Against All Odds

Chapter 24

KILLIAN

There was no small amount of pandemonium spilling from the luxurious, triple-storey beach house the next day when Dom and I pulled up in his inexpensive rental. He had to park us on the curb due to the fact that the driveway was full to capacity with other vehicles, indicative of the crowd that had no doubt formed inside.

Beside me, Dom whistled as he peered out through the window. "If I wasn't so curious to see what all this fuss is about, I would say that you owe me for this," he muttered.

I opened my door and pushed out the car, beginning to walk towards the house. "Next time you have your wallet stolen and can't renew your licence, give me a shout," I told him over my shoulder. "Unlike you, I won't bring up the favour of driving a friend around every minute."

"You make it sound like a bad thing."

I ignored him, hearing his footsteps crunch along the gravel in my wake as we weaved through the cars on the drive towards the front door.

Which was slightly ajar.

There was a general flux of voices, pitches varying from Mia's identifiable frantically high-pitched cadence, to a happy chatter of groupings congregating in other areas. I moved past the threshold, scanning the stairs with eager anticipation that I might see her, even if my purpose here didn't involve her directly.

"I wouldn't go up there if I was you," a voice from the kitchen drawled, snapping my attention to a tall man dressed in a deep teal groomsmen suit to match my own. "Unless you want to be roped into one of Mia's asinine 'tasks'." He raised an eyebrow and the crystal glass of scotch he was holding to his lips. Reposed against the counter, Matthew Gilmore was the epitome of nonchalance, though there was a slight edge of wariness to his gaze as the voices upstairs became louder and more frantic.

"Matty." I came forward, shaking Sadie's older brother's hand. "Good to see you again.Thought you would be our side for the day."

"Parentals," he inclined his head towards the lounge where Sadie's mother and a few unrecognisable middle-aged women convened with glasses of champagne, "insisted I show support to my sister. Since you're here though, thinking I'll make my escape with you to the chapel."

"Good idea." At my words, a blur of golden fur barrelled past the kitchen and through the lounge, knocking past the other women and evoking shrill sounds of protest as they cradled their flute glasses protectively lest they spill a precious drop. The golden retriever bolted through the open patio doors, his claws scraping against the tiles, and in his wake two little flower girls squealed in hysterics as they flew after him, ribbons trailing behind their pretty dresses as they carried what I could only assume was the bridal bouquet between them. It was because of this distraction, however, that I caught a flash of black hair and a swish of bright yellow skirt.

Stella.

Dom joined us, greeting Matty as well with back-thumping joviality. "Let me pour you both a drink," Matty said, his tone dry. "You're going to need it in this house."

"We're on a mission," Dom told him. "Shouldn't tarry too long if Killian is able to handle the simple task of passing an envelope onto Mia." In theory, the task was simple enough. Hand over the envelope to the dictatorial maid of honour so that she could surprise Sadie with it, then Sadie would open it before the professional photographer and have a beautiful, teary moment while she read her soon-to-be husband's flowery words of devotion to her an hour before they tied the knot.

"I would not go near that one," Matty muttered, moving around the counter to procure two more glasses. I noticed absently that the kitchen was remarkably clean, par for the wedding items now littering the countertops- a few bottles of wine and champagne, discarded trays of pastries, handbags and a cardboard tray of flower bouquets and boutonnieres.