This is a long one. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 10 – Karmas a Bitch

Charlie's P.O.V

It had been a long night yesterday but thankfully I could say I was in a better state than the rest of the girls. I was able to get up, get some coffee down me and then to then drive home, I knew the boys would be too drunk and they would appreciate some breakfast. I admit I'm not the best cook but in their drunken haze I don't think they would notice the burnt to crisp bacon and overcooked rubbery omelettes.

I parked in the driveway, half the car was out onto the pavement; the men that were obstructing the drive had without a doubt not made it inside. I got out and they clearly didn't know they were in a very compromising position. I chuckled to myself before making my way inside.

''Mooorning booo...OH MY GOD!'' I screeched, I surely must have come into the wrong house. My eyes were definitely showing me the correct image; my brain just didn't want to register it.

Laid across majority of the hallway were drunk river boys, there was empty drink bottles acting as blankets on them, numerous amounts of take out boxes. The boys were mostly naked with just one item of clothing covering them. If that was bad just as I was about to scream for Brax, Heath and Casey, I felt something fall on my head, I moved my hand and I grabbed whatever it was as it slid out of my hair it squelched. I looked at it and then up to the ceiling, there was food on my ceiling and the particular item that had just dropped was a slice of pizza. There was now a stain on the paint where the sauce had made contact with the ceiling. I followed the ceiling across and it was like there were pizza slice footsteps, they had clearly enjoyed throwing them in the air. As I followed the path my eyes fell on the light hanging down, just to make sure if I was seeing properly I looked away before looking again, I saw a bra, some panties and a pair of boxers hanging in all their glory. I started to panic thinking they had raided my wardrobe for the panties and bra but then I noticed these were far too raunchy for my liking.

''BRAX, HEATH, CASEY'' I had just turned my buttons to nuclear, I was fuming, ''YOU THREE GET YOUR UGLY BACKSIDES OUT HERE'' nobody came and now they were seriously testing my patience so one last time I opened my mouth and shouted ''YOU BRAXTONS GET OUT HERE NOW BEFORE I SMOKE YOU OUT!''

''Geez Buckton, crank the volume down a few notches would you, I got a banging headache'' Heath complained as he made his way down from upstairs,

''Banging, your head is banging, after I finish inflicting pain on you, that banging headache will be the least of your worries!...''

He looked at me confused, ''LOOK AT MY HOUSE YOU IMBECILE''

Heath looked around; he obviously hadn't registered it because he scanned the area twice before his eyes popped out of their sockets,

''Holy guacamole'' he then looked at me, he knew I was livid and that he would have to choose his words really carefully.

''Erm Charlie I don't know what to say, I would attempt to explain but I have no recollection of what happened last night.''

Just before I could speak Casey had joined Heath on the steps and me at the foot of them. Casey slapped himself, first his right and then his left cheek before continuing systematically,

'' Wake up Casey, damn wake up...'' he then stopped slapping himself, '' blistering barnacles, what happened here?''

He then walked down the stairs and looked at me in a bizarre way; he was really doing my head in,

''For crying out loud you stupid boy quit looking at me,'' I exclaimed,

''Erm Charlie you have...'' he trailed off before pointing towards my head ''Charlie you have pizza sauce on your forehead.''

''CASEY, get in that kitchen and start cleaning this shit, NOW!'' I screamed at him before grabbing some tissue from my pocket and wiping the sauce, Heath let out a snigger and I shot him a dirty stare, he stopped, ''and you get these donkeys of my floor and help clean.''

I was going to go and find my stupid fiancé, the supposedly mature adult in all this, but before I could Casey had come back from the kitchen, he had been in there and out like a flash.

''Jesus almighty Christ, Charlie you do not want to go in there'' he looked at me before looking at Heath.

Casey P.O.V

''Ouch'' I cried in pain at Heath who had just slapped me on the back of my head,

''Nice going Einstein you couldn't just have cleaned it all up, but no you come back to tell us''

''Sorry… '' I replied sheepishly and then whispered just so Heath could hear '' that bro is unclean able.''

We hadn't realised that Charlie was about to make her way to the kitchen,

''Charlie, Charlie, I wouldn't go in there if I were you…'' I protested as she walked closer to the door, she opened the door and you could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. I could tell that she had no words to convey her anger so this time she used violence. On the worktop there was a vase with flowers and it looked like the only thing that was not broken, well not for long, she walked up to it, grabbed it and then she launched it towards where me and Heath were, Heath ducked towards the left and me to the right, the vase met the wall and shattered to the floor. She then huffed and walked out of the kitchen, we didn't lift our heads up in fear we made eye contact with the crazy lady.

I couldn't blame Charlie; the house looked like a bomb had exploded. The hallway was covered in 'donkeys' as Charlie had brutally stated. The kitchen, oh the kitchen was indescribable. There were dented pots and pans, nearly all the crockery was smashed, and the doors to the cabinets were not attached anymore. The fridge had been emptied and the doors were hanging on the last hinge. The windows had yellow clammy liquid running down them from where eggs had been smashed. And I don't know why but there were two women, one was sat on the stool with her head on the worktop and the other was on the island in the middle and she was tangled in the kitchen blinds, I remembered that they were the strippers, there was three of them so God knew where the third had disappeared. I just hoped to God she hadn't found her way somewhere Charlie was making her way next.

Well knowing our luck that's exactly what would happen.

Charlie P.O.V

I made it to my room and at this point I was just expecting the worst. I didn't even want to think of the state it would be in. I walked in and as soon as I walked in, on my bed lay another women and she wasn't naked like the ones in the kitchen, she was wearing one of Brax's shirts. I scanned the room looking for Brax but instead my eyes fell on what was decorating the floor, it was a used condom, I felt like vomit had travelled up and I had to swallow. My mind then went completely vacant and all I wanted to do was get out of the house. I made my way down to bump into Heath, I couldn't keep it in, and I turned before I vomited on the floor.

''Eurghh Buckton you splattered me'' I heard Heath. I continued until my body had nothing to empty. Heath was now holding my hair back,

''Are you okay?''

''Don't be so naive Heath'' I replied as I stood up straight.

''Seriously Charlie what happened?'' he asked,

''Like you don't know'' I wanted to cry but anger was overtaking my body. I felt like I was going to combust and in front of the wrong person…

'Quit it I have no idea what you are going on about'' he was getting agitated,

''Where's Brax?'' I asked purely to see whether he would cover for the rat,

''Erm I don't know, nobody has seen him since yesterday, he left just the way you had ordered when the strippers arrived, you know the woof woof business.'' he was trying to be amusing but it wasn't working,

''Well maybe I should have chopped his balls of before I let him out of the house because he came back here to fuck some other cheap tart. When you see him you tell the cheating flaming toerag that it's over.'' I didn't give him a chance to reply and walked off.

''Charlie...Charlie listen to me'' Heath had caught up to me and was holding me by the shoulders, ''Charlie I'm sure...''

''Save it Heath, don't try covering up for him. I don't want to hear it... and you please be at the wedding on time'' with that I walked away. As I made my way to the door I heard Casey come in and asked Heath,

''What happened bro?''

''Our stupid brother just lost the greatest thing in his life'' he replied solemnly.

I felt a tear roll down my face and quickly wiped it. I was not going to let a selfish jerk like Brax ever be the reason for my tears to roll ever again.

Casey P.O.V

We had managed to clean some of the mess at home, well actually it was just the boys that we had cleaned up, and the rest of the mess was still there.

We now were in the church waiting for the bridal party and Brax. We had not heard anything from him since last night and when we had gone to his room he wasn't there. There were things that didn't match in the events that had supposedly happened. First off all the women was the third stripper who had been with us all night and when she got back to the house she was giving Sam a private show.

''Casey ring him, where the heck is he'' Heath said to me,

I just shook my head in response, I had rung his phone, answer machine, and I even rang Heaths knowing that Brax had it, nothing both phones dead.

I was going to ring one last time but before I could I received a text. It was from Charlie,

***Hey can you do me a favor and apologize to Heath, I won't be able to come to the wedding; I can't face anyone. I'm sorry but just going to pack my bags and move in with Leah until I'm sorted, tell him I have given the rings to Rubes as Jnr won't be able to do his ring bearing duties. I'm sorry for this and for you all to be dragged in to my mess***

Charlie didn't want to face Brax it wasn't about anyone else, but he wasn't here and she shouldn't have to miss out because of my brainless twat head of a brother. I passed my phone to Heath who took it and read the message. He then began to write a text back…

''Damn Casey how the heck do you use this'' he was attacking the screen with his finger tips; I took it out of his hands before the nuts came loose.

''what do you want to do?'' I asked him,

''text her back and tell her to get here, tell her if Brax arrives he will not be taking part in the wedding, ask her where she is I'll go talk to her.''

I text her back and she replied simply saying that she couldn't come and was packing her bags. Heath wanted to go and get her but I offered instead.

I walked inside our house and it was like even the house knew something was wrong, like the balance in our life's had been attacked. I walked to Charlie and Brax's bedroom and like I expected she was their packing whilst Jnr sat on the floor playing with his toys. Charlie knew I was there but she didn't say anything, I didn't want to speak because my mind couldn't articulate anything. Instead I walked and sat beside Jnr.

''hey buddy, where have you been eh'' I handed him a toy but instead of taking the toy he put his arms out for me to pick him up. I picked him up and instantly he put his head on to my shoulder, it was like he had picked up on his mum's mood.

After what felt like ages, Charlie spoke and it was like she was drained, so monotone.

''Casey what are you doing here, I don't want to be the reason why you missed your brother's wedding, it's bad enough that I am keeping Jnr away'' she walked up to us and grabbed Jnr.

''Charlie please don't leave, please you can't leave'' I told her.

''Case, I have too…''

''No, Charlie you don't have to do anything, none of us want you to leave, you need to speak to Brax, and then make a decision.''

''don't mention his name in front of me. I have already made my decision; I don't need confirmation from him to tell me that he slept with someone else…'' she told me wholeheartedly.

I couldn't believe what was happening but I had tears rolling down my face, I was about to lose Charlie, the one person that was the closest thing that I had to a mum. She noticed my tears,

''why you crying? Look as much as this hurts but I've accepted that I'm just another notch on your brother's bedpost. The only thing is that I had a kid with him. I only lasted this long because I was blind in thinking that I was the only one he needed and vice versa.''

'' Charlie for him you might have been another notch but not for me, to me your like the mum I never had…Charlie I used to daydream when I was little that someone of your persona would be waiting at the gates to pick me up, but no instead I got no one but a lonely walk home. Charlie please don't leave, I will do anything, you name it and it's done''

''aww Case I'm touched that you think so highly of me. There is nothing that you can do unless you turn time back to before I met any of you, actually not even that, because it would mean I would never had the time of my life, honestly you brothers including the cheating rat have changed my life. No matter what happens but I will always be there for you and Heath…''

''liar, you're just like the rest of them'' the voice startled both me and Charlie, we looked behind us and we saw Heath,

''Heath what are you doing here?'' Charlie asked him… ''you should be waiting for Bianca at the church.''

''I came to see what was taking you so long, I really thought we meant something to you, I really thought that you would be there for me, but your just like every other person, just like mum, just like dad leaving us when we need you, even Brax has gone.'' He replied with the hurt evident in his voice.

There was an eerie silence before my phone beeped. I read it and then told heath,

''Bro that was Ruby, she just text saying that Charlie's a no show and that they on their way.''

''Heath you need to go back… you too Casey'' Charlie told the both of us.

I knew this was going to be a long convo so I text Ruby telling her that there was a slight technical hitch and to tell the driver to go around the block a few times.

''No I want to know why you're not coming; Brax is a no show so what is the reason for you not to be there.'' Heath just wanted an explanation and looking at Charlie's face I could tell she had none.

''Heath please, I can't face it. Please'' Charlie implored to him.

''If we mean anything absolutely anything to you then you will not disappoint, if you don't come then I can take it that we have nothing to do with each other.'' Heath then walked off and I was in a dilemma, to stay with Charlie or go with Heath. Charlie gestured for me to go after him. I just hoped she would follow us too.

Bianca P.O.V

We were going around in circles and I quite frankly was getting very dizzy. Charlie had done a bunk, and I had heard of fashionably late but this was taking the biscuit.

''right refrain from telling me some crap and tell me what the heck is happening'' I asked Ruby and April who were travelling with me.

None of them answered and then Ruby told the driver that he was fine to drive to the location after reading the text she received.

We pulled up outside the church and I walked out only to be met by Charlie,

''B I'm so sorry…''

I stopped her before she could continue,

''As long as you're here, I don't care about anything else'' and with that we began the walk in.

Brax P.O.V

I don't know where I was, I couldn't make out the surrounding but I could tell it wasn't pleasant; there was a musky smell, damp and horrible. Considering the pain I was in you would be surprised how I had managed to work this out. It was actually a good distraction from the pain. I knew I wasn't tied up but the pain in my body was too much so I bunged up in a fetal position.

''you idiots, you bloody idiots, if you recognized that it wasn't who I had asked for then why would you bring him here.'' It was an unrecognizable voice but I tried listening very hard to get any clue as to who it was. Nobody responded to him and then a phone rang,

''Hello, yes sir, I'm sorry but there seems to be some confusion, nothing for you to worry about, I will sort it'' and with that I knew he had turned the phone of and then he spoke again,

''now get out of my face and I will get rid of him.''

I was then dragged of the floor again and I was thrown in to something, considering that I was restricted to move I imagined I was in the back of a boot, before the door closed I heard the same man speak again,

'Make sure Heath Braxton knows that this is for refusing his first gift'' I then felt someone stick something to my chest and then I could not hold my eyes opened, I saw Jnr and Charlie's face flash in my eyes and then I was gone.

Ruby P.O.V

After all the drama before the wedding, Heath and Bianca finally said their I do's. We were now at Angelo's for the reception and the only thing that was noticeably out of context was the fact that Brax was not here. He was a no show from the wedding too, I had asked Charlie and Casey but obviously they weren't telling me anything and looking at Charlie's face I could tell there was something up and accepted maybe this wasn't the best place to talk.

We was dancing, the alcohol slowly taking its effect before we heard someone shouting in despair,

''ohh god almighty they're here, they're here, what is this town coming too, nobody's safe, listen to me evacuate, evacuate'' it was Coleen and she was now scurrying towards everybody as fast as she could.

Irene grabbed her before she could continue,

''what are you on about Coleen, flaming hell, who's here?'' Irene asked knowing that Coleen was probably just making something so small and trivial into something big.

''the mobsters, the gangsters, the ones you see with the big guns, We are not safe, and they left their mark''

''stone the flaming crows women, what are you on about?'' Alf had now gone up to Coleen and Irene.

''Alfred Stewart, Mark my words we are in danger, if you don't believe me come I'll show you''

We then all walked out, Coleen had grabbed onto the first person that she could, unfortunately for Heath; he now had Coleen digging her nails in his side.

We walked outside and as expected there was nothing unusual. We was going to turn around before we heard Coleen gasp, I thought not again but then we followed to where her finger pointed and there lay someone on the floor.

Charlie, Me, Casey, Heath, Sid and Alf had walked closer. As Heath was about to touch the body to turn whoever it was, Coleen screeched again,

''Don't touch it, it's the bad omen, the bearer of bad things to come…''

''oh shut up will you women'' Roo and Irene said in unison.

Heath rolled the body over and it was Brax, well I say Brax but he was unrecognizable, I heard Bianca scream, Casey ran towards him and Sid too. Me and Charlie went to the other side and joined Heath, he was calling for an ambulance and everyone looked on in shocked. I then noticed something attached to his chest, Casey removed it before handing it to Heath who had finished calling. From the little I could see, it looked like a bullet, and I saw Heaths expression change, he muttered something but it was inaudible, the bullet obviously somehow told him something.

Everything that was happening was all very cryptic, even so much so that when the ambulance arrived Heath told Charlie to go in the ambulance and she refused until he basically pushed her in to the ambulance.

The ambulance left and Sid offered to drive us up as he was sober. When we got to the hospital Charlie was stood outside, she had no expression on her face, not even a twinge of hurt regarding what was happening. I ran up to her and hugged her,

''Mum he will be okay, Morag said she will look after Jnr for you until need be.''

''No Ruby'' and then she pushed me off her and began to walk away, she was going the wrong way, Brax was in the opposite direction and she was going towards the exit.

''Charlie, where you going'' Casey shouted after her,

''You can't leave him, he needs you, he can die, he didn't deserve this'' Heath spoke.

She wasn't listening and I couldn't understand why.

I ran for her and stood in front of her,

''Charlie, why you acting like this, you can't leave'' she was pushing my hands off her shoulder and when she managed I saw the tears threatening to escape.

''Ruby you won't understand, Karma is a bitch and he deserves everything he gets!''

Thanks for reading, please review guys so I know what you guys think. Thanks to all you who have reviewed previous chapters and added me to their favorites and so on.

Abz

XXX