Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

ASHER

"It's a pleasure to have you all back here." The owner of Blue Cove, a voluptuous woman in her thirties beams at

my brothers and I. "You know you're my best clients. | was worried the marriage scandal would force you guys to

end our business relationship. | am glad it didn't."

She flicks her ring-studded fingers and ladies in lingerie file in, carrying our favorite bottles topped with

sparklers. On the long table at a corner, a buffet is generously laid out. The girls deliver our drinks with great

flourish and proceed to grind on us as the music crescendos. Ashal is unsurprisingly in a foul mood and picks a

bottle over a girl. With a scorched stare from the club owner, the poor thing slithers away with her tail between

her legs.

"Is this how you plan to compensate for breaching our privacy rights, Donna? With food, alcohol and sex? You do

realize my brothers and I don't lack these things, don't you?" | shove the girl dry humpingto glare at Donna

whose cocky grin fades in seconds. "How did a stranger manage to get past security and make her way to our

private space without getting flagged?"

"| can assure you that we are looking into it. We have interrogated the people on duty that night. The police are

working hard to find the culprit as the cameras were faulty that fateful day."

"Well, isn't that convenient?" The music stops at my signal and | demand the room be cleared. After the girls

leave, | turn to Donna once more. "Don't getwrong. Demi is a beautiful addition to our family. However, your

carelessness and incompetence forced my brother into a marriage earlier than he planned. The entire country

wagged their tongues and judged us for something he was too intoxicated to remember. Do you realize the

damage you caused?"

Donna falls to her knees. "I cannot apologize enough. We take full responsibility for what happened. Please Mr.

Rollins, do forgive us. The Blue Cove will work tirelessly to regain your faith and trust in our establishment."

| spare a glance at my brothers. Where the fuck is Ashton? Speak of the devil, | think as Ashton emerges. His

face is set in a hard line as usual. If | didn't know any better, I'd say he looks like he just got rejected. He plops

into the sofa and accepts a drink Ashely has already mixed for him. My eyes meet Donna's frightful ones.

"This matter is hardly over." She nods and surges to her feet. "We don't want any disturbance. Have just one of

your girls serve us tonight."

"Which one, sir?"

"Anna Prescott." Donna hustles out to find Anna.

As expected, my brothers lock eyes with mine. "I can't believe how stupid Donna thinks we are. Who else would

have snuck Demi in if not her very own best friend who works in this sclub?"

"Are you going to interrogate Anna?" Ashely asks with a frown. | smirk at him.

"Interrogate is a strong word. I'm thinking more like coax."

"How exactly do you plan on coaxing her?" Ashton asks with an impatient look on his face.

"He's going to do one of three things." Ashal slurs with reddening eyes. "Ply her with alcohol so she spills the tea

on Demi. If Anna is smart enough to refuse getting wasted with us, then Asher plans to threaten to have her fired

and possibly arrested. The last option is a bit of a long game; he'll seduce her, make her fall for him and after

he's made her betray Demi, he'll dump her."

"Get out of my head, Ash" | laugh at how accurate Ashal is. | don't know how he does it but he can be scary

stimes.

"You're more of an open book than you think. It isn't hard to think like you."

"Touche" | raise my glass in toast to him. "Although the last option isn't necessarily a long game. | don't have the

tto spend fake dating anyone. I'll just flirt with her, take sraunchy photos and make sure Demi sees

them."

"Why should Demi care?" Ashely asks. "Our marriage is just a contract."

"Oh, she would care. Women always do. She did care when she saw the photos of you and Nicola trending

online." | nod, recalling the look Demi kept giving Ashely at the breakfast table when he kept ignoring his calls. It

screamed of jealousy. "Those two seem awfully close. We give them something to fight about and one of them is

bound to spill what truly transpired that night. My money is on the broke best friend."

Just then, the bouncer informs us that Anna is at the door. We let her in. She stands coyly in the middle of the

room with her head hanging low.

"Good evening, sirs. Donna said you specifically asked for me."

| like that her smile means that last part makes her feel special.

"That's a sexy dress you've got on. Cover here." She cautiously scoots closer and twirls at the gesture of my

hand. "Anna, we're sorry to trouble you but the incident with Demi's intoxication and the marriage that ensued

has left us with no other choice. We've becwary of letting just anyone around us here. We wouldn't want

another scandal on our hands, don't you agree?"

Anna visibly gulps. "I understand." She crouches to mix our drinks. My hands play with her wiry thatch of pee

colored hair. Her hands tremble slightly as she pours our drinks. Ashal watcheswork my charm silently.

Ashely and Ashton discuss in hushed tones. Great, I'll do all the work myself.

"You were here on the night Demi got drunk, right?"

Anna nods softly.

"Did you see her enter this club or climb upstairs to the VVIP session? | understand she's never been here before

so my guess is she might have stopped by to see you and wail over her being cheated on."

Anna's face is flushed with trepidation as she stares from one brother to the other. Surprisingly, everyone waits

on her response with bated breath.

"S-She um...she c-calledc-crying earlier that night. Iman had cheated on her again. She couldn't bear it. |

tried to calm her down over the phone and beg her to wait t-till I get off work. I didn't want her to harm herself."

She pauses to take a deep breath. "I didn't expect her to cto my place of work. | d-didn't see her that day. |

was just as shocked as everyone else when the marriage certificate was leaked."

"Very few people know we visit this club, mostly because they work here. Did you ever tell Demi the Rollins

brothers frequented the Blue Cove?"

| look up with surprise as Ashely took the question out of my mouth.

"Y-yes. | must have mentioned it."

Ashal carefully drops his drink and takes the reins. "Anna, you have nothing to be afraid of. We are happy to have

Demi in our family. However, there are a few things that need clarifying about that night. We are trying to get to

the bottom of it so elite customers like us can feel safe while drinking in this fine establishment." Anna nods in

agreement. "Donna tells us that before that day, Demi had never step foot in here. That makes one wonder how

she got in and how she found her way to this room on that fateful night especially while drunk." Ashal leans

forward on his elbows. "It appears that she had help getting into the club and getting up here."

With a loud oath of disgust, Ashton turns to Anna. "Enough with this dilly-dallying. WE KNOW YOU LET HER IN

THAT NIGHT, ANNA. What we want to know now is why."

Anna goes pale. "l am sorry | lied. | did see Demi that day. She chere very drunk. | couldn't leave her on the

street so | pretended she was a regular who had accidentally wandered off and brought her in to sleep it off. She

must have w-woken up and wandered upstairs while | was working. When | returned, she was gone. Her phone

was switched off. After waiting for half an hour for her return, I left for hthinking she probably did the same."

She looks up at me, looking white as a sheet. "I am sorry. | shouldn't have brought her in in the first place."

Wow. | did underestimate this woman. She's still lying in our faces.

"Leave." Ashal tells her. | can't believe he's buying it. Anna takes to her heels.

"What the fuck was that? She clearly lied."

"Of course, she did." He repliesharshly. "And she was going to keep lying to save her skin and stay loyal to

her friend, something we brothers may never understand."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He takes a shot of tequila and indulges in a long sigh. | have no idea

why he is acting like a bitch tonight.

"Let's just go home. We will figure out another way to get rid of Demi."

| grit my teeth as they all start leaving. This wasn't just about getting rid of Demi. That will happen sooner or

later. This was about following a hunch father has about Demi, one | also suspect; that there's more to her story

than she's letting on.

"You coming?" Ashely asks me, hovering by the door.

"Yeah, go on. I'll be hin a few."

The second they all leave, | have the bouncer send Anna up again. The color has returned to her cheeks and she

stands with her head screwed on straight. Her eyes are firm. It almost seems like she's had stto

recollect her story.

"| wanted to apologize for putting you in a weird spot. | had questions and | thought of calling and asking you

privately but | didn't want you to feel uncomfortable being alone with me. | thought you'd feel more relaxed with

my brothers around."

Anna mirrors my smile. "I don't feel uncomfortable around you. With your brothers around, a lot of women will

agree that's intimidating." She chuckles.

"lI want to make it up to you. | feel terrible." Her eyebrows wing up in surprise. "Don't say no. You're like a part of

my extended family through your ties with my sister-in-law. Coffee? Brunch? Something simple if simple is what

you want." Her eyes crinkle in a smile.

"Is simple what you want?" | tuck stray strands of hair behind her ear. We are standing really close now, our belly

buttons an inch away from grazing. Anna's eyes are glassy with wet dreams. | lean down to whisper something in

her ear before heading for the door. She catches my wrist. How tic. | spin to face her only to have her lips

smashed against mine in a passionate kiss. Her hands curl behind my neck moments before she buries them in

my freshly styled hair. | don't have tto be mad at the boldness. The taste of her coats over the fatigue in my

bones. When she eases back, | stare into her doe eyes while my senses gradually return.

She kissesagain, catching my bottom lip between her teeth. "You still owecoffee."

"Yeah?" | manage between gasps as excitement begins to ball in my belly. Her directness stirs my soul.

"Yeah" She walks to the door, turns to shoota glittery yet sexually suggestive smile before sauntering away. |

run a finger over my warm lips. How can a simple kiss make one feel so alive? Damn, | wish | can hit that but

there are other pressing matters.

"Kane?"

The bouncer enters.

"Did you get it?"

Nodding, he passes his phone toand | hit replay, reliving the hot kiss I just shared with Anna Prescott. My

smile darkens as | imagine the circuits in Demi's brain getting fried at the sight of the video.

| just have to send it to Demi. | can't wait to see how their friendship holds up against this. | am sure Anna would

kill to be in my bed. It could change her life. She obviously needs money. What | am unsure of is whether Demi

won't mind her best friend French kissing a man that looks exactly like Demi's husband, a man who could very

well be theAsh Rollins who wedded Demi that fateful night.