Page 17 of Riptide

Seth took her in his arms. Kaimana leaned into him, holding him for dear life, yet still afraid to trust anyone.

“Kaimana, it’s going to be all right,” he told her. “I can keep you safe. I promise. I’ll make sure your brother is safe too. You’ve got to trust me. Please say you’ll let me help you.”

“I don’t know. What if—”

“This will be confidential. I swear it on my life. I won’t let them get to you.”

Kaimana slowly pulled herself from his embrace but still held tight to his hand. Evan had always told her she needed to learn when to ask for help. There was a time to fly alone, but sometimes you needed to fly within the safety of your flock.

“Yes….okay.” She nodded, praying she’d made the right decision. With few options left, she didn’t have room for mistakes. Evan’s life depended on it and so did hers. “Call Garrett.”

* * *

“Where are we?” Kaimana asked as they docked the tender, taking in the sight of the manicured lawn. “Maybe we should go back to the yacht. My brother—”

“Keanu is going to be fine. I know it’s hard to trust, but Garrett’s team is going to take care of him. We did the right thing. We got off the boat. It’s important the yacht stays on course to Honolulu. Tonight we stay away from Oʻahu and Evan’s boat.”

“What is this place?” Kaimana asked as she stepped onto the dock and looked to the large house on the hill.

“This is home for now,” Seth told her.

Kaimana scanned her surroundings. “Whose house is this? You sure this is safe?”

“The property is secure.” Seth pointed to a palm tree. “Camera. I’ve got them all over. The beach is public, of course, but that’s way down the coast. The top of the cliff, right there where the house is, is private, as is the entire property. There’re cameras everywhere. A myriad of security measures are in place.”

As they ascended the stairs, the great home came into view, lights sparkling along the surface of the rectangular pool. Surrounded by lush greenery, the majestic mansion appeared to blend into the foliage around it.

They approached the back of the home, and Seth reached for a small panel on the outside of the door, revealing a biometric facial scanner. He leaned his face to the screen and allowed it to verify his identity. Within seconds, a lock clicked open, and bifold floor-to-ceiling glass doors hummed as they slid open, allowing them to enter. “Come on in and I’ll lock things down. I think it’s safe to say we both need to relax a little. And honestly after what happened on that boat, I’ll feel better when everything is locked up and we’re safe inside.”

“Yeah, I one hundred percent agree.” Kaimana slowly took in the sight of Seth’s house.

Far from the pretentious, cold, modern interior she’d anticipated, the house reminded her of home. Potted palms lined the walls of the spacious family room. A large wooden dining table sat adjacent to an open kitchen, glasses and pans hanging from the ceiling. She gave a small smile at the surfboard that hung on the wall across from the fireplace, framed photographs surrounding it.

Seth’s words drifted off into the distance as she walked across the room and studied a picture. Caught in an action shot, the blond-headed surfer shredded what she guessed was a fifty-foot wave. Skating death, Seth truly defied nature.

Her attention went to an intricately carved wooden frame. In the picture, a bare chested, Seth wore a traditional malo low on his hips, his arm wrapped around a beautiful woman dressed in a colorful kīkepa. She wore a lei around her neck and a red hibiscus flower clipped into her long brown hair. In another photograph, Seth beamed in joy, embracing a younger attractive woman. Does he have a girlfriend? A pang of jealousy stabbed at her, and she quickly shoved away the irrational thought. He didn’t belong to her…he never would.

Kaimana went still as Seth came up behind her, the warmth of his body radiating to hers. “These are lovely.”

“My makuahine.” He pointed to a picture. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she? That one there’s my sister.”

“They’re both beautiful.” A strange sense of relief washed over her. Not a girlfriend.

“Ah, my mom’s going to kick my butt for not calling her,” Seth said.

“I’m sorry.” Guilt threaded through Kaimana, and she wanted to shrink.

“It sucks I can’t call them, but she’d be more upset if I got myself killed a second time on purpose.”

“Your mom—” She turned to him and gazed into Seth’s hazel eyes. “She’s Hawaiian?”

“Sure is.” He laughed as he plowed his fingers through his hair. “I know, I know. It’s the blond. As you probably guessed, my dad isn’t from here. He lives in California.”

“I can see why you’d want to live both places.”

“This house. It was my grandma’s land, her home. I try to keep it the way she’d want it. Her spirit lives here. You can see her all around us in the beautiful rain forest. It’s everywhere.” He placed his hand onto an intricately carved wooden credenza. “From the trees we grow to the fruit to Pua Aloalo.”

“Well this—” She scanned the room, taking in the classic surroundings, and glanced up to the carved paddles that hung on the walls. “It’s beautiful. Really lovely.”