His Shortcake

Chapter 40

Tamara Ramirez

I was startled awake by a series of loud, clattering noises coming from the living room. Groggy and confused, I rubbed my eyes and stumbled out of bed, the soft thud of my feet echoing through the hallway as I made my way toward the stairs. My heart raced as I peeked cautiously down, eyes squinting in the dim light to make sense of the commotion below. What I saw made my stomach drop.

My brother, Alec, was hunched over, barely standing, swaying between two men. His disheveled appearance and flushed face told me everything before I even had to ask. Horrified, I dashed down the stairs, my pulse quickening with every step.

"Alec!" I cried out, my voice breaking slightly as I rushed to his side. His head lolled back as I cupped his chin, lifting his face to inspect it for any signs of injury. I half-expected to find cuts, bruises, or something worse, but to my immense relief, his face was unscathed. No blood, no swelling—just the unmistakable reek of alcohol. I let out a shaky breath.

"What happened?" I demanded, turning my attention to the two men who were practically holding him upright.

"Boys' night out," Dustyn muttered, grimacing as he spoke. His eyes were tired, his clothes slightly wrinkled from the night's ordeal. "Just dropping Alec off before I take the other idiot home."

"Hey! I'm right here," Eros grumbled, looking only marginally better than Alec. At least he could still stand on his own, though he was swaying slightly. The stench of alcohol clung to all three of them like a thick fog, and I was honestly amazed they hadn't been stopped by the police on their way over.

I sighed, shaking my head at the scene before me. "You should stay the night. It's not safe for you to drive like this."

Without waiting for a response, I turned to Emil, who stood quietly by the kitchen counter, his arms folded as he watched the chaos unfold. His expression was calm, though I could tell he was ready to jump in if things got out of hand.

"Emil, can you get the guest room ready? The one beside Alec's?"

"Of course," Emil replied dutifully, already making his way up the stairs, his footsteps barely audible as he disappeared onto the second floor.

Dustyn glanced at Alec, who had begun to slip down toward the floor, his body going slack. "We don't want to impose," he muttered, though his words were followed by a resigned sigh as Alec's head lolled back. There was no doubt about it now—Alec was completely out cold.

I shot Dustyn a skeptical look. "You're not imposing," I said firmly, already stepping forward to help. "Let's just get Alec to bed so we can all get the rest we need."

I walked ahead, making sure the path to Alec's room was clear of anything they could trip over. The last thing we needed was for one of them to tumble down in their drunken state. Dustyn and Eros followed closely, practically dragging Alec between them as we made our way through the hallway. Finally, we reached Alec's bedroom, and I pushed the door open, flicking on the soft light from the bedside lamp.

"Just lay him down there," I directed, gesturing to the bed before heading into the adjacent bathroom to grab a towel. I wet it under the cool faucet, wringing it out before returning to gently wipe the sweat and grime from Alec's face and arms. The night had clearly taken its toll on him.

"The room's ready, Miss Mara," Emil announced from the doorway, his voice quiet but steady.

I smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Emil. Good night."

He nodded, his calm presence reassuring as he slipped away into the shadows of the hall, hopefully heading off to bed himself this time.

"Does that mean I have to share a bed with you?" Eros teased Dustyn, a smirk tugging at his lips.