Finally finished arguing, Leah whirled toward their aunt’s house and Alia only had a few seconds to duck and hide. Waiting for them to pass by her, she made up her mind.
“Leah! Yasir… hello!” She ran toward them, waving wildly. “Are you taking in the sights of the neighborhood too? It’s nice around here in this residential area, isn’t it?”
Yasir appeared happier to see her than Leah. He answered cordially, “Yes. We’re very lucky to come to Hawaii. It’s a beautiful place.”
“Have you been to Waikiki and seen the beaches there? I’d be happy to take you.”
“We will be going with friends tonight.”
Leah hissed a warning only Yasir was supposed to hear, but Alia was trained to pick up on such things. “Your friends, they live on the island?”
Looking slightly subdued, Yasir nodded. “Yes. They live here.”
“I’m glad you have people you know in Hawaii. It makes a vacation more fun when you can spend time with those you care about. Were they originally from Pakistan?”
Uncomfortable now, Yasir looked to Leah as if he wasn’t sure of the meaning of Alia’s words, which was crazy since he spoke perfect English. Leah chimed in. “They’re acquaintances who I met online. Yasir was only introduced to them last night. We must return to my aunt’s house now. They’re expecting us for tea.”
Walking along with them, Alia wished she could see what was inside the parcel that Yasir had shoved into the waistline of his shorts and then covered up with his new Hawaiian shirt.
Purposely, she tripped on the jutting sidewalk and flung her hands toward him to break her fall. In doing so, she managed to pull at the brown envelope from where he’d tucked it and it fell to the ground. Righting herself, she scooped it up as soon as it landed.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Yasir. Thank you for saving me from a nasty fall.”
He stuck out his hand, knowing she held his parcel. Quickly, she passed it from one hand to the other and handed it over. “I think I made you drop this. I’m just glad you were there to break my fall. Thank you again.”
She turned to go towards Sloan’s, and saw him at the open door, watching her make her way over. His expression was welcoming. Smiles lit up his face and he waved to the pair, who glanced over and then returned the gesture before disappearing.
Alia stepped through the French doors and was instantly devoured by arms that wrapped around her and lifted her off her feet.
“Roy came and told me you went out. I was worried. I knew you wouldn’t leave unless something had happened.”
She returned his hugs and kisses, happy to be where she never wanted to leave. When she could finally speak, she gently stepped back, and her outstretched hands stopped him from following. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for him to tell you right then. I just wanted him to let you know where I wasafteryou woke up.”
The passion in her voice was noticeable. The man could turn her on in seconds. Her lips wanted more of his special brand of kisses and her swollen breasts ached. Budding desire buckled her knees and a throbbing sensation clawed low down, engaging her body, releasing fluids, preparing her for the inevitable. She cleared her throat and gathered her wits so she could stop daydreaming and pay attention to his words.
“He didn’t wake me. Jack did. He wanted to report that they caught Joey and Roger, thanks to Sara’s information. It led them directly to the apartment where the two were holed up. They came out without a fight.”
Alia felt some of her stress ease. “I’m so glad. She needs to understand that cops aren’t all bad. Will she be a witness?”
“She told them she’ll take the stand if you’re with her. And, she’ll only talk to the District Attorney if you’re there too.”
“I guess that can be arranged. They’ll need to take my statement also, as well as yours. When did they set up the appointment?”
“Jack says he’ll give us some time to get this mess here organized and he’ll send in backup if we need it.”
“As long as we can have Don covering for us, we should be able to work it out between us. Right?”
“Exactly what I told him. By the way, Roy had his say after the end of the call. I suspect he overheard some of our conversation about the garage in the car while we drove here earlier. The man has ears like a rabbit when he wants to listen in.”
Alia grinned. “I gotta tell you, I love that old man.”
“Me too.” Sloan’s smile, full of tenderness, ignited her desire again. “Roy said seeing as how the doctor had told him he was getting on and he needed to cut back on working so many hours, perhaps he should retire. But Roy said he wasn’t quite ready for that. However, he did admit to thinking a shorter day would suit his lifestyle as a nanny.”
“As a what?”
“Seems he’s taken a strong attachment to my nephew and intends to apply for a position as your babysitter, since Ruby’s not here anymore. He believes you’ll be staying with me for the foreseeable future, no reason why not – his words – and he figures he’ll hang out with Kean while we’re at work.
“Did you tell him I’m an agent?”