The Consequences of Sin

by K. A. Robinson

  “Rick kicked me out of the house the other night.” I looked away from her.

  “He what? That asshole! I’m so sorry, Claire,” Junie said.

  I looked up to see her brown eyes filled with anger. “Don’t apologize. There’s nothing you or anyone else could’ve said to stop him. You and I both knew it was coming.”

  “You could call and report him though. I mean, he’s still getting paid for this month even though you’re eighteen.”

  “Then, what happens if the foster care people decide Tammy and Rick aren’t suitable foster parents? Shelly, Kevin, and Jerimiah would be pulled out and put into a house that could be ten times worse. Rick’s an ass, but he’d never hurt them. I won’t be the reason they’re sent to a horrible home,” I said as I stared at her.

  She sighed. “Fine, I see your point, but it’s still not right. What are you going to do?”

  I shrugged. “I have no clue. I guess I’ll just keep saving my tips until I can afford a place to stay. My car will work for now since it’s summer, but I’ll have to find somewhere to stay before winter hits.”

  “I wish you could stay with me, but I literally have no room.” She was clearly upset over the fact that she couldn’t help me.

  “Don’t worry about it, Junie. I’ll be fine. I need you to promise me that this won’t leave the two of us. I don’t want anyone to know what’s going on with me. It’s embarrassing.”

  “Claire…” She bit her lip.

  “Junie, please,” I begged.

  “Fine, I won’t say anything, but I wish I could help you somehow.”

  “Don’t stress about it. Just focus on taking care of your kiddos. They need you more than I do.”

  She gave me a weak smile before walking over to a family who had just walked in. I watched as she led them to a table and handed them menus. I smiled as the mom picked her baby up out of the portable car seat and cradled the little one in her arms. A wave of sadness swept over me as I thought of all the things I’d missed out on with my own mother. I hoped that this baby would have a better life than I had.

  The rest of the morning went by quickly. By the end of my shift, I was dragging. Once my last table was cleared, I walked into the back room and grabbed my purse. I headed back out to the front and waved at Sarah, the waitress taking over my tables. She waved back before turning her attention to the two guys she was waiting on.

  Our boss, Bob, came barreling out of his office and headed straight for me. “Claire, I need a favor,” he said when he stopped in front of me.

  “Sure. What’s up?” I asked.

  “I hate to ask you this, but can you work the evening shift, too? Stacey just called off. I’d ask Junie, but I know she has to pick her boys up from the sitter.”

  My feet screamed at me to run away, but I couldn’t do that to Bob. Plus, I needed the extra money.

  “Of course I’ll stay.” I smiled at him.

  “Thank you. I owe you one, Claire. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed how hard you’ve been working lately.”

  I nodded. “I try. I’d better go put my purse away and head back out onto the floor before Sarah gets overrun.”

  He nodded before turning and walking back into his office. I hurried to the back room and shoved my purse in my locker. After making a quick stop in the restroom, I walked out onto the floor. Sarah was running back and forth, trying to take care of my new tables as well as hers. I gave her an apologetic smile before heading to my side.

  By the time my second shift was over, I could barely walk. It was a Friday night, and we’d been especially busy. The diner didn’t serve alcohol, which kept away several potential customers, but we were constantly busy with families. Most of them would tip well, and I ended the day with almost a hundred dollars in tips. I smiled when I realized I would be eating something besides an artery-clogging hamburger when I left. I might even splurge on a salad.

  “I’m beat,” Sarah said as we wiped down all the tables. “I don’t know how you’re still standing. You’ve been here since we opened.”

  “Sheer will and determination. Plus, I made a ton of tips today.”

  “Nice. Go buy yourself something pretty.” She high-fived me as she walked by.

  I laughed and smacked her on the butt with my towel.

  Once the tables were clean, the condiments and shakers filled up, and the floor mopped, I walked to the back room and grabbed my purse. After shoving my cash inside, I told everyone good night and headed out to my car.

  I drove across town to Denny’s and ordered the salad I’d been desperately craving. I even ordered a Coke instead of water. I was a splurging fool tonight.

  I glanced up from my salad and noticed two guys watching me from a few tables over. Both of them were good-looking, and they appeared to be around my age. I guessed they were probably students at West Virginia University. Morgantown was a college town through and through, and the streets were usually crawling with kids. I assumed that these two were local since most of the students had packed up and headed home for summer vacation.

  One of them noticed me staring, and he gave me a smile that sent my heart racing into overdrive. Suddenly embarrassed by my gawking, I looked away and used my blonde hair as a shield between them and me.

  I’d had a few dates in high school but nothing to get excited over. I wasn’t a virgin—I’d lost that to Scott Marks my junior year—but I definitely wasn’t skilled when it came to the opposite sex. One time in the backseat of Scott’s dad’s Ford truck didn’t really teach me everything I needed to know—or anything I needed to know really.

  I quickly ate my food and paid my bill without looking over at the guys’ table again. My life was a disaster as it was. Adding a guy would only complicate things more.

  I walked out to my car and unlocked the door before climbing inside. Once the doors were locked again, I started the engine and pulled away from the lot.

  I couldn’t help but grin as I remembered the guy’s smile. From what I could tell, he’d been cute. His dark brown hair was shaggy, but it wasn’t so long that it looked messy. His arms were toned, probably from playing football or basketball. Those were the only two sports people really cared about around here, and football was the favorite. Once football season hit, that was what everyone would talk about. I wasn’t a big fan of sports, but even I cheered for the Mountaineers.

  I drove back to the restaurant and parked, trying not to think about the cute guy or his smile. I yawned and reclined my seat. Yeah, there was no way in hell I could think about boys right now.

  Did you enjoy The Consequences of Sin?

  Check out some of K.A. Robinson’s other titles!

  Other Books by K.A. Robinson

  Breaking Alexandria

  Alexandria’s drug-dealing boyfriend, Joel, isn’t exactly the white knight she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t deny the crazy connection they have. She would do anything for him, including helping him sell drugs in order to fit perfectly into his world.

  After catching Alexandria dealing for Joel, instead of turning her into the cops, Alexandria’s mother forces her to move to her grandparents’ farm in West Virginia. Spending the summer in the country, away from Joel, is the last thing Alexandria wants to do. But lucky for her, the sexy farmhand, Landon, who helps out around her grandparents’ place, is a very nice distraction. She tries her best to ignore her attraction to him, especially since she still loves Joel.

  When Joel does the unforgivable, Alexandria turns to her new friend, Landon, for comfort, and it ignites an undeniable spark of attraction between them. Soon, she finds herself caught between two very different men, and the struggles within her heart just might end up breaking Alexandria.

  BREAKING ALEXANDRIA IS A STANDALONE NOVEL.

  Shattered Ties

  With a former supermodel mother and a rock-and-roll legend father, Emma Preston has the best of everything. Nothing is as perfect as it seems though. After her parents divorce, she’s forced to live with he
r mother in a private Santa Monica community. Ignoring their parental roles, her mother becomes more focused on climbing the social ladder while her father is off on tour.

  Growing up in a trailer park with his mother, Jesse is used to people looking down on him. When his mother begs him to submit an application for a scholarship to one of Santa Monica’s top private schools, he never expects to actually get it. When he does, he is forced to attend school with a bunch of rich kids. He ignores their stares as they judge him for having tattoos and a less than impressive car. As long as he has his surfboard and the guys at the tattoo shop, he knows he can make it through.

  When Jesse shows up on the first day of school, Emma can’t help but be intrigued. Her mother would never approve of Emma talking to someone so poor, but she doesn’t care because something about Jesse draws her to him.

  Jesse tries to hate Emma, but he discovers that he can’t resist her. Forced to hide their relationship from Emma’s mother and everyone else around them, things start to fall apart. When Jesse’s friend, Ally, decides to interfere, things go from bad to worse.

  Can they survive their first love? Or will they be left with nothing more than shattered ties?

  SHATTERED TIES IS BOOK ONE OF TWO OF THE TIES SERIES.

  BOOK TWO, TWISTED TIES, IS NOW AVAILABLE!

  Toxic: Logan’s Story

  True love is forever. After years of chasing his best friend, Chloe, Logan finally managed to win her heart—or so he thought. His world crashes down around him when she confesses to cheating on him with a local rock star, Drake. Unable to let her go completely from his life, Logan reassumes his role of best friend while he watches Chloe find her happily ever after with another man. Each day, he sinks further and further into his depression, and the kind, caring Logan he once was dies. When Jade, a member of Drake’s band, inserts herself into his life, Logan never expects to fall for her. He’s too broken, too damaged.

  Jade ran away from home when she was seventeen, desperate to escape her abusive stepfather and her controlling boyfriend, Mikey. The only regret she has is that she left behind her little sister, Bethaney. When Jade’s band, Breaking the Hunger, hits it big, she vows to go back to her hometown not only to reconnect with her little sister, but also to show her stepfather that she’s not worthless like he said.

  The moment Jade saw Logan, she knew she wanted him. Unfortunately, he was with Chloe at the time. After his world falls apart, Jade steps in to comfort him, determined to bring back the Logan she once knew.

  Sometimes, you find true love with the person you never least expect. Can Logan and Jade heal each other? Or will they forever be changed by their toxic pasts?

  TOXIC IS BOOK FOUR OF THE TORN SERIES, BUT IT CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE.

  Deception

  Please note: This isn’t your typical love story. Things are messy. Characters aren’t always what they appear to be. Wrong decisions are made. If you’re not a fan of the darker side of love, this might not be the book for you. Read at your own risk.

  I’m strong—or at least, I want to be. I try to be. Oh, how I’ve tried. But life screwed me over. When I was at my weakest and lowest, desperate and alone, he found me. Robert changed everything. He gave me everything. He was every woman’s dream—rich, powerful, and charming. He made me forget the fact that he’s twenty-four years my senior. He made me feel alive, and for the first time in my life, I was content. Until I met Cooper—his son. And Robert? He began to change. I’m despicable. I know I am. I’m ashamed of what I want. Things are never what they seem.

  Greed.

  Lust.

  Lies.

  Murder.

  Deception.

  Tamed

  Mistakes—my life has been full of them. Time and time again, I’ve tried to change, tried to make the right choices, but it doesn’t matter. I always screw up. I hoped that Adam would be different, that he wouldn’t be a mistake. Our relationship was supposed to be about sex and nothing more. Fun, easy, simple—that was what we wanted. But things are never simple, not for me. Adam changed me. He made me the person I am today. I hate who I am and what I’ve become. I'm not proud of the things I've done. I thought my greatest mistake would be falling in love with him. I was wrong. My greatest mistake is much, much worse. I’ve lost control. I have a secret I can’t hide. It’s going to destroy everything.

  My name is Amber, and this is my story.

  TAMED IS BOOK FIVE OF THE TORN SERIES, BUT IT CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE.

  K.A. Robinson is twenty-four years old and lives in a small town in West Virginia with her husband and toddler son. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Torn Series, The Ties Series, Breaking Alexandria, Taming Alec, and Deception. When she’s not writing, she loves to read books that usually have zombies in them. She is addicted to rock music and coffee, mainly Starbucks and Caribou Coffee.

  For more information on K.A., please check out the following pages:

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/karobinson13

  Twitter: @karobinsonautho

  TSU: www.tsu.co/KARobinson

  Blog: www.authorkarobinson.blogspot.com