Page 7 of Ethan's Command

Brooklyn stopped a few feet away, crossing her arms over her chest like she needed the barrier. “It’s Liam.

Ethan’s chest tightened. Liam. She’d mentioned him once in passing at the bar, and Ethan had assumed the kid was her son. His gut churned. When someone brought up kids it always made him wary. “Your son is having a problem?”

Her eyes narrowed as if her temper had flared. “He’s my nephew, not my son.”

The correction hit like a slap, but Ethan didn’t let that show either. She was full of surprises today. He nodded, forcing himself to focus. “Okay. What happened?”

Brooklyn blew out a sharp breath, her arms dropping to her sides. “Yesterday a couple of guys tried to pull Liam into a van.”

“They tried to kidnap him?”

She shrugged. “The cops said there are some teenagers going around grabbing kids, putting them in the back of a van, driving around for five minutes, and then dropping them off again. Some sort of initiation into a new gang or a TikTok trend or something. But I think it’s more than that.”

Brooklyn’s voice was tight and clipped.

Ethan studied her closely, noting the way her hands trembled before she shoved them deep into her pockets, as though trying to hide her fear.

“Explain.” Ethan kept his voice calm and measured. “Why do you think it’s more?”

“Today, we went for ice cream after school. The van—the one the kids tried to pull Liam into—I’m sure I saw it at the ice cream stand.” Her voice broke slightly, and she swallowed hard before continuing. “The windows were tinted, and I couldn’t see inside. But nobody got out of the van when it pulled in.” She hesitated, her brow furrowed. “I know there’s more than one white Chevy Express Cargo van on the Big Island, but…”

Ethan frowned, leaning closer. “But your gut is telling you it was the same one.”

She nodded, her shoulders stiff with tension. “Yes. And then, when I pulled onto our street, I saw the white van turn onto the next street over.”

“You think they followed you home?” Ethan asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

She nodded again, her movements sharp and jerky, like she was barely holding it together. “Look, I know it’s a lot to ask, but can you just check?”

Ethan exhaled slowly. “Check what?”

“I don’t know!” Brooklyn’s voice cracked as she threw her hands in the air. “You work for the Brotherhood Protectors. Isn’t this the shit that you guys do? Check the van. Check something. Find out if this is real or if it really was just some sort of prank.” Her arms wrapped around her midsection, as though trying to physically hold herself together. “How could this be a prank? How could teenagers go around throwing kids in the back of a van and it’s okay? It’s not a prank. I don’t care what the cops said.”

Ethan watched her for a moment, taking in the raw fear in her eyes. “Yeah,” he said finally. “It doesn’t sound like much of a prank. And if that’s what’s going on, it needs to stop—ASAP.” Hepaused, his voice softening. “Okay. You’re scared, and you need some help. Where’s Liam now?”

“Mrs. Forbes, who lives next door, invited him over to play with Archie, their corgi.” Brooklyn’s words rushed out. “She’s feeding him milk and cookies, which means he’s never going to eat the dinner I put in front of him after ice cream and milk and cookies. But still, I felt like it was safe to leave him there with her and Mr. Forbes while I came to find you. But, they’re elderly and I don’t want to leave him long, even though Mr. Forbes is a former Marine.”

Ethan nodded. “I see.”

“I tried to call,” Brooklyn said, her tone laced with quiet accusation.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ethan said, running a hand through his hair.She had his number?He didn’t recall giving it to her. He shook his head. “I just got back from working on a drug bust with the police. I haven’t been checking my calls.” He’d have to ask around and see who gave this woman his digits, not that it mattered, it was just a bit odd.

Brooklyn nodded, but tension ran along her shoulders. Her gaze softened as it landed on Mojo who was sitting beside her as if to comfort her. “He’s a beautiful dog.” She rubbed behind his ear again.

“Yeah, he is,” Ethan said. The whole Mojo thing unbalanced him. He gave himself a mental shake. “Okay, listen. I’ll come over to your place and check things out. I’ll set up some video cameras too. How about that? Will that help?”

Some of the tension left Brooklyn’s shoulders, her relief palpable. “That would be great. I’ll pay you for your time and for the equipment.”

Ethan waved her off. “You’re scared; I get that. Let’s take care of this.” He stood and gave her a reassuring nod. “Let mefeed Mojo and get organized. I’ll grab the equipment and be over tonight, okay?”

Brooklyn gave him a weak but grateful smile. “Yes, that would be great. I guess I owe you one. Thank you.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Ethan said firmly. “I don’t know what’s really going on, but it sounds like there’s a problem. And I’m of the school that believes you should always trust your gut. If your instincts tell you there’s more to this, then we need to take care of it. Airdrop me your address, then head home. I’ll be over in a bit.”

She fiddled with her phone a bit, then his pinged with the incoming pin. With a nod, she moved toward her car, her movements less stiff. The view from the back was just as good as the one from the front. She filled out her jeans nicely and the sway of her hips made him long to touch them. Maybe someday. He was still staring after her as she roared down the driveway, gravel spitting up behind her tires.

Ethan stood there for a moment, watching her taillights disappear. He couldn’t imagine living with the fear that something might happen to a child you loved. The whole incident yesterday sounded like a nightmare, and he couldn’t blame Brooklyn for being rattled. What surprised him was that she’d come to him for help. Surely she had other people she could have turned to. Obviously, she knew where he worked so that must be it.

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