Prologue

 

Part One

 

In the distance, under a balmy Hawaiian sky, frothy waves licked the shore and sloshed against the lava boulders at the base of Diamond Head. The sweet scent of pikake blossoms floated on ocean breezes as the musicians hit the first note of the Hawaiian Wedding Song.

Instead of enjoying the picture-perfect setting, Homicide Detective Malia Reed couldn’t keep her eyes off the groom, Damon Shaw.

In a white tuxedo that emphasized his wide shoulders, he stood tall and proud on the grassy section of Waikiki Beach, awaiting his fate with the naiveté of a man in love. When Malia had run a check on him, she hadn’t found any red flags to suggest bad character. In fact, he was too perfect. And that perfection made her heart pound and her palms sweat. In her eyes and probably most of the female population, the black-haired hunk was as close to the ideal dream man as any male could get. In spite of that fact, this union with her best friend Kiki would be rough sailing. She prayed Damon’s impressive shoulders would prove strong enough to handle the problems he was about to accept along with his vows.