Page 7

CHAPTER 7

Brooklyn stepped out of her car and hurried into the office. As she passed through the waiting room, she offered polite smiles to the patients before heading to the back hallway and closing the door behind her. She leaned on the door and took a deep breath.

She hadn’t gotten much sleep. Kissing Ethan in her little kitchen had excited her body and it had taken a while to calm down again. She knew sex with him would be fantastic. After all, they’d done it before. That had been the single best night of her life when it came to sex and that was hard to forget. Nate had paled in comparison. She needed to guard against it though. Keep her defenses up against Ethan.

More than anything else she couldn’t bear to be hurt again by this man. She’d been more fragile than she’d realized after her relationship with Nate fell apart. She no longer trusted her own judgment after the fiasco with Nate.

Sleeping with Ethan had been her first encounter with any man after Nate. She’d thought she hit the jackpot. It had felt so good, so right. Then he ghosted her, proving she’d gotten it wrong again. That pain had been intense. She wasn’t going through that again. No way. Her judgment when it came to men was obviously flawed. She needed to remember that and not get sucked in again.

And she needed to focus her energy on with was going on with Liam.

“Brooklyn, you okay? You look a little pale,” the other hygienist asked as she passed by.

“I’m okay,” Brooklyn replied. “How’s it going today?”

“Same as usual. Not too busy.”

“Great. Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right in to start,” Brooklyn said.

“No rush. Take your time,” Sherry replied, her tone kind.

Brooklyn sank onto her chair, grateful for the support. Her thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of everything. The boys at the police station weren’t the ones who tried to take Liam. That much she knew. But if it wasn’t them, then who?

Her frustration mounted as she realized they were starting from scratch. The lack of answers made her feel worse than before. She thought about Ethan. Maybe she should have waited for him at the station. But she needed space to think, and so far, her thinking hadn’t gotten her anywhere. She wanted to call Christie again but didn’t want to ruin the rest of her friend’s vacation. Christie would worry and that wasn’t fair.

Brooklyn decided that after work, she’d have to sit down with Liam. Maybe he could help her make sense of things. Chances were, Ethan would want to join the conversation, and maybe that was for the best. She wasn’t thrilled about involving him, but she couldn’t deny he was good at this sort of thing. This was his area of expertise, and she didn’t have the first clue. She just had to remember that Ethan, no matter how appealing he was, no matter how safe he made her feel, held a temporary position in her world.

He could be trusted with her life but not with her heart.

Brooklyn sat in her car, nervously tapping the steering wheel as she waited for Liam to come out of school. He was two minutes late. On any other day, two minutes would mean nothing, but today, she was on edge.

Where is he? she thought, glancing around. She hadn’t seen the white van, which offered some relief, but not enough to calm her racing thoughts. Hadn’t Ethan said some of the guys were here at the school, checking it out? She scanned the area but didn’t see anyone who stood out. Her hand hovered over her phone, ready to call Ethan.

Just as she was about to hit the call button, Liam stepped through the doors, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Relief flooded her, and she let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“Hey, Aunt Brooklyn,” he said as he opened the car door, but he didn’t slide in. Instead, he dumped his backpack inside and leaned down. “Would it be okay for me to stay and play video games with my friends for a bit? Mr. Williams, who runs the computer lab, is letting us play for an hour because we helped him install some updates to some computers in the lab.”

Brooklyn’s stomach rolled. “What about the science fair? Are you finished? What about your homework?” As she fired off the questions, Liam’s face fell. Guilt washed over her.

“Who is going to be there?” she asked in a much more friendly tone. It wasn’t fair to let her fear take over.

“Just Nakoa, Keoni, and me. It’s just for an hour. Mr. Williams will be there the whole time. I’m almost finished with my science fair project. I can’t do the rest until I put it in the gym tomorrow morning during science class. I only have some Math and History homework but it’s not much. I promise I’ll get it done.” Liam looked so hopeful. “Please, can I stay?”

Brooklyn’s stomach twisted. It went against every instinct to let him stay but that was her anxiety talking. “Okay,” she said and gave him a small smile. “You have fun with your friends. Do you have your cell phone with you?”

He pulled it out of his back pocket. “Here it is.”

“Call me when you’re finished. Don’t leave the school building until I am out front, okay?”

“Sure, no problem. Thanks, Aunt Brooklyn.” He closed the car door and ran back into the school building. Brooklyn watched the door close behind Liam and then started her car. As she made her way through the parking lot, her heart pounded against her rib cage.

She just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t leave him behind.

She guided her car into a parking spot, turned the engine off, and sat there. Her hands were shaking. She had no idea how long it would take to get over this whole incident, but it wasn’t going to happen today.

She wasn’t going to leave Liam in school after hours with fewer people around. What if the van came back? She’d sit there in the parking lot and wait. It was only an hour—what else did she have to do?

Brooklyn watched as the other parents came, picked up their kids, and drove away. Soon, the parking lot was almost empty. A security guard, Harry Carr, walked over and knocked on her window.

“Mrs. Alexander?” he called.

Brooklyn rolled down her window. “It’s Miss. And I’ve told you a million times, Harry—call me Brooklyn.”

The guard smiled sheepishly. “Okay, Brooklyn. Is there a reason you’re sitting here?”

“Liam’s just staying after school to help with the computer lab,” she said, keeping her tone light. “I thought, since it’s only an hour or so, there wasn’t really enough time to do anything else. It’s such a beautiful day, I figured I’d just sit here and relax a little.”

He nodded and replied, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m all good, Harry. Thanks very much.”

“All righty.” Harry tapped the door frame then moved away.

Brooklyn kept the window down, letting the breeze roll in. She didn’t know why she felt so strange—so on edge—but even Harry stopping to check in had unsettled her. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen.

She didn’t really want to talk to Ethan right now. The police station earlier had thrown her off completely. The fact that Ethan had thought to show up and update Peterson had been sweet—too sweet. And she didn’t want to feel that way about him, not since he’d ignored her after the night they’d spent together. He acted like nothing had happened; like she was a stranger. Even last night, when he’d offered to stay, he hadn’t suggested staying in her bed. Knowing he’d been on the couch, mere feet away, bordered on torture.

Still, she hesitated. If she didn’t answer, he’d probably keep calling. But she wasn’t ready to deal with him. She still needed to figure out how to deal with their kiss in the kitchen. Thank God for the kettle, or it would have been a hell of a lot more than kissing. She sent the call to voice mail and exhaled, her fingers trembling as she set the phone aside.

She glanced at her watch. Had it really only been twenty minutes? There was at least another forty minutes to go—longer if Mr. Williams let the boys keep playing. She rolled all the windows down and settled back in her seat, letting the ocean breeze wash over her.

As she looked around the now-empty parking lot, her gaze drifted to the soccer field, where a serious game was underway. She smiled when Liam’s school scored a goal. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it—a white van parked at the far edge of the lot.

Her mouth went dry, and icy fingers clawed at her chest. Could it be? Instantly, she was on high alert. Should she get out and check? Stay in the car? Run into the school and get Liam? Or call Harry back over to investigate?

None of the options felt right. If she called Harry, it could turn into a whole thing with the school—a conversation she didn’t want to have. Liam would never forgive her. She decided to sit tight. After all, the van wasn’t doing anything suspicious. Not yet. She reached for her phone and stared at it for a moment, chewing her lip. Should she? Forcing out a breath, she decided should call Ethan. If she was in danger, she had the luxury of doing nothing. But this was Liam’s safety and she wasn’t about to mess around when it came to that.

“Brooklyn, is everything okay?” Ethan’s voice came down the line.

“I’m at Liam’s school. There’s a white van in the parking lot. Liam is still inside the school but I’m worried.”

“Stay right where you are. Keep your phone next to you. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Brooklyn stared at the corner of the white van. She couldn’t see it well since there was a dark blue SUV blocking it, but the corner of the van she could see resembled the one from the other day.

Ten long minutes later, a familiar pickup truck pulled into the lot and parked next to her. Relief swept over her as Ethan climbed out. He bent down and rested his arms on the window frame. “You okay?” he asked.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. Brooklyn pointed toward the far corner of the lot. “Look over there. It looks like there’s a white van. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I’m making this up.”

Ethan scanned the parking lot. “You’re not wrong,” he said grimly. “It’s a white van.”

“Damn,” she muttered.

“Don’t worry,” he said firmly. “I’m going to check it out. Stay right here. Liam is still inside?”

“Yes. He stayed after school to play video games with his friends. I said yes, but now I’m wondering if I made the wrong call.”

Ethan leaned closer. “Is there security?”

“Harry, the guard. He’s stationed just inside the doors.”

“OK,” Ethan said. “I’ll talk to him if necessary. Stay calm and stay right here.”

Brooklyn nodded, her heart hammering as Ethan walked away. He crossed the parking lot, phone in hand, and appeared to be making a call as he casually approached the soccer field. He glanced toward the van, then veered toward the bleachers, blending in with the parents watching the game.

Brooklyn watched him, her anxiety mounting. He paced along the bleachers, occasionally changing direction to avoid drawing attention. Finally, he made his way to the van, which was partially obscured by a large SUV. For a moment, he disappeared from view.

Her pulse quickened. What’s taking so long? Then, Ethan reappeared, shaking his head as he slipped his phone into his pocket. He walked back to her car, opened the door, and slid into the passenger seat.

“It’s a white van,” he said. “But it’s not the white van. It’s a minivan. Probably one of the parents from the opposing team.”

Brooklyn exhaled and her body sagged with relief. “I’m sorry.” She rested her forehead on the steering wheel. “I just?—”

“Don’t be sorry,” Ethan interrupted, squeezing her shoulder. “You have nothing to apologize for. We found out today that the joyriding kids weren’t the ones who tried to grab Liam. I’d be scared too.”

“I just don’t understand,” she murmured, rubbing her face. “None of this makes sense. Who would want to kidnap Liam? My brother doesn’t have money. I don’t have money. There’s no benefit for anyone.”

“It’s tough,” Ethan said. He hesitated, his expression going blank.

“What is it?” Brooklyn demanded.

Ethan hesitated, then said, “I have some questions for you.”

Brooklyn immediately tensed over his serious expression and his tone. “About what?”

“About something Nova told me.”

“Nova… the cop?”

Ethan nodded. “She’s actually DEA. She was there because something happened to some of the men she arrested.”

“What does that have to do with me and Liam?”

“Hopefully nothing.” Ethan scanned the parking lot and then met Brooklyn’s gaze. “Nova ran the plates on the van for us,” Ethan explained. “They came back registered to a company.”

“A company?” Brooklyn asked, frowning. “What kind of company?”

“It’s a front,” Ethan said. “On paper, it’s just another import-export company in Hawaii. There are plenty of those around, so it wouldn’t normally raise suspicion. But Nova tied it to the Yakuza.”

Brooklyn stared at him, her breath catching. “The Yakuza? What the hell would they want with Liam?”

“I don’t know,” Ethan admitted. “But it’s not random. The Yakuza don’t ‘borrow’ vans or use their resources for no reason. Whatever this is, it’s deliberate.”

Frustrated, Brooklyn slammed her fist against the steering wheel. “No. Maybe it’s just someone who works for them and it has nothing to do with the Yakuza directly.”

Ethan shook his head. “That’s not how it works. People don’t ‘accidentally’ work for the Yakuza. If someone involved in the kidnapping attempt is tied to them, then it’s their operation.”

Brooklyn’s chest tightened as she tried to process his words. “Liam is just a kid! My brother doesn’t have anything to do with organized crime. I don’t have anything to do with organized crime. None of this makes sense.”

“I know it’s hard to understand,” Ethan said gently. “But can you think back: Has anything unusual happened recently? Anything different, even before the attempt to take Liam?”

Brooklyn shook her head. “No. It’s been normal. Liam’s dad went on his business trip, so Liam came to stay with me. That’s it.”

“What about the day it happened?” Ethan pressed. “You guys were at the coffee shop. Did anything happen there?”

Brooklyn sighed, trying to recall. “No. Liam was just playing video games with his friends in the back, like always. Dave, the owner, lets the boys hang out there as long as they follow the rules and don’t disturb his other customers. It’s safe. Dave keeps an eye on them.”

“Who was Liam playing with?” Ethan asked.

“His usual friends—Keoni, and Nakoa,” Brooklyn replied. “Ren wasn’t there that day.”

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. “Do you think anything could have happened with them? Or maybe something was said?”

“Not that I know of,” Brooklyn said. “And I didn’t want to broadcast what happened, so I haven’t mentioned the attempted abduction to anyone.”

Ethan leaned back in his seat, his mind working. “We’re going to have to talk to Liam’s friends. If he was targeted, we need to know if any of them were too.”

Brooklyn frowned. “He’s not going to like that.”

“Probably not,” Ethan agreed. “But we don’t have much of a choice.”

“Ethan, you can’t just talk to the kids without their parents’ permission. If someone did that to Liam, I’d be furious.”

Ethan considered her words and nodded. “You’re right. We’ll do it the proper way. For now, let’s talk to Liam and see if he remembers anything unusual.”

Brooklyn sighed. “Fine. Let’s wait here, take him home, and then talk to him about it.”

Ethan’s phone buzzed, and he answered it quickly. “Coop. Yeah, I spoke to Nova earlier. She gave me the rundown. Listen, I’m at Liam’s school, and we’re going to be here for a little while. Can you do me a favor? Run some names for me.”

He glanced at Brooklyn. “Keoni Kobayashi, and Nakoa Mano,” he said, repeating the names as Brooklyn supplied the last names.

“Got it,” Coop said. “I’ll get back to you.”

“I don’t know about checking out Liam’s friends,” Brooklyn commented when he hung up.

“It never hurts to know who you’re dealing with,” Ethan said. “This is an odd situation. We need all the information we can get.”

Brooklyn understood but hesitated before asking, “Did you check me out?”

“No.” Ethan hesitated. “But I did run your brother.”

She stiffened. “What? Why?”

“If your brother had been involved in something, it would’ve explained this. But he’s clean, Brooklyn. There’s nothing there. And Deanna, his ex-wife—well, she seems like a piece of work, but I don’t think this has anything to do with her either.”

Brooklyn snorted. “That’s an understatement. She and her new husband are quite the pair. But I doubt they’re involved either.”

Ethan nodded. “All right. So, here’s the plan. When Liam’s done, you’ll take him home, and I’ll meet you there after I pick up Mojo. I want him with us tonight.”

Brooklyn nodded, though her nerves were still frayed. “I don’t have a babysitter for Liam.”

“You won’t need one,” Ethan assured her. “I have an idea.”

She frowned but agreed. “Okay, I’ll see you later.” She watched him get into his pickup truck. Yakuza. That was crazy. Insane. So why was fear unspooling like a snake in the pit of her stomach?