6. Now
Brooks
“Hell no.” I shake my head. “Hell fucking no,” I add for emphasis.
Jacqueline Chanel Minty-Smith-soon-to-be-Henderson puts her hand on her slender hip and stares me down. I have to fucking force myself not to fidget. It reminds me of one of my aunts who used to terrify me as a kid. I don’t know how some people can give that look and strike the fear of god into the souls of the person on the receiving end.
“This is what I want.”
“As I’ve said many times, this isn’t the first time either of us are getting married. There’s no need to put on a show.”
“Of course there is.” She holds up her hand and wiggles each finger as she lists five reasons. “One, I’m the heiress to the Minty Chewing Gum empire. Two, you’re the Face of The Defiant God Brotherhood. Three, our wedding will call attention to the Brotherhood and bring in new blood. Four, my husband just died, and this will make me happy. Five, I want the world to know that I’m marrying you.”
Blanc, the head Elite Member of The Defiant God Brotherhood, meets my gaze. Fuck no. I shake my head, but he’s smiling.
“All excellent points, Jacqueline. Henderson, surely you can see how important this is to your fiancée.”
I’m so fucking close to knocking this motherfucker out. If I wouldn’t face retaliation from the Brotherhood, I’d do it. He smirks at me, as if he knows what I’m thinking.
“Henderson?”
“Fine,” I grit out. “We can have the wedding of your dreams, Jacqueline.”
“Excellent. I’ve already reached out to several wedding planners. I’m waiting to hear from my top two.” She smiles at me. “This is going to be quite the event. I can’t wait to let the other wives know. Vivian is going to be so jealous.” She gathers her things and stands. “Brooks, darling, I’ll have my assistant send you over some information, including my ring size. We need the perfect diamond before we take our engagement photos.” She eyes me. “And you’ll need to get a haircut. You’re looking a bit rough around the edges.”
With those parting words, she leaves, and I exhale.
“It’s not that bad, Henderson.”
“Says you.”
Blanc crosses his arms. “I’ve done what has been asked of me by the Brotherhood, just as you will.”
“Yeah, yeah. No need to sell it to me, old man. I took the red pill a long time ago.”
“Then you understand why this marriage has to happen.”
“Because we need her money. I get it.”
Blanc’s gaze narrows. “It’s not just because of her money. She was married to Smith, who, until he betrayed us, was a valuable member of the Brotherhood.”
I have thoughts on that, but keep them to myself. Smith was such a fucking bad seed that someone poisoned him. I mean, he was going to die when Ace invoked Rule 47, but someone beat Ace to the punch. Likely the same person who killed DeLeon. In general, not a great time to be an Elite Member. But here I am. And I’m already on the shit list with Blanc and Zhāng because of what happened at my induction ceremony. I bite back a laugh. Drinking an entire bottle of whisky before the ceremony probably wasn’t the best idea, but it made it bearable.
Ace is the only person who understands what I’m going through, but he’s out of the country with his wife, Isa, and they won’t be back for at least a month. A fucking month. As happy as I am for them, I wish he was here.
I say to Blanc, “Well, as fun as this has been, I have shit to do.”
“Just remember. Your goal is to keep that woman happy.” He stands. “And get a haircut. It’s bad enough you have so many fucking tattoos as it is.”
My jaw tics. “Noted.”
I watch as he leaves and then run my hand over my face. Fuck. I need a drink.
My head buzzes so hard that it takes me a moment to realize my phone is ringing.
“Hello?” My voice slurs and I don’t even give a shit.
“Open your front door before I kick it in.”
“Ace?”
“No, it’s Santa. Yes, it’s fucking me. Open the door. It’s colder than shit out here.”
The call ends. I force myself to a sitting position, groaning. The room spins and it takes a moment before everything rights itself. Fucking hell.
I definitely drank too much last night.
And the night before.
And the night before…
Stumbling, I make my way to the front door. I fumble with the lock and deadbolt before finally opening the fucking door. Ace stands there, glaring at me. The sun is shining, making me wince in pain. But he’s right. It’s colder than shit out here. I move aside so he can pass and close the door behind him.
In the living room, he sits on the couch, watching me.
“What?”
“Do you really have to ask what?”
“Yeah, I guess I do.”
Ace’s jaw tics. “Tell me, Brooks, have you checked your fucking phone?”
I reach for it, unlocking the screen. Holy. Shit. There are over three hundred missed calls. Even more texts.
“Damn. Did someone die?”
“No, you dumbass. We’ve been trying to get ahold of you. Your fiancée is worried sick. Blanc and Zhāng won’t stop riding my dick, seeing if I know anything. And now my sweet wife has insisted that we cut our fucking honeymoon short so we can check on you.”
“Isa’s here?”
Surely, he didn’t leave her outside.
“She’s at home, resting. I wasn’t sure what I was going to walk into here, and I didn’t want to send her into premature labor.”
“Jesus. That’s a bit dramatic.”
“Is it?” His eyebrow lifts. “It’s been two weeks since anyone has heard from you.”
I snort. That can’t be true.
“Check your calendar, Brooks.”
He’s got to be shitting me, but I glance at my lock screen on my phone. And then I curse.
“I’m assuming you’ve done nothing but drink during that time.”
“Oh, what makes you think that?”
“First, it reeks like booze in here. Second, there are bottles everywhere. Third, I know you, Brooks. This is how you handle the hard shit.”
I glare, but he’s right. I reek. There are bottles strung about my living room. And this is how I’ve always handled the hard shit.
“I never asked for this.” I run my hand over my face. “Jesus. Haven’t I given them enough?”
Ace lets me vent for a bit. Finally, he says, “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it makes sense. You’re the Face of the Brotherhood.”
I scoff, but he’s not done.
“Marrying Smith’s widow makes sense, too. It shows that we take care of our own. It also keeps her money at the disposal of the Brotherhood.”
“And I’m the only person she’ll consider?”
At his nod, I let out a string of curses that would make a sailor blush.
“Feel better?”
“Fuck no. I need another drink.” I think. “Fuck it. I want the entire bottle.”
“Easy, Brooks. Let’s think this through before you end up on TV for drunk and disorderly conduct.”
The again is unspoken.
“Listen to you, Mr. Elite Member, being all diplomatic and shit. I can vividly remember a time when you would have fought something like this tooth and nail.”
His jaw tics. “I’d like to point out that you, too, are now an Elite Member, which is why this makes sense. Marry Jacqueline. Uphold your duty to the Brotherhood and then go on with your life.”
“Funny, you didn’t have the same motto when the Brotherhood wanted Isa to marry Russo.”
A dark look flashes across his face, but he knows I’m right.
“Listen, I didn’t put up a fight when they insisted that I got married when I was in my twenties and had no business settling down. I did as they ordered when my dearest estranged wife claimed she was pregnant and got back with her, even though it was against my better judgement.” My throat is tight as I force out the next part. “I hurt an innocent woman who deserved better than what I gave her. And now this? When is enough enough?”
“That’s what this is about, isn’t it? It’s about?—”
“Don’t you dare say her fucking name.” My voice is hoarse with emotion.
Ace’s gaze is sympathetic. “Brooks, you know I understand better than anyone what it’s like to lose the girl.”
“But you got yours back. Not only that, but the Brotherhood didn’t bat an eye because Isa brought something to the table. I’m stuck marrying an icy bitch while the one I love is out there, somewhere, thinking the worst of me.”
Ace is silent. I reach for the bottle on the coffee table and finish it.
Finally, he asks, “Have you tried to find her? Get some closure?”
A tortured laugh leaves my lips. “Yes, I’ve tried to find her. It’s like she fell off the face of the earth after…” After I broke her heart. “She doesn’t want to be found; it seems.”
Ace says, “I can look for her, if you want.”
Because if anyone can find her, it’s him.
“No. It won’t do any good. I ruined things with her and that’s my cross to bear.” I stand and face him. “I’ll marry Jacqueline and move on. Like I always do.”
Ace stares at me in horror. “Jesus Christ, Brooks. What in the fuck have you done?”
“What?”
Ace curses under his breath. “Look in the mirror.”
I cross the room, looking at the mirror on the wall. And then I laugh. Because across my throat is a new tattoo. And it’s big. One I’m sure Blanc won’t like, because it’s the Brotherhood’s symbol.
“Well, it could be worse. At least it’s not on my face.”
Ace curses again, but all I can do is laugh.
Oh, and I’m not cutting my fucking hair.