Broken Promise (Men of Severn #1)

Chapter Nine

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

Not everyone deals with grief in the same way. Some people cry and scream, other people shut down. We are having a couple of drinks, reminiscing about our youth and the impact their mother had not only on the lives of her sons but on mine as well.

It’s a little after seven when Lenor marches in and climbs over the back of the booth seat and pushes her way in between Adam and Shane. Shane glares with a frown and she sticks out her tongue. Adam pulls her to his side and kisses her temple.

“Thanks for coming,” he says softly.

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

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

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

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

I shove at his shoulder with a smile before focusing on Lenor. “You’re not allowed to talk about my sex life. Adam is easily scarred by talk of his brother’s magical dick.”

“Fuck me,” Shane says, dropping his head to the tabletop. “Is this what our life is going to become now?”

“Yes!” Lenor and I say loudly at the same time before falling into a fit of giggles.

For a moment everything is normal. No death or sadness, just five people enjoying a night out together.

“I’m sorry,” Lenor says softly. “My factory setting is snarky comedy. I don’t deal well with emotional shit.”

“No shit.” Wesley chuckles. “You just push people around in their own homes and shout at them.”

“Whatever,” she says with a blush. “You were in need of being shouted at.”

I watch the two of them and I know without a doubt my bestie was defending me in her own way. I loved her for that even though it wasn’t necessary.

“Have you ever been dickmatized?” Adam asks from beside Lenor causing the entire table to laugh once more. “It’s a legitimate question!”

Before Lenor can reply, Charlotte walks up to the table, glaring at me.

“Wesley,” she says with a purr. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother’s passing.”

I want to smack the taste out of her mouth as her words slip past her pouty red lips. The entire vibe changes in an instant and I know the guys are done for the night. She reminded them of what is going on outside the bar and the dark cloak of sadness wrapped around them once more.

“Thank you, Charlotte,” he replies politely, pulling me to his side.

Her grey gaze follows the movement, and I can see her fighting a sneer.

“Can I talk to you?” she asks. “Alone.”

“I’m busy at the moment. If you like we can talk next week.”

“This is important,” she says, putting her hands on her hips.

“Why don’t you run along?” Lenor interrupts. “You weren’t invited.”

“And I wasn’t talking to you, Trailer Trash,” she fires back and this time she sneers.

Standing I grab her by the collar of her jacket, ready to finally kick her ass. This woman has been a thorn in my side for long enough and I have reached my limit with her bullshit.

“Karmen,” Wesley cautions, pulling me against his chest while his other hand loosens my grip on her clothing. “Breathe, babe.”

“Babe?” Charlotte asks with a frown. It takes her mind a moment to catch up but when it does the anger and hurt on her features are plain for anyone to see. “I see.”

“Charlotte,” Wesley says but she cuts him off with a wave of her hand.

She stares at him for a long moment before speaking. “I was sick this week. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I was fine one minute and throwing up the next.”

The world around me grows fuzzy and I know what her next words are going to be before she even speaks.

“I thought you’d like to know that I’m pregnant.”

****

Wesley Blake

Her words filter into my mind, but they don’t make a lick of sense. I’ve never slept with Charlotte so I can’t understand why the fuck she would be telling me any of this. I do, however, feel when Karmen stiffens in my grasp.

Fuck me.

“Charlotte,” I say slowly, “Is there a reason you’re telling me this?”

She smiles. “Because the baby is yours, silly.”

I want to say something to contradict her claim, but I don’t get the chance. Karmen steps out of my hold and turns to Lenor.

“We need to leave. Now.”

Adam moves out of the bench seat to allow Lenor out and within a flash the two women are gone. Shane stands beside me, glaring at Charlotte.

“You know as well as everyone else that Wesley has never shown any interest in you,” he says harshly. “Isn’t it enough that we are grieving for our mother, now you have to fuck up everything else?”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” Charlotte huffs. “This isn’t your business.”

“Lying about our brother and upsetting Karmen is most definitely our business,” Adam interjects. “I sat right here last night when he ignored you. He didn’t hear a single word you were babbling.”

Pride surges through me. My brothers have my back and know me well enough to not even question whether this is true. I only wish I could say the same for Karmen.

“I don’t care what you have to say,” she says, her snotty attitude shining through.

“And neither do I,” I say cutting her off. “If you insist the baby is mine, you’ll need to get a paternity test. Otherwise, I don’t want to hear a damn thing from you.” Her face falls but I couldn’t give a flying fuck. I know where I stick my dick and it absolutely wasn’t in here. “Now get out of my way, I need to find my woman.”

I hear Charlotte argue with Shane as I push my way through the crowded bar. People greet me but I don’t acknowledge them as I make my way outside.

Sitting on the hood of Karmen’s car is Lenor, shaking her head. “She went upstairs. Something about pouring boiling sugar down a lying bitch’s throat.”

Turning, I head around the outside of the bar and up the back stairs, not caring to skip the second creaky step. All I can focus on now is getting to Karmen and making sure she knows the truth.

Walking into my apartment, I find her at the stove stirring something in a pot. Slowly, I approach her.

“Babe?”

She turns around, murderous rage painted across her features. “What?”

“What are you doing?” I ask carefully.

“Boiling sugar.”

Yes. Because that is supposed to answer all my questions. “Why?”

She stares at me like I’m stupid. “I’m going to force feed it to Charlotte the harlot. Hopefully it’ll burn her vocal cords and I don’t ever have to listen to her slutty, lying voice again,” she says looking around the kitchen. “Do you have a funnel?”

Taking her shoulders, I turn her, forcing her to face me. Reaching behind her back, I kill the burner before speaking.

“Karmen, I need you to listen to me. I want you to hear what I am saying.”

“Don’t,” she cuts me off. “I know you didn’t knock her up.”

“You know?”

“Of course I know,” she replies. “I’m not stupid, of course you’ve had sex before we got together but you have a type.”

“A type?”

I keep repeating everything she says, sounding like an idiot, but I was prepared to defend myself. I was ready to tell her a million times that I didn’t touch Charlotte until she believed me. This turn has thrown me for a loop and I’m not sure where to go from here.

“Yes, Wesley. You like blonde women. You like big boobs. And you don’t like fake. Do any of those things describe Charlotte?”

“No.”

“That’s my point,” she says kissing me quickly. “Can I finish my sugar now?”

Tugging her back, I kiss her until she pulls away, gasping for breath.

“Thank you,” I say cupping her face.

“I think I should be thanking you,” she says with a dazed look in her eyes.

“I’m serious, Karmen. Thank you for not believing her.”