Chapter 3

Adam walked into TFH headquarters Monday morning, somewhat rested. They'd had no midnight calls, so he had gotten over six hours of sleep, which was good for him. It was just before sunrise, so the place was quiet, although many of the team were already at work. He probably needed to have a chat with the boss about that. Dedication was a good thing, but when it was taken to the extreme, it would result in an overworked force unable to do their job.

That was one of the reasons the new team structure was going into effect in a couple of months. Granted, he noticed that Graeme wasn't in yet, so that was something. As he turned the corner, he inwardly cursed. There, in his office, sat Del, his boss. Martin Delano could be a workaholic, and the team was taking their cues from him.

He knocked on the door and then opened it.

"What are you doing in?"

Del shrugged, then winced. Yeah, his back was still not one hundred percent. "I woke up early. No matter how long I'm out of the military, I keep those hours."

Del had been Army Special Forces, although, he'd retired a few years ago to take over Task Force Hawai'i when it was first formed. He still wore his hair military short and had the same physique as a soldier in the prime of his life.

"Yeah, but all of them are here because you are."

One eyebrow rose. "Uh. They all beat me here. Hell, I think Autumn practically sleeps here."

The former DEA agent took workaholic to a new level, but Adam understood. She'd lived and breathed undercover in the DEA before she joined the TFH team. Once you live like that, it's hard to acclimate to everyday life again.

"Besides, I got a call from the Governor."

He motioned for Adam to shut the door. He did and settled in the seat in front of Del's desk.

"Not sure if you follow it, but Beyond Murder—you know the podcast?"

Adam nodded. Of course, he knew the podcast. He also knew that Jin was the person behind it. She kept her name secret, and he didn't blame her. After she had been abducted and kept by those two sick fucks, all anyone wanted to ask her about was her abduction. He figured that's why she'd been pulled into the TFH o'hana. They didn't constantly ask her to relive that horrible week.

"I figured. Anyway, Jin covered the Alana Kim murder."

He blinked. "That's the first local cold case she's covered."

Del sighed and nodded, his mouth in a grim line. Adam's "Yeah. And, of course, that caused a ruckus here."

Adam assumed she hadn't covered the case because she didn't want people to know she lived in Hawai'i, although he was sure many knew. Even with all the voice lessons she took as a reporter, she often slipped back into a cadence most Hawaiians would recognize. Covering this case would get her a lot of attention, but that wasn't always good.

"So, the Governor thinks we're his personal detective agency?" his voice came out much harsher than he planned. Del's eyebrows rose.

"Sorry, boss. It's just," he slipped his hand over his head. "It's not best for her to put herself out there."

"Not sure that's a problem. People don't know who she is."

"She's kept herself hidden for years now. If people know it's her, they'll start obsessing about everything again."

He could not bear Jin going back to the person she was in the months after the attack. She had become a shell of herself. In the last year, she seemed to find balance and happiness again.

Del didn't say anything for a few moments. Their gazes held. Adam knew Del was testing him. And he understood he was being emotional about it.

"It's not like many people here don't know who she is. Or at least, they think they know who it is."

Adam sighed as he rose to walk over to look out Del's office window. "Yeah, but this isn't just about Alana Kim. It's about that bastard Brewer. That will attract so many haoles."

"That's why I asked her to come in this morning."

Adam knew that was coming, so he just nodded. If the governor was involved—especially in an election year—they would have to talk to Jin.

"And I plan on having you work with her on the case."

His eyes widened. "Wouldn't Graeme be a better fit? He and Elle solved that cold case a couple years ago."

Del gave him a strange look. "He's working with Marcus on a few things, including setting up the teams."

Another directive from the governor. They needed teams ready to deploy to the other islands and to give the primary team time off. He was all for it when it happened. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"Also, you know what a bear he is during the last part of Elle's pregnancy. I would also hate for him to start working on it and then have to quit because she went into labor."

"Well, then, what about Cat?"

"She's working with the teams gauging who will best fit in for sniper training, and then there's the wedding. And I assure you, she doesn't have time for this. But, hey, if you want to tell her to add more work things to her schedule, you go right ahead."

Out of all of them, Cat was the best long-range shooter. Yeah, as much as he loved Cat, there was a good chance she would damage him if he came at her with another request. He went through who was left. Tamilya was leaving in a couple weeks to attend a DC conference, and Autumn was…Autumn. She wasn't great at working with others for long.

"And don't try to come up with someone else. You're the best fit for this. You remember the case, right?" Adam nodded. "That will go a long way. You have some memories of what was going on at the time. Besides, nothing may come of this. I reviewed the case this weekend, and the two detectives who worked on it did well. There just wasn't enough to go on."

Adam wanted to agree, but something in his gut told him that would not happen. People might lose their memories over time, which makes a cold case hard to deal with, but time could also shake things loose. Friends had falling outs, lovers broke off relationships, and people ran out of money to bribe others.

"She's here."

He blinked, again stunned by the comment. He turned and saw Graeme talking to her. She was laughing at something he said, and envy rose up to choke him. He and Jin had been an on-and-off item until she'd broken his trust. Then those two bastards had broken her. Now, it was always awkward when they met up. People were always around the two of them these days, and he never knew what to say.

He turned as Graeme knocked on the door. The giant Scotsman opened the door. "Hey, boss. Look what the cat dragged in this morning."

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. That smile always hit him straight in the chest, and this was no different. The first time he saw her, she had been smiling, her dimples in full force just as they were now, and her eyes sparkled. There had been a time that he worried she would never smile again.

"Good morning, Del," she said, her throaty voice filling the office. He curled his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out. "Adam."

He nodded.

"Thanks, Graeme. Please have a seat, Jin."

Graeme gave Del a suspicious look, which told Adam that Del hadn't revealed the reasons for Jin's visit with anyone but him. The other man closed the door, leaving them alone.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

Jin shook her head. "Already had too much caffeine today. Why don't you tell me why it was important for me to haul my ass out of bed to see you this morning?"

* * *

Jin had to fight the urge to start tapping her foot. She knew many people would see it as a sign of impatience, but for her, it was a sign of nerves. When Jin got nervous, she always needed to move. Pacing was her usual choice, but she was sure Del and Adam would look at her as if she'd lost her mind if she popped out of the chair. She'd had enough of that over the years from other people.

"It's almost seven."

This came from the hunk of man sitting beside her. She glanced at him quickly and shrugged. "I was up late reading."

That much was true. Of course, most of it had been reports about the Alana Kim murder. Which, knowing Adam, he would not think was a good thing for her to do. Adam always had a lot of ideas on what was good for her and what wasn't. She often disagreed with him, but it didn't make her want him any less. Before that week, she had always thought they would work out their relationship. Now, there was no chance because no man really wanted a woman as damaged as she was now.

"I feel it's about the case I called you here to discuss."

She forced herself to look at Del. He was a beautiful man with golden brown eyes and a quick smile. He wasn't her type of man, though. No, her perfect man was sitting beside her, judging her for being tired.

"And what case would that be?"

Adam made a rude noise, but she didn't look at him. Del's gaze flicked to Adam, then back to her.

"I know you try to keep your name out of it, but we know you're the host of Beyond Murder. And we have been getting all kinds of calls about it."

She said nothing, letting the time drag out as they stared at each other. She might not be an official reporter or work for a big news agency, but she still had skills. Staring down a man was absolutely something she could do.

"Alana Kim."

Just Del saying the name had her inwardly cringing.

"You have? Not HPD?"

"Yes, and I'm not sure. But as you know, we get called in when something becomes high profile."

Dammit, she did know that, but she hadn't expected it to happen like this. And definitely not this fast.

"This is high profile. Color me surprised." Jin didn't try to hide her sarcasm. There were definitely holes in the case. "I mean, it's been sixteen years since Alana Kim was left on Pounders Beach. All of a sudden, it's a priority?"

Del's mouth twitched. His wife Emma had a genius-level IQ, and from everything Jin had heard and seen, his little girl favored her mother. Both of them kept him on his toes, and from his expression, he knew she wasn't judging him.

"Did you not pay attention to the social media posts?"

She shook her head. After her rescue, she learned not to spend time on social media. Her mental health was too fragile for it. She had a PA who handled all that, and Samantha was a true gem.

"#JusticeforAlana is still trending this morning. TikTok has gone insane, along with whatever Twitter is being called today. Word on the street is that Hawai'i News Today is planning a feature this week."

"And that's why you got the call?"

He nodded. "The Governor?—"

"The Governor?" Did her voice squeak?

He nodded. "He's a bit overwhelmed with the calls from locals, but when the father of the missing man starts calling, that's a problem."

"Of course." She couldn't keep that sarcasm out of her voice. "One of the richest men in the country calls for the investigation to stop, and the governor steps in."

Del held up his hand. "That's not what's happening. Brewer is re-upping the award. And the governor wants TFH on the job."

She tilted her head, studying him, and then slanted Adam a look. God, he was so her type. Filled with muscles, all that golden skin. Before she met him, she had never liked a man with a bald head, but he was so damned sexy. Even now, with the frown, Jin's heart skipped a couple beats.

"And you think your team has better things to do?"

"No," Adam said with a shake of his head. "That murder has haunted the islands for over a decade. If it can be solved, it needs to be solved. I don't like the idea of you being put in the spotlight again."

She sighed. Adam saw her as a broken woman who couldn't handle her life. She was definitely going to mention this to Dr. Nells. Jin really liked being right about things, but this one stung. She wished things were different and he didn't know about her past. Even if it were pretend, she wanted to spend one date with him, thinking she was whole.

"I can handle it, and remember, I remain hidden. No one knows it's me."

He rolled his eyes. They were dark, almost black, but a dark golden rim surrounded his irises.

"I bet more people know than you think."

Jin frowned and wanted to refute him, but Del didn't give her time.

"Jin," he said, waiting for her to look at him again. "We're taking up the case. You know that if it can be solved, we will solve it."

That much was true. Still, this felt like a brush-off.

"And you want me to can my episodes."

He shook his head. "The governor, mayor, and attorney general want us to help you. How many more episodes about the murder do you have planned?"

"I have two more."

"Have you recorded them?"

Jin shook her head.

"You do them every other week, right?" Del asked.

"Yes." And just how did he know that? Well, he just said he listened, and she knew Emma did. It was like all her critical thinking flew out the window the moment she saw Adam. That was nothing new.

"We all listen to your podcast, Jin," Del said, pulling her attention from Adam. Admiration filled his tone, and she sat up even straighter. "Good reporting, and you don't sensationalize the story. You show respect to the victims and their loved ones. So next week, you'll have the disappearance podcast, right?"

"Yes."

"Good, we can hit the ground running. I've assigned Adam to this. I want you to share everything you have with him."

"I'm not going to?—"

He held up his hand again. "No, you're misunderstanding me. And yes, I know what you were going to say. I've had to learn to keep on my toes around smart women. Adam is going to help you in exchange for your research."

"I am?"

She didn't look at the man sitting next to her. Being shut down was one thing. Working with the man she still dreamed about regularly was terrible.

"You are. We will give you limited access—you know we have to limit what you can reveal if it is still an open case."

She nodded as her heart beat an insane rhythm.

"We'll allow you to have all the inside information on the case that we can, with the agreement that you keep it under wraps. We'll need to approve everything you release until the case is closed. We will want to keep some things out of the public because of the case."

She understood that. Law enforcement often held back information that could be used against the perpetrator.

"Adam is going to be in charge of all of that. You two can work together. He'll give you daily updates."

"I will?"

There was an edgy humor in his voice. And even though she felt as if she'd had a head-on collision with her past, she felt her lips twitch.

"You will. I have a feeling Jin has done a deep dive into the case. The original investigation was good, but I'm sure she found some things that aren't there."

She didn't say anything.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

She slanted Adam a look. "And why is that?"

"It could expose you."

Before she could tell him to bugger off—her favorite UK phrase she had picked up from Elle—Del answered him.

"Hate to tell you, that ship has probably already sailed. With a trending topic on something as obscure as this cold case, people will start trying to dig into who runs Beyond Murder."

Her breath froze in her chest. Damn. She hadn't thought about that.

"I think if you're working with her, you can get this solved faster. She can get her episodes out, and then maybe it can cool down. You can be the face of the investigation, Adam. If Jin wants to step into the spotlight, she can, but if we can give the press someone to concentrate on, she'll have that choice."

Tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she blinked rapidly to keep them under control. Jin didn't like crying. Never had it, and she knew it stemmed from her childhood. Her parents didn't appreciate displays of emotion and punished her when she showed any. It was just so kind of Del, and she knew that her friend Emma had found a prince of a man.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "You two need to devise a working plan if that's agreeable to both of you."

She sensed Adam's nod.

"Good. Now, I can get back to all the crap Emma has planned for me to do. Go away."

She chuckled and rose. "Say hi to Emma for me."

Adam opened the door for her. It was one of the things she loved about him. Jin was a feminist, but having a man pay attention to the little things was nice. Since she knew he grew up surrounded by women, Jin assumed they had drummed it into him.

"Let's go to my office," he said, motioning to his office.

Once she stepped into it, she was surrounded by pictures. There were plaques on the walls, along with photos she knew Adam had taken. They all showed his favorite places on the island. His desk and bookcase were filled with framed pictures of friends, but mostly of his family.

"How are your sisters doing?" she asked as she settled into one of the two seats in front of his desk.

He didn't answer her until he sat down. "The same, but louder."

Jin laughed. She hadn't met his sisters when they were dating, but the stories about them had never failed to make her laugh. She grew up an only child, so big families always mesmerized her.

He sobered quickly. "So, this case."

She nodded. "Yeah. I've been researching it for the last six months."

"Does it normally take you that long?"

She snorted. "No. Most of the time, it takes a month. I planned on covering the case a few months ago, but I just kept turning up things."

"Like what?"

"There's just so many avenues. Things that the press ignored back in the day."

"But not West and Iona?"

He would know their names right off the top of his head.

"No. Many people blamed them for the case going cold, but they just didn't have enough evidence. They ran a good investigation, but you can do only so much without evidence or leads."

"I haven't listened to this week's episode."

Everything in her seemed to still but her heartbeat. It was pounding so loud; she was sure Adam could hear it. "You listen to my podcast?"

He looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Of course I do. Like Del said, you do thorough investigations. I take it you think that there's more to this story than what the press covered?"

She nodded. "A lot more."

He blew out a breath. "Okay. I assume you have all the information at your house?"

She nodded. It wasn't the only place. She kept the hard copies at her house, but she had several places where she kept digital records.

"I want to look over the case and see if I can hunt up West and Iona."

"West moved to Maui a few years ago and died last year. I spoke to his wife."

"Yeah?"

"She said this case haunted him until his death."

"Makes sense. And Iona?"

"Retired. Lives over in Waimanalo. He's cagey and wouldn't talk to me."

She didn't blame him. The press had crucified him years ago, and being the Hawaiian on the case, he'd been vilified. Word was that he spent most of his days drinking and fishing.

"Okay. He might talk to me. I think my dad knew him. I'll look over the case, make some calls, and then come over to see you. Are you free this afternoon?"

She nodded. "I moved."

"I know."

"You do?"

He smiled, and she hated the funny feeling she got in her stomach. The man was gorgeous, a Hawaiian god…all bronze skin and muscles. There was just something about Adam that always tugged at her. "Yeah. You know you can't keep secrets with this motley crew."

She laughed. "True. Still have the same number?"

"Yeah."

"I'll text you my address. How about four this afternoon? I'm recording the disappearances episode this afternoon."

"Sounds good."

He saw her out of TFH and to her car. She knew it was nothing more than being a gentleman, but it was hard not to get that feeling again. Since her abduction and everything that went on with that, she rarely looked at men that way. It was hard, with the most vivid, horrible memories still crowding her thoughts. But when she was around Adam, it was difficult not to have them. He made her feel safe, but he also made her feel sexy. It wasn't that he leered at her or said anything that made her think he was still interested in her. It was just his manner, and it had been what had attracted her to him in the first.

But that ship had sailed, and there was no going back.

* * *

Autumn Bradford watched Jin and Adam as the door closed behind them, and then she sent a group text to the rest of TFH, excluding Adam and the boss.

Autumn: I think we have another couple to bet on.

Graeme: Why are you texting all of us when we are in the building?

Autumn: Cat was at the firing range.

Cat: Just walked in. What's up?

Emma: I can't be there. Del is on his way home. Keep me apprised.

Autumn: Bullpen, everyone.

She stepped out of her office just as everyone else did.

"What did I miss?" Cat asked. The sharpshooter was dressed in a t-shirt and cargo pants. Her hair was pulled back up into a ponytail. A small woman with lethal skills. Autumn admired that about her.

"Let's wait until everyone gets here," Autumn said.

As she said it, the elevator doors opened, revealing Elle, Drew, and Charity. They rushed in. Well, Charity and Drew did. Elle waddled slowly.

"Love, you shouldn't be walking."

Elle rolled her eyes as Graeme swept her into his arms as if she weighed nothing.

"How'd shooting go?" Drew asked Cat as he kissed her cheek.

Cat gave her fiancé a toothy grin. "Fantastic. I think I have the top two candidates for Team Bravo."

The front doors opened, and they all turned, probably worrying like she did that it would be Adam or Del. Those two did not like the betting pools.

Instead, it was Tamilya, Marcus, and the newest team member, Seth Harrington. Everyone called him Harry. She called him Seth or SEAL. The former SEAL made her nervous when he looked at her with clear grey eyes.

"What's shaking?" Marcus said. His voice had that southern twang that made most women melt, but it didn't matter. The hot African American was all in with his girlfriend, Tamilya.

"According to Autumn, there's another couple to bet on," Drew said as he zeroed his gaze at her. "Do you have something to tell us?"

"No. There is enough insanity around here, and I will never lose my mind over a man."

"Not even Ian?" Charity asked with a laugh. "He spends a lot of time here."

"Gross. No. He's like a brother to me." The former MI-6 agent now worked for Dillon Security. They went way back, more than most people knew. She pushed those thoughts aside. "Jin was in today. Boss assigned Adam to work with her on the Alana Kim case." Autumn had a feeling they didn't know everything about the case. No one did, but…again, she pushed those thoughts away. She would deal with that when she felt the time was right.

"Oh…ooooooh," Charity said. "They have a history."

"Yeah, I always had that feeling." Autumn joined the team about a year after Jin's abduction, so she didn't know the entire history.

"That would be such a sweet thing," Elle said. She was the closest to Jin.

"Cat can't handle the bets. She's going to be too busy." Charity's phone went off with the Avengers theme from that first movie. Fitting since her husband's first name was Thor.

"TJ wants in on whatever we're betting."

TJ was their FBI liaison, who had first been sent to investigate Charity and fell in love with her. She understood the attraction on both parts since TJ was a hot FBI agent with a quick smile, and Charity was so quirky and gorgeous.

"Maybe he should be in charge of the betting," Seth said.

"Why would we do that?" she asked, still not looking straight at him. She knew it was a tell, but she couldn't help it.

"We all have training. And when are you leaving?" Seth asked, looking at Tamilya.

"Two weeks from today."

"TJ won't be as caught up as us."

"Good idea," Cat said.

"He said he is okay with handling it," Charity said.

"So, what's the bet?" Graeme asked.

"How long will they hold out?" Autumn asked. When everyone agreed, she smiled. "Text TJ."

Pulling out her phone to text, she noticed she had missed one from Ian.

Ian: Word is one of The Circle is back on the islands.

Her blood went cold.

"What's wrong?"

She jumped when she realized Seth had snuck up on her. He was always doing that, too, which irritated her. She rarely let anyone sneak up on her. Growing up in her father's cult, followed by working undercover for the DEA, had taught her how to pay attention to threats.

"Nothing. Just forgot to do something."

She sent in her bet, then slipped her phone into her back pocket again.

"Better get your bet in, SEAL."

His mouth quirked. "Already done. Why do you call me SEAL?"

She shrugged. "Just feel like it."

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out.

Ian: Your apartment in 20.

"Well, this has been fun, Seth." He frowned at her, and she wanted to smile, but she didn't. She knew he hated his first name. "I gotta see a man about a thing. Heading out, Graeme. Gotta meet an informant."

He nodded, and she turned off her office lights and grabbed her keys. She could feel Seth's gaze burning into her back, but she ignored it. She had to concentrate on the critical news Ian had just sent and what the hell the two of them would do about it.