Page 110 of Broken Pact

“Our mother welcomed you into her home,” Beau says.

I don’t pull my gaze from Jasper, the need to memorize this moment, to memorize him, pounds against my skull fiercely. Because my brothers are about to start in on him, and I’m quietly praying that he can hold his own against them.

I didn’t bring it up in the car before, but not only have my brothers low-key interrogated anyone I’ve ever dated for far too long, not a single man has ever held strong under their scrutiny. I love my brothers, but they can be real pricks when they want to be.

“She invited you to dinner,” Graham adds. “Does that not live up to the Carter name, Devereaux?”

Jasper tenses, his left brow twitching. I steal a glance at my brothers, watching the smug expressions on their faces as worry churns in my stomach. This is not at all how I expected tonight to go.

“Boys,” Dad warns.

“C’mon now. You didn’t think we wouldn’t look into you the moment we heard our sister is shacking up with some fucking Reaper?” Graham drawls.

“Language,” Mom snaps.

Jasper’s mouth twists into a grin. But it’s not a real one, there’s no joy or warmth behind it. It’s empty joviality. “I’m an open book, Graham, so if you want to know something, just ask.”

Mom shifts in her seat. “Cora, maybe you and your guest should?—”

Mason’s phone rings, the shrill tone slicing through the mounting tension. “Sorry, sorry,” he mutters, fishing it from his pocket. He takes one look at the screen, his brows collapsing toward one another. “I have to take this.”

“Yes, of course,” Dad says with a wave of his hand.

“Mom? Everything okay?” Mason asks as he scoots back his chair. He stops halfway, poised above his chair like someone’s pressed pause on him. “What did you just say?” The color leeches from his face.

Beau’s head whips toward his friend, concern tightening his expression.

His mom says something that restarts him, and he pushes to stand straight. “Yes, of course. I’ll be right there. Just—just stay there. I’m on the way.” He ends the call and shuffles his chair forward. He looks between my parents. “Mrs. Carter, Mr. Carter, thank you for dinner. I’m sorry I can’t stay.”

“Of course, dear. No, don’t worry about that,” Mom assures him when he starts to tidy his place setting.

“Everything okay, man?” Beau asks.

Mason’s attention zeroes in on my brother. “I . . . uh, yeah. No. I mean, maybe. That was my ma. Some woman dropped off a baby at her house and said it was mine.”

I don’t know Mason all that well, but judging from the shocked expression my brother has plastered over his face, I’d say this is a wild revelation for him.

“Jesus, man. Want me to come with you?” Beau asks, tossing his napkin on top of his plate.

Mason arches a brow. “Do you know anything about babies?”

Beau grimaces and shakes his head. “I was thinking more along the lines of moral support.”

Mason nods a few times, rounding the table and heading toward the front door. “Thanks, man, I’ll let you know, yeah? I’m just . . . I gotta go. Thanks again, Mrs. Carter.”

Beau’s out of his chair the second the front door closes. “Sorry, Ma, but I gotta head out. I think I should go with him. I don’t know what kind of situation he’s walking into, but I think he’s going to need someone with a clear mind.”

“Yes, of course, honey,” Mom says, standing up. “You let me know if there’s anything I can do for him.”

Beau’s hand lands on my shoulder as he rounds the table. “No hard feelings, right, sis? We were just fucking with you.”

I shrug off his hold and mutter, “Sure.”

“Well, I think we should just call it a night, hm?” Mom says with a forced smile. “Right, honey?”

My dad blinks a few times and nods. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

Mom's suggestion to call it a night is all the prompting I need. I squeeze Jasper's hand one last time before rising from my seat, eager to put this disaster of a family dinner behind me.

---