The Revenge (The Insiders Trilogy #3)(36)

“Do you want me to leave?”

What was going on with me?

Pushing Kash away? Because that’s what I wanted to do. That didn’t compute, not one bit.

“This sucks.” Matt reached for his whiskey, downed it, and held up the glass. A server signaled from the bar, and yes, it’d come to this. We’d only been here fifteen minutes, but Matt had gone through two other drinks already. The servers weren’t even circulating up here. Matt began just raising his hand and the bartender noted it and sent a replacement. I watched as the bartender was already pouring Matt’s next one and then handing it off to a server. She brought it up, her eyes taking in Fitz and Scott, who Kash must’ve told to go with us for some reason, and she sidled past them. The glass was on a tray and she placed it down in front of Matt. Her eyes going to mine, a silent question if I was okay or not.

I tapped my full drink. “I won’t need a refill for a while.”

I’d shared with him what happened on the roof. Matt was taking it worse than me.

Matt shook his head with a savage motion. “He has a brother.” He snatched his drink up, downing a good sip before swallowing, grimacing, and throwing back another drag. He put it back down. “What is he going to need me for? Nothing. I’m your brother, but I was his brother, too, and now I’m nothing. I’m going to be replaced. There won’t be any more…” He frowned. “There won’t be any more Mash.” A pause. “That doesn’t sound right. Katt?”

Matt was in his own world.

I was in mine.

We were drinking together.

He snorted, slumping back. “Our whole house is in chaos. Finding out that Hoda is still evil and in Quinn’s clutches. Kash has a brother now. Payton coming back.”

“What?” My voice cracked.

His eyebrows went up. “Cyclone and Ser’s aunt is coming back to the house.”

Quinn’s sister.

Payton looked like Quinn.

Quinn.

Who had been there, always there, always lurking.

It was Payton, but not really.

A sudden lance of panic pierced right down the middle of me.

Kash was gone .

Gone.

As in “not there.”

I couldn’t have that.

What did I do?

I shoved to my feet, knocking into the table.

“Hey, hey.” Matt steadied the table, shooting me a glare. “Let’s not be hasty and knock stuff over that we’ll regret losing here.”

I ignored him. “Matt! I have to fix this.”

“I know.” He reached for his glass, lifting it and petting the sides of it. “There, there. She didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“He asked me if I wanted him to leave and he didn’t wait for my answer.”

“Okay.” He moved farther over in our booth. He was cradling his drink. “Can we refrain from the sudden lurching? I’m on a mission to get drunk. Let me have this, please. Since you’re being nuts and irresponsible, means I can’t be, and I want one night before I have to take up the mantle. I have a right to a pity party here. Brother. He won’t need me anymore.”

“Matt.” I glared at him.

He glared back. “Mantle!”

I raised my hands, making a wringing motion with them. “You’re exasperating.”

“I’m aware.” He hiccupped. “I’ve not had to grow up, because when Kash stopped taking care of me, you came in, and you are way more mature than me. But when you lost your head on that roof, I know the time has come when I have to adult. I don’t like adulting. I try to do anything except adulting, but now I’ll actually have to step up.” He held a hand up. “I’m making my complaint official. I’m doing this under firm protest.”

“Noted.”

“Good.” Another glare before he took a swig from his drink. “Mantle.”

I rolled my eyes and sat down.

Matt slid my drink back over to where I was sitting .

He raised his up, waiting for me. “I’m sorry, Bailey.”

I sighed, picking up my glass.

“You’re still grieving. He shouldn’t actually listen to you. What was he doing, listening to you?”

I frowned because he was right.

He grunted. “Kash is gorgeous. I may be a male, but I can tell when women flock to certain guys, and yeah, yeah, it could be about his money, but come on. Even I can tell he’s got the brooding dangerous smoldering look going for him. You bone him on the regular, so you know.”

Pain sliced me. “Your point here?”

“Oh yeah.” Matt swung his hand up in a wide arc before it came down and slammed on the table. “My point is that there’s no way in this world that Kash would actually leave you. It’s more like a Kashcation, because you’re going to be here with me, plotting to wreak mayhem on Quinn, and he’s off doing whatever murderous mission he wants to do.” He burped but didn’t miss a beat. “He’ll come back. He’ll walk into your bedroom, and he’ll say ‘Hey’ and you’ll say ‘Hey’ back. Then you’ll melt and he’ll sweep you off your feet, then fuck you hard. Voilà.”

A second burp. His eyes were growing a little wild.

“Trust me. You and Kash, this is just a small hiccup.” He picked up his empty glass and held it toward me. “The makeup sex will be off the charts, so can you please wallow with your brother, because I’m the one who should be wallowing here, not you.”