“Mark is never getting married,” Carter said, leaning over Grant. “Dumbass POG. He has access to more women than anyone in the infantry, and he won’t even take advantage of it.”
“I’m not having an affair with my coworker,” Mark said, his mouth in a tight line. “And maybe you shouldn’t be sleeping with your father’s assistant, Grant. It’s unbecoming of a Holbrook.”
Carter made a rude gesture at his brother, picked up the bottle of bourbon, and hauled Grant out of his chair. “Lessgo,” he slurred and dragged him out of the reception hall, Mark following behind them.
“She went to the bathroom,” Grant reported, “but it’s been several songs.” They checked there, but the woman coming out said Kate wasn’t inside.
“Where could she be?” Carter asked.
“She had drunk a lot,” Grant offered. “Maybe she went outside to try to sober up. It’s warm inside the reception hall.”
They meandered around the grounds. One of the caterers said he thought he had seen a bridesmaid go down the path.
“Worth a shot,” Carter said and led the way. The path was well maintained and had a set of ornate gaslights lining it. It would be a romantic stroll, Grant thought. He was so lost in the buzz of the bourbon he almost didn’t register what he saw.
It was that man, Von Breuer, from the trail. He had Kate pinned against a tree. At first, Grant thought he had interrupted a lovers’ meeting, but then he saw her face. And then he saw red. He hauled back and slammed the man into the ground. Kate screamed as he jumped on him, beating him. Carter joined in, and Mark yelled at them to stand down.
“Stop it!” she screamed at them as she and Mark tried to pull the cousins off of Alan.
“He was attacking Kate!” Grant yelled at Mark, fighting him off.
Grant picked up Alan by the collar and said, “Don’t you ever come near her again. Do you understand? I will skin you. You are nothing.”
As Alan stumbled off, he wiped the blood from his chin and said, “You’re going to pay for this. All of you are going to pay for this.”
“I can’t believe you two,” Mark said, rounding on his cousins.
“We were well within our rights,” Carter argued.
“He might press charges,” Mark said. “You could go to jail. You could have killed him.”
“He tried to attack Kate,” Grant said, crossing his arms.
“How do you even know him?” Mark asked her.
“He was my old professor,” she said softly.
“But why is hehere?”
Kate looked down at the ground, her lip quivering.
“He was blackmailing me,” she said and started to cry. Grant wanted to take her in his arms, but he was still so stunned. Plus, he wasn’t sure if she wanted a man to touch her right now. He decided to hover around her in case she fainted or something.
“Well, there you go,” Carter said.
Mark ignored him and said to Kate, “Save all your text messages. And let us know if he tries to contact you again.”
“I’m sorry,” Kate sobbed.
Mark made a disgusted noise. “Maybe we should call the lawyers.”
“No, we don’t say anything about this,” Grant said. “No one saw anything.”
Mark looked angry but didn’t say anything else.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Kate?” Grant said. “I could have helped you.”
She cried silently, and he gathered her to his chest.
