Broken Promises (The Broken Road Series Book 2) Read online

  With a grin that rivaled a cat that had eaten the canary, I slowly unzipped his jeans and freed the beast struggling to break out of its denim prison. Shane gasped slightly as I wrapped my fingers around his silky skin. The SUV’s engine roared at the green light and the thrust pushed me back into the seat. My core ached and at that moment, I regretted the decision to wear jeans. I need to him to touch me, I need the release. We arrived at the house with the tires squealing in protest of being stopped. Shane jumped down from the car, his shirt covering his naked appendage, and rushed around to my side, throwing the door opening before I could even blink.

  Helping me down, Shane didn’t hesitate. The second my feet landed on the ground, he pushed me against the car with his lips over mine. His tongue, minty and cool from his gum, prodded and explored my mouth as he pressed his body against me. I strained to get closer but grew frustrated at the lack of space between us. I pulled away from him, breathless, and managed to get out, “Upstairs. Now.”

  Once we got inside, we practically ran upstairs. Well, he pulled my hand as I waddled as fast as I could. Closing the door, Shane urgently pulled off his clothes, removed mine, and helped me kneel on the bed. He kissed a trail down my spine, his hot breath feeling like heaven on my skin. I felt him reach for something, but my eyes stayed closed at the thrill of his touch. They flew open once I heard the familiar buzzing and shrieked as I felt a low vibration on my clitoris. Gasping at the sensation, I turned my head as Shane’s tongue gently caressed the tender spot below my ear. He bent me over while maintaining the pressure of my toy on my increasingly sensitive nub and sending me soaring just as his swollen cock pushed into me.

  With each pull and thrust, my senses flew into overdrive. Each nerve fired at his touch, sending my body over the cliff. Shane’s pelvis pounded into me and our simultaneous screams of ecstasy pierced the night.

  Breathing heavily, he pulled out, ignoring my cry of protest, and gingerly helped me turn over onto my back. Still standing, he wrapped my legs around his waist, teasing my entrance with his slick cock.

  “Baby, please.” I tightened my legs to pull him closer.

  Shane’s hazel eyes smoldered as he ran his hands down my sides, cupping my behind to lift me up. He grabbed a small pillow and slid it underneath me.

  “Don’t worry Babe. I got you.”

  With a grunt, he plunged into me and immediately sent my body into a pleasure spiral, thanks to the new angle. I screamed out his name as I shattered around him. His pace quickened and he climaxed again with a guttural growl.

  With our chests heaving and our bodies slick with sweat, Shane rained my face with kisses, then laid down next to me.

  “Wow. I missed this,” he murmured.

  “So did I.” I ran my fingers over the ink on his arms as I felt his heart rate slow to normal.

  “I love you so much, Babe,” he whispered and pressed his lips to mine.

  “I love you too, but I need to pee. Help me up,” Feeling like a beached whale, I struggled to get off the bed on my own. He assisted me down, then smacked my ass as I walked away.

  After emptying my bladder, I washed my hands and glanced in the mirror. My eyes were bright and my cheeks were flushed with the “great sex glow.” I smiled and walked towards the bedroom. Another buzzing sounded, although I knew it wasn’t of the pleasure variety. Shane’s conversation drifted into the hallway and I stopped to listen.

  “Yeah.” Pause. “What time?” Pause “Fuck, right now?” Pause “Okay, thanks. Give me five minutes.” I heard the rustling of his jeans as he pulled them on and then the closet door opening. My euphoria quickly dissolved to annoyance. I knew this was too good to last.

  I turned and walked back into the bathroom. Fuck this, I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. I turned on the water and waited. Waited for Shane to come and apologize for leaving yet again. Waited for the excuses and the broken promises to come home soon, which will result in him returning in the wee hours of the morning. The hot water pulsated against the pain in my lower back. I knew that once he got a hold of something, whether it be a project at the shop or seeking out the truth, he couldn’t let it go. It’s not in his nature. As the door creaked, I closed my eyes and concentrated on shampooing my hair.

  “Hey babe --”

  “I know. You have to go,” I said, vigorously scrubbing the shampoo into my long locks. I didn’t want to see him leave. Not sure but this departure was different from the rest. Unease lay heavy in my stomach. I blindly reached for the conditioner.

  “I do. They want my help.”

  “And you have to go now.”

  “Yeah.”

  I ignored the regret in his tone and finished up, stepping out and finally turning to him. Dressed in his usual attire of a thermal shirt, jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt, Shane silently handed me a towel for my hair and then gently dried off my body. I squeezed my eyes shut at the loving gesture. I know he loves me, I know he’s trying to do right by us, I mentally repeated. But each time he left, I felt him going farther away.

  “If I asked you to stay here and rub my back, would you do it?” I joked wearily, standing naked in front of him. Without saying a word, he gently lifted my chin and brushed my lips with his.

  “Of course I would,” he whispered.

  “Just making sure,” I replied nonchalantly. I wanted to beg him, to plead with him to stay, but I knew that even if he did stay, he would be anxious, like a caged beast on display. He wants to be in on the action and he wants to be there when the truth is uncovered. Shane’s tenacity is one of his best qualities, and also one of his worst.

  “Be safe out there.”

  “Always am, Babe.” He pressed his lips against my forehead and lightly smacked my behind, then walked out the door. Penny’s dog tags jingled as she followed him down the stairs. When his truck’s engine roared to life and eventually faded away, I shivered, realizing I was still naked in the bathroom. Dressing quickly in yoga pants and Shane’s dark gray hooded sweatshirt, I padded downstairs. A sudden craving overcame me so I pre-heated the oven for some frozen chocolate turnovers that I had hidden in the freezer. Keeping to the low-carb diet my doctor recommended was hard and while I had been so good about it, something sweet and chocolaty was exactly what I needed to take my mind off Shane.

  Just before the pastries were done, there was a knock at the door. I cautiously looked through the window and recognized Tommy’s Suburban. I hadn’t seen him in over a month.

  “Well hello there, Stranger,” I said with a smile, throwing open the door. His green eyes widened as he took in my ever-expanding belly.

  “Hello to you too momma. You look beautiful. About to pop, but beautiful,” Tommy replied, kissing my cheek as he entered the house. “Sorry I couldn’t make it to the party today, but I got held up at work.”

  “I totally understand. Thank you for the gift by the way. The wooden boat is really cute.”

  I led him into the kitchen, where the oven timer was going off. After pulling them out of the oven, I turned off the oven, turned on the burner for the teakettle, and set it on the stove.

  “I’m glad you liked it. Jessica helped me pick it out,” he said casually.

  “I want to hear more about this Jessica. You’ve been spending an awful amount of time with her.” I teased, sitting down at the table.

  We chatted about his new relationship with Jessica, his caseload and life in general all while I tried desperately not to yawn. We didn’t touch on the Cartel, which was probably a good thing at the risk of my big-mouth saying something about Shane.

  The teakettle whistled and Tommy quickly got up to make tea and grab plates for our desserts. I gratefully accepted mine, knowing full well how much energy it would have taken to get out of the damn chair. Four more weeks, just four more weeks. As much as I love being pregnant, the last month of gas, heartburn and my pelvis feeling like it’s going to crack open isn’t what I pictured pregnancy would be.

  “So how are things going
with you?” he asked, sipping his tea.

  “Things are good. We just have four more weeks left, and then this bean will be with us. My last day of work is in about three weeks, so we can have a few days to finish everything.” I couldn’t hold back the yawn any more.

  “Where’s Shane?”

  “At the shop.” I didn’t want to say anything further, but of course, being the ace FBI agent that he is, he probed just a little bit more.

  “He’s been working a lot hasn’t he? Every time I talk to you, he’s there.”

  I sighed. Tommy was right. During our random phone conversations, Shane was never home.

  “He wants to get as much work in as he could so he could spend a week or so with us after Katie’s born.” I heard the defensiveness in my voice as I spoke. Tommy looked at me, with pity in his eyes.

  “Hey, not judging. Just stating a simple fact, that’s all.” He held his hands up in surrender.

  I rubbed my belly again. The tightness was back and so was the really bad heartburn. “Yeah, I know. Sorry, it’s the preggo mood swings. Don’t take offense.” I yawned again. “I hate to kick you out, Tommy, but I am kicking you out. I need some sleep.”

  “That’s cool. I have to go anyway. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” I followed him to the mudroom door. “Get some rest. Apparently you won’t get any after the kid is born.” Chuckling, he kissed my cheek and I closed the door behind him.

  I locked the door and whistled for Penny to follow me up the stairs. The day’s events finally wore me down. My stomach hurt, my back ached and my feet resembled Fred Flintstone’s. I was so exhausted; I didn’t bother putting on a nightshirt and just took off my pants. I set the alarm and laid on the bed, falling asleep before my head hit the pillow.

  Chapter 13

  Every woman has her ideal birthing scenario, preferably serene and pain free. But then, real life happens. And the war stories. Every mom has one, and they aren’t afraid to tell you and anyone else the graphic details about on how long they were in labor and where they were when their water broke.

  Despite how exhausted I was and how quickly I fell asleep, I opened my eyes quickly to a wet sensation in my pants. Did I pee in the bed? I wondered, groggily sitting up. Tight cramping shot through my stomach. Oh holy moly, I didn’t pee in the bed, I realized. Penny’s frantic barking caught my attention. She was pawing at the door and whining, trying to get downstairs.

  “Hold your horses, Penny, we’ll go outside in a minute.”

  I shuffled over to the dresser and pulled out another pair of pants. A spasm of pain quickly stole my breath as I struggled to pull them over my legs. Once the pain diminished, I slipped the phone into my pocket, grabbed my pre-packed hospital bag and headed for the door. Opening it, a wall of smoke immediately pushed me back. Gasping for air, I dropped to all four. Grabbing Penny’s collar, I crawled into the hallway. Black smoke burned my eyes, and the farther down the hall I went, the higher the temperature was. I paused at the top of the stairs as a contraction gripped my belly. Argh! A moan of frustration slipped out as I scooted down the stairs on my behind. I saw my entire kitchen in flames through the staircase railing and panic overwhelmed me as I struggled to breathe. Tightly holding on to Penny, we managed to make to the bottom when my front door flew open.

  “Megs? Megan!” an unfamiliar voice shouted my name.

  “Here!” I said feebly, my voice weak from the smoke

  “I got you.” A large frame filled the cloudy space between the stairs and front door. Someone gently picked me up and whistled for Penny, and then carried me out front. The clean air was a godsend and I struggled to breathe in as much as possible. The stranger brought me across the street to an ambulance that had just pulled up, sitting me down on the step of the ambulance. Immediately, the medics set about giving me oxygen and pulled a blanket around my shoulders. A new wave of contractions came over me and I gripped the medic’s hand.

  “I think I’m in labor.” I wheezed. Shouts immediately followed and I was lifted onto the gurney by the stranger. A blonde woman introduced herself as Keri and immediately started asking questions. When I tell her my water may have broken, she shoos the men out, shimmies my pants down and with gentle gloved hands, checks with a test strip to see if there is, in fact, amniotic fluid.

  “Well, Megan, your water definitely broke. Let’s get you to the hospital right now,” she said with a smile, as if finding a woman in a burning house going into labor was an everyday occurrence for her.

  “I need to call my boyfriend,” I tried to say, but the mask made it difficult to speak. Keri understood.

  “We will call someone for you once we get there. But, first, let us take care of you.”

  We made it to the hospital in no time at all. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled into the bustling emergency room. I didn’t see Jen but it didn’t matter. The nurses from Labor and Delivery whisked me right upstairs. Within minutes, I was in a private delivery room. At first glance, the room resembled a hotel suite with its flat screen TV and walnut decor. But I knew that the bed had stirrups and the walnut cabinets housed sterilized hardware. Once I was settled in a nifty open-back gown, had the IV in, and monitors hooked up, Dr. Vaughn came in.

  “Hey Megan, let’s see how we’re doing.” She settled onto the seat in between my legs and checked me out. “We need to keep the oxygen going. Her pulse-stat is low. Notify NICU and tell them to be on standby,” Dr. Vaughn said to the nurse. “Well Megan, I have good news and bad news. Good news is your baby is doing fine. The heart rate is up and your contractions are consistent. The bad news is that unfortunately it is too late for an epidural. You’re at eight, almost nine centimeters dilated and one hundred percent effaced. This baby is coming pretty quickly.”

  Fear and panic coursed through me, momentarily dulling the excruciating pain. “I need to call Shane. I need to call my mom. I can’t do this by myself.”

  Dr. Vaughn squeezed my hand firmly. “You’re not going to be by yourself. We’ll call them.”

  A knock on the door drew her attention away from me and Tommy poked his head in. “Megs? Can I come in?” Without waiting for affirmation, he rushed over to the bed. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh God Tommy. What are you doing here?” I gasped, as my stomach constricted painfully.

  “I heard about the fire over the local PD scanner. Once I got there, the ambulance was just pulling away. What can I do?”

  “I need you to call Shane. Please. The baby is coming. He needs to be here. And call my mom too.”I recited Shane’s number to Tommy and he went out into the hall to call. Dr. Vaughn followed him out.

  Ten agonizing minutes later, he came back in. “Megs, he’s not picking up and there’s no voicemail. I just sent him a text though. I did get a hold of your mom, but she’s in West Virginia with your Aunt Amy. They are on their way now.”

  Another painful contraction came and I gripped Tommy’s hand to breathe through it. The need to use the bathroom soon became overwhelming. I threw the blankets off my legs and tried to sit up.

  Alarmed, Tommy’s eyes grew wide. “Wait, what are you doing? What do you need?”

  “I need to poop. Help me up.” Any sort of decorum had gone out the window. I didn’t care if he was the Pope. If I didn’t go to the bathroom now, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

  “Whoa. Wait a minute. Let me get the doctor. I don’t think you want to do that.” He said, pushing the call button on the bed rail.

  “Yes?” A perky voice trilled over the intercom.

  “Hi … Yes … er … She needs to use the restroom.” Tommy stuttered.

  If I hadn’t been in such agony, I would have laughed at his embarrassment. Tommy’s normally olive-toned skin was turning bright red.

  “We’ll be right there.”

  “Tommy, I can’t wait. I need to go. Right now,” I growled, desperation filling every part of my being.

  “Just a minute Megan, I can almost guarantee that you don’t need to use the rest
room. Let me check you again,” Dr. Vaughn stated as she walked back into the room. Tommy helped me lay back down and the doctor gave me a pointed look, as if to say “I’m about to open your legs, is this man okay to see your whooha?”

  I turned to Tommy and said, “You’ve seen it before, but keep your eyes elsewhere.” With a smirk, he nodded and averted his eyes, looking anywhere but in between my legs.

  “Megan, you’re at ten centimeters. What you’re feeling is the urge to push. Don’t push yet, let me finish setting up.”

  My eyes widened in horror. “I can’t push. Not yet. Shane’s not here. Mom’s going to miss it. Tommy, I can’t do it without them!” I said in a panic.

  Just then, my cell phone rang. “Where’s my cell phone? That’s Shane.”

  Tommy went through the bag that held my smoke-filled clothes, unearthed the phone that was still lodged in my pants pocket and handed it to me.

  “Megan, what happened? I heard there was a fire. Are you all right?” Shane’s voice sounded beautiful to my ears.

  “Oh God, Shane. Where the hell are you? Get here right now. I’m pushing!”

  “I’m only ten minutes away from the hospital. I’m on my way, babe. I’ll be right there. Hold on.”

  Groaning with another contraction, I managed to get out, “Shane’s coming.”

  “Good, because with the next contraction, you’re going to push.” Dr. Vaughn replied, covered in hospital garb and settling into her chair.

  Chapter 14

  It’s amazing really, how everything can change in the blink of an eye. One moment, you’re panicked and scared. Then you fight through it, you conquer the fear, and the end result is absolute bliss.

  After seven minutes of pure agonizing pain filled with pushes and screams, Katherine Louise Turner was born at three-forty-nine on a Sunday morning, weighing in at seven pounds, two ounces and perfectly healthy. After an initial checkup, the nurses allowed me to hold her in my arms. Tommy, a trooper who held my hand throughout the entire torturous process, kissed both of our foreheads and wisely left us alone to bond.