bed and curled into a ball at the bottom. Liam was already sound asleep.

Brooklyn hustled back out to the front room. “We won’t be long.” She gave the Forbes a wave and then hit the porch. Ethan was already walking toward the pickup. They were trying to be casual but they must have given themselves away because the van’s engine roared to life, its headlights cutting through the dark as it began to pull away from the curb. Brooklyn’s breath caught in her throat, her heart slamming against her ribs.

“They’re leaving!” she gasped.

Ethan didn’t hesitate. They sprinted across the driveway to his truck. Brooklyn fumbled with the door handle before throwing herself into the passenger seat. Ethan climbed in on the driver’s side and fired up the engine. The truck rumbled to life and he slammed it into gear.

“They’re getting away!” Brooklyn’s voice was sharp and urgent. Fear churned in her stomach, the memory of those men grabbing Liam still fresh in her mind.

“They’re not getting away,” Ethan replied evenly, steering the truck onto the street. The van turned a corner up ahead, taillights glowing faintly. Ethan pressed the gas, the truck surged forward.

The quiet streets of the neighborhood blurred past them as the chase began. The van took a sharp left at the next intersection, its tires squealing, and Ethan stayed close behind. Brooklyn gripped the dashboard, her pulse racing as she glanced nervously out the window.

“They know we’re following them,” she said, her voice tight.

“Good,” Ethan muttered, his eyes locked on the road. “Let them know.”

The van sped up, weaving through the residential streets, blowing through stop signs, and skimming dangerously close to parked cars. Ethan handled the truck with practiced precision, navigating the narrow roads with ease. Brooklyn clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought a rising tide of panic.

“They’re trying to lose us!” she shouted, her voice cracking with a mix of fear and frustration.

“I see that,” Ethan replied calmly, his grip on the wheel steady.

The van suddenly veered onto a main road, tires screeching and the cab wobbling sideways a little as it merged into traffic. Ethan followed, his engine roaring as he accelerated to keep pace. Horns blared and brake lights flared as cars swerved to avoid the van’s erratic maneuvers. Brooklyn’s heart pounded as she held onto the door, the chaotic scene unfolding like a nightmare.

“Ethan!” she yelled as a sedan slammed on its brakes directly in their path.

“Got it,” Ethan snapped, swerving smoothly to avoid the car. The truck lurched slightly before straightening out, his focus never wavered from his quarry.

The van darted between lanes, cutting off other drivers and creating a trail of chaos. Ethan stayed close; his jaw tight as he pushed the truck harder. Brooklyn leaned forward, her eyes glued to the white van as it dodged through traffic.

“There!” she shouted, pointing as the van made a sudden turn onto a side street.

Ethan swung the truck into the turn, the tires skidding briefly before regaining traction. But when they rounded the corner, the van was gone. The street was dark and empty, save for a few parked cars and an alleyway shrouded in shadows.

“Dammit!” Brooklyn cried, slamming her hand against the dashboard. “Where are they? They were just here!”

Ethan slowed the truck, scanning the area with narrowed eyes. His movements were deliberate, controlled, as if he hadn’t just lost the van entirely. Brooklyn, however, felt her frustration boil over.

“You lost them!” she yelled, her voice trembling with anger and fear. “How could you lose them? They were right there!”

Ethan pulled the truck to the curb and killed the engine, turning to face her. His expression was calm but firm, his tone unyielding. “They’re gone, Brooklyn. I wasn’t about to keep chasing them blindly through unknown streets. That’s not how we do this.”

Brooklyn glared at him, her chest heaving. “You’re just going to give up? What about Liam? What about the fact that those men tried to take him? They could come back, Ethan!”

“I know,” he said, his voice steady. “And we’ll find them another way. But a reckless car chase isn’t the answer.”

Tears of frustration pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She turned away, staring out the window as her emotions churned. Every fiber of her being screamed that they should keep going, but Ethan didn’t budge. The silence in the truck was thick and heavy with unspoken words.

Ethan restarted the engine and turned the truck around. The ride back to her neighborhood was tense, the only sound the hum of the engine and the faint roar of distant traffic. When they finally pulled into her driveway, Brooklyn threw open the door and got out, slamming it behind her.

“I know you’re angry,” Ethan said as he grabbed his gear from the back seat. “But we’ll figure this out. You’re not alone in this.”

Brooklyn didn’t answer. She stalked toward the house, her shoulders tight with anger and fear. Inside, she knew Liam was safe. But as she reached the door, she couldn’t shake the image of the van, its dark windows hiding God knows what, and the men inside who might still be watching.