Rescuing Hi`ilani (Special Forces: Operaton Alpha) (Delta Force Hawaii)

by Reina Torres

  Jackson picked her up and held her to him as he robbed her of oxygen and the last remnants of fear.

  Chapter 16

  Sitting on the lanai at the back of Jackson’s house with Baron manning the grill, more like appropriating the grill, the others took up all the available furniture with part of the group including Hi`ilani, Jackson and Rayne sitting on thick zabuton pillows on the floor.

  Mary sighed as a soft breeze blew through the shaded space. “I still can’t believe we missed it all!”

  Rayne shook her head at her friend and continued to copy Hi`ilani’s movements as they both made haku leis out of flowers and croton leaves from Jackson’s yard. “I’m actually happy we weren’t there for a shooting, but from what we heard you guys had everything well in hand.”

  Ghost looked over at Jackson and took a quick sip of his beer before he spoke. “Just how did you get through the crowd and up to the stage?”

  “It wasn’t me. My job was to get to the shooter.” Jackson looked back at the other team leader and shook his head. Reaching out, Jackson touched his hand to Hi`ilani’s back, reassuring himself that she was there with him. “I saw the fear on her face and I knew the gunman was in the crowd. I had to get to him and take him down.”

  “And you did,” she leaned against him and turned to brush a kiss on his shoulders. “And then Baron swept me off my feet.”

  Mary sighed and laughed. “So did you give Baron a kiss!”

  The man in question groaned from his place at the grill. “I didn’t want to hurt the boy’s feelings so I kept my lips to myself.”

  Truck’s laughter was louder than everyone else. “I almost wish we could stay for your next hand to hand combat training. I’m sure Ajax is going to enjoy ripping you apart, B.”

  “He’s got nothing to worry about.” Train gave Hi`ilani a wink. “Ajax swept you off your feet in that service hallway at the back of the room. All they needed was some orchestral music and a fade out to make it perfect.”

  Jackson gave his friend a look. “It was perfect just the way it was.”

  Train waved him off. “Well, if you want to see the rescue for yourself,” Train added as he quickly searched a browser on his phone, “there were no less than two hundred camera phones in the audience. TMZ picked up this video.” Train turned his phone around and put it in Ghost’s hand.

  “It made for great TV and online fodder,” Baron scoffed as he prodded a steak with his barbeque tongs.

  Ghost watched the video and then looked down under the window. “It’s got more than two million views and going up by the minute.”

  Hi`ilani winced at the thought. “The best part about it was that after Train and Jack had him pinned down, the special duty HPD officers took him into custody they got him to talk. Turns out the prosecutor pointed out that being responsible for the death of a well-loved local performer wasn’t going to make him popular at O-Triple-C.”

  Jackson nodded. “The local inmates would take their anger out on his hide.”

  Nodding, Hi`ilani continued. “So he made a deal to give up his boss and enough evidence to send him to prison for the rest of his life, in exchange for a chance to serve his sentence somewhere on the continent. Now they have to try to find their boss and bring him to justice. Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”

  “Sorry we couldn’t do more to help.” Train took the phone that Ghost handed back to him and tucked it away in his pocket. “What did the producers say about the whole thing?”

  Hi`ilani’s shoulders shook with a little embarrassed shrug. “They didn’t fire me, that’s for sure. Still, someone floated a story that it was just a stunt exhibition from the show.”

  Truck chuckled. “Someone’s got a spin master working for the network. Good cover story.”

  “And it takes the pressure off of Hi`ilani. She can just start her work on the show and enjoy the hell out of it!” Mary laid back against Truck’s chest and sighed. “But what a great story to tell your kids when they ask about how you met and fell in love.”

  Her cheeks flushed with color, Hi`ilani added another flower to the lei, holding it down with her thumb while she started to wind the raffia around the central part of the lei. “It has a fairytale kind of feel to it… after the shooting, that is.”

  “Fairytales?” Baron groused from the grill. “Does that mean that we’re the dwarves, I refuse to wear tights.”

  Train gave him a look. “Just cook your meat and stop grumbling.”

  Handing a flower to Rayne, Hi`ilani nodded at her progress. “You’re doing great!”

  Rayne beamed at the praise and the look she shared with Ghost did a fair job of warming the air around everyone.

  Trying to let them have their moment, Hi`ilani reached down for another blossom and came up empty. Leaning to the side she touched the mat underneath her pillow and sighed. “Jack?”

  Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek. “Yeah?”

  “Can you get more flowers for us?”

  “Ha!” Baron pointed his tongs at the two of them. “Whipped! So whipped!”

  “Mind your own business, meat boy!” Train turned back around and grinned at her. “That’ll keep him quiet for a minute.”

  Hi`ilani turned and almost looked over her shoulder at Jack. She touched his thigh and gave it a reassuring pat. “No need, Jack, I’ll clip this off and go pick some-”

  “Here,” he kissed her bare shoulder, “hold out your hand.”

  Rolling her eyes, she held out her hand and waited for him to put a flower in her palm.

  The cool metal against her skin made her gasp.

  She brought her hand closer and looked down.

  “A ring.” It wasn’t just any ring. It was a white gold ring with a beautiful diamond at the center and the sides were carved in beautiful scrollwork with black enamel that was the quintessential characteristic of Hawaiian Jewelry. It was, in a word, a ‘dream.’

  Jackson pulled her carefully onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her as she cradled the ring in her palm. “Baby, if it’s too soon, that’s fine. I know I wasted a lot of time, but I don’t want to waste any more.”

  “Jack-”

  “So if you need more time, some time to think, or-”

  “Jack.”

  She looked up and saw the deep lines around his mouth, the corners of his eyes, and between his brows.

  “You’re so stressed.”

  “I don’t want to mess this up.” He cleared his throat. “You really only get one shot at this if you do it right and if you do it wrong-”

  “Jack!”

  “Yeah?” He looked down at her and she could see how hard he was working to breath in and out.

  “There’s only one way you could mess this up.”

  “Really?” He swallowed hard enough that she could hear it. “How would I do that?”

  “You haven’t asked me yet.”

  His eyes opened wider and he looked at her, a little more confused than anything else. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Laughing along with most of the group around them, Hi`ilani shook her head. “You gave me a ring, but you haven’t asked me the question.”

  “Well if we’re doing the dwarf thing,” grumbled Baron, “he gets to be Dopey.”

  Truck put a restraining hand on Train’s shoulder. “I’ll toss him over the fence, just say the word.”

  Mary grabbed at Truck’s arm. “Shhh…”

  Hi`ilani laughed and picked up Jackson’s hand from her leg. She set the ring in his hand and gave him a gentle smile. “Ask me.”

  He picked up the ring between two fingers and held it gently as he cradled her face between his hands. “Will you marry-”

  She kissed him, her hands falling to his shoulders pulling him close, slanting her lips over his. When she ran out of air she sat back and sighed at the dazed look in his eyes. “Yes, Jack. I’ll marry you.”

  Train let out a shout, shocking them both.

  When the others looked
at him, he laughed out loud. “When the rest of the team comes back, they’re going to be so mad they missed all of this.” He gave Jackson a satisfied smile. “But I got it on video.”

  He’d learned his lesson. Jackson let the others have a good laugh, he didn’t care about that. The most important thing was the love he had with Hi`ilani.

  He’d lost her once and he wasn’t going to make that mistake again. So while the others were enjoying Train’s video of his proposal, he was busy sliding his ring on Hi`ilani’s finger, right where it belonged.

  Glossary

  Hawaiian Word Pronunciation Guide

  Twelve Letters in the Hawaiian Alphabet: 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 7 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w)

  Pronouncing the Vowels

  A = AH

  E = EH

  I = EE

  O = OH

  U = OO

  And because the Hawaiian language was purely verbal until the arrival of the Missionaries in Hawaii, no letter is ever silent. It is a purely phonetical language.

  The words that I’m entering into this glossary will also appear on my website/blog and will include pictures to help illustrate some of the words

  Hawaiian Words in the Book: (in order of appearance)

  Hi`ilani – name meaning ‘beautiful heaven’

  Ahfong – a surname of Chinese/Hawaiian descent

  lau`ae – a flat leafed plant with a heady, clean scent

  Kukui – a native plant called the candlenut tree. The tree is the state tree of Hawaii and can be distinguished by its silver-green leaves

  Hale Koa Hotel – a hotel in Waikiki on the Island of O’ahu – you must be a member of the military or a military dependent to stay at the hotel.

  Kuli kuli e – phrase usually used for children, or those acting like them, asking them to ‘be quiet’!

  Mahalo – Thank you

  mu`umu`u – local garment developed from the neck to toe clothing of the missionary women

  A`ole pilikia – used after “Mahalo” when you want to say ‘no worries’ or ‘no problem’

  Ono – delicious

  Kaleo – name meaning ‘voice’ or ‘the voice’

  Haole – foreigner the derogatory nature of the word can be negated by tone if you’re in a group that understands the use

  Ku`u Home O Kahalu`u – (song title) My dearest home in Kahalu`u

  Aloha ahiahi – Good Evening – Good Night

  Tutu – Grandmother

  kama`aina – local person, either born in Hawaii or has lived so long in the island they are like the people born there

  Ewa side – the Western side of the Island

  Pikake – plant and flower – tiny white jasmine on a climbing vine with dark green leaves

  Kailani – name meaning beautiful water

  Leilani – name meaning beautiful lei (garland of flowers)

  Ukulele – small stringed instrument (looks like a guitar) based off of the design of a Portuguese instrument – developed in the 1800s

  Moemoe – sleep – time to sleep

  Honi – Hawaiian ‘kiss’ – a press of noses where the two breath in each other’s exhaled breath – like mingling breath/souls

  Haku lei – a flower garland made by winding or braiding the various items of flora together – one of the more time-consuming lei to make

  Pidgin English Words and Phrases in the Book: (Pidigin is a mash up of a bunch of different languages that became a language of its own)

  Auntie/Aunty – a woman close to you that’s older by a generation – like family

  K’den – okay then or all right – not overly enthusiastic

  Calabash – like the large wooden/gourd bowl used to serve food – meaning ‘like family’

  karang his/your alas – guarded to make a local man wince – means to injure your family jewels

  mo’ bettah – better (literally ‘more better)

  Whatevah – whatever

  Whatchu – what you

  K – okay

  Killah – killer

  mu`u – short for mu`umu`u

  Shaka – a friendly hand gesture made with the thumb and pinky finger extended and the three digits in the middle folded over in a loose fist

  Boroboro – old and worn clothing, something to wear at home but not in front of company

  Aiyah – a verbal expression of frustration like ‘oh no!’ Very common among asians

  Buggah – describing a person, typically a male

  Dinnah - dinner

  Nevah – never

  Fo’ – for

  Paniolo – a Hawaiian cowboy – the tradition comes from the hiring of Spanish cowboys to teach the Hawaiians to run ranches and ride horses

  Bus’ me up – literally ‘bust me up’ – meaning beat me up/mess me up

  No get – don’t get

  Wassup – what’s up

  Gon’ – goin

  Wen’ – went

  Hea – here

  Aftah – after

  Slippah – slipper

  Almos’ – almost

  One noddah – another

  No make A – don’t been an ass – don’t show your ass

  Other words

  theBus – Seriously, that’s the actual name of our public transit bus

  O-Triple-C – OCCC – Oahu Community Correctional Center

  Raffia – a dried fiber that is commonly used to make haku lei, what we use to wind around the center of the lei, binding the flowers together

  About the Author

  Love - Romance - Books

  Aren't they all the same thing?

  Oh, I sure hope so!

  I've been reading romance books for what seems like forever. When I was a teen, the days that I wasn't in dance class after school I'd go to the mall to wait for my mom to finish work for the day and my haunt of choice... Waldenbooks. (I think I just showed my age there.)

  Whether it was Scottish Lairds, Medieval Knights, Regency Gents, Rough and Tumble Cowboys, or handsome modern Heroes, I loved them all! There was always another hero and heroine to follow through page after page of breathless love!

  Please Visit My Website - www.reinatorres.com

  Sylvan City Alphas Series

  The Tiger’s Innocent Bride

  The Fighter

  Three Rivers Express Series

  Always, Ransom

  Always, Wyeth

  Always, Ellis

  Orsino Security Series

  Her Unbearable Protector

  His UnBearable Touch

  Their Unbearable Destiny

  St. Raphael, CA Series

  Finding Home

  Playing With Fire

  Healing Hearts

  Taking a Chance

  Shapeshifters of Arcadia

  Beneath the Surface

  Ellingsford, Montana Series

  Stay With Me

  Her Gentle Heart

  Hold Her Close

  Other

  Too Much Bear

  Home to Roost

  Justice for Sloane

  There are many more books in this fan fiction world than listed here, for an up-to-date list go to www.AcesPress.com

  You can also visit our Amazon page at:

  http://www.amazon.com/author/operationalpha

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  Denise Agnew: Dangerous to Hold

  Shauna Allen: Awakening Aubrey

  Shauna Allen: Defending Danielle

  Shauna Allen: Rescuing Rebekah

  Shauna Allen: Saving Scarlett

  Shauna Allen: Saving Grace

  Brynne Asher: Blackburn

  Jennifer Becker: Hiding Catherine

  Julia Bright: Saving Lorelei

  Julia Bright: Rescuing Amy

  Victoria Bright: Surviving Savage

  Victoria Bright: Going Ghost

  Victoria Bright: Jostling Joker

  Cara Carnes: Protecting Mari

  Kendra Mei Chailyn: Beast
>
  Kendra Mei Chailyn: Barbie

  Kendra Mei Chailyn : Pitbull

  Melissa Kay Clarke: Rescuing Annabeth

  Melissa Kay Clarke: Safeguarding Miley

  Samantha A. Cole: Handling Haven

  Samantha A. Cole: Cheating the Devil

  Sue Coletta: Hacked

  Melissa Combs: Gallant

  KaLyn Cooper: Rescuing Melina

  Liz Crowe: Marking Mariah

  Jordan Dane: Redemption for Avery

  Jordan Dane: Fiona’s Salvation

  Riley Edwards: Protecting Olivia

  Riley Edwards: Redeeming Violet

  Riley Edwards, Recovering Ivy

  Nicole Flockton: Protecting Maria

  Nicole Flockton: Guarding Erin

  Nicole Flockton: Guarding Suzie

  Nicole Flockton: Guarding Brielle

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Nebraska

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Harlow

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Josie

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Blair

  Desiree Holt: Protecting Maddie

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Sarah

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Savannah

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Stephanie

  Jesse Jacobson: Protecting Honor

  Jesse Jacobson: Fighting for Honor

  Jesse Jacobson: Defending Honor

  Jesse Jacobson: Summer Breeze

  Silver James: Rescue Moon

  Silver James: SEAL Moon

  Silver James: Assassin’s Moon

  Silver James: Under the Assassin’s Moon

  Becca Jameson: Saving Sofia

  Kate Kinsley: Protecting Ava

  Heather Long: Securing Arizona

  Heather Long: Guarding Gertrude

  Heather Long: Protecting Pilar

  Heather Long: Covering Coco

  Gennita Low: No Protection

  Kirsten Lynn: Joining Forces for Jesse

  Margaret Madigan: Bang for the Buck

  Margaret Madigan: Buck the System