Chapter 15

About an hour later, they were done. Ali had returned for a few minutes while they discussed certain areas they should search. It was agreed that Maura would do most of the computer work. While they weren't sure if Devon had been detected, it wasn't a good idea to take a chance. Devon had no problems with that as long as he was kept in the loop.

He walked to the door with Conner.

"You will not go play on your computer."

A statement not a question. "I promise."

Conner gave him a look that told Devon he didn't believe that comment.

"Just stay off any searches that would lead to Ali. Do anything that's normal for you. If you are being monitored, we want them to think nothing has changed. The story has been filtered out through the club that Micah's worried about the baby, so you came home early."

"Some semblance of the truth is always the best."

Conner chuckled. "True. Don't hesitate to call me. If there is someone behind this, he or she killed a man of great value to the security systems, not only in the UK but to ours also. I want to nail this bastard."

He nodded and closed the door. When he turned, he found Kaheaku standing behind him. He stood there, his hands in his pockets, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world. Devon wasn't fooled. His cool green eyes took in everything. There was no doubt in Devon's mind that Kaheaku could kill him if he made a wrong move.

"We need to talk," Kaheaku said.

Devon inwardly stifled a groan. He wanted Kaheaku gone. Apparently that wasn't going to happen until he had his say.

"Let's go," Devon said.

He didn't look behind him as he walked down the hall to his study. Stepping in, he walked to his desk and sat down. He waited for Kaheaku to shut the door and take one of the two seats in front. When he didn't say anything, Devon decided to get the ball rolling.

"Have your say."

Kaheaku said nothing for a long moment. "Alicia has been on her own for a while now, but I feel that I should be watching out for her."

"Why is that?"

"Her father is gone and, without any kind of family around, I think she needs someone to make sure she isn't taken advantage of."

"I don't think she would appreciate you doing this."

Sean's lips twisted. "Probably not."

It bothered him that Kaheaku knew Ali better than he did. He knew there was nothing sexual between the two of them. All you had to do was be in the same room with the two of them. There was no sexual chemistry. But, they had a history that had been irritating him…along with one question.

"Answer me this, why didn't you worry about her before?"

"I did. I looked for her after Walter died. I heard about the explosion and for a while, they believed it was her." He sighed. "I already had my own issues at the time, and when it actually happened, I was in deep undercover in…well, let's not talk about that."

"Once you did hear?"

Kaheaku shook his head. "I never believed it. Walter, yes, but Alicia? That woman was raised to be a Teflon cat. She lands on her feet without much damage. I think MI-6 knew it wasn't her. Her DNA was on file."

"Why would they let people believe it was her?"

"Two reasons. One would be they might assume someone was after her. Because of her family, Alicia was well known in the organization. If she were alive, she was finding out who was after her. Sending out feelers could end with her death, so why mess with her."

"And if someone wasn't after her?"

"They would assume she was dirty and had decided to disappear. Best for them because of the embarrassment. If Walter and Alicia—two of their most trusted spies from their most trusted spy family—were to be found out to be dirty, that would be bad. Very bad."

It was his turn to study Sean. "Her own people would turn on her?"

Sean snorted. "You were with the Company. You know what those bastards are like."

"Yeah. But I don't know why you think I should have anything to do with you now?" He couldn't help but still feel a twinge of jealousy. Sean knew more about her and her life than Devon did. Apparently, the security expert picked up on it.

Sean rolled his eyes. "I'm not competition. That would be almost incestuous. I saw her as a little sister."

That didn't make him feel any better. "And?"

He stood and paced around the room. His movements were so out of character, Devon knew something was bothering him.

"You don't know how it was for her."

"Explain."

"Her father loved her, but he was fanatical about training her. When other girls were having sleepovers, Alicia was running drills. It wasn't easy for her."

"Okay."

"I thought he would never slip up. He was a legend in the business. I think both the CIA and KGB had studied him over the years. There was no situation he couldn't get out of. Or at least, I thought there wasn't. And when she disappeared right after her father died, I looked for her like I said. When I couldn't find her, I feared the worst. Little did I know she made one mistake."

"And that would be?"

Sean stopped pacing. "You."

Devon said nothing to that. He couldn't because he didn't like being anyone's mistake. Although…now that he thought of it, if a mistake was the best night of his life, he would gladly call himself a mistake.

"Oh, good lord, stop looking like that. It's disgusting."

Devon focused on Kaheaku again. "What?"

"I'm trying to have a conversation with you here, Stryker. You're getting all moony eyed and, damn, you're sweating."

He wasn't, was he? Now that he thought about it, it was kind of hot in his office.

"Sorry. Go on."

Sean collapsed in the chair he had vacated just a few moments earlier.

"She never had a boyfriend, you know. I'm pretty sure her first time in bed was on the job."

That cooled his libido. "Are you trying to tell me that she lost her virginity on the job?"

Sean nodded. "I don't like to think about it, mainly because it kind of grosses me out."

"Really?"

"Answer me this, Stryker. Do you want me to go into the last time I saw your sister and her husband put on a demonstration at Rough ‘n Ready?"

He shook his head. "Point taken."

"She made a mistake with you. She should have just taken you down. The woman is lethal with her hands. A lot of people don't know that, but she is. She is almost always armed. Her father taught her well. And if she wanted to get information out of you right off, she could have interrogated you and gotten what she wanted. Instead, she ended up sleeping with you. Worse, she let you slip away."

"She was using me."

"You don't know much about the spy business, so I'll let you in on a little secret. A honey trap is a long kind of job. It's one way to gain the trust of the subject. Sometimes, it takes weeks to work. That was not what she should have been doing."

He shrugged. "She made a mistake."

"Yes, and if there is one person who knows how to work strategy, it would be Alicia. She should have known not to do that. She had one night…you don't go through with sex if you have them cornered. She had you cornered. Just know this, Stryker, you hurt her, I'll make sure they can't identify your remains."

"Is that a threat?"

The smile Kaheaku gave him had nothing to do with humor. "I don't issue threats, Stryker. I do offer promises, however."

"Understood."

"Do you know what your intentions are?"

"My main intention is to keep her and my child safe."

"I guess I can't ask you about after, because at the moment, there are too many variables."

He knew he could let it lie at that, but Devon decided to clear the air completely.

"Know this, I plan on making sure that both Ali and Bridget are safe but after, I do not plan on disappearing. Whether Ali likes it or not, I am sticking around for the next few decades."

Alicia found herself at loose ends. With Bridget gone, she didn't know what to do with herself. She had been honest with Devon. Since bringing Bridget home from the hospital, Alicia had never spent a night apart from her. She had been gone for less than half a day and she had talked to her daughter four times, and Dee had sent her at least a dozen pictures of the girls playing.

She walked down the stairs. Her life had changed so much over the years, but now she realized how much her own identity was wrapped up in her child. It wasn't something that bothered her, and she didn't regret it one bit.

Still, she was going to have to learn how to deal with being alone at some point. She heard the tapping of keys and realized that Devon was at work. She didn't really want to bother him.

Now, that's a lie, Ali girl.

She sighed as her father's voice filtered through her brain. If there was one person who knew her, it had been her father. And sadly, there things that she hid from him. Alicia wanted something. She wanted to ask Devon questions, but she was afraid of the answers. Right now she seemed to be missing the courage to face them.

I trained you better than that.

"Oh, bugger off."

The tapping stopped and she realized she had said the words out loud. She truly was losing her head.

"Ali?" Devon said from his office.

She stepped away from the direction of the office, but the floor creaked beneath her feet.

She heard his chair move, so she decided to face the music. When she stepped into the office, she was stunned at the size of it.

"This house keeps surprising me."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't expect it to be so huge."

"Hawaii isn't known for them, but the builder had a lot of money. Then, the recession hit so I got this at a steal. Granted, most Hawaii real estate is going up, but this guy was at the end of his financial rope."

He watched her as she walked around the room. "Is there something you needed?"

She shook her head looking at the pictures. Nothing too old, but lots of them with Dee and her family, then some with Evan and other people.

"You have a nice network of friends."

He said nothing and she turned around. "Friends?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I never had that many because we lived all over the world. Well, until my cousin moved in with us."

"Why did he do that?"

"She. Her parents died. We were her only family, so father and mum took her in. She's a couple years older than I am."

He said nothing, just kept watching her. Guarded. He guarded all his thoughts around her. It irritated her even though she did the same thing.

"What about college?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I didn't go."

"Well, I didn't either."

"Father said I would be bored and he was probably right." Although, she had wanted to go. She had wanted the fun that Millicent was having. Parties, boys, learning for the first time outside of her father's instruction.

"I guess I should let you get back to work."

He shook his head. "I'm done for now. I was taking care of some emails. I also put your name in a database search engine I have. I want to see if anyone has been looking for you."

"There's someone, that's for sure."

He nodded. "But I mean still. If they search for you here, it would set off some alarm bells. Right now, they think you're in Washington. Or at least on the mainland."

She nodded but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Why don't you tell me why you're wandering around the house?"

"I don't know what to do."

"You don't let her stay over many nights?"

"Since we came from the hospital."

He opened his mouth, then it snapped shut. "Didn't your cousin…"

She shook her head. "When I say no one knew where I was, I was serious. My cousin has no idea where we are. That was for her protection as well as ours."

"Tell you what. Why don't we get some wine and go watch the sunset?"

It sounded romantic and very tempting. She hadn't had much romance in her life, and definitely not the last few years.

"You don't have to entertain me, Devon."

His lips curved and when he spoke his voice dipped an octave lower. "Good, then you can entertain me."

He stood and stretched. His back made cracking noises. "Damn, I sat there too long. I could definitely do with some wine."

He walked passed her and grabbed her hand as he did. She had no choice but to follow him. And he was right. Relaxation might just bring her head back to where it needed to be.