Page 22 of Justified Fear

“Thank you for your hospitality,” he said.

“Yes.That is the best French toast I’ve had in a while,” Kap said.

Keely blushed a little.“Thanks.”

“I’ll walk you two out,” Riki said.

Kap stepped out following Riki, but Ryan wasn’t ready to go.Maya stood by his side waiting.

“Thanks again for brunch.”

She smiled, and that dimple winked at him.“No problem.”

Then, they said nothing else.

“You’ll call me if you find anything out?Or if you find Ray.He was annoying, but I hope he’s okay.”

“Annoying how?”

“I got that he had worked a lot of parties there.I also understood that he is more established than I am on the island.But when I work, I am there to work.I’m not there to pick up a man.He was constantly dropping hints of doing something together.”

His hands were in fists.“Did he try anything?

She blinked.“No.It was just kind of gross, you know?He thought I would take the food the host paid for and go out for a party after dinner.That is not how I work.”

His mouth twitched.“No.”

“But if you find him, please let me know.I hate that I couldn’t get word to them to run, but it was probably already too late.They were inside when the shooting started.”

“Hey, don’t feel guilty.Like you said, they were inside when it started.There was no way for you to make it back in there.”

She sighed.“Yeah, well…I still feel bad.”

He nodded.

“I have the same number.Dad got me a replacement, so just call me on that number.You know.Anytime.”

He nodded, and the urge to brush his mouth against her cheek almost overwhelmed him, but he suppressed it.

“Bye, Keely.”

“Bye.”She looked down at Maya and smiled.“You keep an eye on your partner.”

Then, he slipped out the door.Kap and Riki were chatting like they were old friends.

“I know I’m being a damned bear, but she’s my little girl.Well, not so little anymore.”A sigh.“She’s always been independent from day one.We didn’t have to teach her anything.After three boys, I thought we would have it easy with a girl.I was so wrong.I don’t like leaving her on her own.”

He and Kap shared a look.“You’re leaving?”

“No choice.My mother…she’s not well.That’s why she lives with us now, and she doesn’t do well if I am gone for a long period of time.We’ll be staying for a few days, but then we have to get back.I would have brought my mother with us, but I felt the situation would be too stressful.”

“We’re doing everything in our power to find out what is going on with that attack.We have a top-notch forensic specialist who excels at uncovering information.We even have our FBI liaison helping.”

“If there is anything you need, I want you to call me.I can get things moving in Hawai’i.I rarely flex my muscle for my family, but that’s my baby girl in there.”

“Of course,” Kap said.

“Thank you for saving her.She’s…” He cleared his throat.“It would have broken us.”