Stolen Kiss (The Turners of Copper Island #2)

Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Jason

H e pushed the door open of The Anchor pub and walked in. Fires burned in the three fireplaces on three of the walls. Dark wooden tables were dotted around with stools, bench seats and chairs. Most of the tables were occupied with half drunken pints and empty packets of crisps and nuts. Most of the occupants looked his way. Those who knew him nodded, and he nodded back. He didn’t have time to talk to any of them. He wanted to speak to only one person.

Archer had told him he’d seen Keith in the pub and he pulled on his coat and came into town. He couldn’t see his brother anywhere, he was taking Erica to the pub to keep easing her into island life and to take the edge of the Hollywood star sheen.

He stopped looking for his brother and sister-in-law when he spotted Keith at the slot machine. Weaving through the tables, nodding to more people he made it to Keith’s side.

“We need to talk,” Jason said in a low voice.

“The fuck we do,” Keith replied.

Keith sounded like he’d had a few drinks. Not drunk but way off sober.

“I think we fucking do, Keith, you lied to me.”

Jason had kept his voice low so he wouldn’t be over heard but Keith wasn’t playing the same game.

“Why don’t you just fuck off up to that big house on the cliff and stay the fuck away from town. You’ve been on this island for four fucking months and now you want to talk. Too fucking late,” Keith said and shoved him.

“Hey, if you two are going to beat the shit out of each other, do it outside.”

Jason swung his head to the voice. It was the barman. Jason nodded and grabbed Keith by the material of his jumper at the neck. Keith wasn’t sober to react quickly enough and was led three paces before he shrugged out of the hold.

“What you gonna do? Kick the shit out of me? You couldn’t throw a punch to save your life a decade ago.”

“Things change, let’s go,” Jason said and grabbed Keith’s arm. It surprised Jason that Keith let him. The patrons cleared the way until Jason shoved him out the door. Jason had the muscle but Keith was still strong because as soon as they got out onto the pathway, he punched Jason on the cheek. Jason retaliated and punched back, clocking him in the eye, knocking Keith on the floor.

“Why did you lie? Why did you lie to your sister and your best friend? I was your fucking friend.”

The rage he was feeling was directly aligned to Keith’s nonchalance. He was still sitting on his ass rubbing his face.

“What does it matter it was a summer fling? It meant nothing,” Keith said rubbing his jaw and jumping back up like he was on a surfboard chasing a wave.

“I loved her,” Jason yelled. “I love her.

There was a collective gasp, but he was too angry to see who was watching.

“The fuck you did. You believed me when I sent the message. If you loved her, you would’ve chased her down, made her say it face to face.”

It was exactly what Heidi had said to him. It twisted the knots in his gut. He should’ve come back on his first leave, but he thought too much time had passed.

“You were very convincing,” Jason said through gritted teeth.

Jason saw Keith’s eye start to swell and wasn’t sorry. He would have a black eye in the morning. Jason seemed to fare better with Keith’s weak punch.

“I tried calling you but you changed your number and then I called your house and your parents hung up on me,” Jason said.

Another gasp went around him but he still didn’t look.

“Look at you. All precious and high and mighty. Jason fucking Turner, second in line to own this entire island and can’t work out who is playing him.”

Jason stepped forward and punched him again. Keith fell to the floor on his arse again but didn’t bother to get up.

Jason was breathing deeply desperately trying to hold in his rage. His best friend had just admitted to lying to him.

“Heidi is my sister and you’re not good enough for her,” Keith shouted at him.

“You’ve known me my whole life. You know me, knew me. We had each other’s backs.”

“We were such good friends,” he jeered and seemed to deflate, falling back onto his elbows. “We were such good friends you didn’t even tell me you were fucking my sister,” he said seemingly worn out by the argument.

A humourless laugh came out of his mouth as Jason took a step towards him. The audience didn’t utter a word at Keith’s crudeness. Jason heard that more than the gasps.

A hand rested on Jason’s forearm and he whirled around. Archer was there with his hands, palms up, waiting for Jason to recognise him through the red mist.

“We need to go. Cool off and we can return to this conversation tomorrow.”

Jason stared at his brother wide eyed and then back at Keith who then laughed again, this time with a sneer curling his lip, seemingly unaware his lip was cut.

“Need your big brother to fight your battles for you? You’re pathetic.”

“Don’t,” Archer said into Jason’s ear, still with his hand on his forearm.

“You should’ve told me about her,” Keith said, his voice breaking.

“Me and your sister was none of your business. None of anyone’s business.”

Keith sobered for a moment, he looked like he was deciding to carry on with his tirade. Keith nodded, making a decision.

“No, not her. The other woman,” he said.

Another gasp from the peanut gallery.

“What other woman?”

“The woman you were going to marry that Christmas.”

Mutterings ran through their audience. But the thoughts running through Jason’s head were louder. He had no idea what Keith was alluding to.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he snapped.

Archer let go of Jason’s arm and stepped forward in front if Jason.

“Jason has never been engaged to be married. What are you talking about?” Archer said in a more controlled voice.

Archer had better control of his emotions that Jason did so he let his brother do the talking. He scanned the crowd looking for Heidi but didn’t see her. He didn’t see Freya either. In fact he didn’t recognise anyone.

If he walked onto the next boat and went to the mainland would anyone miss him?

“Maybe you should go and speak to that witch you call an aunt,” Keith said and then spat out blood to the side.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and the blood seeping from his nose smeared across his lips.

Archer turned and stared at Jason, tilting his head to the side, anger lacing his words.

“Tomorrow morning we need to have a chat in the morning room,” Archer said through gritted teeth.

Jason nodded and took one look at Keith. He was being helped up with two men and then walked backwards away from Jason’s swinging arm.

“We’re not done,” Jason yelled at him, stretching his arm over Archer’s should jabbing his finger in Keith’s direction.

“You know where my shack is. Bring it,” Keith jeered then turned and walked into darkness with the two men Jason had never seen before.

“Let’s go, Jason,” a female voice said. “let’s get you cleaned up.”

Jason looked to his side and saw Erica looking at him, her face filled with worry and pain.

“Okay,” he said quietly and let her tuck her arm through his and walked in the opposite direction towards the estate.