Page 77 of The Wrong Promise

“I have a shit ton of work to do here before I return. I’ll be home for Christmas, so if Mom is questioning my absence, you can explain the importance of my presence in London.”

“This is the last home game before Christmas, and the entire family is expected to attend. It’s important as owners of the team, and you should support your brother.”

I groan out a sound of inconvenience. “What day?”

“Tomorrow night.”

I sit upright in the bed. “By tomorrow night in LA, are you implying tonight in London time?”

“Why do you think I’m calling? This game should be on your calendar.”

“I have other priorities in my calendar, and none are fun,” I snap, throwing back the bed sheets and heading to the bathroom. “Do you have the pilot’s schedule on your screen?”

“I do, and I have already added a flight that will leave in two hours. Be on it, Jobe,” he warns, ending the call, and I toss my cell onto the counter, both hands gripping the marble. I stare into the mirror, then bow my head, taking deep breaths to calm my thoughts. I’m feeling pulled in multiple directions when all I want to do is lie in bed for another hour with my girl.

After showering and throwing a few things in a case, I kiss Zara on the cheek. I’ll send a text to her when I’m on the plane explaining why I had to rush away and promise to be back by the end of the week.

The momentthe jet touches down in LA, my driver is waiting to take me straight to the LA Sharks arena. I stride past security and receive their nod of acknowledgment. I’m ushered toward the VIP area where the rest of my family awaits. Penny spies me first and waves.

She’s sitting beside Franklin, her father on his other side. Her mother, I assume, is home with their baby. In the row of seats behind them is Charlotte and my parents. After greeting everybody and shaking hands, I take a seat beside Charlotte. She takes my hand and squeezes it.

“I’m so glad you made it, Jobe.” Her eyes dart over my face, an anxiousness rarely seen in her.

Fuck. I forgot about the shitshow that went down here while I was away. Charlotte and the Aussie were hooking up behind Byron’s back. Byron had one rule. No one on the team was to touch his sister. It was the way he discovered their secret that pissed him off. They were the two people he trusted most, and from all accounts, he has barely spoken to either of them since.

I place my other hand over hers. “How are you holding up?” I imagine how hard it is for her being caught in the middle of a feud between our brother and her boyfriend.

“I’m nervous as hell for both of them, but we need this win. As long as they are professionals on the court, I’ll deal with everything later.” She’s not looking at me, her gaze is directed at Brandon.

“You like him a lot?” I ask.

Her gaze flicks back to me, and she looks puzzled. “Of course. We were planning a future together.”

Already?

“Hasn’t it only been a few months?”

She shakes her head. “We’ve been seeing each other on and off over the years. We only became serious in the past six months. We were friends first, remember? It was an easy transition because we already knew each other.”

Charlotte is not even twenty-five, and yet she knows what she wants in love. I understand why she kept their relationship a secret. I’m protecting what Zara and I have without the influence or interference of anyone else or their opinion on the matter. While we explore our feelings, it has to be about us and no one else.

The music ramps up, and lights flash around the arena, skimming over the crowd screaming with delight at the Los Angeles home team. It’s a full house, and the noise is deafening. Charlotte screams out for her brother. She gives equal cheer to Brandon Johns.

“How is BJ?” I ask her. I know my brother is pissed, but he has the support of his family and the team. The Aussie only had us, and if I were to make a choice, it would be family.

“He’s okay. He’s focused on the win.”

I nod. While I don’t follow sports, when my family became the team’s owners, I understood the importance of supporting the LA Sharks because a premiership would be a huge financial gain. And my brother would reach a milestone in his professional basketball career.

For the next two quarters, I clap and cheer, watching my brother and the Aussie dominate the court. While they are both stars in their own right, there is something off tonight. It’s like they are competing against each other.

Halfway through the third quarter, we are up by eleven points. Byron attempts to pass it to Brandon, but then our big guy, Jye, rolls toward the basket.

“Pass it to BJ,” Charlotte says in a desperate plea as though it would make everything between them right.

Even I can see the better pass was to Jye. Byron twists his body to pass him the ball. His opponent runs at him, leaping into the air to block his pass.

His knees buckle, and his leg gives way. His opponent lands with a heavy thud before Byron manages to align his body.

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