The trinity was broken, Benjamin was gone, and as far as John was concerned, his current duty to the society was done. He’d helped Kailani find the keyholders, he’d gotten a confession from a thief, and he’d helped them recover their stolen gold.
Game over.
Time to return to L.A. Home. Alone.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kailani rolled over, finally feeling semi-human…and discovered she’d slept until nearly noon. Crap.
She checked her phone, no message from John. He was probably still asleep too. She sent him a good morning text and suggested a restaurant. Given that he hadn’t wanted to stay here last night, she suggested the name of a restaurant not in the Hale’ekolu.
After a super-quick shower, she braided her hair and rummaged through her suitcase for her least dirty outfit to wear. She really needed to return to her house at some point today, just to grab clean clothes.
When she’d originally packed her bag, she’d thought she was heading to Boston for her wedding, which meant she’d included way too many overly dressy and cold-weather outfits. Not enough tropical island day-wear. And even though she’d been back in Hawaii since yesterday evening, there’d been zero time for her to head home to change clothes.
She checked her phone. No message. She considered calling, anxious to continue the conversation she and John had started last night, especially now that she’d had some sleep and felt like herself again, but decided not to. If he was still asleep, clearly he needed the rest.
For the past few days, she’d been more zombie than Kailani, and she was looking forward to proving to John she could be a reasonable, pleasant person versus the stressed-out lunatic he’d been exposed to since meeting her.
Taking the elevator to the first floor, she’d just stepped off the elevator when she heard her name.
“Kailani.” Oscar walked over to her. “I was looking for you.”
She was surprised by that, simply because she couldn’t imagine what the two of them had to talk about.
“You look like you got some sleep,” he said, in what she was learning was his usual gruff tone.
“I did. I’m happy to say I actually feel human again. Slept ten hours and I’m pretty sure I never rolled over once.”
He grunted in response.
“Did you have a restful night?” Despite her urge to find John, her “be polite to a guest” training kicked in.
With one eyebrow raised, Oscar pierced her with a sardonic stare, speaking in a hushed tone when he said, “My wife is the fucking Grand Master. I think it’s safe to say sleep isn’t going to be a thing for me anymore.”
Kailani laughed, though she wasn’t entirely sure he was joking. “Hopefully, it will only be for a short while,” she said, watching her words, given the fact they were in the middle of the hotel lobby.
“I hope so. Listen, I’ve got a message for you.”
“From Selene?”
Oscar shook his head. “John.”
“Oh,” she said. “When did you see him?”
Oscar scowled, though she didn’t get the sense he was angry, just…uncomfortable? “Listen. Don’t shoot the messenger, but he left for the airport a couple hours ago. He came by to pick up his suitcase, and I just happened to be in the lobby. I’m pretty sure he’s in the air, on his way back to California by now.”
He’d left her too.
Just like Benjamin.
“Did he…say anything else?” she asked, a little more hostile than she’d intended.
Oscar nodded. “He wanted me to say he was sorry things ended the way they did, and that he hopes you have a good life.”
Kailani narrowed her eyes. “Have a good life?”