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“Frank!” That guilty little jolt told me everything I needed to know; the mask of motherly solicitude slapped back on her face. “This party is amazing!”

“It was.” Part of me hated the sound of another person’s heart breaking, but the burning need to make clear that Jamie had been dealing with this shit the entire time as Frankie blithely went about the world fought hard to be expressed. I ground my teeth instead. “Jesus, is this the way she treats you all the time?”

Frankie was older than Jamie, but he asked her that question like he was a child and she the adult.

“You know she does.”

My girl was so fucking strong. She just stood there, the twins at her back, but she didn’t need them. She never did. Everything she needed was always inside her. We just helped her find the courage to express it. Jamie’s eyes flicked sideways to note the arrival of Nadia.

“Everything OK?” the bride-to-be asked in careful tones.

“It will be.” Frankie’s eyes burned as he took in his mother, because for him this anger, this betrayal, was so very new and raw. “Mum, you need to go.”

“Go?” She hissed that, looking around at the crowds, more and more people turning this way. “Go? I’m your mother.”

“Are you?” He swallowed and shook his head. “So how about you show me you can act like it. Jamie’s your fucking daughter.”

“Don’t you swear at me, Francis,” she snapped.

“No? How about this then. Fuck off, Mum.” Nadia’s hand wrapped around his arm, holding him up as he vented. “Leave.”

But she didn’t. Majorie swelled up like an angry cat, spitting mad now.

“You will not speak to your mother?—”

“It’s time to go, Marge.”

Not love, not babe or sweetness, just an abbreviated version of her name. Arthur said this in clipped tones, stepping in before she could say another thing and then grabbed her arm, ready to haul her away. She just shook it away. Aware she had an audience now, something in her couldn’t stop playing to it.

“I will?—”

“Move your fucking arse to that door, because a couple of the boys from the rugby team volunteered to act as security tonight,” Frankie said between gritted teeth. “Each one of them can pick up and dump a man twice your size. They’ll manage you without raising a sweat.”

“Me too.” Hunter stepped forward, flexing his muscles. “You look like you don’t weigh much more than a couple lengths of two-by-four timber. I carry shit like that back and forth every day.”

“I carry more than that,” Hayden said, stepping forward, slapping one fist into his open hand. “And even if I didn’t, I’d make this work.”

I guess there was no avoiding a scene. We were having one right now whether we wanted to or not, so I nodded to my brothers. The three of us might scrap it out, push each other around and put shit on each other, but when the chips were down, we always had each other’s back.

And right now we had Jamie’s.

The look on my girl’s face when the three of us hoisted a spluttering, then screaming,, Majorie up on our shoulders, only to carry her out for everyone to see before dumping her on her feet just outside the hall doors. The security guards pulled closer, just as we did, closing off access to the party.

“You…!” She stabbed her finger in our direction. “I’ll…! You’ll…!”

Marjorie incapable of full sentences was a vast improvement, as was her face flushing deep purple. Even better was her staggering around on her heels, but then Jamie and the others came stumbling out, staring at the aftermath.

“Did you…?” Our girl gestured wildly. “You just?—”

“Took the trash out.” Hayden tugged her close, kissing her, but I was right there when he was done.

“You never had to do us a favour to get us to be your dates,” I told her. “We were always going to be right by your side through this.”

“And we’ll kick the arse of anyone else who tries to disrespect you.” Hunter could be kinda punchy at times, and right now his sleeves were shoved up as he raised his fists.

“No need.” Arthur looked like a broken man as he stepped forward, going to his wife, not because he felt as we did, a need to protect someone he loved. No, this was a look of resignation. “I’ll take her home. Have a good night, Nadia, Frankie.” His eyes settled on his daughter. “Jamie. I’m…” He sighed. “I’m sorry.”

And with that, he gripped Majorie’s elbow, ignoring her splutters as he frog marched her over to their car.