I am so happy you are enjoying this story! Thank you for your encouragement and reviews! Now let's see how Steve and the team get Kiera back!

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Leaving her in the car, Steve told Duke to dismiss the other officers before asking Danny to follow him back to HQ. Leeann was still fighting the urge to go after Kiera herself, but since Steve had been clever enough to grab the keys to her SUV, she was effectively at his mercy. Besides, she couldn't deny the small voice inside which seemed to quietly insist she could trust this man. Leeann had always prided herself on being a good judge of character…..and her instincts rarely mislead her…so she sighed and felt herself giving in as she watched him walking back towards her vehicle.

Steve McGarrett was unmistakably a Navy SEAL. Even without Sam Denning giving her that information, she would have known in the way he carried himself…..the way he moved…..In the sense of confidence and control evident in his body language. Travis had been the same way and it seemed to be something born within every man on his team. It was just an innate part of the SEAL character. Leeann felt her heart twist inside of her: She missed Travis so much. How she wished he was here to help her through this.

Seeing her watching him approach, Steve offered her a small smile before opening the door and getting behind the wheel. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go get Kiera back, okay?" he said softly. Leeann didn't trust her voice to speak as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She nodded her head slightly before turning to look out the passenger window.

Steve looked down at his ringing phone again before answering. "Governor….Yes, sir, we have her and yes, she's fine." Steve looked at Leeann and winked. "We're headed back to the Palace now…..You have my word. I'll keep her safe…..I'll keep you posted."

Steve hung up and continued to drive as Leeann sat beside him in silence before his voice broke through her thoughts.

"Travis was a good man."

When Leeann turned towards him in surprise, Steve's gaze was focused on the road ahead of them. She saw a muscle in his jaw twitch as he bit down.

"You knew him?"

Steve nodded and glanced in her direction. "We went through BUDS together and were on several Ops together. He undoubtedly saved my ass more than once."

Leeann smiled softly but Steve saw nothing but sadness and pain in its presence. "I miss him so much. It hurts to know Kiera will never remember her Daddy. Travis loved her so much and would have given her the world."

Steve reached over to squeeze her hands gently as they were folded on her lap. "I have no doubt about that. Little girls seem to have that affect on their dads…OR their uncles" he said as an afterthought.

"Do you have children?"

"No…..but I have a niece who is Kiera's age. Her name is Joannie…I don't see her often because she and my sister live in L.A., but when they do visit, Mary says I spoil her. She's probably right, but it's hard not to do so. And Danny's daughter….Gracie….and his son, Charlie….They're family, too. I would do anything for those kids."

Leeann smile grew more genuine and Steve felt something stir inside. She was a beautiful woman: Long, auburn and blond curls framed her face. Her eyes were a striking shade of green with little flex of gold and the smile currently on her face masked the fear he knew she was feeling. She was a strong woman….He could see it in her eyes. Any woman courageous enough to marry a SEAL had to be. He just hoped they got Kiera back quickly so he could erase her worries.

"I know better than this." Leeann spoke so quietly he barely heard her. When he looked at her curiously, she let out a long sigh. "I'm a 'Navy Brat, Commander. Then Dad began working with NCIS when I was a teenager. I saw what my mom went through when he was on tough assignments….THEN, I married a Navy SEAL and absolutely knew what I was signing up for. Travis loved us…but he also loved his country and his job. I married him being fully aware of what could happen someday…I just hoped it wouldn't become our reality." She stopped for a moment before releasing another breath. "Losing him was the worst thing that ever happened to me…..When I found out they'd taken Kiera this morning, I lost it. I didn't think rationally. All I wanted to do was get her back."

"That's understandable," Steve said. "It's difficult to think rationally when family is involved."

"Yes, but like I said….. I knew better," she emphasized again. "I mean, the first thing I should've done was seek help…Call my Dad…Call Sam…something besides jumping in the car and going after her."

"Don't beat yourself up over this. Anyone else would have reacted the same way. This is your child we're talking about."

"You sound like you understand."

"I understand more than you know."

He pulled in the HQ parking lot and helped her out of the SUV before ushering her into the offices. Danny was right behind them. No sooner had they walked in than Lou came out of his office looking concerned. "We have a problem."

"What's that?" Danny asked as he followed them in.

Lou held up his cell phone, "It seems the press has gotten wind of what is going on and they're ringing the phones off the hook at HPD wanting to know what's going on with 'the kidnapping of Ana Leigh's daughter'."

Leeann's heart sank as realization hit her: Of course, it would be 'news' that "Ana Leigh's daughter" had been kidnapped…..and she certainly hadn't made it difficult for them to find out something was wrong; especially with her panicked reaction that day.

"How do they even know about this?!" Steve asked angrily. "We sure as hell haven't said anything!"

"It's hard to say," Lou began. "Someone at the school or one of the parents could have tipped them off as soon as Kiera was taken…or someone who witnessed HPD pulling Leeann over could have called them. It's not hard for the press to research a license plate number surrounded by police vehicles and link things together."

Steve grimaced. This was partially his fault. He'd been so focused on getting Leeann in so they could rescue Kiera themselves that he'd temporarily forgotten Leeann was somewhat of a celebrity.

He ran a palm over his face in frustration and sighed. "Okay…We have to hold them off for now. The last thing we need to focus on is the press wanting a story."

"This is my fault," Leeann whispered shakily. "If I would've come to you in the beginning instead of acting like a freaking maniac, they may not even know what was going on. I mean, I know better!"

Steve grabbed her hand supportively and she looked up to him. "Stop saying that…..Do you understand me?!" His voice was insistent and firm.

When she blinked tears away, he continued. "It's going to be okay," he assured her. "We may be able to use this to our advantage…..but right now we need to talk. I need to know everything you know about who may have taken Kiera."

Steve led her to a conference room where the rest of the team followed and sat down. Danny brought her a bottle of water. She took it gratefully and took a long drink.

"So tell us what happened," Steve said.

"I dropped Kiera off at school just like I always do. I walked her in, talked to her teacher for a few minutes, and kissed her goodbye as she was walking towards the playground." Leeann's eyes began to fill so Steve reached over to take her hand in his again.

"What happened next?" he prompted softly.

"I left to go to the gym to work out, but I got a phone call on my way from an unknown number." She stopped again as she choked back a sob. "They told me they had Kiera and I had to do exactly what they said or they would kill her."

Steve squeezed her hand before Lou handed her a tissue.

Steve looked at Jerry. "Trace her calls from this morning. We may be able to get a lead on where the number came from."

"But it was a 'private number'." Leeann said.

"We have our ways," Steve winked.

"Right….Being a Navy SEAL and all…" she quipped.

"Well, that…..and the fact that Jerry is a genius when it comes to hunting things down."

Jerry couldn't help but feel his chest puff out at Steve's vote of confidence. He shook his head in agreement before getting up to do just that. "Thank you, Commander….I'll get right on it."

"Have you had any other suspicious calls lately?" Steve continued. "Anything else that would indicate you were being watched or targeted?"

"I don't think so…"

"Think about recent outings with Kiera…or even when you were alone," Tani said. "Even the smallest detail could help. Has anyone made you feel uncomfortable?"

Leeann looked at Tani as recollection crossed her face.

"A couple of weeks ago," she answered as her face grew blank thinking about an awkward situation she'd had at a book signing. "I was doing a book signing in L.A. following an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel."

"Jimmy Kimmel?" Steve asked surprised.

Trying to break some of the tension, Tani spoke up again, "Famous author….New York Times Best Seller…Remember, Boss? Try to keep up."

Steve grimaced….then smiled causing a small chuckle from Leeann.

"Yes, Jimmy Kimmel ," she confirmed. " I was promoting my new book and did his show. The next morning, I did two signings before flying back home. I noticed the same man all three places. He was watching me."

"That didn't strike you as unusual?" Steve asked.

"Not necessarily. I mean most of my fans are women, so when men show up to signings, it doesn't go unnoticed. However, it's also not completely unheard of. This guy was different, though. It wasn't just that he was watching me…..It was more like he was leering at me, if you know what I mean. There was a look in his eyes that made me uncomfortable to me."

"Did he say anything to you?"

Leeann took in a deep breath. "He mostly just watched me. Then, at the second signing, he got in line with those having me sign books. When he got to me, I reached for his book, so I could sign it. He held on to it and said, 'You'll be seeing me again soon, Ms. Carlyle.'"