Page 95 of Forgotten Promise

“I’m just good at putting elements together to get the outcome I want,” Preston said.

Selene looked at Kailani. “The waihona inventory comes before dramatic romantic gestures, but if you can get your brother, and my cousin, to agree, then you can go. But, Kailani…this is temporary.” Selene outlined the restrictions, and Kailani nodded, knowing better than to argue.

“Thank you, Grand Master.” Kailani leaned over to hug Preston, then raced out the door.

* * *

It took longer than she’d wanted—not just getting Makani and Roman on board with the plan but figuring out exactly where she was going. She’d called in a lot of favors with friends who worked at the airport in order to learn where John and Benjamin had gone.

John, not surprisingly, had flown back to L.A.

However, Benjamin’s private plane had filed flight plans to Seattle.

The problem was, she had no idea where in Seattle he’d be. As far as she knew, the Daras didn’t have a family home there, so he was probably at a hotel, which meant she’d either have to call him and ask where he was, and risk him hanging up on her, or hire a PI to figure out where he was while she was in the air.

That was what she’d planned to do…until she realized she’d missed the last direct flight to Seattle.

Kailani had been near panic as she looked at alternate itineraries. For the most part, taking any non-direct flight basically got her there at the same time tomorrow that she’d arrive if she just waited for the first direct flight out tomorrow morning. Resigned to the wait, she went home to pack and plan.

First, she had to figure out where Benjamin was. Now that she had more time, she scrapped the idea of a PI in favor of working the legacy members’ gossip chain.

A call to another friend and she had an address. Not of a hotel but of an apartment owned by one of Benjamin’s many companies. The mutual friend had crashed there several times and even attended a large party Benjamin threw there not long after that summer in Paris.

Thinking of that summer had given her several ideas, and in the end, Kailani was glad for the evening in her own home to not only rest and figure out what she wanted to say but to pack everything she’d need.

And at six a.m. the next morning, she boarded a plane for Seattle. Once more, she was on her way to find people, but this time something far more important than the fate of the Trinity Masters hung in the balance. Because if she screwed this up, she’d lose her trinity. Forever.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kailani stepped out of the taxi, thanking the driver as he pulled her suitcase from the trunk and placed it on the curb for her. She’d packed based on a best-case scenario. Her goal was to fix things with Benjamin, and then, the two of them could travel together to win back John.

Previously, she might have flipped the order, going to John first and leaning on him to help her deal with Benjamin, but John… He had been so angry with them, and rightfully so. It would mean so much more to John if she and Benjamin showed up together.

But first, she had to make things right with Benjamin.

It was probably the most complicated two-part plan in history, but as she crept closer and closer to Seattle, her determination to succeed continued to grow.

Glancing up—and up and up—at the high-rise apartment building, she tried to imagine the view from the top floor, which was apparently where Benjamin resided while in the city. From that incredible height, he no doubt had an amazing view of the Space Needle and Elliott Bay.

A Starbucks across the street caught her eye. If he wasn’t home, she’d kill some time there, waiting for him.

With that contingency plan in mind, she walked to the entrance of the building, smiling at the doorman who opened the door for her.

She headed toward the elevator, crossing the large foyer, complete with a front desk and perky clerk who gave her a sunny smile and hello. She was briefly worried she might be stopped by the clerk, but the first eleven floors of the building were actually a boutique hotel, the condos occupying the thirty floors above that.

She’d done a bit of research about the building on the flight from Hawaii, needing the distraction more than the information. It was an impressive—expensive—place, and she couldn’t help but wonder what John would say about it if he were here.

Thinking of John produced the same reaction she’d had since waking up yesterday to find him gone. Her heart began to race, her chest grew tight, and she felt the uncharacteristic desire to cry.

Entering the elevator, she pressed the button to the forty-first floor. The button didn’t light up—the residential floors required a security code to access. Kailani had half expected this and pulled a thick card out of her purse. It was a well-kept secret in the hotel industry that keycards weren’t actually all that secure. After all, the keys need to be quickly and easily replaced since guests tended to lose them. She had a master key that worked in most hotels—and hotel elevators. The other part of the hotel security secret was that one company made ninety percent of the card-reader-style locks, so it was possible to get a master card that worked on multiple properties.

She popped the master keycard into the slot on the elevator, pressed the button again, and the number forty-one lit up. She took a calming breath as the doors slid closed. She had no idea what sort of welcome to expect from Benjamin, but given the way he’d left Hawaii without a word, she was certain he wasn’t going to be happy to see her.

Once she reached the top, she stepped off and looked around. There were five penthouses on this floor. Of course, one of the Dara family companies owned the largest, most expensive one.

Bracing herself, she walked to his door and prayed he was home. She’d been psyching herself up for hours, and she wasn’t sure she could maintain this level of confidence if she had to wait any longer.

Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door. She thought she heard movement inside the apartment, her gaze flicking between the small security camera on the doorframe and the peephole in the door. Was he in there, looking out at her?

---