Page 4 of The Vow

The little boy chatted back utter gobbledygook as Nix and Ash took their plates back to the kitchen.

Rafe sat down and Carmelo had to watch another plate of bacon and eggs being devoured with gusto while he tried not to puke.

“So, you getting broody, pig?” Rafe said, picking up on the conversation from before.

Carmelo rubbed the back of his neck with his palm. “Not broody, just… I don’t want, I mean… I think I want… fuck, I don’t know.”

Rafe nodded sagely while shoveling hash browns into his mouth.

“I mean, watching Phantom and Sophie get married months ago… it got me thinking, I want that, I think, you know, that intensity, that… connection with someone…”

“Uh huh.” Rafe was trying hard to listen and empathize.

“But I don’t want to just settle, like I think my brother did… I’m pretty sure he doesn’t fuck around on his wife though.” Carmelo frowned.

Rafe nodded. “He does. I know. He comes to the Glasshouse-”

Carmelo held up a palm. “No offense buddy, but I really don’t want to know.”

“Fine, I’m just saying, you’re looking at what your brother has as if it’s like the perfect thing, it isn’t.”

“I’m torn, honestly,” Carmelo concluded, miserably.

“Hey, it’s not all doom and gloom, brother,” Colt said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. April pointedly passed him a napkin that he promptly crumpled up. “I heard your police work from last month is up for an award?”

Carmelo let a small grin onto his face. “Yeah, nominated for a Bronze Medal of Valor…”

“Well, that’s great, pig,” Rafe said. “Tell your brother to go fuck himself, you’re up for a medal.”

Carmelo chuckled mirthlessly. “Yeah but they don’t care, my family. My dad and my brother, it means nothing to them, they think I should just keep my nose out of other people’s business, not work so hard-”

“Fuck ‘em.” Rafe shrugged. “You should have one last night to celebrate, then go cold turkey, pig.”

Carmelo sighed, staring down at his cold, untouched eggs.

“Sophie and Phantom are working at the Glasshouse tomorrow. You should come along,” Rafe offered.

“A sex show? Sophie and Phantom?” He tried not to salivate at the thought of the mute assassin who loved to tease his sweet little innocent-seeming wife with knife play and edge play.

“Yeah, it’s… hot stuff,” Rafe said, puffing out.

“Yeah, I’d recommend it brother, if you are in a bit of a slump.” Colt flashed his eyebrows.

Carmelo let his jaw drop open. “You’ve seen it?”

April piped up now. “I wanted to go for my birthday. Colt took me,” April said, smiling coyly.

Carmelo blew out a breath. “Well fuck me. Now if I could find a wife who was up for that kind of thing, things might be different.”

Colt shrugged.

Carmelo stared at his eggs again morosely. “Can you believe Lyle was the FBI mole? The agent you were so worried about?”

Colt barked out a hollow laugh. “Honestly, no. If you’d have told me I’d be sitting here today about to welcome the drunkard FBI rat back to the MC, oh and I’d made him my VP, I’d have told you to fuck off-”

“You regret it?”

“No,” Colt said immediately. “Lyle took a bullet for me. He may moan and dick about sometimes but his heart is in the right place. And if he’s sober…”

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