Restrained (Sterling Family #3)

37. Hayden

37

HAYDEN

“ H e’s spiraling out of control.” I hold Lola to me as we stand against the wall of the grand living room in the lake house. The furniture has been cleared out, and after a nice dinner, the table was removed to make room for dancing.

Baz and Viv are on the dance floor with Tony and Nora, and Linc and P. But Lola is fully focused on Asher, who showed up shitfaced a couple of minutes before the wedding.

He held up remarkably well during the ceremony with alcohol seeping through his pores. “He’ll be okay, Lola.”

She doesn’t believe me, and I hate the sadness in her eyes as she looks up at me. “I don’t want to fail him anymore.”

I wish I could make her see he’s not her responsibility, but I don’t think that will happen. I watch Asher lift a silver flask to his lips, not even bothering to hide it as he stands by the exit. I’d rather deal with him anyway.

I kiss her forehead. “I’ll be back, okay?”

I don’t let her argue with me and walk over to Asher, standing at his side as he watches Penelope and Lincoln on the dance floor, hatred in his eyes. He doesn’t say a word, and I nod my head at the flask. “Don’t you think that’s enough for the night?”

He doesn’t say a word, just lifts the flask to his lips and takes another drink, still staring. “She cleans up nice, huh?” I bristle at his tone but remain stoic. “She always did. I remember when Colt and Linc brought her home. She had ripped jeans and dirt on her face, but they didn’t care. They both loved her.”

“She’s not hard to love.”

He snorts. “Apparently. Penelope likes to give a lot of love . Of course, I never got that far.”

You can’t kill him. “Good.”

He shrugs. “I was pretty young when she was busy fucking both of my brothers.”

My knuckles turn white as my hands fist at my sides. I stay quiet.

He keeps pushing, and I know exactly why. “You knew that, right? Or did they give you the watered-down version?”

I take his bait but keep my voice quiet as Lola joins Baz and Viv, all three of them dancing together and seemingly having a good time. “Knew what?”

“That she was Colt’s. And now we’re here celebrating her marriage to Linc.”

From everything I've heard, Penelope and Colt were a puppy love relationship, and Penelope and Lincoln seem like the real deal. Still, I know the kid is hurting. “I think you can grieve a loss and celebrate a new future at the same time, man.”

“That’s enlightened. No wonder you got into my sister’s panties.”

I push the door open and in one quick motion, pull him outside with me, hoping to cause as small of a scene as possible, shutting the door behind us as he shoves me away from him.

“What the fuck are you doing? I’m not into dudes.”

“Cute.” I can see Lola watching through the glass door, but she doesn’t move to join us, and I'm grateful. “I know, you want to disrupt all the fun, but I thought we should do this out here instead.”

“Do what?” he growls, looking like shit.

“You’re angry. I get it. You miss your brother.”

“You don’t know shit about my brother or anything else. You’re an outsider.”

I nod my head, not arguing. “True. I never got to meet Colt, and from what I've heard he was a damn good man.”

“He was.”

“Great, but do you think he would want you to do this? Try and ruin their wedding?”

“She was his.” His teeth clench tightly. “You think he would be happy about her marrying someone else?”

“Doesn’t he have a kid with someone else? Not sure he would have any room to talk.”

He shoves my chest, but not hard enough to move me. “Fuck you. You don’t know shit.”

“I know what a tantrum looks like.”

He walks away from me toward the dock, and I follow. “So, you hate Penelope because she had the nerve to fall in love with two different people in her life? You know how many people have done that?”

“Oh yeah?” He turns around to face me. “You’re telling me you love Lola and some other bitch?”

“No.”

“Okay.” His glare is full of hate. “You think you’d be totally fine if she started fucking some dude on the side. Huh?” He saunters to me, his chest nearly touching mine, and I'm determined not to let his words get to me. “You think you’d be fine if she spread her legs for some other guy? Let him hold her? Whisper sweet little nothings into her ear? All while she’s doing the same thing with you? You would be fine with that?”

I cringe but hope he doesn’t see me flinch. “What happened between those three is between them.”

“Right. Or you just don’t want to admit that your sister is a slut.”

“Watch it.” It’s a quick warning. “Don’t say that shit about my little sister.”

“Or what? And calm the fuck down. She’s been your little sister for all of a month.”

I don’t correct him. “I wouldn’t give a fuck if I’d only just met her two seconds ago. Don’t call her a slut.”

He knows he has me right where he wants me. But what he probably doesn’t know is I'm the one in control. “Careful now.” He leans in close. “You and I get into it, Lola isn’t going to suck your dick tonight.”

I smile derisively, having too much respect for Lola to say anything crude about her. “You’re the angry, broody one, right? That’s your thing.”

Lola walks out and runs toward us, holding the skirt of her dress up with her hand. “What’s going on?”

Asher’s angry gaze lands on hers. “Your boyfriend was just trying to set me straight.”

Her eyes move to mine. “He’s drunk and angry.”

She doesn’t need to make excuses for him.

“It’s okay, Lols. You’re happy enough for all of us, right?”

Her head swivels to meet his scathing gaze. “What is going on with you?”

He shrugs, his eyes darkened with contempt. “Nothing. I’m just saying it’s great that you’re so damn happy. You know? I mean, fuck, you ran far away after Colt died but then rushed back in and fixed everything. The true hero.”

He moves to walk closer to her, but I hold my arm out to block him. “Stop.”

He stands where he is and glares at her. “Then you swooped right in to save Viv, convinced her to move her and her kid across the country. I mean, you are amazing.”

I see her lip quiver and my instinct is to hold her, but instead, I stay between Asher and her. “Asher, I’m sorry. I didn’t do it to hurt you.” The quivering of her voice is heartbreaking.

“You think I'm not used to being all alone?” The kid is miserable. “I know all about being alone, and I'm fucking fine.” He gestures to me. “And now, you’ve met your superhuman match. Now everyone can just go on with their lives and forget about Colt and me.”

“We’ll never forget about you.” A tear slides down her cheek as she pleads with her brother to wake up.

“Bullshit. You just had to fucking fix it. Perfect Lola.” His voice is quiet, but the tone is edged with scorn. “You can do no wrong. And no one ever calls you out.”

“Watch it. She was looking out for you.”

His eyes lock on me. “You angry, huh? Lola won’t like that. She doesn’t get angry. She just comes in with the perfect solution and tries to dictate our entire lives.”

“You two were hurting each other. I didn’t want that for you or for her.” She’s crying, and I fucking hate it.

“That wasn’t your fucking decision!” His voice raises, and I step fully in between them now. Asher’s cold dead eyes are even with mine. “You want to hit me?” He points to his chin. “Right here.”

“Don’t, Hayden.” I hear Lola’s plea from behind me, but it’s one I have to ignore.

Asher’s eyes narrow, challenging me. “Tough decision. You hit me, she’s not going to let you touch her. Sex? Or a different kind of satisfaction? Your choice.”

My choice was already made. I pull my fist back and quickly pop him right in the mouth, not nearly as hard as I’m capable of, but I give him what he’s looking for.

Lola is at my side, looking at Asher who now has a split lip as he brings his hand up, wiping away the blood and glaring at me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Lola gasps, but I know she’ll forgive me.

Asher smirks, his tongue running over the bloody lip. “Fuck. That’s all you’ve got? Even my sister leaves a mark when she throws a punch. This’ll be gone tomorrow.”

“Asher, shut up.” Lola is still looking at me, horrified.

“You done being a little shit tonight?” I ask him.

He only smirks again, bringing the flask up to his lips and wincing as he takes another drink before lowering the flask. “Nope.”

My arm pulls back again, and this time my fist lands on the side of his cheek, making a loud smacking sound with the contact. He stumbles back this time, covering the left side of his cheek.

“Hayden!” Lola screams just as Lincoln runs out of the house to meet us, examining his brother’s face.

“You little shit. On my wedding night?”

“Fuck you.” Asher spits into the snow in front of him. “You come out to take a shot too?”

No longer wearing his tuxedo jacket, Lincoln starts rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt. “Maybe.”

Lola shoves Lincoln’s chest. “Don’t you dare. What is the matter with you two?” She’s looking at me and Lincoln. Not Asher. “He’s drunk. And pissed off at the world.” She looks at me. “So you hit him in the face?”

I don’t defend my actions and can see the welt forming on Asher’s face. He glares at me but seems calmer.

Lola, however, is definitely not. “What is this, some sort of stupid man thing? Solving problems with your fists?”

I smile at her. “I seem to remember your fist meeting my face not all that long ago.”

“That was different.”

Linc asks the question before I can. “How?”

She turns to her brother, flustered. “I don’t know. Shut up.”

He chuckles, and I take her hands in mine, trying to calm her down and really wishing she’d have let me handle this alone. “He wanted that, Lola.”

Asher doesn’t argue, and I know, without a doubt, I'm right.

“You’re insane. Who wants to be hit in the face?”

Lincoln swallows tightly, folding his arms over his chest and looking at Asher, who doesn’t move. I look at Lola, not sure how I can make her understand and thinking this is not the time or place to do it.

“Fuck this.” Asher turns to Lincoln. “Happy wedding day, asshole.”

It doesn’t seem to be full of venom, more like sadness. He walks away, and Linc squeezes Lola’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s not wrong.” He gives me a quick nod which I return before he leaves us.

She pulls her hands away from me, and instead of going inside where it’s warm, my stubborn woman heads for the snow-covered dock.

And, of course, I follow.