Page 76 of Forgotten Promise

Benjamin saw the wide-eyed hostess standing in the restaurant doorway, a phone to her ear.

Lance, who’d either killed the man or rendered him unconscious with the chokehold, was already lowering the man’s body to the floor.

“Everything is under control,” Benjamin told the hostess. “No need to involve the authorities, but if you could let Mr. Iona know we’d appreciate him stopping by, that would be helpful.”

The woman swallowed, nodding jerkily, responding to the calm command in his voice.

“Nice,” Oscar said. He hadn’t even gotten up from the table.

Rose walked over, standing over the unconscious man. “Is he dead?”

“No.” Lance crouched, touching the man’s neck. “Er, let me check. It’s been a minute since I tried that. Yep, alive.”

“That’s some Seal Team Six shit,” Oscar declared, but he was looking at his husband. “Luca, do not put that explosive back in your pocket.”

“It’s stable.”

“I don’t care, you shouldn’t keep shit that can go boom that close to your dick.”

Benjamin suppressed the urge to start laughing. It was probably exhaustion that had him on the verge of cracking up.

Rose nudged the man with the toe of her high heel. “Who thinks this is our robber and he was going to use a bomb scare to evacuate this building and then finish clearing out the gold and blow the inner door?”

Everyone raised their hands.

“Hide him…” Rose looked around. “Under the table?”

Everyone scooted out their chairs.

“Wait, let me check his pockets.” Luca frisked the man, pulling out several things, including a small bright-yellow box with a big black button. “Detonator.”

Benjamin was crouched, and when Luca said that, Benjamin was as close to murder as he’d ever come in his life. This man could have killed Kailani. He curled his hands into fists to stop himself from choking the man or banging his head against the floor.

Benjamin helped Lance shove the unconscious man under their table as Rose put her phone to her ear. “Lachlan? I think we caught the bad guy. Come get him.”

* * *

Selene removed her key from the bottom right lock. There was a moment of hesitation, as if none of the three of them were sure what to do next, so Selene decided for them. She slid into the middle, nudging Kailani to the side.

Preston, cool and calm, didn’t seem bothered by the fact that she was trying the top position next. Selene gave him a quick wink anyway, and his lips quirked, amused.

“Keys in,” Selene declared.

She waited for the other two to fit their keys into the bottom locks, then slid hers into the top one.

They turned the keys.

The locks gave way, the sound of cascading tumblers and clicking metal loud in the quiet room. There was a final thunk and then quiet.

The door was unlocked.

Holy fuck.

Selene stared at her hand, still on the key, and then at the others.

It was her.

She was the acting Grand Master of the Trinity Masters.

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