Free Touch of Betrayal, A by L. j. Charles

hijack to help you find Millie when she disappeared from this place.”
    “Not a valid point. They trust me.” It was barely there, almost indiscernible, but doubt lingered behind Pierce’s words.
    Time for me to push my miniscule advantage. “No. Harlan won’t trust anyone, not since someone tried to kill Millie. They’ll go deep into the Hawaiian underground. You know they will, just like my grandfather did for all those years he remained hidden. Back when I didn’t know my grandparents were still alive—well, Aukele anyway.”
    Grief spread through my chest. It still hurt that I’d never met my grandmother, and if I was honest, I hadn’t forgiven my parents for keeping them a secret.
    “We’re not catching a break on this. Sorry I can’t give you time to process, Belisama, but we need to find those three shamans.” He straight-armed the front door, guiding me through. “Worse than tracking a damned Navy SEAL,” he growled under his breath.
    An inhalation filled my nose with a mix of sweet Hawaiian air and the exhaust fumes from the parking garage. “We’re going to Annie’s now, right? I desperately need a shower.” And I wanted my best friend. And an Internet connection so I could reach Mitch, plus Annie and I both had iPhones, so I could borrow her charger.
    Pierce’s hand fisted against the small of my back. “Yeah. I’ll give her a heads up.”
    I reached for his phone. “How about you let me text Mitch first? He hasn’t answered any of my messages yet.” My words spun out slowly, a perceptible whimper lingering beneath them. Embarrassing. I stole a sideways glance at Pierce, hoping he hadn’t noticed my inner two-year-old slipping to the surface.
    Every ounce of color had leached from his face.

 
    EIGHT
     
    I spun around, surveying the Straub parking garage . No one in sight. Nothing out of place. No warnings tingling along my skin. So why did Tynan Pierce look scared? “What’s the matter with you, Pierce? You went ghost on me.”
    Silence. Damn the man to perdition.
    His non-communicative style nudged my low level of irritation into full-blown pissed off. I inhaled a calming breath, but my leg muscles still ached with the need to stomp my foot at his excellent rendition of a stone wall.
    He urged me toward the Jeep with a well-placed fist, his knuckles rubbing against the middle of my back. “Hungry.”
    I stopped, twisting to face him. “Right. You always turn specter-like when you’re hungry.”
    He didn’t meet my gaze. “A.J.’s waiting.”
    Yeah. And I was more than ready for some girl time and a shower, but Pierce had been acting weird since he first showed up on at the North Carolina property. Best I prep for the worst, because he knew something—something he had no intention of sharing, even if I was involved up to my eyeballs. Damn, but I hated not being on his need-to-know list. Made me twitch.
    Pierce didn’t say a word during the drive to the North Shore. No surprise there. I spent the time trying to fit puzzle pieces together, finishing the rest of the huge Diet Coke he’d bought for me, and appreciating the scenery. The breathtaking beauty of the rolling hills that turned blue-gray with cloud shadows, and that first glimpse of the pounding surf against the rocky Haleiwa harbor, always left me in awe. The Kamehameha Highway offered a scenic overlook that I didn’t want to miss, so it was easier to ignore Pierce’s weighty silence.
    Annie and Sean lived on the border of Haleiwa. Their ocean view was restricted, but Annie and I agreed it was a fair tradeoff for the pool in their back yard. Slate-lined, it extended in a long rectangle from the back of the house, and glistened with shades of bright aqua in the sunlight. After dark, night lights deepened the hue with purple and emerald-blue tones. The area was surrounded with huge planters holding palm trees and tropical flowers, a vision of paradise.
    Pierce parked in the driveway, turned off the ignition, and