Page 18 of Broken Promise

Adam takes the liberty of pouring each of usa generous shot before passing the glasses around.

“Spill,” Shane says before anyone else hasthe chance to speak.

“There is nothing to spill,” Karmen sayswith a flick of her hair. “Didn’t I tell you to stay out of mybusiness?”

I can tell she is fucking with him. Mybrother is the most uptight motherfucker I know, and he hates notknowing what is going on.

He leans his elbows on the table with acalculating smile. “If you’re running around with Wesley, and Iassume you are, you’re his business. And he is my brother and mybusiness. Which by the transit of property now makes your business,my business.”

Adam whistles lowly and I can’t help butlaugh.

“Fine,” she says with a smile of her own.“What do you want to know?”

“I want to know what this is,” Shane saysgesturing between the two of us.

“You need to be more specific,” I cutin.

“Yes.” Karmen nods, grinning at me. “Or doyou want to know what we were doing before Adam called…”

“La-la-la-la,” Adam says loudly, stickinghis fingers in his ears and I can’t help from bursting outlaughing.

“Don’t be a brat, Karmen,” Shane cutsin.

“We’re together,” I say, knowing the two ofthem can go at it for hours. “That’s all you need to know.”

Shane raises a brow. “And how are you goingto be ‘together’,”—he uses his fingers tomake the little sign before continuing—“ifKarmen is living in Boston?”

“Karmen lives in Severn,” I say withoutmissing a beat.

“She sold her house. She doesn’t haveanywhere to stay.”

“Actually,” she says, and we turn ourattention to focus on her. “I know of a great furnished house I canrent. And the landlord has a thing for me,” she adds with awink.

“You two are going to be insufferable,aren’t you?” Adam asks, making us laugh as Kallie brings our foodto the table.

“Probably,” I say, kissing the side ofKarmen’s head.

We all dig into our food and theconversation turns to other topics. We can feel the weight of ourmother’s death and the looming funeral pressing down on us, but Ithink we just need this time to be normal for a bit. The sadness isstill there but for now we are just being.

Chapter Nine

Karmen Jones

I’m grateful that people are leaving us be.No one approaches the table where we are seated even though I cansee that people want to. Everyone knew Mrs. Blake and I’m sure theywant to pay their respects, but they also know the guys need thistime.

Not everyone deals with grief in the sameway. Some people cry and scream, other people shut down. We arehaving a couple of drinks, reminiscing about our youth and theimpact their mother had not only on the lives of her sons but onmine as well.

It’s a little after seven when Lenor marchesin and climbs over the back of the booth seat and pushes her way inbetween Adam and Shane. Shane glares with a frown and she sticksout her tongue. Adam pulls her to his side and kisses hertemple.

“Thanks for coming,” he says softly.

“Like I’m going to stay home alone wheneveryone I know is down here,” she says with a roll of her eyes.“At least you thought to invite me. Apparently, my bestie has beendickmatized and completely forgot I exist.”

“Dickmatized?” Shane and Adam ask at thesame time as I choke on my drink.

“Yes,” she says with a dramatic sigh. “She’sbeen hypnotized by Wesley’s dick. Everything else is justbackground noise now.”

Wesley laughs loudly, drawing the attentionof several people. “I kind of like that idea,” he says.

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