Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 54: Chapter 54

ASHTON

"You never told me what happened to your arm." Mila voices as she pulls me away.

"What?"

"Your left arm. Did you hurt it two weeks ago? I noticed you grimacing each time I touched it, even while we raced together last week. I saw the arm cast in your room too. You didn’t bring it up and I didn’t want to be the first one to ask."

How considerate of her. I flex my arm. "It’s all good." We get in the elevator. The moment the doors close, she clasps both hands behind my neck.

"You owe me two truths and one dare, remember? Tell me the truth about what really happened to your arm, please."

"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Sighing, I proceed to tell her about the club fight and Josh stabbing me but I leave out details of the bone of contention. She goes pale with shock. The elevator stops and we step out.

"That snake! He had the guts to call you guys bullies and play the victim. I can’t believe he lied through his teeth. Gosh, I hope he gets fired for that."

"From your mouth to God’s ears." She chuckles and resumes her walk.

"Don’t you mean from your mouth to your dad’s ears? Why wait for God to do something you can easily sway your father to do? Josh hurt you and he lied about it! He further attempted to defame you and your brothers. Does Brett know the whole truth?"

We are on the second floor now. She pauses to look me in the eye with arms crossed on her chest. "There’s no way he would know about it and let that prick off without legal action."

"It’s fine. Josh already apologized to me so I let it go. He was drunk when he acted. It wasn’t malicious or anything. Besides, other than when he lets himself get lost in a bottle, he’s a fine employee who knows his onions."

Mila rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say."

Where are we going?" She flashes me a seductive smile.

"Where else? My room of course."

Last night was crazy and we had no choice but to accommodate a few personal guests in the spare bedrooms in the mansion.

"Come on!" She tugs at my arm and pulls me all the way to her room. "Don’t be a prude."

Inside, I run my hands through my hair and jam them in my pocket. When I turn to face her, she’s locking the door and stripping off her robe. I flash a palm and turn away.

"Mila, what are you doing?"

"Trying to confirm that you’re still THE Ashton Rollins and man enough."

"Man enough for what? Stop." Her hands are streaking across my body. I can feel the warmth from her naked skin. Her perky boobs are bouncing in her lacey bra. "Mila, seriously, cut it out." Instead, she tries to unbutton my shirt.

"Why? I get it that you were tired last night but you look really refreshed this morning. I just want to feel you."

"STOP!" I grab her hands and gently move her away from me. "Stop it, please. I am not in the mood for this."

Her sultry eyes fade to bewilderment. She sinks on the bed and shakes her head. "What is it, Ashton? What? Am I not pretty enough for you? You don’t find me sexy?"

"Of course not. Look at you."

"Is there someone else?"

"No."

"Then for the love of God, tell me why you invited me to the birthday party and couldn’t keep your hands off me last night but when I tried to pull you in here, you claimed fatigue. And this morning? What’s your excuse for this attitude right now? Am I a joke to you? Someone you can call on whenever you’re bored or need a woman on your arm to impress your father?"

That end part snaps something in my brain. "Don’t say that." I grind my teeth in annoyance.

"Which part?" Mila asks cockily, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back on the bed to glare at me. "Which part, Ashton?" She clucks her tongue. "You’re a selfish prick. You said you just wanted to be friends and I was down with that. Then you switched things up like last night, flirting with me like you were desperate to touch me. Why? Why did you lead me to believe you wanted this?"

I cover a hand over my mouth and shut my eyes. She’s right. That was selfish of me. To be frank, I did use her. The moment mom decided to throw Demi a birthday party and I caught a glimpse of the dress Ashley had picked for her, I knew I wasn’t going to be okay riding solo for the night.

Then Demi came down the grand staircase looking so good she knocked the breath right out of me. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to just flaunt Mila. I

chest all the while imagining someone else.

so sorry. I had too much to

You also knew exactly who I was but you clung

"What?"

friends and having casual sex like you are used to. I just don’t appreciate being used as the next best thing till you get your dream

an asshole for that. I’ve a lot on my mind lately." It’s true. I’m still grappling with the truth of father’s adultery, having a

to make it up

to pull away. Her eyes stare into mine intensely. "You’ve been apologizing a lot and making promises to me. That’s easy to do. How about you keep your word for a change? I’ve got one truth and a dare." She leans close to my face till our noses touch. "I

***

I grab my shirt and sneak out of the room to join my brothers in the gym. When I get there, I find

to show up." Asher yells the moment I walk in. Ashal stops doing bench presses and

"Where’s the fashion wiz?"

She made a small scene when Nicci showed up for breakfast. Even mother couldn’t convince her to stay for

repeat

he was a year younger. He and Ashley are close friends. I think our parents and his dad were friends since our

mistaken one

"What about him?"

reason, his presence also unsettles Demi. Ashley has been in hell all morning trying to pacify Demi for his guests and also torn between entertaining the three. He’s been shuttling from one bedroom to another and trying to keep each one from running into each other." Asher’s smile turns mischievous as he watches me. "Apparently, you don’t have that problem. You and Mila were all over each other last

time on your hands which is why you’ve been watching other people a lot. I can’t wait to watch your own show when Demi learns that the reason

not really feeling up to it right now. My mind has been

us in the game room. It’s just as Asher had said, the former’s countenance screams of a person who hasn’t been having a great day. He strolls in with a drink in his hand and

"Is Nicci gone?"

day seeing Demi squirm. Nicci too." I totally understand him. Father was also glad to discover Mila had passed the night here. It’s all part of his scheme. Both ladies and

Ashley’s eyebrow wings up at me. "If father wasn’t interfering to keep Nicci

"Yes, I would."

Demi?" Ashal

drunk and she’s making it very obvious in front of Demi. I dislike how bold she’s being. I suspect she’s trying to find a way to break my marriage so she and I can be official again." He sips from the

me about it." Ashal mutters. We all turn to stare at him, me especially. I

a female guest last night. Care to share with us who that lady was?" His eyes flash at my directness. We all know that he seldom entertains women since Olivia entered the picture and the few he did allow himself to touch, it was

tell me you brought her here." Asher’s voice is cold

and wrench the bottle from his hand

"Fine. That was Olivia."

ask him. "How could you bring her

invited MY wife to a family party? It was a mask party with lots of security. I had my eyes on her too. She was sick of the penthouse

I repeat, recalling Olivia trying to make small talk with me last night. I had suspected that the voice was oddly familiar but didn’t pay too much attention to it. Then, I had seen Demi coming in from the

recall her trying to make light conversation with me. Coupled with the low hum of the music, the drinks I had had and the face mask she had on at night, I couldn’t place her voice but I swore it was familiar." I tell everyone about seeing Demi

that disguise, she could have tried talking to anyone at the party. ANYONE!" Ashal refuses to doubt his

at a good place, okay. Even if she tried mingling, I am sure she wasn’t trying to stir up any trouble like you suspect or Demi would have said something by now. She was probably bored of my absence during that time at the party and

you

told me everything. Why would she

runs a hand over his beard. "Look man, we are all happy for where you and

at him and Asher lifts

you talked about Olivia agreeing to give your relationship a shot, I naturally assumed that she did it to resign to her fate since her Asher" He says with air quotes, "had disappointed her and broken her heart. She turned to you, the next best option. You can’t

"Test her?"

and give her a convincing lie about why Asher denied her the last time. Show her a glimpse of hope of the two of them having a good life together because his plans for them have finally crystallized. With Asher as a viable option, let’s see if Olivia will stick to Ashal or welcome Asher back into

person but

point." I concur. Ashal reaches for Ashley’s drink and

haven’t brought it up

their attention now. Wordlessly, I forward the strange message I got about finding our biological father to

have the number traced?" Asher asks

you I

this?" Ashley shakes his head in wonder. "Could they really know about our biological parents?" Something in Ashley’s eyes is hopeful like mine have been for

be Josh trying to throw us off his scent long enough for him to

someone with actual intel on who our biological

know we’ve come to know about our adoption? Don’t you

find out if this person really has the information they claim." Everyone else aligns with my reasoning but Asher

"I don’t like this."

it out." I decide in favor of the majority. Asher drops back in his seat in

get over the hump of suspicion in my gut. He kept huge secrets from my brothers and I for years. It’s not abnormal for me to suspect