Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

ASHTON

Virgin my foot. It's just as | suspected. She's no different from the other whores. She wears ankle-skimming

dresses to fool others but she can never fool me. If you're a whore, be a whore. Don't pretend to be a saint.

That's worse than gross.

"es.

"...not what I think?" | finish her sentence, strolling into the book store. "So, you weren't in here smooching your

ex-boyfriend after the show you put up in my house this morning and the money my mum gave your family?"

"Ex-boyfriend" Demi corrects me.

"Yeah. And that makes it better?"

"Which is it?" Iman asks, squaring his shoulders. "Asher, Ashal, Ashton or Ashley Rollins?" | reply him with a

death stare.

"You'll do well to keep those names out of your cheating lips or by god, I'll bash your face in so far the only

women you'll see for a while will be from the pages of a raunchy magazine."

"The violent one. | see" Iman says. Just then, Demi slaps him hard across his face.

"Get out!" She yells. "You putin this mess. | never want to see you again." Iman reels his hand backwards to

return the gesture and | watch Demi duck for cover. He beats her, huh? Coward. Both of them. Iman is wise to

stop himself in my presence.

"Cunt." He spits at her feet and heads for the door. | want to punch him so bad but | don't want this being

misconstrued. After the door clicks shut, | turn to Demi. Her face is flushed with fear. | don't care.

"Lock up. We're leaving."

"Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf as well as spineless? Two minutes. I'll be in the car." | leave her. To avoid attention, | put on tinted

shades and slide into the black sedan parked next to her store. Demi takes five minutes to join me.

"You're late." | say the second she shuts the door.

"Who are you? Which Ash Rollins am | dealing with right now?"

I smile. "Mum didn't tell you? Nice try." | ignite the engine. "You can callAsh."

"Where are we going? What do you want from me?"

"Now you develop sspunk? Minutes ago, you waited to be hit by that punk. Bad taste, by the way."

"You haven't answered my question." | swerve the car off the road and screech to a halt by the curb. "Hey" | stab

a finger in her face. "You better watch that tone of yours. You think you're something now because your ugly

picture is trending next to the Rollins non local blogs? You're still a nobody, get it? You're nothing!" Her eyes

clouds with tears. "That move won't work with me. Dry your eyes immediately. These car seats are new."

She wipes her eyes with her palms and tries to get down but the doors are locked. | restart the car and zoom off.

Five minutes later, after all her tantrums on the way, we arrive in Ashal's penthouse in Alpha district, a gated

community that houses the wealthiest crop of individuals in all of the country. | step out of the car.

"Get out, princess. No one is coming around to get the door for you." When she sits put with arms folded across

her chest, | leave her and stroll into the house. She doesn't cin even after ten minutes. The brat. Snarling, |

cout and yank the door open.

"I thought you weren't a gentleman." She scoffs, then yelps when | grab her arm forcefully and pull her into the

house amidst her kicking and screaming. "LET GO OF ME. LEAVE ME. ASH ROLLINS, | SWEAR TO GOD..."

"Woah, few minutes with you and this one's already screaming obscenities. You're such a bad influence, Ash"

Demi's eyes widen with terror at the sight of Ashley. Asher is down by the dining table, rattling the ice in his

drink. Impatient as always. Ashal sits cross-legged on his sofa and frowns at my rudeness. Smiling, | let go of

Demi's arm abruptly and she falls. Ashley catches her. Typical of him. She crawls away from him.

"Why am here? What do you all want from me?"

"Ash" Ashal calls to me. "Could you kindly show our guest to a seat. Is that too much to ask?"

"I'll show her." Ashely answers with a twinkle in his eyes. Asher impatiently walks up to Demi and helps her off

the floor. He points to the sofa.

"Grab a seat. Don't act shy now. You were running your mouth about one of us being your husband just this

morning." Demi takes one cautious step after another and sits down next to Ashal who is smiling warmly at her.

If we hadn't changed out of our stuffy suits (except Asher), she might have mistaken him for Ashely.

"What do you all want?" | can tell she's scared shitless but her brave facade is admirable.

"Y'all won't guess what our little virgin wife was doing when | arrived."

"Humor me." Ashley replies.

"Smooching her ex-boyfriend while sfool was photographing them."

"What?" Asher drops his drink. "You're trying to create more buzz for your stupid claim?" He yells at Demi. He

turns to me. "The pictures?"

"Destroyed. Smashed the phone severally with my boots to be double sure." Asher nods and glares at Demi who

only looks down.

"So, you do know how to get saction."

"Enough" Ashal interrupts Ashely. "Can we get to business? | have an appointment."

"Our mum." Asher begins, leaning forward. "What did she discuss with you? Don't deny it. We all saw the two of

you speaking for at least seven minutes."

Demi's features hardened. "That's none of your business."

"Attagirl" Ashely winks at her, then narrows his eyes. "Except it is in fact our business. You better get to spilling it

or we can't guarantee you'll be able to walk out of here on your own two legs, after we take turns dealing with

you." His insinuation registers the desired effect on Demi.

"You wouldn't dare." Demi's frantic eyes shift from one face to another. | bet she feels like she's looking at the

sperson in four different outfits. Now, she surveys the house, the exits.

"Don't even bother." | add fuel to the fire. "The locks are palm coded. If one of us doesn't let you out, you'll be

stuck here for as long as we want."

"She made a proposition." Demi replies now.

"What proposition?" Asher enquires.

"She doesn't wantto annul the marriage. She wantsto stay married to one of you for at least a year." Our

faces all harden in sync.

"And? You told her you were sticking with annulment, right?" Asher prods.

Demi looks up at me, then at my brothers. "So, you admit it. One of you indeed got married tolast night but

instead of owning up to it like a man, you are hiding behind this face." | don't like where this is going. She

growing bolder now as she rises to her feet. "Your mum was right. You are all spoilt brats who deserve to pay for

your mistakes, like anyone else."

"Firebrand now, are we?" Asher rises as well. "I'll say this only once. You are going to decline her offer right this

minute or..."

"Or what?" Demi fires back to our surprise. "You're going to gang rape me? You wouldn't dare touch me. My ex-

boyfriend sawwith that one." She jerks a thumb at me. "If anything happens tonow, rather than covering

up your mess, you'll only be shining a brighter light on it. Billion-Err will destroy your family's image if | turn up

defiled or dead. The whole of Danvarr will despise your family. Your mum WILL KNOW you all did it. She'll have

every reason to believe that her sons are rascals indeed."

She whips out her phone and tries to dial a number.

"Who the fuck are you trying to call now?" | ask, snatching her phone.

"Mrs. Rollins. | want to be the first one to give her the good news; she's getting a daughter-in-law" Demi smiles

smugly as the humor drains from our faces. "Unless my hubby steps up, your mum has assured| can cheery-

pick one of you to be stuck withfor a long while. So, who is it going to be? Asher? Ahal? Ashton or Ashley?"

Fuck! | curse under my breath. This bitch isn't spineless after all.