Page 75 of Harmless Secrets

Unfortunately, Sean Kaheaku was just as rude as he was. He opened the door and walked into the room. Devon shot him a dirty look.

“Want to tell me what all the yelling is about?” Kaheaku asked.

“She left.”

“Yes, she did. But right now, what was all that yelling about up in the room? Bridget’s a little upset.”

He sighed as guilt tightened his gut further. Great, now he was pissed and he felt guilty because he had frightened his daughter.

“Do you want to know what she called me?”

“I believe she said you were acting like a jackass.”

Of course he heard that. Everyone heard it. The whole entire community of Kaneohe probably heard it.

“The man who saved her.”

“And you were acting like a Neanderthal.”

He opened his mouth to tell Kaheaku to go fuck himself. That’s when he noticed the smile.

“Don’t get me wrong. If Alicia was my woman, I’d have been just as pissed. Jackass would probably be too mild of word for my behavior in that situation. I wouldn’t care if she was an expert shooter—and she has been graded as such. She should have never left like that, but she wasn’t thinking straight. She was trying to protect Bridget, and she was trying to protect you.”

“As if I couldn’t do that myself.”

Kaheaku chuckled. “I’m sure if Alicia were here, she would point out that she finished her training and you didn’t.”

He offered Kaheaku a one finger salute.

“But I also heard her tone.”

“Yeah, and what tone was that?”

“A woman in love.”

Irritated, he started to pace again. “I can’t believe she ran off like that.”

“To confront the bitch.”

“Yes. And she left me with a note,” he said, motioning with his head toward the note. It was sitting on his desk, and he was still pissed about it. “Who leaves a note when they are running off to kill a woman?”

“Well, she is a Hughes,” Kaheaku murmured, as he picked up the note.

“What the bloody hell does that mean?”

The other man looked up, a smile curving his lips. “Now you sound like Alicia. And for the meaning, the family is legendary for putting country before their own safety.”

“Well, I think that legend can be put to death,” he said, tossing back the rest of his whiskey. “Millicent took care of that.”

“No one will ever hear about that, you know? The family will have a reputation that is as sterling as the queen’s silver.”

“Thanks to Ali.”

“Partially, but don’t think this has anything to do with the reputation of her family. Her running off like that was because she had some kind of stupid idea of protecting you and in turn, protecting Bridget.”

Devon collapsed in his chair. “I am so fucking sick of all the riddles. It was why I was never going to be good in the CIA. I like to play with puzzles, but I need facts in my personal life.”

Kaheaku was apparently in the mood to take pity on him. “She left you this before she went to kill Millicent?”

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