Liam raised an eyebrow at the order. Becks let out a laugh at her brother’s expression just as a disturbance from the back of the church caught her attention. Turning her head, Becks’ jaw dropped.
The wedding guests who had been leaving parted to reveal a very disheveled, very intoxicated Ritchie. His arm was around an equally drunk Bryce as they worked poorly together to keep themselves balanced.
“Honey,” he shouted at the top of his lungs. “I’m home!”
CHAPTER 8
Ghost didn’t need to recall the picture of Ritchie from the screen in Becks’ cage the day before to guess that this was him. The man was around Ghost’s height, though slim. The tux he had on looked newly cleaned, but it was messy, and he’d lost his tie somewhere. Whoever his companion was wasn’t in any better a condition. He was also missing a shoe.
Other guests moved out of the way as they stumbled down the aisle. Some even took out their phones to start recording. Ghost had no idea who was related to whom, outside of Ranger and Becks’ mom and aunt, so he didn’t know if Ritchie’s parents or relatives were present to witness the state he’d arrived to his wedding in.
The closer Ritchie and the other man got to the front pew, the worse his expression became as he took in the fact that his fiancée was standing at the altar, holding hands with another man.
Ghost and Ranger weren’t so pissed at each other that they would allow either intoxicated man to hurt Becks or anyone else present. Ritchie sure as fuck wasn’t getting anywherenearBecks. Even if she wanted to talk to him, it wouldn’t be alone. Not when he was in such an unpredictable state. MeetingRanger’s eye, both of them moved forward, guiding Libby and Becks behind them. Ranger also gestured to his mom to remain seated.
Ghost was armed, but he doubted Ranger was. Weapon or no, Ranger could be lethal if needed. For Becks’ sake, Ghost hoped it didn’t come to that.
“What the fuck is going on?” Ghost frowned at Ritchie’s fast-paced speech. “And who are you?” He pointed just to the left of Ghost where no one stood. “Is that fat cow cheating on me?”
Ghost lunged forward, but Ranger quickly moved to hold him back. “You can’t kill him!” Ranger said hastily, his arm across Ghost’s chest. “Not with witnesses.”
Ritchie wasn’t even paying attention. Dropping his arm from around the other man’s shoulders, he turned and smiled when he saw three older gentlemen sitting with two well-dressed women. “Heyyyy!” he waved at them. “Good, you’re here. I want to sue…” He raised his finger as if to point at Becks, but lost his balance and ended up spinning like a lopsided ballerina. One of the other groomsmen who had been yelling at Ranger only minutes ago rushed forward to catch him.
Ritchie laughed. “Duuuude, I am so rich. You are not going to believe how much money I just got. And it’s allmine,” he added like it was a secret, but his voice was nowhere near quiet enough to be a whisper. “Now excuse me,” he got his feet under him. “But I gotta go marry this ugly cow. Dude, I hate it when she goes down on me. She snorts like a fucking pig. Ooh, pig! That’s it, I gotta go marry a pig. Oh! Bacon! Let’s go cook some bacon. I really want bacon right now.”
Ghost was as stiff as a statue as he asked Ranger, “Now can I kill him?” The question was entirely rhetorical. The man was mincemeat after daring to disrespect Becks that way.
Ranger dropped his arm from in front of Ghost. “Be my guest.”
Ritchie started to walk away, presumably still trying to find some bacon. “Oh man, look at all you people! Thank you!” he bowed like he was a grand king. “Thank you for coming today. I’ll be with you all in a moment.”
“Is he high?” came from behind Ghost and Ranger. Ghost glanced over his shoulder to see Becks and Libby standing close together.
Becks shook her head, her cheeks pale. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like this before. He doesn’t do drugs as far as I know.”
Ghost studied Ritchie, who seemed to be playing a game of air tic-tac-toe at the moment. “He’s definitely on something,” he said in a low voice to Ranger. If he was just drunk, his speech would be more slurred and slower. Instead, his words were running together like he forgot to add the spaces in between.
Ranger nodded. “He reeks of alcohol too.”
Not a good combination, and it did nothing to lessen Ghost’s anger any. The other two groomsmen joined the man Ritchie had come inside with and the groomsman who had caught Ritchie in the aisle. Unfortunately, with it being an old church, the aisle was extremely narrow, barely fitting two people across.
The man Ritchie had come in with started to call the other groomsmen losers for missing the party, which one could presume was where Ritchie had been all morning.
Ritchie blinked, as if realizing he needed to do something. “Married! I’m getting married.” He started back down the aisle. “Here, piggy, piggy,” he called out like he was summoning a dog. “Come on. Let’s do this.” His eyes landed on something right behind Ghost, and Ghost cursed because Becks betternothave moved closer to her clearly intoxicated, possibly dangerous ex. “Ew, gross!” Ritchie shouted before Ghost could scold Becks for coming closer. Then he turned his attention slightly, “NowyouI will happily fuck. Come on, Libs.” Ritchie grabbed his crotch obscenely. “You know you want some of this.”
The other man Ritchie had come in with laughed loudly. “Don’t bother, dude. I’ve been trying to get into her pants for over a year. Bitch is too uptight to know some dick is good for her. Probably one of those secret lesbians.”
Ghost stepped forward. He tapped one of the groomsmen on the shoulder that was standing between him and Ritchie. As soon as the groomsmen turned, Ghost headbutted him in the lower jaw. Someone screamed as the man’s eyes rolled up into his skull and he collapsed.
“Ghost!”
He turned at Becks’ voice. “What?” he asked innocently. “You said no throwing punches on your wedding day.”
Ranger, who had another groomsman already on the ground at his feet, laughed. “Sure,thatrule you obey.”
The third groomsman stood there like he had no idea what he was supposed to do next. Ritchie’s movements were so discombobulated that it was almost pathetic to fight him, but he started to run his mouth again, so there was absolutely no sympathy from Ghost.
“Bryce!” the third groomsman shouted at the other man. Ghost hazarded a guess that he was the best man.
