AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I clenched my jaw as she draped herself around me, her tight white dress complete with a short veil. I’d have expected her to opt for a classier celebration with her usual level of perfection.
Hugh stormed up to her, his face red. ‘Are you drunk?’
‘Lighten up, Hughy. It’s my hen do, I’m supposed to be drunk.’
Hugh stared at his step-sister, looking as though he wanted to pull her aside. I watched them both with interest.
‘I’ll talk to you about this later,’ he said before stalking off in the directions of the toilet.
‘Why is he so angry with you?’
Nicole sighed and leaned heavily against me.
‘He’s always angry about something. I can’t remember him ever being happy. He thinks Daddy should have let him take over. He’s older than me, and a man. He thinks he deserves it more. But I’m going to be like your sister and kill it when I take over.’
‘I don’t doubt that you will.’ My anger with her dissipated a little in her drunken state. Clearly Nicole was going through some shit too. I still wanted out of our marriage, but I wanted to kill her a bit less.
‘Where’s your cousin?’ I asked, unable to resist when I couldn’t see her anywhere.
‘She’s flaky as they come. Pulled out at the last minute. Not that I really care. Hugh says that she’s just jealous of me. I’m older, wealthier, have a Daddy who loves me.’
So does she. I wanted to say.
‘She was so sweet when she was little, I used to dress her up and she’d follow me everywhere.’
‘What changed?’ I asked.
‘I can’t remember. I think she must have. I need to pee. You’ll have to excuse me.’
Nicole tottered off toward the ladies’ room as Ewen passed me a beer.
‘Man, she’s smashed. I’ve never seen her like that,’ I said.
‘What’s got into her?’ he asked.
Maeve sidled up next to us, her arm around Esther’s waist. ‘Probably guy problems.’
I pulled Esther toward me and gave her a hug, glad to see her after months going by since the last time she visited with her little family. ‘Missed you kid.’
‘You too. I really didn’t think I’d be back for your wedding. Would have thought you’d have seen sense before now.’
‘He did meet someone,’ Maeve said, dropping me in the shit.
‘Who?’ Esther said with a squeal.
‘No-one, it doesn’t matter. I can’t back out of the Valetti deal. They’ve made that perfectly clear.’
‘Are they threatening you?’ Ewen asked, pulling himself up to his full height.
‘Calm down. It’ll be fine.’ I hadn’t forgotten Nicole’s threats toward Esther’s elder daughter.
‘Where’s Mac and Katie?’ My youngest brother had disappeared the moment we hit the club.
‘Need you ask?’ Maeve said with a roll of her eyes. ‘He’ll be balls deep somewhere. They still can’t keep their hands off of one another. Like a pair of rabid teenagers.’
Nicole hadn’t come back from the bathrooms, and with the state she was in, I was worried she’d either be passed out somewhere or taken advantage of. Maybe both.
‘Back in a few, guys,’ I said, dropping my beer into Ewen’s hands as I made my way through dark corridors and writhing bodies.
