Page 40 of Forgotten Promise

The tea was strong, with milk and a little sugar, and though Franco had grown up on Cuban coffee, the tea was comforting.

“Don’t worry. I brought my own tea bags. We didn’t have to use that English crap.” Colum pointed to the tea bags that room service had brought up with the tea and coffee service someone had been smart enough to order.

“You carry tea bags with you?” Franco asked.

“This place may claim to be as close to Ireland as you can be off the island itself, but they serve English Breakfast. Not a box of Barry’s in all of Boston.”

The suite door opened, the beep indicating it was someone with a key. Rose raced in, her expression pinched with worry. At some point, she’d changed out of the ball gown into jeans and a sweater. They’d tried to get him to change, to shower, but Franco didn’t want to be warm and clean and comfortable while Devon and Juliette were…

A vivid memory of Juliette locked in the attacker’s arms, her eyes wide over the hand that covered her mouth, slammed through Franco.

“We have another problem,” Rose announced.

Lachlan ended his call, turning to her. “Go.”

“Juliette and Devon aren’t the only ones missing.”

* * *

For the second time in as many days, they were on Benjamin’s private plane. John had been a bit shell-shocked during the first flight, awestruck by the sheer luxury surrounding him. It beat the hell out of flying economy, where he had to practically shoehorn himself in, his knees pressed too tightly against the seat in front of him.

This time…his first thought was “a man could get used to this,” especially when—once they were in the air—the flight attendant came around with mimosas, promising that lunch would be served at noon.

John accepted the mimosa, though he suspected one drink would put him out. He’d managed to grab an hour, maybe two, of restless sleep on the previous flight. His eyes were scratchy and dry, yet he felt oddly wired. He was no stranger to pulling long hours. There had been many times when he was in the middle of working a case where he’d remain awake for forty-eight hours, even more.

“If either of you are tired, several of these chairs fully recline,” Benjamin offered when none of them had bothered to speak since boarding.

Kailani, who had been looking out the window, turned her attention to them. “I’m not sure I could fall asleep.”

While he felt the same, he hated the dark circles under Kailani’s eyes.

“Maybe you should try,” Benjamin suggested. “Once we land in New York, we’ll be on the move again.”

Benjamin’s words were spoken kindly, laced with concern, but John didn’t miss the way her eyes narrowed slightly before she seemed to come to her senses. She was still struggling to overcome too many years of anger, and while he thought—or maybe hoped was a better word—she was coming around, they weren’t out of the woods yet. Their trinity remained on shaky ground and would until one of them reached across the void.

He recalled Carly’s advice, her suggestion that they talk, and it occurred to him that he was in the best position to lead the charge, lead by example.

Kailani was hesitant to reopen old wounds and John could tell Benjamin was walking on eggshells, trying not to take a bad situation and make it worse. So how could he ask them to be vulnerable if he wasn’t willing to do the same?

John took a sip of the mimosa before placing it in the drink holder. The three of them had claimed the same seats they’d had on the previous flight, he and Kailani facing each other, Benjamin next to him across the aisle.

“Preston and his trinity seem very close,” he remarked, a weak opening, but when he considered all the things he wanted to say to these two people, it felt like the easiest opening.

“They do,” Benjamin agreed, glancing at Kailani, before adding, “for their less-than-stellar beginning.”

“What do you mean?” Kailani asked, taking the bait.

“According to Carly, their binding ceremony was as rocky as ours,” John responded, aware Benjamin most likely wouldn’t. “Apparently, Preston and Lance nearly came to blows at the end of it.”

Kailani’s gaze slipped to Benjamin’s briefly, but she looked away quickly. “How did they resolve their problems?” she asked John.

“They talked to each other.”

Kailani’s deadpan look made it clear she was unimpressed with the answer.

“What if I start?” John suggested.

“Start?” Benjamin asked.

---