Page 24 of Forgotten Promise

“And if they’re not?”

“Then we’ll deal with it.”

“I should have done it already. The instant you said it.” She took out her phone, staring at it for a long moment before she started typing.

“They’re probably fine,” John said again, shooting a helpless look at Benjamin. Benjamin wished he knew how to comfort Kailani, but experience had taught him that whatever he said would be the exact wrong thing.

It only took her a few minutes to send two messages.

“What did you say?” Benjamin asked.

“I sent them the key emoji and the little danger symbol. I don’t want to risk anything more. It…it might be enough. Or they might think it’s spam. Or the numbers I have were for landlines and the messages don’t get there at all.” Kailani leaned back, her shoulders slumped, as if the weight of her responsibilities was crushing her slender frame.

“We’ll help you,” Benjamin declared, hoping against hope that for once, he wouldn’t fuck it up. “Tell me where we’re going and I’ll arrange travel. I’ll hire a car service when we get to L.A.”

For a moment Kailani stiffened, then their gazes met, and she visibly relaxed. “Thank you, Benjamin.”

Hearing her say his name made his heart clench, even as his gut churned with regret.

The attendant got up and started to prepare food. They fell silent, keeping conversation sparse, and surface level as tables were raised between the seats, John and Kailani now looking like they were on a dinner date as the four-course meal was served.

By the time they were finished eating, Kailani seemed exhausted, and when she leaned back and closed her eyes, Benjamin turned to the window, looking out at the tops of clouds and the endless blue-gray of the ocean.

“I’m going to go get a bottle of water,” John said quietly, climbing out of his seat.

Benjamin thought about telling him he could call the attendant, have one brought to him; but instead, Benjamin found himself rising and directing John to the back of the plane, where there was a self-service wet bar. He took a bottle of mineral water from the small refrigerator, then grabbed a glass for himself.

John looked from the water to Benjamin’s bottle of whiskey, and set down the water.

“Good choice.” Benjamin took down a second glass and poured, adding a splash of water to each glass.

John frowned at the splash of water. “Why are you watering it down?”

“Adding a splash of water helps open up the nose, the scent, and brings out some of the subtler flavors.”

“Ah. I guess this is one of those things rich people know.” John took a sip, his brows rising. “That’s nice.”

“I know plenty of rich people who’d put ice in this glass like barbarians,” Benjamin assured him, leaning against the wall.

They sipped in silence for several minutes.

“It’s possible that Kailani will be the acting Grand Master.”

“One-in-three chance,” John agreed.

“And if she is the Grand Master, there’s an upside to this we haven’t mentioned. She’ll have the power to dissolve our trinity.” Benjamin forced a smile as he said it.

John’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t look relieved or happy about that, which was probably to be expected, since he hadn’t objected to the trinity in the first place. He also didn’t look surprised—he’d realized the same thing.

“Even if it’s not her key, if she’s not the acting Grand Master, it’s very possible whoever is will dissolve it, as a favor to her,” Benjamin went on.

“And if the current Grand Master comes back?” John asked. “Will they allow that?”

“I don’t know.” Benjamin’s emotions were a mess, so he locked them up. “Maybe she’d call us to the altar again, since there’s clearly a reason she wanted us in a trinity. Maybe the aftermath of whatever is going on will take all her attention, and our marriage will be the last thing she, or anyone else, cares about.”

“So it’s possible you and Kailani will get what you want,” John said quietly.

Benjamin looked over to where Kailani was asleep in her seat, her head tipped to the side, displaying the long, slim line of her throat. She was lovely, even more lovely now as a grown woman than she’d been as a teenager.

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