Broken (The Broken Series Book 1) by Carrie Cox Read Free Book Online Page A

accident, you dumped me. I think that pretty much ended your right to drop in for a chat whenever you feel like it.”  
    Joanna’s lips tightened. “You shouldn’t act like this, Jack. It’s very juvenile.” She tossed her long blonde hair.  
    Jack leaned back in his chair. “What do you want, Joanna? Spit it out. We do have other things to do today.”
    She smiled then, a small cold smile that made me nervous. I didn’t like this woman at all. Before I realized what I was doing my hand had tightened around Jack’s. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn’t turn. I kept my gaze fixed on Joanna, waiting.
    “I wanted you to be one of the first to know. I’m engaged,” she said.  
    If it hadn’t been for the pause before he answered, that fraction of a second he took to compose the next sentence, I wouldn’t have thought he was bothered at all. His tone remained calm and even. “Fantastic, congratulations.”
    “Don’t you want to know who the lucky guy is?” Joanna’s mouth stretched into a smirk.
    I felt Jack’s hand slip from mine and he looked down. I didn’t know whether it was a subconscious gesture, but he looked down at his legs.  
    “Not really,” he said.
    She got to her feet, grabbing her purse and throwing the strap over her shoulder. “Fine. Look, Jack, I’m trying to be an adult about this. I was going to invite you to the wedding. We’re not children, we should be able to handle this with a little bit of class.”
    “Class,” Jack spat the word back at her. “That isn’t something you’d know anything about.”  
    She reared back as if Jack had hit her. “Honestly, I just can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
    “I wish you wouldn’t talk to me at all,” Jack muttered as Joanna walked past us.  
    “I heard that,” she said, pressing a hand to her cleavage as if his words wounded her.  
    She stalked over to the door, put her hand on the door handle and said, “It’s Carlos. We’re getting married next month.” And with that she left the room, slamming the door behind her.  
    I turned to see Jack’s reaction.
    His face was like thunder. I didn’t know who Carlos was, but Jack obviously hadn’t been expecting that revelation.  
    “Well, that was… um, interesting,” I said, wanting to break the awkward silence.
    Jack looked at me as if he only just remembered I was still there.  
    “That’s one word for it,” he said.

8

    Jack didn’t speak much for the rest of the afternoon even though I tried to get him talking.  
    I asked him questions about the photographs he had on the wall. In one he was wearing his racing gear and standing next to his Formula One car. In others, he was holding up various trophies and prize cups and grinning for the camera.
    He wasn’t rude, but he just gave me one word answers. He didn’t snap at me once for the rest of the afternoon, and I knew it was crazy, but I almost wished I had the prickly, sarcastic Jack back. I didn’t know how to handle this moody, monosyllabic side of his character.
    Maria showed up at about five pm to ask Jack about his requirements for dinner. She was all smiles and happiness, despite the fact she hadn’t had her usual time off this afternoon because two other members of staff were on vacation. It was so nice to see her after the solemn hour I’d spent alone with Jack.  
    Maria chatted away to me, telling me the best sights to see in Monaco while I was here.   I smiled and nodded at her politely. I wasn’t sure how much time I would have off, but I hoped to spend a little time exploring the island with Lauren, so I listened gratefully to all the anecdotes Maria told me about the island.  
    Eventually, Maria noticed that Jack was very quiet. “Are you okay, Jack?”
    “Fine,” he said with a curt nod.
    Maria frowned. It was obvious Jack was anything but fine. “Would you like me to bring your dinner on a tray tonight? Or are you having dinner with your brother?”  
    “I’ll have it