I didn't know whether he was joking or not so I just smiled and gave him a tight hug.

"I'll see you later."

I moved through the crowds of people in the ballroom until I was in the lobby.

The nice, quiet, and spacious lobby.

I took the lift up to my floor and when the doors opened I reached down and took off my heels.

"That's so much better," I murmured to myself.

I walked down the hallway in my bare feet with my heels in my hand. I didn't bring a bag with me but I had put my key card in the back of my iPhone case earlier.

Once the keycard was in my hand I put in the into the card slot in the door and when the green light flashed, I pulled down the handle and opened the door.

"You don't understand. She is Brandy's niece, his fucking niece! Do you realise how serious this is? Bronagh fucked around with Micah who is his daughter, if he'd interfered back when they fought we could have been destroyed... He won't make the same mistake now that he knows I'm with Keela."

I frowned and quietly closed the door behind me so I didn't interrupt Alec.

He had his back to me and was on his phone talking to someone.

He had no idea I was in the room.

"I don't know bro, but I have to do this otherwise Brandy will have all our balls. Literally."

I stepped forward.

"You have to do what, Alec?"

"Keela!" Alec shouted and swung in my direction.

I dropped my heels to the floor and folded my arms over my chest.

"Answer me question. What do you have to do to keep your balls?"

Alec swallowed and looked anywhere but my eyes.

"Um... I have to treat you right otherwise your uncle will hurt me, he said so."

That was why he was going crazy?

"Alec, he was only jokin' with you. He is just puttin' fear into you to make sure you treat me right."

I laughed and Alec smiled, but it was so small I barely saw it.

"Who are you talkin' to?" I asked.

Alec licked his lips and said, "My brothers."

"All of them?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, Damien is on the call so I can hear and speak to him too."

I frowned. "Why are you ringin' them?"

Alec rolled his neck on his shoulders and grunted, "Shut the fuck up!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Excuse me?"

Alec waved his hand at me. "Not you baby, I'm talking to my brothers."

Oh.

"Why are you shoutin' at them?"

Alec sighed and glared at his phone. "Because they are being very fucking difficult and giving stupid advice."

I was lost.

"Advice? For what?"

Alec gazed at me for a long moment before he said, "Advice on what to do with this... new information."

New information?

"Do you always speak in riddles? I've no clue what you're on about. What new information?"

Alec pinched the bridge of his nose then looked at me and said, "You're Brandy's niece Keela. Your uncle is part of my old life and with Marco being here... It's just not good to mix a Slater in with Marco Miles... The results are never pleasing."

My head was starting to spin with confusion.

"What is your deal with Marco Miles? Can you just tell me because me head is really startin' to hurt tryin' to figure all this out."

After a moment of listening to his brothers Alec suddenly narrowed his eyes and snapped, "Fuck you Dominic! You told Bronagh, so why can't I tell Keela?"

I moved over to the bed and sat down when Alec began to pace up and down the room.

"Yeah, well you aren't here with him. I am. You weren't in a room with him staring at you. I was."

I raised my eyebrows when Alec's voiced cracked.

"Again bro, that is shitty advice."

"What advice are they givin' you?" I asked.

Alec turned to face me and said, "They want me to come home. Tonight."

I forced away the sudden wave of saddens that washed over me.

"Oh... well, you can if you want. You don't have to stay here... it's okay."

I looked down to my fingers and knotted the together.

I heard Alec sigh. "Kitten... look at me."

I couldn't.

I shook my head. "It's honestly okay. You don't have to stay here, don't feel like you have to... I... I release you from your favour... There... You can go back home."

Oh God, I was about to cry.

"I'm not going back home."

I looked up. "You're not?"

Alec smiled as he crawled onto the bed. "You think I would leave you? We have a deal, I said I would escort you to your cousin's wedding and I will... Plus I've a few challenges yet to be completed with you."

I laughed when he waggled his eyebrows.

"Cut the bullshit, Alec! It's too dangerous for you to stay there with Marco on the scene. Think with the head on your fucking shoulders for once."

Wow.

Dominic Slater was pissed, so pissed I could hear him clearly without putting the phone to my ear.

"That's why I'm staying bro, I'm not leaving her in a place where he is."

All of his brothers swore.

"He is not a threat to her. Her uncle is Brandy for fuck sakes. That prick is just as fucking dangerous as Marco!"

What?

"I don't know what has you all riled up, but do not insult me uncle again, do you hear me Nico? That is me blood you're talkin' about."

I heard a growl. "Your blood has never been kind to my blood so why should I be nice?"

A dark look fell over Alec's face. "Because she has no idea about Brandy or who he is. Don't speak another word, I mean it Dominic."

Silence.

"I... We just want you to be safe. It not like we can drive to where you are to back you up. You're in a whole other country Alec."

Alec sighed. "If it was Bronagh would you leave her?"

Nico replied less than a second later, "Not a chance."

Alec smiled. "Exactly. Keela is my Bronagh, bro... I'm staying."

There was a collective group of sighs.

"Stick to Keela, he won't go near her because of Brandy."

Alec smiled and looked to me. "I plan to stick her."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Ryder's voice muttered.

"Can you focus?" Damien's voice asked.

"Fuck that, get balls deep bro," Kane's voice rasped making the brothers mutter curse words.

It barely sounded like him, he must still be feeling sick.

"I'll call you all tomorrow. I've some explaining to do to Keela."

Oh thank God.

I don't think my head could handle being this confused for much longer.

"Call us when it's done."

When what's done?

"Okay," Alec said then hung up his phone.

I fell back and sighed.

"You're the most confusin' man I have ever met."

Alec crawled onto the bed next to me.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to confuse you."

I turned on my side to face him. "So get talkin'."

Alec turned on his side to face me. "I don't know where to start."

"How about at the beginnin'?" I suggested.

Alec nodded his head. "Okay, are you ready?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Remember when I told you my mother loved her materialistic things and my dad was only fond of us for our use in his business?" Alec asked me.

I nodded my head. "Yeah."

"Well, that business was a business my dad ran with Marco."