Page 33 of Forgotten Promise

“Do you really want to know?”

He shook his head. “I need to tell him to cancel the orders. That’s all…fuck,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. “Too much.”

“You can ask,” Kailani said, smiling, “but he won’t do it. Benjamin can be very generous when he wants to.”

“I bet that hurt to admit.”

She laughed. “You have no idea how much.”

“I don’t get it, Kailani. You’re a kind and rational woman, but whenever Benjamin is around…”

“I’m a raving bitch.”

“I wouldn’t have used those words, but since you did, I’ll allow them.” John was overcome with the desire to reach out and…what? Hug her? Kiss her? Carry her back to his frat-boy futon and…

He shoved all those thoughts aside.

“I hate how I behave when I’m around Benjamin, but it’s like I can’t help myself. It’s a habit I can’t seem to break.”

“Are you trying?” John asked.

She smirked. “Not really.”

Ever since the binding ceremony, John had been curious about what was at the heart of Benjamin and Kailani’s animosity, but he’d never found the right time to ask. He’d considered starting the conversation during one of their FaceTime calls or with Benjamin that day at lunch, but he hadn’t known them well enough to broach the subject comfortably.

After everything they’d been through today, he decided it was time. “Can I ask what happened between the two of you?”

Kailani sighed. “That’s a hard question to answer. It all started so long ago.”

Before she could say more, Benjamin walked into the room, and Kailani fell silent. John’s window of opportunity had closed.

“So, what’s next?” Benjamin asked, just as Kailani’s phone began to ring.

“Hold on, this is Makani, I wasn’t able to get a hold of him earlier,” Kailani answered, but rather than retreating to the office, she stayed with them.

They listened to her side of the conversation, and after only a few minutes she hung up. Tension that hadn’t been there a moment ago was back in her shoulders.

“Makani used the emergency contact protocol and was able to talk to someone at headquarters. He told them about the fire, which is now confirmed as arson by the investigator. Whoever he spoke to said that there had been no further attacks on that end.”

Benjamin pulled out his phone, frowning at the screen. “Devon never called or texted me back.”

John really wanted to know who was answering the phone for the Trinity Masters, if Devon, who was clearly one of the inner circle, wasn’t.

“Makani was also promised backup. Headquarters is sending a couple people to Hawaii. Makani has their names: Tate and Levi. They are coming with their trinities, and though the spouses aren’t security experts, more people means more eyes.”

“Do we think they’re counselors, like Devon?” John asked.

“No…Makani said they were ‘Warrior Scholars’ but I’m not sure who or what that is.”

Benjamin frowned. “I think it’s a new thing, something this Grand Master is, was, doing.”

“We should find out,” John said. “We need to know all the players.”

“I’ll call a friend,” Benjamin promised.

“Any word on whether the names of the other keyholders were compromised?” John asked.

“No. And I just checked again. Still haven’t heard back from anyone,” Kailani said.

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