Kimo’s eyebrows rose. “Has he tried to contact you in all that time?”
Rex frowned. “No. He clearly disowned me when I joined the Army.”
“Then why do you any favors now?” she asked.
The same thoughts had crossed Rex’s mind. “Guilt?” Even as he said it, he doubted the idea.
Kimo snorted. “Based on all you’ve told me, the man has no compassion or possibly no moral compass—much like the people who sank the shipping container with people inside it.”
“My father is giving me the chance to speak with Holte. I’m taking the chance.” He reached for her hand. “If we don’t find that camera, we have no leverage. We have to do whatever we can to help our friend.”
Kimo’s fingers tightened around his. “In the short amount of time we’ve been together, I feel like we’ve known each other for a lifetime. I’d hate for anything to happen to you. I kind of like having you around.”
Rex’s heart squeezed hard in his chest. “I kind of like being around.” He lifted his chin. “I’ll be careful. As much as I trust Angel to protect you, I’d rather be the one.”
Kimo nodded and brought his hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to the backs of his knuckles.
Rex held onto her words and the feeling of her lips against his skin as he drove the rest of the way to his apartment.
He didn’t like that murderers had drowned people in a shipping container. He was furious that the same murderers held Kimo’s friend hostage. He didn’t like that Kimo was in danger. If he had to walk into a lion’s den, he would for them.
For her.
Chapter 11
While Kimo paced outside Rex’s room, Angel and Leilani raided the kitchen.
“Looks like we have a choice between leftover pizza, moldy cheese, or eggs,” Leilani said. “Choose your poison.”
“I’m not hungry.” Kimo continued pacing.
Leilani pulled plates from a cabinet and set Angel to work microwaving pizza. She emerged from the kitchen and stood close to Kimo’s path. “He’s going to be all right.”
Kimo stopped. “How do you know? He doesn’t even know where exactly he’s going. His father, whom he hasn’t spoken with for over a decade, says to meet him at a marina, no questions. Who does that?”
Leilani shrugged. “I don’t like that part either, but Rex is trained in special operations.”
“The difference between his experience and what’s happening now is that he knew who the enemy was.” Kimo threw up her hands. “We don’t know who’s behind what’s going on.”
Angel came out of the kitchen, carrying two plates piled with pizza slices. “The thing about knowing who the enemy was isn’t true. There were many operations we went into where we didn’t know who was friend and who was foe.” He laid the plates on the dinette table. “We relied on quick reflexes and instinct to get out of tight situations or to protect our brothers in arms. Rex has good instincts and the added experience of growing up around the rich and morally challenged. He’s not going in completely blind.”
Kimo tipped back her head and closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her wildly beating heart. “I hear you.”
She opened her eyes and gave her friends a weak smile. “Rex has combat training and experience working with a team. I worry that he’s going alone. No one will have his six like he’s had mine.”
“I don’t like that either,” Angel said. “But Rex is a smart guy.”
“Perfect timing for my entrance,” a deep voice sounded behind Kimo.
Kimo turned, and her breath lodged in her lungs.
Rex stepped out of his bedroom, clean-shaven, his hair slicked back, the black, tailored suit making his gray eyes even darker.
When he smiled at her, he took her breath away. “Is this okay?”
Dumbstruck, all Kimo could do was nod.
Leilani let out a low whistle. “Wow,” she said. “You clean up nicely.”
