Dark Lava: Lei Crime Book 7 (Lei Crime Series) Read Free Page B

when we aren’t both here.”
    Keiki crawled up beside her, and Lei scratched behind the dog ’s silky triangle ears, her fingertips playing with the brown eyebrow patches above the Rottweiler’s expressive eyes.
    She shut her eyes as she tried to fall back asleep, but memories played, of the improvised explosive device detection exercises she and her partner, Abe Torufu, had participated in at the back of a remote valley.
    They’d been going full bore for twenty-four hours, tracking mock explosive devices hidden in various sections of the wilderness area, learning to spot mines, pipe bombs, even the crude gas-fueled Molotov-cocktail-style explosive threats they were likely to encounter on the job. The one-day intensive had been put together with Homeland Security, the fire department, army reservists, and police officers as part of a joint task force training with personnel from all over the islands. The trainers had turned them loose in teams with their detection and disarming equipment, and the team who found and disabled the most devices won.
    She and Torufu hadn ’t won.
    Lei frowned, remembering the moment the imitation IED they ’d discovered, a crude pipe bomb rigged with nails, had “exploded,” a click that activated pulsing red beacons on the chest badges they wore. It had been both humiliating and scary to even be “virtually” blown to bits. She decided the less Stevens knew about her new duties, the better.
    Stevens. She draped an arm over her eyes, smiling a little a t their conversation, at the timbre of his voice, which told her how much he wanted her. He’d said he’d tell her he loved her every day after they were married, and he had. Her body woke up a little, remembering his touch, wishing he was with her.
    Lei won dered how long their passion would last now that they’d married. Their relationship was already more deep and layered than she had ever known could exist, intensified by the fact that they’d decided to start a family. That decision seemed to have added poignancy to their lovemaking.
    Why had she been so afraid of getting married? She couldn ’t remember now. Maybe that’s how it would be when she was a mother—her fears would be drowned in the actual experience, something it was impossible to anticipate.
    But ho w would this affect her bomb squad training? She was pretty sure, if she did get pregnant, she’d be suspended from duties. She was afraid to ask her commanding officer, Captain Omura.
    It was better not to think about all that right now. She rolled over and put her pillow over her head.
     
    Lei eventually woke in the afternoon to Keiki’s persistent licking of her protruding foot. She sat up and groaned at the pain from a million tiny bruises and muscle exertions caused by the last twenty-four hours spent climbing and crawling through brush. “Okay, girl, I’ll let you out.”
    She got up and walked through the modest little house, yawning. She scooped frizzing curls off of her forehead, combing them into place with her fingers as she deactivated the alarm and unlock ed the dog door that led into the backyard. Keiki trotted out to do her business.
    Lei went into the kitchen and over to the coffeemaker. She spotted a note protruding from under the unit. Just push the button. It’s all tanked up for you. In case I don’t see you today—I love you. Stevens had signed the bold, block-printed note with a smiley face.
    Lei folded the note into a little triangle, an old habit, and slid it into her pocket, smiling. She pushed the coffeemaker button, and the unit gurgled to life.
    Time for her daily call to her Aunty Rosario, ill with pancreatic cancer. Lei went back to the bedroom, picked up the cell phone, and pressed a speed-dial button worn from use.
    “ Hey, Sweets.” Her aunt’s voice was rough. “How’s your day going?”
    “ Hi, Aunty. It’s just starting. I was catching up on some sleep from a training exercise. How about you?”
    Her aunty had refused