Page 66 of Forgotten Promise

“What does that mean?” Selene asked.

“We had a binding ceremony, but when we realized who was in our trinity, Benjamin asked the Grand Master to dissolve it.”

He hated that he was being credited with that request. What the hell had she expected him to do when she’d essentially vowed to shut him out of their marriage and their bedroom?

“Is that even possible?”

“One of the Grand Master’s counselors promised to ask. We’ve spent the last month apart, awaiting the call saying we didn’t have to come back to Boston to get married.”

“Oh, Kailani. I’m so sorry. To have so much up in the air. The stress of a new, unwanted trinity would be enough without this whole collapsing society nightmare on top of it.”

Unwanted trinity.

Benjamin wished he could see Kailani’s face. He couldn’t read a damn thing from her tone or responses, and he wondered if her expressions would tell him more.

Either Kailani didn’t reply, or it was so soft that Benjamin couldn’t hear it because Selene spoke again, and this time, her voice wasn’t quiet at all. It was as if she wanted him to hear. “You know,” she said, “if either of us become acting Grand Master, we would have the power to dissolve your trinity.”

Benjamin grimaced and darted a quick glance in John’s direction, and could tell from the dark scowl on his face that he’d overheard Selene as well.

Oscar and Luca were oblivious to the sudden tension, the two men bantering back and forth about what defines a supervillain.

After what felt like three lifetimes, Kailani finally responded.

“I’ve thought of that, and—”

The plane hit turbulence, and the pilot came over the PA system, asking them to return to their seats and buckle up.

Benjamin and John exchanged a brief glance, but Benjamin didn’t know how to interpret John’s expression.

He took the last open seat, nodding to the attendant who came by to check that everyone was strapped in before going to secure the bottles in the galley. So much had changed for him in the past two days. He thought he’d understood what happened between him and Kailani. To find out that instead of her feeling battered and bruised, the way he had, she’d been cut deep, dealing not only with the end of the relationship but fallout from it that included her family…

He hadn’t had all the pieces of the puzzle. Hadn’t even known to look for them. And after touching her, tasting her again…

Lifetimes had passed, but now time was running out. Benjamin knew that despite the way they’d come together in Denver, nothing between the three of them had truly been resolved.

For a man who was used to being in control of every aspect of his life, right now he felt wildly out of control.

And he hated it.

Chapter Fifteen

Rose waited beside Lachlan, resisting the urge to start snapping at people to hurry up. Yelling would probably scare the tourists.

The sunset behind them was brilliant with shades of the expected yellow and orange, but there were hints of purple and lavender too, as the sun dropped down into the ocean. Tourists had gathered atop the seawall to watch, some simply enjoying, while others posed for pictures.

Lachlan touched his ear. “Preston is on his way down.”

Rose nodded as she resisted the urge to relax, to maybe wander over and lose herself in the sunset.

She and Lachlan had arrived on Oahu several hours ago, after a truly grueling twelve-hour direct flight. She’d had a rather spectacular fight with Sebastian, which involved her calling him a useless dipshit, to which he retaliated she was a violent psychopath. Mild-mannered Franco had been the one to step between them, his normally smiling, handsome face set in a snarl. Seeing that, seeing the grief that he wore like a heavy cloak, had nearly broken Rose. She could handle her own pain, but seeing the people she cared about hurt and suffering…that, she didn’t handle well.

Sebastian had insisted she go to Hawaii while he stayed in Boston to do “damage control” with the Europeans. Seeing as no one had even listened to her suggestion that they find a dungeon to lock Colum in, she’d agreed to fly out with Lachlan, who was still coordinating the search and rescue efforts, but whose expertise they needed in case there was a second attack. Rose was here to act as both a communications link between Boston and Honolulu, and a counselor to the acting Grand Master, whoever that might be.

They were about to find out.

A Dara family private jet had landed about forty minutes ago, and Lachlan was tracking the two chauffeured cars that had picked up the six passengers. Preston Kim was already here, and as she watched, he walked out the doors of the modern hotel tower. He looked around, then spotted her and Lachlan where they waited in a shadowy corner of the grassy lawn. He started for them, only to stop when a group emerged from the lobby.

Preston looked at Kailani, then at Selene, who walked beside her. Kailani nodded, turned, and said something to the four men behind her. Preston—whom Rose had spoken with when she got here—gestured toward her and Lachlan.

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