Four Brothers and a Bride-Chapter 102

ASHTON

"Where are you? I am sorting out flowers and interior décor with your mom and a horde of her friends. She’s sweet but I really wish you were here with me to take the edge off. It’s our engagement party tomorrow, Ashton. Can’t you try to be more present?"

I turn around and glance at Keith who is stroking a horse in the stable. "I’m sorry, Mila. I know I promised to help but I’m a little tied up handling some business. I’ll try to swing by as soon as I can."

"Ashton, your noticeable absence during the preparations isn’t scoring you any points with my dad. Do you really have no plan to try to be friends with him, even for me?" I only exhale tiredly. "I made dinner reservations for the three of us at the underwater restaurant here in Rollins Towers. It’s by seven pm. You can’t be late. I’ll inform Gris too so he can remind you. Promise me you’ll be here."

"I promise." I reply before she hangs up.

I return to Keith who continues to pay attention to his horse like I am not here. Paul and Collette, his parents are inside the house.

Keith hadn’t wanted to grant me this audience. After he tore up Zoe’s picture and threw it into the fireplace during my first visit, he demanded I leave his family alone. He was very vulgar with hatred glistening in his eyes.

I found it interesting given that we had never met before that day yet he oozed such anger and contempt for me. That can only mean that my little sister might have shared some of her horrible past with him. He knows something about father and his treatment of my biological family. I intend to sift out that information as well as a way of identifying Zoe from her over protective foster brother, Keith.

"What do you want with my sister?" Keith asks dryly, turning to me. "The only reason I granted you this audience is because I want to know that much."

"I think you already know." We lock eyes for a moment.

"No, Mr. Rollins, I don’t. I don’t know why an heir of the Rollins Group would come to my parents’ farmhouse to ask questions about my foster sister. What are the odds that a billionaire will come here looking for no other than Zoe, a nobody." He quits brushing his horse’s mane and dusts his hands. "Mom mentioned that you made a promise to find Zoe and give her a better life. I’d like to know more about that. Who did you make the promise to? How are they related to Zoe? Why do you want to help Zoe?"

So many questions, I think to myself. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"You’ll get all the answers you want once you get me another picture of Zoe, Keith or at least tell me why you tore up the last one the second you saw me." I edge close to his horse, admiring it. "I’m fairly certain you did that because you know something your parents don’t."

"Something like what?"

"That’s for you to tell and for me to find out."

"You’re wasting your time, and mine. I don’t have the information you seek. My sister was a very private person even amongst our family. She kept to herself most times. We gave her grace about it because she had had a rough childhood."

"That doesn’t explain why you don’t want me to see what she looks like."

"I don’t want you putting your men to work to find her when I don’t know why you want to. Wherever Zoe is, I know she just wants to lead a quiet life without looking over her shoulder every two minutes. My sister has suffered too much to have a powerful man like you bothering her with your charity which she clearly wouldn’t be interested in so if that’s the reason you’re here, again, you’re wasting your time."

"Was that what she was like while she lived with your family? Was she always looking over her shoulder?"

My sincere question catches him off guard. If he felt Zoe was afraid of something or someone, then maybe he might have tried to dig around for more information about her, information she wouldn’t share with him, so he could better protect her. Did he find out about father? Is that why he loathes me?

"Yes. Zoe was always tense and paranoid. She wouldn’t say why. She lived like someone on the run."

"What did you do when she refused to share?"

"What could I have done? I let her be and hoped she was overreacting."

"I doubt that. You seem very protective of her. You don’t strike me as a brother who would have sat idly by while his sister lived like that. Even after she destroyed the pictures you took of her, you drew her in her sleep so why am I to believe that you simply sat on your hands when Zoe refused to share anything about her troubled past?" Keith’s eyebrows knit together in a frown. I got him with that one.

He peels off his gloves. "You also appear to know more than you’re letting on, Mr. Rollins. This social call is more than a charity case, right? You’re not here to assist an orphan. There are so many orphanages that would worship the ground you walk on if you make a generous deposit but you prefer to be here on a sunny day, away from the multiple businesses you run, asking dumb questions about a young girl." His eyes darken. "What exactly is it about Zoe that’s got you so invested? You can fool my parents with the charity crap but not me! Why Zoe? Why are you looking for her?"

"You know where she is!" I decipher from his eyes. "You’ve been keeping an eye on her!"

"WHY ZOE???" He repeats firmly.

I can’t tell him the details of how Zoe and I are related. Even my brother, Ashal couldn’t believe that story so I am refraining from sharing the details with just about anyone. I don’t want father to get a whiff of it either.

I stare into Keith’s eyes. If he knows the truth, then he must be worried that I am working with father to find and harm Zoe. He must think that I am not aware that Zoe is my biological sister. Is he trying to test my loyalty to my kin before divulging more information? It’s hard to tell.

I back away from him. "If I told you, would you help me find her?"

"No! I’ll never betray Zoe like that but I may be able to answer some of the questions you might have."

"Only Zoe can answer the questions I have so how does that work for us?"

"Good bye, Mr. Rollins." He eyes me and makes a beeline for the house.

"Keith, wait!"

"What?"

I exhale deeply as I catch up with him. I don’t want to regret this. He is the surest link I have to Zoe and I am running out of time here. If things go south after I tell him the truth, I’ll have to resort to threatening him with the lives of his parents even though I’d hate to do that.

"What?" He repeats.

"Don’t make the mistake of going back on your word after I share this secret with you, Keith. I can be a very dangerous man if I please. This stays between us." He doesn’t flinch at my threat. I exhale deeply. "I have reasons to believe that your foster sister, Zoe, is related to me."

"Related in what way?"

"She’s my sister."

For one humming minute, Keith stares at me quietly. He doesn’t look surprised. He already knew. He keeps staring into my soul. Finally, he breaks the awkward silence.

"Care to elaborate how Zoe is related to Danvarr’s wealthiest family?"

"No." I reply stiffly.

He continues to the porch. "That might be a snag. You don’t expect me to share personal details of my sister’s life with any stranger who walks in here claiming to be her kin, do you?"

"No but I can’t share more at this time. I need to find Zoe and confirm the truth myself."

"You want to find Zoe, you go through me. To go through me, you’ll have to answer my questions satisfactorily and convince me that I am not putting my sister at risk by helping you disrupt her life. Are we clear?"

"Look Keith, I pose no threat to Zoe. If I wanted to find her the easy way, I’d have you begging for the lives of your loved ones by now. I have the money, the means and the men to get the information I want out of you faster than this song and dance we’re doing here."

"Why aren’t you?"

"Because I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just want to find my little sister and end her loneliness in this world. I just learnt of her existence and it’s killing me that she’s been living such a rough life all alone for years. I want to reunite with her."

"Why aren’t you here with your brothers and your parents then?"

"I don’t want to involve them until I know Zoe actually exists and is safe. I was worried about raising their hopes too early. Once I am reunited with my sister, I’ll make the reintroductions into my family."

Keith stares at me for a bit.

"That’ll be all for today, Mr. Rollins. I know I promised to answer your questions but I have exhausted my quota for today. We’ll pick up this conversation much later. I’ll text you." At the sight of my dissatisfied expression, he smirks. "You’ll work with my schedule if you want to know more about Zoe. I am not one of the men on your payroll. Don’t expect me to kowtow to you." With that, he walks into the house and shuts the door, signifying an end to the conversation.

While I drive back, I don’t know what to think. It doesn’t feel like I have made much progress in finding my sister. Another thought crosses my mind. Can I protect Zoe from father if I find her? What if I am putting her life in danger by looking for her? Duncan might be on my tail. Would father really hurt my sister again? I wish my brothers were all in on this. We’ll stand a better chance at protecting our sister.

While on my way, I spot Demi’s car parked in front of St. Lucy’s church. What is she doing back here? I wonder as I pull into the church as well. This was where we had our drunken, night wedding. I know I shouldn’t have pulled over but this nostalgia hits different because of my engagement that’s happening tomorrow. Hopefully, Demi doesn’t see through my excuse when I tell her I stopped to see if the priest would be available to officiate my wedding ceremony with Mila.

I almost stumble into her at the entrance. Her eyes double in size at the sight of me. I bet I am the last person she expected to see here.

"Ashton." She breathes softly.

"Hi." We are caught staring into each other’s eyes for a few seconds longer than okay. I tear my eyes away from hers. "I uh, saw your car. Wondered why you stopped by." A nervous chuckle follows. "How are you? Does your nose still hurt?" My fingers touch the tip of her nose before I can stop myself. She gives me a radiant smile in return.

"It’s all healed up."

"Well, that’s good." Another awkward silence wears on.

"So, what brings you here? I thought this would be the one place you’d hate to be reminded of."

She glances back at the church. "Not necessarily. I thought so at first but then I was driving by and...I couldn’t continue without stopping." Her wistful eyes find mine again. "I guess I needed some kind of closure. Don’t you? Isn’t that why you are here?"

My heart beats rapidly in my chest. "Actually, I wanted to see if the priest would be available to officiate my wedding ceremony."

I hate the embarrassment that washes over her face following my explanation. I could have thought about a million other nicer things to say but it wouldn’t help either of us in carrying on with our very different paths.

"Oh. I’m sorry. So silly of me. Of course that’s why you’re here." She avoids my eyes. "I should get going."

"Yeah. Drive safely."

She shuffles to her car and I watch her till she pulls away. I hate that I did that to her. She must have felt stupid.

"Two Rollins in one day, I must be blessed."

I whip my head and come face to face with the priest."

"Hello. I’m Ashton. It’s been a while." I bet he doesn’t know the last Rollins wedding he officiated was mine.

"Did your wife leave without you?"

"Oh no, she’s not my wife but my sister-in-law." I correct him.

"Sorry, you boys all look the same. She’s a good woman. Comes here every now and then."

"Really?" I ask in surprise. I thought this was her first time since after our wedding.

He laughs. "The house of the lord is open to everyone at any time, Ashton. Your sister-in-law finds some kind of peace here. She has been faring better ever since I found her parked outside here under the rain, crying in her car. Whatever pain she felt that day has been lifted."

Demi was crying out here?

"What brings you here?" The priest asks.

I struggle to compose my thoughts. Demi was crying. That’s all I can think about.

"Thank you, priest. I will be on my way. Have a lovely day." I dash into my car and drive off. Demi mustn’t have gone far. She isn’t much of a fast driver. I need to find her. I don’t know what I’ll say when I do but I just need to see her. I try calling her phone but she doesn’t pick up. Where is she?

Finally, I spot her car parked in front of a pharmacy. Is she still sick. I pull over but before I can go in, I notice that she hasn’t left her car.

"Demi?" I rap on her glass, startling her. Her face is pale. Her eyes are drooping. She rolls down her window. "Are you okay? What’s wrong? You look pale."

"I’m fine." She utters weakly. "I just feel a little bit tired."

I don’t believe her. She’s definitely hiding something. I reach through her window to feel her neck with my hand. Her temperature is normal. She flinches at my touch and stares at me with wide eyes. "Get down. I’m taking you to the hospital. You don’t look fine to me."

"Ashton, I’m fine, okay? I guess I have been stressed lately."

"Get down from the car, Demi. We’re going to the hospital."

"NO!" She yells at me when I insist. Her eyes flare with anger. "I said I’m fine and even if I wasn’t, I am an adult. I can take care of myself. My health is none of your business, Ashton. You’re not my husband!"

Did she really just say that to me? The temper in her eyes cool off briefly to allow guilt seep in. She rolls up her window and drives away. What was that? Why was she making such a fuss about a quick hospital visit? Does she hate hospitals like Asher does or is there some other reason she isn’t willing to go?

Then it clicks. No! Ashley said the tests came back negative. What are the chances that three tests came out all wrong? My eyes drift back into the distance where the dust raised by Demi’s zooming car has barely settled. Did Demi lie to Ashley about not being pregnant?

While I poke my food at the dinner with Mila and her father, I keep thinking about Demi. I have to find out the truth somehow. If she is indeed pregnant, why is she keeping it a secret even from Ashley?

Mila nudges me. "What?"

"Dad asked you a question."

I look up at Hugh Spellman who is staring at me contemptibly.

"I’m sorry sir. I didn’t catch your question."

"I am not surprised. You’re hardly present at this dinner." He eyes his daughter who dips her eyes to her food. "Why exactly are you marrying THIS brother again, Mila?"

"Dad! Please. I’m not going over this with you again."

They’ve been discussing me? Interesting.

"Fine." Her father says. "Ashton, that brings me back to you. Why are YOU marrying my daughter? I know you don’t love her so spare me that lame lie. Did daddy threaten to cut you off if you don’t put a ring on it?"

I drop my cutlery. "Love? I didn’t think that mattered to you, Hugh." Beside me, Mila’s eyes widen in shock at the way I addressed her father on first name basis. "You are so eager to pass her off to my brother, Asher, even though you know he doesn’t love her. You are okay with him marrying her because he was asked to so why do you have a problem with me obeying orders too?"

"The problem is that you don’t obey orders like Asher. You obey orders UNTIL you don’t feel like it anymore which can be five minutes, five days or five weeks after the order. That’s the difference."

Mila brings her wine glass to her lips. I can tell she’s very uncomfortable right now. I feel her hand on my thigh, trying to urge me to back off this fight with her dad.

"I am marrying your daughter, Hugh. Try to make peace with that. You might not like me but she does and I like her too. Love isn’t everything. We have both consented to this union and we are committed to making it work. That should be enough." Hugh grits his teeth.

"Since I have answered your question, how about you answer one of mine?" I lean back on my chair. "Why exactly are you not okay with Mila doing car races?" Hugh’s face hardens. "Do you know what an exceptional car racer she is? Have you met that version of your daughter?"

"Ash, stop it." Mila begs in a low voice. Her father turns his dark eyes to her.

"You’re still doing that?"

"It was just one time!" She lies to him, lurching to her feet and dumping her napkin on the table.

"MILA SPELLMAN, SIT BACK DOWN!"

I crane my neck at Hugh’s tone.

"I need to use the restroom." Another lie. What the hell is going on with these two?

I jump to my feet. "Dinner’s over. I’ll drop her off." I grab Mila’s hand and steer her towards the elevator. She remains mute till we get to the ground floor and all the way to our cars before she yanks her hands free and glares at me.

"Ok, what was that in there? Why did your dad freak out over you racing?"

"What was the need to bring it up, Ashton? The two of you are already at loggerheads and you thought it was cool to drag me into it?"

"What are you hiding from me, Mila? Just tell me. Why does he stop you from doing something you love?" I ask, grabbing her shoulders. She looks away, tears coating her eyes. "It’s okay. I need to understand. Please tell me."

She shrugs and reluctantly shares.

"I had a half-brother. He didn’t always see eye to eye with our father. They fought almost all the time about everything. He was kind of the black sheep of the family. He was big on racing and spent a fortune of our company’s money sponsoring such events. Dad hated him. He called him a loose cannon and planned to cut him off. When my brother found out, he got into an argument with our father and almost crashed the car they were driving in. My dad barely survived. He denounced and disinherited my brother ever since." Mila sighs. "Dad hates anything that remotely reminds him of my brother."

"I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was a painful memory behind his reservations. I feel like such an idiot now."

"It’s okay."

I pull her in for a hug. I didn’t know Hugh had a son.

The next day, my engagement party plans are being finalized. The house is quite chaotic with mother in her full element as a party planner making calls to ensure everything is in order. My brothers have all dispersed to attend to their own private businesses for the day before returning in the evening to dress up for my engagement ceremony at the Rollins towers.

I swirl my bourbon and watch father chat excitedly while following up on the VVIP guest list. Everyone is pretty occupied but Demi seems to be absent.

Her car is in the garage so I know she hasn’t left the house. She didn’t come down for breakfast this morning but had hers sent up to her room. We haven’t had a chance to talk about what happened yesterday and I have a few things to clarify. I head to her room knowing I wouldn’t get another chance after tonight.

She opens up after a few knocks. She looks much better now. The color has somehow returned to her cheeks.

"What do you want?"

"I want to understand why you’re refusing to see a doctor when you’re clearly sick, Demi."

She rolls her eyes. "I told you. I am not sick!"

"No, you’re not." I concur to her surprise, then leaning forward. "You’re pregnant!"

Her eyes dilate in shock. I am right. Oh God, I am right.

"No, I am not."

"No?" I shove my glass of bourbon in her face. "Go on, finish it." She stares at the drink with nervous eyes.

"I don’t want it."

"Just drink it and prove me wrong. Go on, Demi. If you don’t, the only other way to convince me is by following me to the hospital for a test. It’s up to you."

"Ashton, please, just drop it. I already took three tests and they were negative. I am not pregnant."

"Why are you still lying about it? I am not stupid. I know you are." She looks frightened when I refuse to drop it. "If you don’t want to tell anyone yet, I can understand but Ashley? Why won’t you tell him?" She refuses to meet my eyes. I cup her chin with a hand. "What’s wrong? You can tell me. I promise to keep your secret if that’s what you want."

Tears stream down her face. When I enter her room to console her, she sinks into my chest and cries harder.

"Shhh, it’s okay. You’ll be fine."

"Father had a fight with mother when he thought I was pregnant. He hates the idea. He hates me. He called me names. That’s why I lied to Ashley. I am not ready to tell anyone yet." She looks up at me. "Please Ashton, you can’t tell anyone yet. I need some time to wrap my head around this."

"I understand." I kiss her forehead. "I’m sorry you had to hear that from father. Don’t let it mess with your head."

"Thank you."

When I am certain she’s doing much better, I leave her to go out for some air before my big event tonight. That information is a lot to take in and now that I have to keep her secret, it’s a big burden. I head to the race track to race a bit and get my blood flowing.

The manager comes up to me while I am getting a Porsche checked.

"Where’s my Ferrari?"

"I’m sorry. It’s currently being used. I didn’t know you were coming in today seeing as it’s your engagement tonight."

"Lambert, always keep my favorite car ready even on my wedding night because I just might turn up." He laughs at my joke. We both turn as the red Ferrari makes a record-breaking win. I sigh as the rider jumps out with a smug look on his face. He gives a high five to his opponent. "Who’s the new guy?"

"Your newest competitor for the top spot, I guess." Lambert tells me. I snort at that.

"Has he got a name?"

"He goes by Liam or simply Mr. S."