Chapter Twenty-One
Grant
“Governor Hopeful Thaddeus Branson Jr’s wife, Anna Branson, unfortunately, succumbed to her injuries inflicted by an unsolved hit-and-run late last night.
Governor Hopeful Branson insists that a full investigation into Mrs. Branson’s death be conducted.
He suspects that negligence by medical staff led to his wife’s tragic end-of-life. ”
I rolled my eyes when Kiyah yanked down the blanket from over her head to tune into the local news report—neglecting my dick that had found refuge in her mouth. I reached for the remote on the nightstand because there was nothing to see, and I needed to nut.
Negligence by medical staff, my ass.
“What are you doing? Don’t turn it off,” Kiyah protested.
“Kiyah, if I wanted to see someone fake cry, then I’d watch a soap opera.”
She smacked her lips loudly and joined me at the headboard. “You can be so heartless sometimes, G.”
“You knew that and still married me, so what does that say about you?”
“Stop smoking in bed,” she deflected, snatching the remote out of my hand. I could’ve kept the banter going, but I knew when to pick and choose my battles, and I wasn’t about to talk myself out of morning head. “One of these days, you’ll light us both on fire.”
“Yes, my love,” I responded as I lazily smoked the cigarette down to the filter.
“Governor Hopeful Branson is tuning in now to share a message with his supporters.”
“Isn’t that sad, Grant? Would you be sad if I died?”
“Devastated,” I murmured as Thaddeus’s tear-stained face materialized on the television screen. He held his prop—his son—tightly and peered into the camera, refusing to wipe away his tears because he needed the world to see how grief-stricken he was.
“His poor son,” she empathized beside me.
“I agree. I feel sorry for the kid. It’s rough losing a parent.”
Kiyah hummed in agreement, most likely reminiscing about the times we grieved our parents’ loss together.
Sometimes, Kiyah would experience crying spells that she tried to keep hidden from our parents.
I’d knock on her bedroom door, and the cries would suddenly muffle.
I’d let myself into her bedroom, ignoring her soft but harsh whisper for me to go away.
I didn’t have any words of encouragement to offer her because I was in the same boat.
I could only offer, “I’m here.” And for Kiyah? That was enough.
“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved wife, Anna. She was taken from my son and me too soon. Twice, she was taken—once with the hit-and-run and again due to carelessness. After continuous prayer, I made the decision to bring Anna home from the skilled nursing facility because I believe in the power of love and that love, along with prayer and medicine, could facilitate her full recovery.”
I snorted.
“What’s so funny, Grant?”
“This is a political power move.”
Kiyah sighed. “I hate to admit it… but… you’re right. He’s roping in the Christian demographic by mentioning prayer—”
“Repeatedly,” I added.
“Yep. He’s also making himself out to be a devoted God-fearing husband.
I don’t know. He might be. It’s not my place to judge the man.
I don’t know him. I can’t say he isn’t, but I know politics, and his wife’s death is an opportunity.
Again, I’m not saying that’s what he’s doing, but I’m sure his campaign manager was whispering in his ear. ”
“The next several months will be the most challenging time of my life as I grieve and adjust to my new reality. My years with Anna have been amazing. She’s given me love, kindness, patience, and a beautiful son.”
“Cue the single father bit,” I grumbled.
“I have big shoes to fill as a single father.”
We met eyes knowingly before flicking them back to the screen.
“As much as I believe dropping out of the race for governor of our great state is the right thing to do to focus on my son, I know Anna wouldn’t want me to.
She believed in me and my vision for Texas to become one of the leading states in the country.
I feel I’ve let her down by not getting her the justice she deserved, but I won’t let Texas down. ”
“Now that’s a slogan—I won’t let Texas down. Bravo,” Kiyah murmured, clicking the television off. “And I thought lawyers were scumbags.”
I heard the teasing in her voice, but that didn’t prevent me from pouncing on her.
We wrestled, stealing kisses and touches from each other here and there until we heard Casey shouting in the halls about us being late, Dad kicking our asses, and how we had fifteen minutes to get our asses on the bus.
I caressed her lips a final time before pulling away and giving her a reminder. “Oasis Motel; 11:59 PM, Ki.”
* * *
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, turning to my buddy, who looked as equally confused as I was.
“Listen, Big Bro. I-I don’t know what to tell you, but to be 100% transparent with you, I will be under the influence of shrooms in—” He paused to consult his watch, “about 12 to 15 minutes, and according to the nice frat boy I copped them off of on Sixth Street, my trip should last well into the reception.”
“Why the hell are you buying and taking drugs from strangers?” I growled in disappointment.
“Who else do you get drugs from? Do you have a drug dealer on speed dial?”
“No, I don’t, but I’m not taking shrooms from Chad from Sixth Street.”
Kieran gasped. “How uncanny. How did you know his name was Chadwick?”
I glared at my youngest brother. “I don’t know if you’re fucking with me or if you’re being serious.”
“That’s the beauty of it.”
I ignored him and focused instead on Daisy engaged in a three-way kiss with Nori and one of their bridesmaids.
“Ki—”
“I’m high; leave me alone,” she explained curtly, nestling into her seat, making herself comfortable for the two-hour ride home. I turned in my seat.
“Ronan, what the hell is your sister doing?”
Ronan peeled off his headphones with a tired sigh and shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Did they sleep with her?”
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t keep up with who my sister sleeps with. That’d be weird if you asked me.”
“That’s valid. But I have my concerns.”
“That’s on them, man. I have bigger things to worry about.”
“Like what?”
“Like our fathers’ upcoming double funeral. Either Dad or Uncle Jon will have a stroke. Call your father, Grant, and tell him you love him.”
No shit.
“Watch this,” Ronan said, dialing Uncle Ant.
“Why aren’t y’all at this house yet?” he greeted Ronan gruffly.
“I just wanted to tell you that I love you.”
The line fell silent for several seconds before Uncle Ant responded. “I love you, too. Now tell me what you did, son. Never mind. I don’t want to know. Did y’all have to call Burgess?”
“Nope. Everyone stayed out of legal trouble, and I didn’t do anything. Remember, I’m the good child,” Ronan said before hanging up. “That’ll eat him alive for the next two hours.”
I planned to confront Daisy, Nori, and their unicorn, but decided against it.
I have my own shit to deal with. I’m 90% certain Kiyah will show up tonight, but there’s always the chance she won’t.
Kiyah
“I can’t believe you both slept with her. I think it’s impulsive and you’ll both regret it later.”
Daisy laughed as the makeup artist applied mascara to her blond lashes.
“Relax, Kiyah. We were all consenting adults and had a good time.”
I shrugged, secured the strap on my heel, and answered the door.
“I’ll get it.”
I snatched the door open to find Kieran looking completely fucked over.
His dirty blond curls were frizzed and tangled, and his face was red and splotchy.
His pupils were dilated so vast that I could barely see the green in his eyes.
And if things couldn’t get worse, he was only dressed in an undershirt, boxers, and long black socks.
Kieran looked as if he escaped a mental institution.
He clamped his hands on my shoulders and shook me like a rag doll.
“Big Sis, what the fuck did Chad put in those shrooms?”
I yanked Kieran’s hands off my shoulders and adjusted the straps on my dress that had fallen down my shoulders. “Kieran, chill out. You’re fine.”
“I am so not fine,” he whined, bending down with his hands on his knees.
“Please tell me you’re not going to throw up.”
“I’m not going to throw up, but I’m seeing shit.”
“That’s normal.”
“Nah… not like this.”
“What are you seeing?”
He stood up and pointed to a portrait on the wall of a field of bluebonnets.
“The flowers are swaying in the breeze.”
“Oh, my God. That’s normal. Let’s get you back to the boys,” I huffed. Despite his height, I grabbed the back of his neck like he was some badass child and led him to the other suite. We were halfway there when Grant intercepted us.
“What the fuck are you doing? I’ve been looking for your ass for over twenty minutes!”
“Kieran reports having a bad trip,” I informed him as we performed the switch off. Grant put his hands on his hips and shook his head, looking just like Dad when one of us fucked up.
I wonder if this is how it’ll be if we have kids.
“Why aren’t you fucked up like him?” he asked.
“Maybe because I didn’t take an entire handful like your buddy. By the way, you’re a bad buddy, Granny. You should’ve been watching out for him.”
“Normally, I’d agree with you, Kiyah, but Grant was a little preoccupied, if you know what I mean,” Kieran expressed with a shit-eating grin on his face.
I smirked at Grant, who subtly licked his bottom lip, most likely recalling the vigorous lovemaking we shared well into the evening and morning.
“I passed by his room after we returned from the club, and all I have to say is… poor girl.”
Don’t feel sorry for me!
“Between the headboard banging against the wall and home girl’s moaning, I could barely get any sleep.”
I’d like to think that, after being acquainted with Grant for over twenty years, he’d be as predictable as the sunrise. But he proved me wrong when he passionately kissed me, ass-grabbing and all, in front of Kieran. Grant released me when a strangled cry came from Kieran.
“What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck?” he rapidly whispered as he clenched his curls in his fingers.
He abandoned his hair, scrubbed his face furiously, and blinked several times.
“Okay… I thought I was fucking tripping before, but I was wrong. It’s happening now because I know I didn’t see what I just saw. ”
“G, why did you have to do that?”
“Do what? What did I do?” he asked, playing dumb as if he didn’t know what the hell I was talking about. “I can’t kiss my wife now?”
Kieran glanced at Grant before glancing at me, and I watched as the color drained from our poor brother’s face. I sighed heavily when he hit the ground with a loud thud.
“What a drama king,” Grant huffed.
“Grant, we have enough drama going on already. You didn’t have to heap our shit on top of it. Grab his arms; I’ll grab his legs.”
We hoisted Kieran up and shuffled towards their suite.
“I need a break,” I announced, dropping Kieran’s legs.
“Suck it up, Kiyah. We’re almost there,” Grant insisted. You look gorgeous in your dress, by the way,” Grant praised, shuffling backward. His compliment warmed my heart.
“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“It feels like our wedding day all over again, Ki. I remember watching you walk down the aisle and holding back tears.”
“It was one of the best days of my life,” I whispered.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he said as we approached their suite. I paused like a deer in headlights when Dad and Uncle Ant entered the hallway and caught us holding Kieran. Dad eased his hands into the pockets of his slacks and peered down at Kieran before peering at us.
“We’re walking down the aisle in twenty minutes. I don’t give a shit if you have to pull a Weekend at Bernie’s, but you both better make sure he gets to the altar. Do you understand me?”
His voice was as cold as ice, leaving no room for arguments or negotiation.
“Yes, sir,” we replied monotonously.
“Don’t worry about it, Jon. I have something that’ll perk you up,” Uncle Ant boasted as he reached into his jacket pocket. My brow rose when he produced a clear plastic bag of shrooms.
“Where the hell did you get that from?”
“Ronan. I planned on saving it for the reception, but we might as well dip into it now.”
“Might as well,” Dad agreed, walking away.
“Do you think we should’ve warned them?” I asked.
“Nah. Let them have their fun,” Grant insisted.
“I have a question. What the hell is Weekend at Bernie’s?”
“No fucking clue.”