Fragments (The Broken Series Book 2) by Carrie Cox Page B

soon.”
    “Good,” Benjamin said. Then the line went dead.
    I turned to look at Maria who was still standing by the doorway.  
    “It’s my sister,” I said in a croaky voice I hardly recognized as my own. “I have to get home.”  
    Maria nodded. “Of course, I will arrange a car to the airport whenever you need it. You must pack now, yes?”
    I nodded and followed Maria out of the room.
    I walked along the hallway towards my room in a daze.  
    I needed to get myself on the next flight that left Monaco headed for the US. I hoped to God it wasn’t fully booked.
    When I got back to my room, I yanked off the oversized t-shirt I had been sleeping in, slipped on a pair of jeans and pulled on a sweatshirt.
    After scooping my hair back into a ponytail, I knelt beside the bed and quickly pulled out the suitcase I had stashed underneath.
    I was halfway through emptying my drawers and dumping the contents into my case when it hit me.
    What the hell was I doing?
    I didn’t need all this stuff. It was just belongings.
    I wasn’t thinking straight. None of this crap mattered. I just needed to get back home. That was what mattered right now. Nothing else was important.
    I balled up my fists and closed my eyes. I had to think logically. I had to make a plan, otherwise I wouldn’t get anywhere.
    I needed to book a flight. I got up from my knees, searching for the iPad. I searched the dressing table, the floor and I even looked under the duvet.
    Dammit. Where was it?
    I couldn’t find it anywhere, and then I remembered. I’d been using it to watch a movie in Lauren’s room.
    I cursed under my breath and made my way to the door. I’d just put my hand on the door handle when it swung open violently, almost hitting me.
    In front of me stood Jack.
    He put his hands on my shoulders and stared down at me. His eyes were burning and his whole face was tense.
    “Jack,” I said. “It’s my sister, Kate…” My voice broke.
    He pulled me towards him, enveloping me in his strong arms.
    “I know. Maria just told me. I’ve fixed up a flight. It leaves in two hours. The commercial flights were full until tomorrow afternoon, so we’ll be on a private jet.”
    For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I just kept my cheek pressed against his muscular chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.  
    I wanted to cry so much. My throat ached with the effort of keeping the tears away.
    “Thank you,” I said eventually, and I looked up at him.  
    Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly to my forehead. “Just pack essentials. We’re going to fly to Paris and then on to Boston.”
    I blinked. “You said we … Are you coming too?”
    Jack nodded as he reached for my hand. “Of course. I wouldn’t let you go through this alone, Kristina.”

22

    Although we flew by private jet, I barely noticed the luxury of the jet. The plush, leather seats could have been made of rough polyester and I wouldn’t have noticed. As far as I was concerned, this was the most miserable journey of my life, and I couldn’t wait to get off the damn plane.  
    The journey seemed to take forever, and I had no idea what was happening with my sister. As soon as the fasten seatbelt light turned off, I got to my feet and started pacing the aisle.
    Jack watched me closely, but he didn’t try to reassure me or tell me everything was going to be okay, and I was glad of that. I didn’t want to be “mollycoddled” as my mother would have said.
      I’d never seen Kate looking that ill before. I knew she wasn’t well when I talked to her on the video call on the iPad, so why hadn’t I done something? I’d known she was feeling bad. I should’ve realized there was something seriously wrong. Kate never got sick. She was always the strong one.
    The plane shook as we flew through a bumpy area of turbulence, and I had to grab onto to the back of a nearby seat to steady myself.
    “Come back and sit down,” Jack said.  
    I did as he asked, slumping back