Broken Promise (Men of Severn #1)

Chapter Eleven

Three Days Later

Karmen Jones

I stand beside Wesley as they lower his mother’s pearl white coffin into the fresh ground. Everything seems similar to what I remember of Tommy’s funeral but completely different. For one, it’s not raining. Also, no one is crying.

No. Everyone is huddled in little groups in silence as we all bid farewell to a great woman. Each of the Blake brothers stood behind the podium and said something beautiful about the woman that raised them on her own for most of their lives.

Now, we watch as they pour the dirt onto her coffin before turning and heading back to her house. I want to say something but I’m not sure what. Each of the men in the limousine with me is silent, pondering their new reality, and I don’t want to interrupt. These past days have been an insane whirlwind, and it has taken its toll on all of us, especially Shane. I know he has a lot weighing on his shoulders right now but today isn’t the day for that.

When we reach the house, Lenor greets us on the steps before leading us inside. By the door is a giant blown-up photograph of Mrs. Blake. It’s from last year’s fair and she is standing with all three of her boys, smiling. They had just come off the roller coaster and their hair is messed up and their cheeks were red. I remember the moment clearly because I was there, I took the photograph.

“I hope it’s okay that I used this one. She looked so happy,” Lenor says. She has been helping plan everything and simply being supportive whenever and wherever needed.

Adam hugs her tightly before kissing her forehead. “It’s perfect.” His smile is genuine, even though I can see he is already tearing up.

“I remember how angry she was when you threw up in the car,” I say looking at Shane. “It wasn’t the same fair, though. I think I was around ten. Tommy was with us, and you ate too much funnel cake.”

The tips of Shane’s ears turn red before he bursts out laughing. It’s the first time since Charlotte dropped the baby bomb that I’ve seen any kind of emotion from him, and I relax a little.

“I remember you getting in trouble a year later from doing the same thing.”

And just like that, the cloud that has fallen over us lifts and the atmosphere changes. People walk into the house to us talking and laughing and quickly realize what is happening. Instead of mourning the life she missed out on living, we are celebrating the life she lived.

Yes, she was taken too soon but she lived a full life, and we are going to remind ourselves of that, share our fondest memories, and remember her the way she used to be.

Wesley Blake

The funeral was beautiful but the thing that made it perfect was listening to everyone sharing their favorite memories of Mom. Having Karmen by my side through all of this has made it somehow easier to bear and I am more grateful than words can ever explain.

Once everyone has left, Adam disappears upstairs to his room and Lenor goes home. Shane receives a phone call which he takes outside, and he never returns. Karmen and I clean the dishes in silence before letting ourselves out and walking the two blocks to her house. Somewhere along the way, she removes her black heels and I carry them for her like this is an everyday thing for us.

“Do you mind living here?” she asks me.

“It’s my house!” I say with mock outrage, and she laughs. Pulling her against my chest on the porch I kiss her deeply before moving away. “We can live wherever you want, babe. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”

“You know you’re being corny, right?” she asks with a laugh.

“Only for you,” I say pushing the door open and letting us into the house.

I freeze once I cross the threshold. In front of me stands Charlotte and Shane. She has a gun pressed to my brother’s temple and I want to roar in outrage. I keep Karmen behind me, not wanting to give Charlotte an extra target.

“Charlotte, what is going on?” I ask calmly.

“I want my life back. The life I deserve,” she mumbles. “I want the life I deserve,” she repeats.

“This is your life,” Shane says. “You have to live with the consequences of your decisions.”

Charlotte hits him in the temple with the butt of her gun and I watch his body fall to the floor. What the fuck am I supposed to do in this situation? I can’t protect everyone, and she is clearly insane.

“Charlotte,” Karmen says from behind me. “Why don’t we talk about this?”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear a damn word from you!”

She is waving the gun around and I want to yell at her, but I need her to calm the fuck down before she does something that can’t be taken back.

“Why don’t you tell me what it is you want exactly? Maybe I can do something.”

“There’s nothing anyone can do, everything is already ruined,” she says softly. “I just wanted to make sure you all get to see what she did, how she ruined my life.”

I watch her lift the gun to her temple and I react before I can think it through. I charge at her and tackle her to the ground. A shot goes off. It’s thunderous and leaves my ears ringing but I don’t feel any pain.

Sliding the gun across the polished wooden floorboards, I do a quick mental check to make sure I’m not hurt before looking down to check on Charlotte. Her body wracks with sobs but I can’t find any injuries.

“Get your ass to my house!” Karmen yells into her phone from her position beside Shane. “And bring your dad.”

“Are you okay?” I ask once she hangs up.

“I’m alive,” she says softly. “Jacob and Mr. Wilson are on the way.”

I look at the woman pinned beneath me as the sirens echo through the air. I knew it wouldn’t take long for the cops to show up. They probably got called by the neighbors.

Everything is a blur after that. The lights, the police and the paramedics, Shane getting loaded into the ambulance and taken to hospital, and finally the arrival of Charlotte’s brother and father.

Mr. Wilson speaks to the officers in hushed tones as they load his daughter into a separate ambulance. Once they leave, he approaches us with Jacob keeping his distance.

“Thank you for calling, Karmen,” he says with a sad smile. “I’m sorry you have been dragged into this mess.”

“I don’t know what happened,” I say, still trying to make sense of everything.

“Charlotte has a delusional disorder. Recently, she has decided to go off her meds,” Jacob says. “We weren’t aware of it until this morning.”

Karmen gasps beside me. “What about the baby?” she asks.

“That’s why she stopped,” Mr. Wilson says. “She said the pills were going to hurt the baby.”

“What happens now?” I ask. I feel bad for her, but I need to know my loved ones will be safe.

“She’ll go back to the facility in California,” Jacob replies sadly. “If they can’t balance her condition while she is pregnant, they’ll keep her there until after she gives birth.”

“She wouldn’t tell us who the father is,” Mr. Wilson cuts in. “Do you know?”

“My brother Shane,” I say.

“Then I’ll keep you updated on her condition and that of the baby,” he says before walking away and getting into the car.

“I’m sorry,” Jacob says softly before joining his father.

For the first time I feel something other than dislike toward the man. It seems there are a lot of things that happen behind closed doors, and we never know a person’s true situation or motivations until they let us in.

Karmen sits on the bottom step and releases a sigh. “That was a lot.”

“Are you okay?” I ask, joining her.

A sob breaks free, and she shakes her head. I hug her tightly and let her cry until she is done.

“Can we go to bed?” she asks softly. “I just want to sleep.”

“We can do whatever you want, babe.”