Page 23 of East (The Moral Compass 3)

I take one look at the beautiful girl sitting on the bed looking through a pile of photographs, and I know exactly what has happened. I don’t remember it, but I can see the ring on her finger, too.

Oh, Jesus Christ. I am one dead man walking.

“I take it you’ve noticed your wedding ring?” she whispers while looking at the photographs with tears in her eyes.

“Yeah, I have. I’m so sorry. I don’t remember what the hell happened. I’m remembering snippets of us together in here last night, but I just don’t have any recollection of anything before and certainly not how we have both now ended up with what look like fucking wedding rings.”

“They don’tlooklike wedding rings, Zed. Theyarefucking wedding rings! Look!” She holds up several photographs of us both standing in front of a man. We both look deliriously happy. Then, she shows me the final one of me bending her over backward kissing her.

Seeing the pictures, I start to piece together a few of the events, but I just don’t understand how the hell we ended up in that situation in the first place.

“Look, East. This is not ideal, and it is certainly not what either of us want. We talked yesterday and agreed we were not going to be together again. I just don’t get how we went from that to being flaming married.” I pace around the bedroom, scratching my face and head.

“Oh, right. I think we need to sit down and try to retrace our steps from where we can remember and try to establish how this happened. Then, we need to try and sort it out. I don’t know what the laws are like here for divorce.”

“What do you mean laws? There are no two ways about it, East. We are getting divorced or getting it annulled today!” I yell. “We can’t stay married for any longer than it takes to get it undone.” I pick up my phone and start searching for ‘getting a divorce in Las Vegas’.What I find makes my blood run cold, hot and then cold again.

There is no option for annulment, and if we want a divorce, we have to reside here for the next ninety days.

I don’t realise I’ve done it until my phone smashes on the ground, and the screen cracks.

“Fuck!” I bellow as I bend over to pick up my phone and realise I’m still only wearing the towel. The phone screen is black, and it’s totally dead.

“Okay, you crazy chimpanzee. You need to calm it down. Throwing stuff around and shouting and bawling isn’t going to sort this out. I thought you were supposed to be the calm one under pressure?”

“East, look. We need to get Margarite back here now, she needs to tell us what the hell happened, and we need to contact our lawyers.”

“I’ve got a lawyer, but if I contact them, West will know. Client confidentiality doesn’t mean jack shit when you’re a McGarry. Or was.” She smirks, and it’s the first bit of lightness we have had in this room since I opened my eyes.

A few phone calls later, and it is firmly established we are both fucked. We need to make an appointment to see a judge and plead our case of temporary insanity, but that is only if the officiant will give evidence to agree we were both out of our minds and unaware of the consequences. But if he agrees, he could lose his licence and his livelihood.

I have two options. I either threaten his life or give him a huge wad of cash. I don’t care which one it takes as long as he lies for both of us.

We are just heading out the door when Drake’s head of security comes running down the corridor.

“Zed, thank God,” he says breathlessly. “Drake has gone missing. His phone and wallet are on his bed and there is no sign of him anywhere.”

“What the hell do you mean missing? He’ll be with a woman somewhere. Anyway, I’ve got urgent business of my own, so it’ll have to wait.”

“No, Zed, this is serious. He wasn’t with a woman. He went to bed last night, and we arranged to go for a run this morning, but when he didn’t come out of his room at noon, I went in looking for him. His bed has been slept in, and his sheets are wet. Like, really wet.”

“So, my brother pissed the bed, and you are worried he’s thrown himself off the balcony in shame?”

“No, I’m not, and can you not be a fucking dick about this? You’re here to help sort this stalker death threat shit out or have you forgotten that since blondie here turned up?” He points his finger angrily.

“Her name is East!” I bark. “She is here to help, so wind your fucking neck in and go and find my brother. I have business to attend to, and while I’m away, I will also try to work out what has happened to Drake. We should be no longer than an hour, but we have to go now, or we will miss our window.”

“Suit yourself, but I don’t even know where to start looking. He took a sleeping tablet at midnight and went to bed. He should have been out for the count for at least twelve hours.”

“Argh, shit!” I know I need to get this divorce sorted, but if my brother is in trouble, it’s going to have to wait.

“East. I’m sorry, but we are going to have to do this later or tomorrow. It looks like Drake is in trouble, and as this fucking idiot just pointed out, I am supposed to be protecting him.”

“I absolutely agree. I think we need to search his room and see if there is anything out of place. Apart from the sheets, that is.” She smirks and catches my eye. Even though my mind is in turmoil, those damn eyes get me every time.

As I reach for her hand, and she places hers in mine, electricity flows up my arm.What the hell was that?

We reach Drake’s suite, and East immediately heads toward the bedroom.

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