"Did you say Alamain? As in Vivian Alamain?" Mike asked.

"Why yes," Gus replied. "I think Anna mentioned that Nigel had an elder sister named Vivian."

"Oh, god! This is just my luck!" Carrie groaned and slumped down further into the sofa.

"It could be worse," Mike said, sitting down next to her.

"That means that Vivian's now my aunt-in-law, John's my step-cousin, and I have another father to deal with," Carrie said weakly as she started to chuckle. She just knew somehow that it was going to be one day she wished she hadn't gotten up out of bed.

"What? Who's John?" Gus asked. She was a little confused at the question Mike had asked, but mostly confused at Carrie's comments.

"John Black used to think he was Roman Brady, Carrie's father," Mike said.

"How twisted!" Gus exclaimed.

"But he was really Forrest Alamain, son of Leopold Alamain, nephew to Vivian and brother to this jerk named Lawrence," Carrie continued.

So that's why Anna's middle name is Lorena, Gus thought to herself.

"Who I used to have a crush on." Carrie groaned as she leaned forward, planting her elbows on her knees and putting her head in her hands.

"And who raped my sister, Jenn," Mike said, rubbing Carrie's back.

"Well, I know for a fact that Lawrence Alamain is dead, so I can't gut him from navel to nose for you at this moment," Gus said, sitting down on Carrie's other side and leaning her head against the back of the sofa.

"Can this day get any worse?" Carrie commented absently.

"Who's that?" Gus asked as she saw a tall, muscular and handsome man who looked like he was a few pickles short of a peck standing near the reception area. He looked very irate.

"Austin Reed," Mike said.

Carrie looked up and saw that it indeed was Austin. She sighed heavily as she got to her feet and walked over to him.

"He's Carrie's husband."

Gus noticed that Mike seemed less than happy to volunteer that information. She'd seen enough of the look in Mike's eyes to notice how he felt about Carrie. She had been hoping that Mike was going to surprise her with the news that he'd been married to Carrie, but obviously that was not the case.

"I'm going to get a cup of coffee. Want some?"

Gus nodded. "The sludgier, the better."

"Like always." Mike grinned, levered himself up off the couch, and headed towards the nearest tea pantry.

Gus watched the couple's interaction carefully, noting that the two of them had adopted defensive postures the instant they had begun speaking to each other. Not a good sign. Gus's eyebrows went up as she saw the guy called Austin yank Carrie's arm and speak to her sharply. She rose from her seat and advanced upon the two of them in a determined manner, reaching into her dress where the front overlapped.

"I have a nine-millimeter automatic pointed at the small of your back, young man. Let go of my niece and talk nicely to her or I'll be more than pleased to rip you open a new orifice."

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