“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” James Johnson said. “I don’t know what you’ve gotten into, which is what I told Vaughan, but remember what I said. These people are untouchable.”
“I take it that they have high-level politicians and authorities in their pockets, and they think they can get away with murder.”
“I didn’t say that,” his father murmured. “You did.”
“Understood.” Rex stepped out onto the deck, his gaze sweeping the crowd, memorizing faces. Holte’s was missing. Vaughan stood with several men, laughing at something someone had said.
A woman was being held hostage. People had died in that container, and the billionaires acted as if it was just another day.
“You can go around with your eyes closed to this kind of evil,” Rex said. “I can’t.”
As Rex crossed the gangway, he reached into his pocket for the GPS tracker. He pretended to trip to distract anyone who might be looking as he tossed the tracker into La Petite Lolita, Vaughan’s tender boat.
He regained his balance, straightened his suit and walked down the dock toward his truck.
A man in a dark jacket and black ball cap stepped off the deck of a catamaran and fell in behind him.
When Rex passed a sailboat, another man in a black jacket and ball cap fell in step with the catamaran guy.
Rex kept walking. When he arrived at his truck, the two men split and disappeared among the parked vehicles.
With a grin, Rex climbed into his truck and left the harbor. He hadn’t gone far when another vehicle pulled in behind him. He pulled his cell phone out and called Devlin.
“That you behind me, Dev?”
“Roger,” Devlin answered. “It was such a lovely evening, Teller and I decided to hang out at the harbor.”
“Right,” Rex said. “I fully expected a tail. Didn’t think it would be you.”
“Don’t get too cocky, we have a tail behind us, and it’s gaining speed,” Devlin said. “We’ll keep him busy. But you might want to take Kimo somewhere besides your apartment, in case they’ve already looked up your address.”
Rex’s hand tightened on his cell phone. “Right. Thanks.” He pressed the accelerator hard, gaining speed. Sixty, seventy, eighty and more. At the same time, he called Angel. “I’ve got a tail, and now that Holte and Lucien Vaughan know my name, they might pay a visit to my apartment. Move Kimo from my apartment to the safe house.”
“The cottage you’ve been renovating?” Angel asked.
“Yes. It’s not in my name. They’d have a hard time finding it in any records, especially overnight.”
“On it,” Angel said and ended the call.
The headlights falling further behind him swerved right and left, keeping the vehicle on their tail from passing.
When he normally turned onto Kuihelani Highway to enter Kahului on the side of town where his apartment was located, he took a left and followed Honoapilani Highway, leading into the northwest corner of town. Once he reached the beach road, he headed north.
He turned off onto a dirt road that led down to the beach and a cottage he’d been restoring a little at a time. It was close to being done on the inside, but other than replacing the roof, he’d purposely left the outside for last. Vegetation blocked it from view of the water, and the beach was surrounded by rocks, making it impossible for boaters to pull ashore.
Angel’s SUV was parked beside the cottage.
Rex pulled up beside his vehicle, got out and started toward the cottage.
Angel stepped out onto the porch and called over his shoulder. “It’s Rex.”
Kimo shot through the door, down the steps and into Rex’s arms.
He crushed her to him, burying his face in her dark hair.
“I was fine until they said you were being followed,” she said, her voice muffled by his suit jacket.
“No, she wasn’t,” Leilani called out. “She paced the entire time you were gone.”
