Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 106: Chapter 106

ASHER

I thought I would find him brimming with murderous rage and trying to wreck a car on the race track but to my surprise, Ashton is sitting quietly on the bleachers, watching the race with dark shades on. He looks pretty calm to anyone else watching him but as his brother, I can tell from the way his jaw is set in a tight line that he is anything but calm. I join him on the bleacher but he barely acknowledges my presence.

"You okay, bro?"

"I’m terrific."

I smile at his response. He’s definitely not okay if Ashton is using words like terrific to describe his mood. If he cusses more, my heart will be at rest.

"Look, you’re the big brother. You know Ashley doesn’t have the best handle on his emotions. He can be very immature, unnecessarily paranoid and very insecure. It all stems from his trauma. We need to remember that and constantly forgive his excesses such as the rubbish he vomited at breakfast today."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better about being accused and silently judged by my loved ones as the brother who is responsible for Ashley’s marriage woes?" He turns to look at me and despite the dark shades, I somehow feel the pain behind his eyes. "Are you here to deliver this perfunctory speech on mother’s behalf because she’s tending to her golden boy?"

"Ashton, you know why she’s with him. It’s the same reason she pampers Ashal too. She tends to gravitate towards the most broken of her sons, not the stronger ones like you and I. Don’t be a wuss about it. It doesn’t suit you." I exhale deeply and stare at the race. "I am not here because I silently judge you. You keep forgetting that I was in a similar position with Olivia and Ashal. I know how it feels, how much it sucks when no one believes you’ve moved on and wish your brother the best with his girl. I couldn’t have gone to Ashley if mother had wanted to trade places because I relate more to your pain. I am here to tell you that it gets better..." I stare at him again, "...once you fully let go."

"You don’t think I have?"

"I don’t think you have." I affirm. "You’re not like me, Ash. You care deeply. I can completely ignore my feelings for my bigger goals without caring how the woman I once loved is faring. You can’t watch Demi suffer. You can’t go back to being the icy cold brother that once scared the shit out of her. She won’t buy it for a second. Still, you can’t stop shutting her out of your life even if it makes her hate you."

"Is this about the church thing? It was purely a coincidence."

"Maybe but Ashley doesn’t think so and that’s where your problem stems from."

"What the heck am I supposed to do? He will only believe what he wants to believe. I am done pandering to his every whim and walking on eggshells around him." When he tries to get up, I pull him back down on his seat. "I need to get behind a wheel."

"Not with that look in your eye. You’re going to hurt someone on those tracks if you insist."

"Get your hands off me!"

"I will, just as soon as we’re done talking."

It was really hard to get through to Ashton. I had to endure his anger, death stares and even him taking out his frustrations on me. Just as I am enjoying myself watching him race after calming him down, Demi’s text comes in.

[I need you to talk Ashley out of this crazy idea of moving out. I know you can convince him so please do. I’d hate to drop another bombshell on the family at breakfast tomorrow on your account, if you get my drift]

The bitch. Is she really threatening me? When did she get so bold? I almost chuck my phone in anger. Why did she have to find my pills? Is this what she’s going to be doing now? No way! I won’t be her little errand boy. I have to deal with this before she gets out of hand.

When I finish my meeting with Demi at the Honey Pot hours later, I am not convinced that she is done exploiting my secret so I beam at Anna who slides into the seat Demi just left. All I can think of as I look at her is how useful she is going to be to me in putting Demi in her place. I have to find something on Demi. I don’t want Ashley to leave the mansion but I can’t wait six months for Demi to be out of our lives.

Since Anna was oozing a lot of sexual tension back at the restaurant, I decide to pay her a surprise visit at night to relieve some tension myself. The sight of Demi’s car still parked in front of Anna’s place makes me steam with annoyance. What is she still doing here so late? She should be home by now. Is she still having a fight with Ashley?

I quickly dial Ashley’s number. We already spoke earlier where I managed to change his mind about moving out. Why hasn’t he made up with his wife yet? I urge him to call Demi and make her come home. I need time with Anna to relieve the stress of the day since micromanaging my brothers can be exhausting.

[Call her home, Ash. She’s still at Anna’s]

[Ok. I’ll do that]

I give Ashley three minutes before walking down to Anna’s door. Demi should be on her way out by now. It sounds eerily quiet so I pin my ear to the door. I hear Demi wrapping up her call with Ashley. Then she starts for the door. Oh good, I think but before I can knock, I hear something very shocking that makes me freeze up.

Hell no. The pregnancy test strips in Anna’s bathroom. The non-existent work colleague called Sheila whom Anna lied about. How did I miss this? Demi is Anna’s only friend and spends a lot of time at her place. How did I not put it together?

My breath clogs in my throat as realization dawns with everything I hear Demi saying. She is actually pregnant and has been lying to our faces? She also lied to Ashley about the test results? My heart palpitates. Fuck no. A baby is too permanent. How is she supposed to be out of our lives if she bears Ashley’s child? How could Ashley let this happen?

"Asher?" Both girls chime at the sight of me when the door swings open. They appear horrified given the secret they just uttered, the secret they’ve been keeping from my family and I. It takes me a millisecond to adjust my face. I can’t let them know I heard it all.

"Hey."

They exchange scared looks.

expecting you." Anna

surprise you. Is this

have you been

She’s scared. I turn to Anna who feigns a smile and pats Demi’s

night, Demi.

I note the tremor in her hands as she opens the door. She continues to stare at me while I maintain my signature smug face to dispel whatever suspicion she still has. Inside me, my

if I leave now, she’ll only grow suspicious and tell Demi. I pretend all is well and

I get

"Um, whiskey’s fine."

"I don’t have whiskey, Asher. I

am too

I grit my teeth as he talks to me. I guess I am not done micromanaging my brothers

jump to

sorry. My brother needs me. It’s urgent. Why don’t we

dull look on her face

***

me in detail. What the hell was

Madeline? I

in a mess I created and I am trying to fix it before

THE FUCK

"What are you yapping about? Liv is MY wife. Who

my temper. "No one." I move to digress. "So, this Hunter guy,

He knows he can’t get away with it. I know what he looks like. His pictures will be up on the news by now if I wasn’t worried about revealing Maddie’s condition to her family

think he is keeping

before Maddie called him to cancel the wedding. He has no other place to take

verge of losing it which makes me question what’s been going on between him and Madeline. He seems really

to Hunter’s apartment, I

her parents? Do they know

he suspects I convinced Maddie to ditch the wedding tomorrow. I haven’t been able to give him any concrete reply. I just want to get her back before I can tell him

him calling Madeline

apartment and take

much did you pay

"Five hundred grand."

towards Hunter’s door. Why would he give Hunter so much money to keep him from marrying Madeline? Is he stupid? That bum, Hunter, would have licked Ashal’s shoes if he had been given ten grand. Why so much? I need

little new car. If you want to keep your life and your freedom, you’ll open this door right now and release Maddie. If you don’t or you harm a single hair on her head, the police will raid this place in

way his eyes are narrowed to slits and dark. Thank God this floor is only occupied by Hunter or we would have had neighbors making noise complaints. There’s some shuffling sound inside. Ashal’s phone starts to ring but he declines Hunter’s call and

or a convict

unlocks and Hunter cracks his door open. He

on her family

bursts open, sending Hunter

the lapels of his shirt and shaking him violently. "WHAT HAVE

him." When I try to intervene, he glares darkly at me. Oh no. He is letting his

"GET HER." He replies.

inside and swing doors open till I find Madeline passed out on a bed with a white cloth tied to her mouth. I rush to her and remove the gag and untie her hands and legs. I forcefully rouse her.

neck. What the fuck is going on between her and my brother?

the living room with your captor. Can you stand? We have to get you to the hospital for examination." She nods weakly and manages to stand on her feet. Her head spins, sending her collapsing into my chest. Fuck it. I carry her in my arms all the way to the living room. My heart sinks to the pit

on the couch, I rush to pull my