Page 1 of Broken Promise

Prologue

Six Years Ago

Wesley Blake

The rain comes down insheets as they lower the dark cherry casket into the ground. Myheart is broken, and my soul feels like it has been torn in halfand I know this is the worst pain I will feel until the day I mustbury one of my blood brothers.

Tommy is gone.

My best friend isdead.

Brain cancer ravagedhim and now he is at peace. Or at least that is what the pastorwill have us believe. But I’m alone. The person who has been by myside since before I could remember is being lowered into the groundand I’m not quite sure how I will cope with this latest version ofnormal. We all knew it was coming but that doesn’t make the lossany easier to manage.

My gaze is torn fromthe coffin as it disappears from view beneath the dark earth and Iscan the people standing in the cemetery, umbrellas protecting themfrom the worst of the elements. The weather is miserable, just likeI am.

And then I seeher.

Karmen.

Standing alone in therain, her features vacant as she stands in the downpour, staring ather feet. I know she’s crying by the way her body is shaking.

In a few long stridesI have her pulled against my chest, not caring who is watching.This girl grew up in front of me and is probably the only personwho understands the pain I am feeling. Tommy is—was—her older brother, heronly brother. Right now, she isn’t a sixteen-year-old girl, sheisn’t the pest that always followed us around. In this moment, sheis my soul mate. Our pain bonds us together for the rest of ourlives. Both of us broken beyond repair.

We breathe eachother’s pain and silently share our heartache in the downpour. Ihold her until the wracking sobs calm and the casket has beencovered with dirt. Long after everyone has left, we are standingalone in the cemetery with the rain beating down on us, soaking usto the bone.

“What now?” she askssoftly, and I wish I had the answers but there aren’t any words toheal the wounds no one will ever see.

“We live,” the wordsfall unbidden from my lips. “We seize life and conquer our fears.We chase our dreams, and we push the limits. And every time weachieve something, beat someone, or have a major life moment, wesmile and know that Tommy is looking down on us.”

“I like that.” Shesmiles sadly as she steps away from me. “Living my life for me butfor him as well.”

I nod, choked up,unable to speak.

“I’ll see you around,”she says turning to walk away.

Catching her wrist, Iwait for her to face me again. “I’m here for you.”

“Thanks, Wesley. Butyou’ll move on and forget about me now that Tommy is gone.”

“You’re family,Karmen. I swore to Tommy that I would take care of you.”

“That’s a nice idea,”she says with a roll of her eyes. “But I won’t keep you to thatpromise. You should be able to live your best life as well.” Andthen she walks away from me, leaving me alone in the rain beside mybest friend’s grave.

She doesn’t know me aswell as she thinks she does. I will be there whenever she needs me,I will be there to fill the shoes of the brother she lost, andthere isn’t a single person on God’s green earth that can stopme.

I made a promise and Ifully intend to keep it.

Chapter One

Karmen Jones

“Will you stop staring and just dosomething?” my best friend Lenor says with a glare.

“I’m not staring,” I counter, taking a sipof my beer. “I’m people-watching.”

“I’ve known you since I was six years old,Karmen. You can lie to everyone else, but you can’t pull the woolover my eyes.”

I roll my eyes. She isn’t wrong but I won’tbe admitting to anything out loud. I do divert my gaze from theobject of my obsession—Wesley Blake, theoldest of the Blake brothers, and my brother’s best friend.

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