Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 121: Chapter 121

ASHER

When father said he wanted to get out of the house for some fresh air, I shouldn’t have expected him to be content with having just one son around him. I should have been mentally prepared for his call to Josh Randall to join us on a private jet to visit Nicola on the family island.

"Josh’s coming?" I ask in bewilderment. "You know how sensitive this time is. Are you really going to fill him in on everything that’s been happening in our family?"

"You mean, his family too, right?"

I let out a loud oath of disgust. "The fewer people know about this, the better chance we have at keeping it a secret. Don’t you get that? You don’t owe your other son every ounce of truth."

"Would you feel the same way if I told Josh things and kept them from you?"

I roll my eyes at him and huff out a breath as we await Josh’s arrival on the jet. I know father has been trying to balance out his parental obligations towards his many sons but I can’t help but feel some type of way each time he brings Josh into the mix.

There will always be a constant nagging feeling that Josh is the preferred son because he was sired by father while my brothers and I are nothing more than pawns in father’s grand plans.

We are only important to him as far as we are useful. The second we stop being instrumental to his business growth and longevity, we will be out of the door for good but Josh, he will never cease to be important in father’s eyes. He doesn’t even have to make a cent in the company or advance its growth. Father will always love him just for having Rollins blood in his veins.

When I had walked into my office to find Josh sampling my pill with a satisfied smirk on his face, I had quickly settled for evasion from the topic of my drug. Josh had been so certain that the white pill was no ordinary drug for migraine but thankfully, that was all he could decipher. I had agreed with him. The pill could easily be used to treat a number of pain related discomforts.

Before we could delve any further into the particular reason why I was taking the pill, I had insulted his paternity as usual just to rile him up. He dumped the pill and faced me, vibrating with temper.

That was when he vomited all that rubbish about how much more important he was to father than my brothers and I ever will be. He had gone ahead to mock us, showing me pictures on his phone of him and father bonding outside work.

Father rarely hangs out with my brothers and I if it isn’t work related but from the pictures Josh flashed in my face, I could clearly see father in a different light. He even went fishing with Josh. He wore plain clothes instead of a suit. According to Josh, father never mentioned work once. All they did was crack jokes, laugh and talk about everything else under the sun except stock prices or the visions and goals of the Rollins business chain.

I can’t even put into words how I had felt. I just know the look on my face had given Josh immense satisfaction before he walked out of my office feeling like he had had the last laugh. I never told my brothers. If that little truth could crush me, then I can’t imagine what it will do to them.

Father reaches for my hand but I pull it away.

"Asher, I thought we were past this. Are you still feeling insecure around your half-brother? I have told you numerous times that you don’t have to. You all mean the world to me."

I quirk a brow at him for the lies he is spouting. Does he really take me for a fool? I bet if I hadn’t insisted on coming along with him, then this would have been another father and son trip with Josh. How many have they been on? I am so fucking jealous right now.

"You don’t have to use that line with me to soften the blow. I know where your heart lies." My eyes track to the panoramic window view. "If you want to ask me questions about my brothers, just go right ahead. Don’t pretend to be interested in bonding with me. That fatherly side of you is the exclusive preserve of your biological son, apparently."

Father’s face crumples with something akin to despair. "You’re still mad about the last time, about how I handled the information you gave me regarding Demi’s pregnancy?" He sighs. "It’s not that I didn’t trust you could handle it, Asher. It’s just that I wanted it handled quicker and I didn’t have the time to go back and forth with you on how things should be done."

"And making me take the blame for murdering my brother’s unborn child while you hid behind me like a coward?" I fire at him. "I bet you would never expose Josh to that kind of hatred and backlash from his own family."

"I’ll make it up to you, I promise, son."

I lean back in my chair and ignore him. As my vision blurs, I run a finger over my eyes and wince.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

"That headache..."

"I’m stressed, okay?" I snap, suddenly irritated.

"We never finished that conversation." Father persists, "the one where you cried over the phone about dying?" My eyes flutter open to find him studying me over the rim of his glasses. "What exactly was that about? What did you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounded like. I felt like I was dying from all the pressure you put on me, from the hate my brothers felt towards me when they considered me a mini version of you, from the lies I kept telling everyone just to protect my father who barely gives a shit about me. I was certain I wasn’t going to survive all of it."

"And yet here you are."

they not been so pissed at me and wouldn’t take my calls. I called you but all you could say to me was to snap out of it and come home. That’s what you do. You always disparage our feelings and act like we aren’t humans at the end of the day. You never allow yourself to treat us like your sons and not

brothers and I have never witnessed that side of you for twenty-five long years. How could you expect us to believe we mean something to you in light of all these? It’s

"Dad!"

with a smile. Father gives me a cursory glance that is laden with apology at the interruption of an important moment between us. I lean back in my chair

think

when he sights

I was coming? Am

Asher, it’s

and grab my stuff. "It’s cool. I’ll see myself

needing some air. I had insisted on joining his little getaway trip. Maybe he had planned to go with Josh all along. "I’ve got things to do

"Asher."

be awhile so

drive myself. I circle around aimlessly for a bit before finding myself in front of Anna’s workplace, the Honey Pot. I sit in my car for about an hour and

of friends, I smile at the sight of her. It’s been so long since I

ignores me and continues to walk home despite how many times I honk at her. When she refuses to get in so I can give her a lift, I

she gets home and finds me perched by

the hell away from

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

on how fast we

have nothing to say

to say to me

Asher Rollins, I don’t want anything to do with you." Her breath hitches when I grab her waist. "Let

right to be pissed at me. I deserve

she’ll be willing to get your dick wet at any hour of the day but I have

I cut her off with a kiss. I expected nothing less and yet I went ahead. I have missed her terribly. It’s sad to think

her lips. "Don’t you ever do

needed to feel your lips again." I run a hand over my face. "I need to see doctor Ezra. I think it’s getting worse. Can you come with me, please? I’m sorry about everything that’s happened between us and even with your best friend. I don’t expect you

to worry about being alone at the hospital. I’m sorry but I won’t indulge you this

how shocked I am at her reaction. She brushes past

don’t think I have any other trump card up my sleeve. Have I truly lost her? I stagger to my car. When I

walk this road alone; an inner voice tortures me. You’ll die all alone. No one really cares about you. You’re not so different from your father after all. Nobody loves you

need more time. Things are screwed up right now. I can’t die just yet. My brothers and my mother aren’t ready to move on

sit alone, wringing my icy fingers in doctor Ezra’s office while he attends to another VIP patient in the operating theatre. He has been alerted of my presence and has promised to attend to me as soon as he

and still no sign of the doctor. What is more surprising is how I fail to realize such a long time has even passed. All I can think of are fond

and telling me stories to calm my nerves. It amazes me how thoughts of her still calm me even in her absence. I whip out my phone and allow my hand hover over her number, deliberating

should I call right now? Who wouldn’t make a fuss about

while I

"Ashton?"

are you? I am in a bit of

the office to do some

called. I think something bad has happened with a stranger. He was crying. A life might have been

to my feet immediately. "Pin me his location

haven’t been paying much attention

you’ve been following up on all things Adriana and Keith. I can’t just step in and play you right now. This meeting is crucial. If I fuck it up or give Keith reasons to suspect foul play, he could botch the whole

minutes out already in Ashal’s direction. I didn’t stop to think before dashing to him. If you’re at the HQ, then you’re only a few blocks away from the meeting point with Adriana. You know everything about her. I filled you guys in already. Keith will only act as a chaperone at the meeting. You’ll get to talk to Adriana all by yourself. When you do, don’t pretend to say what you think I will. Be your authentic self and bare your heart to your long-lost

call Ashley? His line doesn’t go through when I do. The last thing we

I hum

***

thought you were off

wait but my first son can’t." Father