Page 68 of Cold Hard Kisses (London Mafia Kings)

Tam picked up the bottle of tequila and poured a shot for both himself and Jayden, and then slid one towards my brother. Tam lifted his own glass and nodded at Jay as though they were drinking a toast, and both of them downed it, and slammed the glass back on the bar.

I let out a breath of frustration and rolled my eyes at them. “You’re both fucking children.”

I could grab the tequila bottle and make off with it, but since Tam owned this whole fucking club, I guessed he could get a replacement within a minute. There was nothing more I could do except let the pair of them get on with it and pick up the pieces at the end.

The two men did a second shot, then Tam poured a third.

“Bloody idiots,” I muttered.

They drank a fourth shot. Jay did a strange little burp, and for a split second I thought he was going to throw up. Maybe that would be a good thing—it would get rid of the booze he’d already drunk and might stop him going back for more—but he recovered himself and had a fifth shot.

He staggered slightly to one side but caught the edge of the bar to hold himself up. He bumped into the people behind him and slurred, ‘sorry, sorry,’ before righting himself again.

Tam poured another shot. What number was that? Their seventh, or eighth? I’d lost track but I knew my brother had drunk enough. Frustratingly, Tam barely looked like he’d had so much as a sniff of alcohol. I knew he was a hard drinker from the time I’d spent living with him. He was used to this kind of drinking, where my brother only drank on nights out.

I slammed my hand on the bar. “That’s enough now. You’ll put him in the fucking hospital.”

Jay swiped at me and missed. “Shut up, Hallie. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“He says he’s fine,” Tam said.

“You can shut up, too,” I snapped, losing my temper. “He doesn’t need any more. It’s time to go home, Jayden.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m drinking with the great Tam Cornell, isn’t that right. The replacement brother for my lovely sister.”Shhishter,he slurred. “It’s a shame Harvey was killed. I think I’d have liked him better as a brother-in-law.”

Stop talking, Jayden,I willed. At the mention of his brother, Tam’s jaw had tightened. I was terrified Jay was going to say something stupid and get himself killed.

“I’m sorry he was killed, too, Jayden,” Tam said coolly. “Do you know anything about who was behind it?” There was no sign of any slurring in Tam’s words.

“Somebody who didn’t want them getting married,” Jay said and laughed, even though there was nothing remotely funny about either this situation or the topic they were discussing.

“I already know that. What I’m trying to figure out is who didn’t want them getting married. Perhaps it’s even the same person who stole from me a few weeks ago. Maybe you don’t want Hallie and me getting married either, Jayden? It certainly doesn’t look that way from the little show you’re putting on right now.”

“Tam, stop it, please. Jay had nothing to do with what happened the day of the wedding.”

Tam turned to me, his dark eyes flashing with anger. “How do you know that, Hallie? Huh?”

“You weren’t exactly keen on the idea either,” I pointed out.

His face blanched. “I hope you’re not suggesting that I might be responsible for my own brother’s death.”

I backtracked. “No, of course not. But Jayden isn’t either.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he wouldn’t do that to me, would you, Jay?”

I turned back to my brother just as he slid down the bar and onto the floor. “Jesus Christ.”

He flapped a hand. “I’m fine.”

“He looks like he could use another drink to me,” Tam smirked.

Jay folded over to one side and vomited on the floor. A yell of dismay came from the people who’d been standing right there. “What the fuck?”

Tam poured another shot and went to hand it to my brother. I knocked it out of his hand, and the glass tumbled to the floor, the tequila splashing those nearby.

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