“What you’ve done in the past is none of my business. Just know it’s not happening with me.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a complete asshole?” Tears blurred her vision as the car came to a stop. She didn’t wait for the driver to let her out, but gathered her poufy skirts in one hand and shoved open the door, because she was about five seconds from a sobbing fit, and she wasn’t going to let him see how much he’d hurt her. The hotel entrance was busy with people, and a few stopped to stare as she stalked across the pavement and pushed into the front lobby.
Her intention was to go up to her room, pour herself a glass of wine, and have a good long sulk, maybe make use of the Jacuzzi tub, but that idea was dashed when she turned the corner into the elevator bank and literally ran into her sister and Cam, both still dressed in their wedding clothes. And, crap, there were Vaughn and Greer getting out of one of the elevators. And Jude and his wife Libby. The whole fam damily.
“Shelby!” Eva grabbed her in a hard hug, then set her back at arm’s length. “Jesus. Where have you been? And…what the hell are you wearing?”
She sensed Reece approaching behind her and told herself to suck it up when his hand landed on her shoulder. She had a role to play. The sulking would have to wait until later.
Eva narrowed her eyes at Reece and then her gaze zeroed in on his hand—his left hand—and her eyes bulged. The expression would have been comical if Shelby could work up the energy to be amused. As it was, she just felt…used up.
Why did they all have to be standing right here, right now?
“What. The. Fuck?” Eva said, and that was the only warning she gave before winding up and sending her fist into Reece’s jaw. His knees buckled, and he collapsed right there on the hotel’s marble floor.
The brothers all burst into motion. Greer stepped between them, using his big body as a blockade, and Vaughn yanked Shelby out of the way. Cam locked his arms around Eva and all but lifted his wife off her feet to keep her from going at Reece again. Jude hurried to Reece’s side and propped a shoulder under his arm to help him up.
“Motherfucker!” Eva spat. “How dare you take advantage of my baby sister!”
“You assume I’m the one taking advantage.” Reece swayed a little on his feet and touched his quickly bruising jaw. “It was a mutually agreed upon marriage.”
“What?” Several of the guys said at the same time, and their heads all swiveled in Reece’s direction.
“Dude. You married Shelby?” Jude said, and burst out laughing. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and started snapping pictures. “Oh yeah. This is going in the family album for sure.”
Everyone ignored him.
“I assume this is your doing, because she doesn’t know any better,” Eva said, jabbing a finger in Shelby’s direction.
All right. Enough of this.
Shelby crossed to Reece’s side and slid an arm around his waist since he still seemed a bit unsteady on his feet. “Evie, I’m almost thirty. Stop treating me like a child.”
Eva whirled on her. “Then stop acting like one! Jesus, Shelby. In what world is marrying a man you hardly know adult-like behavior? This isn’t a fucking Disney movie.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
Eva snorted. “That’d be a first.”
Shelby flinched. Ouch. To her surprise, Reece’s armed curled around her shoulders and tightened, pulling her against his side.
He glared at Eva. “Apologize.”
Eva crossed her arms. “No. She needs to hear it.”
Their argument was starting to draw a crowd, and Greer made a cutting motion with his hand, ending all discussion. “All of you. Upstairs. Now.”
Chapter Nine
“What the hell were you thinking?” Greer demanded and whirled on Reece as soon as the suite’s door shut behind them. Everyone thought it best to keep Eva away from him, so the women had broken off and gone to Cam’s suite, leaving the brothers to duke it out in Reece’s.
They should have let Eva have another go at him. Getting his ass handed to him by her would be easier than the upcoming conversation. “I was thinking…it’s none of your fucking business.”
“Goddammit, Reece.” Greer dragged a hand across his jaw, scrubbed it over his military-short hair. “I told you to stay away from her, not go and fucking marry her.”
Exhausted, his jaw aching, Reece dropped to the couch and stretched out on his back, resting his arm over his eyes. “It’s a business arrangement. Nothing more.”
Vaughn entered the suite carrying a bag of ice from the machine down the hall. “For your jaw. She whacked you good.” He tossed the bag at Reece’s gut, then smirked over at the rest of their brothers. “And you all thought I had issues.”