Page 54 of Emi's Hero

He couldn’t wait to meet Sara. If she was anything like her mother, George would find it easy to love her, too.

Love?

George almost tripped over his own feet. The “L” word had never surfaced in his vocabulary except for the love he had for his family.

Hawk looked up from setting plates on the table. “Hey man, are you feeling all right? You look a little pale.”

George drew a deep breath and let it out, hoping it would clear his head of some very unsettling thoughts. Thoughts he wasn’t ready to internalize. “I’m feeling fine,” he looked around, “and hungry. What’s Ule whipped up for dinner?”

“Chicken Cordon Bleu, fettuccini with cream sauce, Ceasar’s salad and a chocolate cream pie,” Kalea said. “All of myfavorites.” She leaned close to George. “I think he’s trying to impress Emi.”

“It won’t take much to impress me,” Emi came up behind Kalea. “For the past eight years, I dreamed of spaghetti and meatballs, hamburger and French fries or my mother’s meatloaf.”

“I’ll let Ule know,” Kalea said. “He makes an incredible meatloaf. And you’ll have to try some of his more traditional Hawaiian dishes.”

“I’d love that,” Emi said.

“Emi, before I forget, Dr. Rhodes stopped by while you were out with George.” Kalea leaned closer to Emi and whispered in her ear.

Emi smiled. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”

“He said you can take a multivitamin with iron to improve that,” Kalea said. “Or eat some of Ule’s good cooking.”

“I will.” Emi grinned. “Thanks.”

George wondered what kind of food Emi had been given in the compound. He suspected not the best and not enough. She was almost too thin.

Every time he thought of her alone in the cell or being forcibly raped, anger burned through him. He’d be hard-pressed to keep from killing the bastard at the luau. If not for Sara, he’d beat the shit out of the man like that bastard had done to Emi. Then he’d take him out into the ocean and leave him, just like he’d left Emi.

They settled around the table, passing platters of food around until everyone had a plate full of deliciousness.

George ate quietly, his thoughts on finding the man who’d stolen eight years of Emi’s life. He listened as Hawk went over what would happen the following evening at the luau. He’d arranged for four more of his teammates to be there. Three ofthe four were already on Oahu. The fourth one would fly over from Maui that night to be ready to roll out the following day.

Kalea would fly Hawk, George, her father and Emi over in the morning. They’d meet at Devlin Mulhaney’s home in Honolulu, distribute communications devices, tracker tags and check their weapons. When it came time to go to the luau, they’d split up and travel to the event location in different vehicles.

George and Emi would rent a car to take them. Emi would dress like a teenage boy and go as George’s younger brother. Hawk, Kalea and her father would arrive in another car and mingle with the other top-tier philanthropists. Mr. Parkman would work on Hollingsworth to see if he could name the man in the picture.

“The other four team members will float in through the attendees, keeping in contact via their radio headsets.

“George, your number one priority is to protect Emi,” Hawk said.

George didn’t need his boss to tell him that. Protecting Emi already was his number one priority. It had been since he’d pulled her from the ocean.

After dinner, Kalea and Hawk went to the barn to check on the mare and her baby and to look in on the puppies.

George asked Emi, “Do you want to go with them?”

Emi shook her head. “No. I just want to go outside and breathe the night air.”

“Sounds perfect.” George walked out onto the back porch with Emi.

She leaned against the rail and stared up at the sky. “I haven’t seen the stars in eight years,” she said. “I’d almost forgotten how beautiful they were. Sara has never seen stars.”

“Another first for her,” George noted.

“I can’t wait to show her,” Emi said. “And I can’t wait to introduce her to her grandparents. My mother will spoil her withhugs, kisses and cookies.” Her smile faded. “I wonder how my mother and father will act when I show up on their doorstep.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m not who I used to be. What if they don’t like who I am?”

George gripped her arms gently and pulled her back to lean into him.

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