Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

ASHER

I'm not gonna lie, Demi is one fascinating woman. I am sitting here at the dinner table, watching her babble mom's praises like nothing happened, like she wasn't just scared shitless less than an hour ago. It's the boisterous laughter for me. I love a woman that knows how to make smart decisions. She understands her place now and won't dare cross the line.

Still, something bothers me. It's the fact that though she avoids meeting our eyes, she doesn't seem rattled or scared. Even a good actress will fumble at some point but this dinner has been the liveliest I have ever seen of her. I glance at Ashely. He is also watching her with worry lines etched on his face.

After dinner, Demi joins mother in her room to finish up their conversation. Ashely tries to go after her but I grab his arm and herd him to the game room.

"What's with the sappy look on your face? You looked like a lost puppy running to its owner." Ashely yanks his arm from my grip.

"Something's wrong with Demi. I can tell. Earlier, she looked scared to death and flinched every time I took a step close to her. Now, she's acting all hysterical."

I huff out a breath. "I have eyes too, you know. It's all good."

"Good?" Ashely barks. "I told you that was a bad idea. She's got nothing to hide but you won't drop your suspicions." He roughly brushes past me to lean by the pool table. "Why did you make me do that to her? She called me a freaking monster, Ash. And she's right. I am a monster for making her go through that. The way she looked at me when she thought I wanted to rape her..."

"Don't." I warn him.

"It's the same way I looked at Tobias when he loomed over me. I hate you for making me a monster like him." The sharp bite of his words and the anger blazing in his eyes hit me hard. "You're an asshole."

"I didn't exactly force you, Ashely. If I remember correctly, I wanted to get that shit done myself but you opted to do it instead."

"Because I don't trust you to not use unnecessary force."

Says the man who led Demi to believe she was about to be raped, I think to myself. Talk about unnecessary. I join him by the table. He totally regrets his action. "I'm sorry okay. I should have known you're too sentimental to execute this without your moral compass taking a blow."

"Stay away from her, okay. No more games. Don't even think of impersonating me to slide information from her. I don't think she has some sinister plans up her sleeve I mean why the fuck would she? She simply resents our guts, if anything. Just because she doesn't fawn over us like ninety-five percent of the women in this country doesn't mean she is our enemy."

I want to believe him but I'll just have to see and make double sure for myself. "Take it easy now. I hear you. I must have been wrong about her." I knead his tensed shoulders. Humor slides warm into my tone. "Now, just how good of an actor were you that you managed to scare the Demi Branson like that? Are my brothers getting better at playing me than me?"

Ashely doesn't indulge me. His frown remains glowing on his face.

"C'mon Ash, you're making it hard for me to believe you haven't fallen in love with this woman."

"If you can't tell the difference between being humane and being in love, then that's too bad." Ashely stands and looks around. "I need a fucking drink."

He strolls to the wall and presses a button, then orders drinks to be brought up to us. A servant appears a minute later with Brandy and snifters. Ashely dismisses him and pours himself a quick drink. "I don't know how I'll be able to face her with the guilt drowning me."

"You don't have to feel guilty." I tell him. "There's a bright side to our hasty plan; you were playing me! She doesn't suspect you; she suspects me! You have nothing to feel bad about."

"I'm afraid I might have derailed in playing you." Ashely stares dejectedly at his drink. "I might have been more of Ashton than Asher." My eyes bulge.

you

snap towards the doorway where Ashton stands with both thumbs hooked in the pocket of his pants. Ashal is right next

Ashton's eyes

yours and I can't fathom what you're talking about, it doesn't sound like nothing." He takes slow steps to us while Ashal trails

are standing with our shoulders squared now. I note that the annoyance that has been simmering in his eyes has risen to the surface. "Let's try that again." He glances at Ashely now. "What did you mean by you might have been more Ashton than

it, Ash." I try again. I don't like where this is going, especially with Ashton already pissed for some reason. It's futile reasoning with

know what you got up to behind his back." I stare blankly at

stance to rival mine. His deep gaze is confrontational. Ashal hates confrontations because they can be a trigger for him. Tonight, he moves no muscle but stands with a

and shoves each person apart. Ashton insists

tell Gris. What was so important that you kept everyone in the

he says, turning to Ashton. "It's nothing deep. Asher was suspicious of Demi's true intentions and asked me to try to ferret some information from her. That's all." Ashton's

"Classic Asher, always playing people

"Excuse me?"

stutter,

baiting me. I reel my hands backwards and slam my fist into Ashal's jaw. Blood sputters from his nose and broken lip. Ashley and Ashton rush to

my feathers but before I can apologize, Ashal shoves our brothers so hard they fall like felled trees. Eyes wide like a madman's, his fingers close around the brandy bottle and once in his grip, he charges towards me. Purgatory flashes

***

faces crestfallen like naughty middle school children who have been called

up from his blackout, about two hours. He sits at the farthest couch from me, nursing his throbbing head where Ashton had knocked

before my eyes; everything I had done and the ones I was yet to do. Whenever I think of dying, I imagine the cancer

at Ashal and he locks eyes with me. The evil in his eyes has fizzled

"I honestly thought we were past the fights, especially with Ashal's peculiar condition. Asher, you are supposed to be the most responsible one.

is speaking from a place of care and normally I would bask under his worry for me but my eyes stray to Ashal instead. With his head hung low, he stares at the floor. My heart goes out

easier for people to tell you apart, I did it for your own safety. With Ashal's condition, it's not a

imagine how he's feeling right now. He literally just attempted suicide days ago. Being addressed as a monster will take a toll on

my feet. "It's all my fault. We all had a tough day and I wasn't sensitive enough to not escalate a hapless argument. Please, don't heap this on Ashal. We all know he

away to make a call. We all lead Ashal to his room so he can get some more rest. I apologize tirelessly to my brothers for the way I handled myself. Before we all retire for the

skip breakfast and head to work ahead of father. At work, I try to distract myself by studying business trends and the silent

in, a somber

"Sir."

the glowing reviews on our rival's latest community development efforts is gaining traction. I push away from my

need to see

fingers cup her chin but the moment I lean down to kiss her, she wedges a hand between us,

"It's urgent sir."

us. Nessa moves to create a professional distance between us just

strictly for work-related purposes, I don't want to hear it,

my nerves. "I take it you haven't heard. That cockiness lends credence to the fact." I have no idea what he is yapping about. "I know Spellman group is steadily working their way up the business chain but now is not the time to put Rollins Group on the radar for..." he scrunches his nose, "...for

fuck you mean." Josh throws a look at Nessa who dips her eyes with an embarrassed hue on her cheeks. I don't get the weird