"Boy, cut that shit out or I'm knocking your ass out," Alec snarled to Nico.

I looked around Alec's body and watched as Nico, Kane, and Ryder all dropped their jaws and gaped at Alec. I furrowed my eyebrows, why did they look so shocked? Did brothers not threaten physical beatings to each other over random things all the time?

"Are you okay?" I asked them.

Nico was the first brother to compose himself, before the other two quickly followed suit.

"We're fine," Ryder assured me.

I stepped to Alec's side and curtly nodded to Ryder which he frowned at. "I really am sorry for what I said to you earlier Keela. It was a dick move just to assume something like that. Forgive me?"

I gave him a genuine smile and nodded my head because he looked a little distressed that I was still upset with him, and it just confirmed that he was a good man if a stranger could do that to him.

"Where you all listenin' to the conversation I had with Alec?" I asked the brothers.

One by one they hung their heads in shame and nodded. I found the sight hilarious, but I didn't laugh. They were huge men but they were acting like a bunch of little lads who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar before dinner.

"Great, now I'm even more embarrassed," I muttered.

"What do you need an escort for? Don't you have a boyfriend?" Kane suddenly asked me.

My stomach fell out of my arse when he asked that question because I forgot all about pretending that Storm was my boyfriend.

"Oh Jesus," I groaned and covered my face with my hands.

"Yeah, what was his name again? Thunder?" Alec sarcastically asked making Kane snicker.

I uncovered my face and looked at Alec with my eyes narrowed. "Storm."

"Ah yes, Storm. Why can't Storm escort you?" he asked, a grin tugging at his lips.

He was such a dickhead, he knew I didn't have a boyfriend.

"Because I don't have a boyfriend. I only said that Storm was me boyfriend last night to stop you from chattin' me up because I didn't want to have sex with you. I still don't want to have sex with you. I just need your help, but you said you can't help me so I'll be goin' now. Aideen!"

Aideen suddenly appeared walking down the hallway that I think led from the kitchen, she had a bottle of Bulmers in her hand and a smile on her face.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head at her.

"Really? It's not even the afternoon and you're drinkin?"

Aideen shrugged her shoulders. "It's hot outside. The heat does things to Irish people, it forces us to drink!"

I gave her a 'really' look which made her smile and take a sip from her bottle.

"Whatever. Keep the bottle, we're leavin' now. Alec won't help me."

Aideen frowned as her shoulders slumped. "Dammit, who the hell can we get to be your date to that weddin' now?"

"Whose weddin'?" Nico asked Aideen.

I gently shook my head at Aideen and gave her the don't-say-a-word look. Any other female around the globe would know that look and not say a word, but not Aideen, she had too big of a mouth to keep anything to herself.

"Keela's cousin, Micah, is gettin' married to her dickhead of a fella next week. Jason, Micah's fiancé, fucked Keela over a few months ago. Since she has to attend the weddin', we wanted someone to go with her that would show Jason she can do miles better than him. I thought Alec was the man for the job, but apparently I was wrong."

I put my face back in my hands when Aideen finished speaking and wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

"Wait, you're related to Micah Daley?" Nico asked me.

I uncovered my face and found he was looking at me with wide eyes as he awaited my answer. "Yeah, Micah is me cousin. Do you know her?"

"Unfortunately, I do. She was in my homeroom in the final year of high school."

I nodded my head in understanding.

Nico looked closely at me then and studied me with his eyes squinted. "She was a brunette in school, but I've seen her around town and she has red hair now. You look similar to her."

I shrugged. "Her hair is dyed red, mine is naturally this colour. I'm not like her at all, she is a bitch of epic proportions."

Nico grinned. "You don't need to convince me she is a bitch, I believe you."

I chuckled.

"What did Jason do to fuck you over?" Ryder questioned me when I looked at him.

I sighed and rubbed my neck awkwardly, embarrassed that I was revealing this information to very hot strangers.

"He pretended to like me, took me out on dates and such to made me think we were a real couple, but really he was only usin' me to get back at Micah for cheatin' on him. It's all really fucked up, they worked shite out and are gettin' married and because we're family I have to go their weddin'."

Kane frowned at me. "Why not tell them to shove their wedding up their asses?"

I chuckled a little. "Because me ma would be on me case about it. Goin' to the weddin' and keepin' out of the way is much better than dealin' with my mother if I don't go. She is the Devil."

"Amen," Aideen said and made the sign of the cross, which Kane found funny.

I sighed, but kept a bright smile on my face. "Yeah... Well it was nice seein' you again Kane and Alec, and lovely meetin' you two lads. Have a nice day."

I nodded for Aideen to walk out with me, but when I turned to leave a large body blocked my way.

"Turn around and walk into the kitchen," Alec said, staring down at me, his gaze hard.

I swallowed. "What? Why?"

He kept eye contact. "Because I need to iron out some details with you if I'm going to be your escort to your cousin's wedding."

I stared at Alec and felt like I swallowed my tongue. A few seconds passed by until I found my voice and said, "But you said that you aren't in that business anymore and that you are retired-"

"Do you want my help or not?" Alec cut me off, his tone clipped.

I bit the inside of my cheek, and nodded my head because I really did want his help. No scratch that, if I wanted to show Jason and Micah that life after Jason was better than ever, I needed his help.

"Then turn around and walk into the kitchen, I want to talk to you in private. Just the two of us."

I have no idea why I didn't backtalk him for giving me an order. His tone left no room for argument though, so I kept my mouth shut turned and walked by Nico, Kane, Ryder, and Aideen on my way into the kitchen. I heard the kitchen door close after me, and knowing I was in a room all on my own with him made me nervous.

Very nervous.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Alec asked from behind me.

I raised my eyebrows and turned to him.

Out of everything I expected him to say, that sentence was not it.

Alec shrugged his shoulders at my shocked facial expression. "Bronagh and Branna always tell me to 'put the kettle on' when they need to have a serious conversation, I figured you might want one before we talk."

Were we about to have a serious conversation?

Uh-oh.

"Um, sure. I'd love a builder's cuppa, please."

It was Alec's turn to raise his eyebrows then.

"What the hell is that?"

I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment, released it and said, "You know, a cup of tea with loads of sugar?"

Alec looked at me like I was stupid before he shook his head and turned to the counter where he picked up the kettle and filled it up with water from the tap. He placed the kettle back on the holder when it was full and flipped the switch on. He turned to face me then as he leaned back against the counter with his arms folded across his chest and looked at me, his eyes fixed on mine.