Page 102 of Burdened Bonds

Stone sinks down on one of the chairs and taps his fingers on the table. “He could be anywhere. Anywhere at all. It’s not a lot to go on.”

“There are the memories,” I say, “the ones in my head. There might be something in there that could help us.”

“I told you before, Rhianna, I’m not going back in there. It was too traumatic for you last time. I’m not putting you through it again.”

“I can handle it, Stone.”

“You can’t,” he says. “And, besides, there was nothing about a beast in your head.”

“We didn’t look–”

“Rhi, no.”

I slump down on a chair as far away from him as I can find and cross my arms.

Renzo lifts the bread knife. “Want me to make him do it?”

Stone scoffs.

“No!” I say. “Nice, remember.”

Renzo lowers the knife, looking exactly like a scolded puppy dog.

Azlan rubs at his chin. “I could do some investigating, tap up some old contacts, some allies I have in the authorities. See if I can find any information.”

“You could reach out to your nephew,” Stone says.

“Tristan?” I say, my bond automatically aching in my stomach. “Would he help us?”

“He’s your mate,” Azlan says. “He’s on your side now.”

I peer down at the scuffed tabletop. And yet he’s not here. He’s not with us. As far as I know he’s making no effort at all to find us. I’m pretty certain Tristan Kennedy has once again turned his back on our bond.

“Have a little more faith in him,” Stone says.

I shake my head. After all, we’ve been through together, after the way he’s treated me, keeping the faith is damn hard.

“Investigating sounds dangerous,” I say, spinning in my chair to face Azlan, “we don’t know who we can trust.”

Azlan walks towards me, crouching down so our faces are level. He slides his rough fingertips over my cheek. “You know I can take care of myself. And I’d be leaving you in safe hands,” he smiles, that expression he rarely makes, “Winnie’s.”

Stone curses at him but I’m too full of anxiety to manage a smile back. I rest my hand over his.

“I only just got you back.”

“I won’t be gone for long, I promise you that. I couldn’t fucking bear it.”

He leans in and kisses my mouth.

“Promise?” I whisper, so that only he can hear, my heart now aching too.

“Promise,” he says.

39

Tristan

I open my eyes.The ache in my gut is more painful than ever, matched only by the ache in my head. A stark light assaults my vision and everything swoops in and out of focus.