Shattered Trust Read Online Free

with two ex-cops and loving every minute of it?
    Cool air filtered through the house and put small pebbles of gooseflesh on her skin as she made her way to the kitchen looking for Jamal. The blaring music added extra bounce and rhythm to her step, almost making a giggle bubble up within her as she entered the brightly lit room and saw Jamal hunched over a plate, shoveling food into his mouth.
    â€œHey,” she said, swinging open the refrigerator door.
    â€œYo,” he mumbled through his food. “Don’t even look for any fried fish or grits. Gone.”
    â€œDag, Jamal. You ain’t leave nothing good for breakfast.” Najira extracted the nearly empty carton of orange juice and held it up to the light. “If you were only gonna leave a corner, you might as well have drank it all.”
    â€œHand it here, then,” he said smiling. “Got the munchies like a mother this morning.”
    â€œSee ...” she shook her head and handed him the carton, too done as he turned it up to his mouth.
    â€œThat’s why y’all need to go on ahead and make some fresh, ’cause you know I done drank out the carton any ole way.”
    She cut him a glare through a smile and went to the fruit bowl to gather up a few oranges and a small pineapple for the juicer. “You know,” she said slowly, peeling the fruit without looking at her brother, “we’ve gotta get into some sorta routine around here.”
    â€œI have a routine,” Jamal said, unfazed, wiping his plate with a biscuit and stuffing it into his mouth.
    â€œYou know that business idea Steve and James was talking about? Well, it might be good to have something to do every day, other than sitting around here, or—”
    â€œKnocking boots every chance you get.”
    Jamal gave her a sly smile and went back to his plate, seeming pleased when Najira looked away.
    â€œI’m serious,” she finally said, setting the small paring knife down on the counter hard.
    â€œI am, too, boo,” Jamal said calmly. “I have to get up and get outta here early every day like I’m in a shelter program or something to keep from hearing—”
    â€œAll right, all right, all right,” Najira said, becoming peevish as she shoved fruit into the juicer and depressed the top, hoping the sound would drown her brother out. “You get on my nerves, Jamal.”
    â€œI love you, too.” He winked and stood up, stretching like a lanky cat, his boxers three inches above the waistband of his baggy jean shorts, and then raked his fingers down the exposed, greased parts in his immaculate cornrows. “I ain’t hatin’,” he said, taking his plate to the sink. “Steve is cool with me; I just don’t wanna hear all that, is all I’m saying. I’m still your big brother, feel me?”
    She swallowed away a smile, determined to stay annoyed but couldn’t. “That’s why we’ve gotta get something productive happening. Just like James said the other night, he and Steve had never done more than ten days off at a stretch, and really hadn’t been beyond the Jersey shore, at that. Nobody is trying to travel to any terrorist hot spots, and after you do all the clubs, try all the water sports, take all the tours, and act up at Carnival, other than chill on the beach, golf, or fish, what is there to do?”
    Jamal leaned against the refrigerator with a soft thud and folded his arms. His expression became serious as he searched her eyes for answers. “I hear you. Never thought I’d ever say something like that, myself. A year island hopping, seeing all the fine women and chasing booty for days ... just having stoopid money in my pocket, I gotta do something, ’Jira. I ain’t cut out for the quiet life.”
    Najira nodded, and moved him aside to collect eggs and breakfast sausage out of the fridge. “Laura agrees; we’ve been laying low for a long