Read Online Promises to Keep by Maegan Beaumont - Free Book Online Page B

his phone closed and dropped it in his pocket. He walked back toward the front of the plane. “Change of plans. We’re making a pit stop before heading to Helena,” Ben said, and he moved past Michael up the steps to the interior of the Lear.
    â€œWhere?” Michael said, picking up his duffle and following.
    His partner shot him a look over his shoulder. “San Francisco.”

    San Francisco.
    As soon as Michael boarded the plane, he dropped his duffle and stretched out on the couch, closed his eyes, and willed himself into oblivion. But it was useless. No way was he sleeping. Not when all he could think about was Sabrina.
    It looked like fate had finally decided to stop being such a bitch and throw him a bone. He’d been wracking his brain, trying to figure out a way to slip his collar and find a way to see her, but suddenly his way was clear …
    He looked across the interior of the Lear to where Lark had set up shop and felt the skin on the back of his neck draw tight once more before closing his eyes again. At least it was clearer than it had been a few hours ago. He still had to figure out how in the hell he was going to get rid of Lark and the kid—
    â€œWe need to talk.”
    He cracked a lid to see Ben sitting cross-legged in the middle of the aisle, three feet from his face. He looked worried. It was never a good sign when Ben looked worried.
    â€œSo talk.” He closed his eyes again and waited for the kid to start in with whatever was bothering him, but all he heard was the constant tapping that told him Lark was on his computer.
    He opened his eyes. Ben was still there. The worry was too. “Look, getting shot makes me tired, so if you’re just gonna—”
    â€œIt wasn’t Lark. It was me … sort of. I’m the reason my father knows about Sabrina.”
    He shot a glare in Lark’s direction. He was sitting at the table. The same table they’d been sitting at that last time they’d all been together on this plane. They’d been having a conversation much like this one. He’d trusted Lark, and Lark had betrayed him. Now it seemed to be Ben’s turn to fuck him over. When was he gonna learn?
    He shifted his glare back to Ben and settled on his face. “You have two minutes.”
    â€œMy dad knew something was up with you. After finding your sister’s killer, you came back wrong, and he wanted to know why.” Ben scrubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. “He kept at me, bugging me. Reminding me that my duty was, first and foremost, to my family. To him,” he said with barely contained disgust. “I repeatedly and quite emphatically told him to go fuck himself.”
    Michael narrowed his eyes on the kid’s face. “Skip to the part where I get screwed over. It’s always my favorite.”
    â€œI knew it was only a matter of time before Green Mile back there started flapping his yap and guaranteed, nothing he had to say would’ve been favorable.” He jerked his head toward Lark, who was listening. He hadn’t turned around, but his tapping had stopped. “But I kept my mouth shut and an eye out. Helped her get her job back. Tried to get her to rehab her leg.” Now he looked serious. Serious Ben was also never a good thing. “I did what I could—for her and for you.”
    It took him a second to understand what Ben was saying, but then the realization hit. “You recruited her.”
    Ben shrugged. “It was either recruit her or kill her,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re the one that brought her into this mess, man. I was just trying to make sure she stayed in one piece.”
    â€œBy turning her into an assassin?” His stomach clenched at the thought of Sabrina doing what he did, going the places he went. He thought of her standing over a mark like Cordova and pulling the trigger.
    â€œShe isn’t an asset; she’s a