by James Tate
Kicking the door shut behind us, he shot me a smirk. "No, but you are now." A tug on my hand pulled me closer, and a moment later I found my back against the door as Archer's mouth explored mine in a hungry kiss that made my heart race and my skin tingle.
"Sneaky," I murmured when he released my lips some moments later, his eyes heated as he met my gaze. "If you wanted to get me alone, you could have just asked."
He cocked a brow. "Are you kidding? Steele threatened to stab me in the leg when I tried to get him out of bed with you a few hours ago. Possessive bastard. I've been going out of my mind needing to hold you all damn day."
It shouldn't make me so amused to hear that. If this whole relationship was going to work, the guys needed to find some sort of balance. Or at least drop some of the jealousy. Yet I couldn't deny the warm glow I felt whenever one of them threatened violence to stay around me a little longer. It was hot as hell.
Still, I tried to hide my grin as I peered up at Archer. "Well, you have me alone now," I told him. "What do you want to do with me?"
He groaned, his body crushing against mine harder. "So, so many things, Kate, you have no idea." His lips came down on mine again with a crash, and I let him devour me.
Just when I thought things were getting good, he stopped and cupped a hand at the base of my skull. "I do need to introduce you to our guys, though. They're going to be living here for at least a week to sort out our security and run extensive checks on Sampson's team. Also to try and weed out Trevor, wherever the hell he ended up."
I pouted. "So... you didn't drag me up here to fuck me?"
A grin crept across his lips, and he kissed me again, but quickly and not letting me push it further. "I wish," he murmured, his voice pained. "But your safety comes first. Let's go."
Linking our hands back together, Archer led me out of his room and headed for the master suite wing. I pouted the whole way, and when he glanced over at me, he barked a laugh.
"Stop it, Princess," he scolded me gently. "I thought you needed a break after yesterday, anyway."
I grinned, remembering how sore I'd been before going to sleep. I was fine now, though, so...
We reached the double doors to the master suite, and Archer pushed them open without knocking. Rude, yes, but then it was his house, I supposed.
"D'Ath," one of the room's occupants greeted him, not even glancing up from the laptop he was working on. He sat on one of the single beds, his back against the wall and his computer in his lap. "This her?"
"Madison Kate," Archer corrected, his tone sharp. "Yes, it is. Kate, this is Leon." He indicated to the guy on the laptop, who looked up at me with a quick, curious glance. He was maybe in his late twenties, his head shaved and tattoos covering his arms all the way to his fingertips. A set of square-framed reading glasses perched on his nose, totally at odds with his whole gangster image.
"Hi," I said, giving him a small wave. Leon jerked a nod, his gaze already back on his computer and his fingers flying over the keys.
"Good to meet you, Madison Kate," he said, sounding distracted. "You've got a hell of a mess on your hands, huh?"
I bit my lip. I had no idea how to respond to that. "Um, yep. That's one way to put it."
The corner of his mouth tugged into a smile, but he didn't look up again. Whatever he was working on, it must have been important.
"This is Danny," Archer said as someone came out of the en suite bathroom. My brows shot up, and I ran my gaze over Danny, which I was going to guess was short for Danielle.
"Hey." The girl came over to us with her hand extended. "You must be Madison Kate. Nice to meet you."
Her hair was tightly braided and a fascinating shade of silver, and she seemed to be roughly the same age as Leon—younger than I expected any of these super bad-ass mercenaries to be, but also with more vagina than I'd imagined. What did that say about me that I'd assumed our hired helpers would all be men?
"You too," I murmured. Her grip was impressively firm as I shook her offered hand.
She grinned. "You didn't expect a chick, huh?"
I frowned, searching for the right words. "Um... no? Not that I have a problem with it at all. I'm just at least ninety percent sure everyone has been talking about you like you're all guys."
Danny shrugged. "It happens. I can count the number of women in the organization on one hand, so most jobs are a sausage fest."
Leon snorted a laugh from his bed and shot Danny a look. "Thanks for the visual, Dan."
She smirked back at him. "You're welcome."
"Danny and Leon are working on our security team," Archer told me, his hand on my lower back like he had an unconscious need to touch me. "They're working out whether the missing guard is actually our guy or if he's been killed too."
"Also looking into this blogger chick that has a hard-on for Kody," Leon added, still with his eyes on his computer. "She seems... interesting." A smile tugged at his lips as he said that, and Danny rolled her eyes.
"He means she's hot. He hacked her server and found a whole album of masturbation porn she makes while pretending to be with your boy." She wrinkled her nose. "Classy girl."
Leon shrugged, unapologetic. "I like them a bit fucked in the head. Makes them filthy as hell."
Danny gave me a pointed look. "He also means she has huge tits, and he's very much a boob man."
I bit back a laugh, and Archer gave a sigh.
"Is she a threat, though?" Archer asked, his fingers tracing circles over my lower back. "That's all we really care about."
Leon shook his head. "Nah, I doubt it. She probably needs some hardcore therapy for her obsession with Kody, but otherwise she appears harmless."
"But," Danny added with a glare at Leon. "We will still be paying her a visit to shut down her blog site."
That information shifted a bit of weight off my shoulders, and I gave Danny a grateful smile. "Thanks for that."
The silver-blonde woman smiled back. "It's what you're paying us to do."
Archer checked his watch. "Sampson should have the rest of his team here in about half an hour, and Anna is cooking dinner for you both. She won't accept no as an answer, so haul ass down to the dining room around seven, alright?"
"Yes sir," Leon shot back, giving a small salute.
"Nice meeting you, Madison Kate," Danny said. "I'm sure we can get your security breach plugged up in no time."
Archer and I left the room, leaving them to carry on with their work, and headed back downstairs.
"They seem nice," I commented.
He gave me a quick grin. "Nice. I don't think they'd get described as nice very often. Those two have more blood on their hands than Kody, Steele, and I combined."
I winced. "Seriously?" Because that was a lot of blood. Danny had seemed like a normal woman, albeit a feisty, well-toned one. Leon came off as a regular, ink-enthusiast computer nerd.
Archer gave me a smile, then caught my chin with his fingers. "They're the best for a reason, Princess. If anyone can sort out our security breach, it's those two. And who knows, maybe they'll catch us a stalker while they're here."
"That'd be nice," I agreed, then closed the distance between us to kiss him. "Thank you for this."
A frown of confusion creased his brow. "For what?"
I shrugged. "This. Hiring these mercenaries to overhaul our security. For building a safe room in the basement and furnishing it just in case. For, I dunno, taking this all so seriously. My stalker had been sending shit to me for fuck knows how long and my dad didn't give two shits, but you do. Even when you hated me, you still kept me safe. So thank you."
Archer's eyes searched mine for an extended moment, then he shook his head slowly. "Baby girl, I thought we already cleared this up," he whispered, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. "I never hated you. Even if you hadn't forgiven me for what I did, I'd still do everything imaginable to keep you safe. I won't stop until these threats are eliminated for good, Kate. On that you have my promise."
&n
bsp; When he kissed me, there was no doubt in my mind that he meant every damn word. The problem was, he was only human. No one could promise forever. Not even Archer D'Ath.
18
Just as Archer had predicted, Nikki was over the moon excited to be our official wedding photographer. A couple of days after the break in, we found ourselves back at her warehouse studio in Rainybanks for our "engagement photos," as that was what was expected of us.
Unlike the last two photoshoots, though, I didn't mind being involved in this one. For one thing, I didn’t need to fight that magnetic attraction with Archer anymore. For another, I'd insisted that Kody and Steele be a part of the photoshoot. We'd used the excuse that they were Archer's best men, but quietly, I just wanted some photos with my guys.
After a whole morning of posed shots with Archer and I together, Nikki moved on to taking some frames of the boys together, then of just me, then of the four of us. She'd worked with all three of the guys enough that it wasn't an uncomfortable experience. In fact, it was all too comfortable. So much so, that I didn't even notice how cozy I was being with Steele and Kody, all while supposedly taking engagement photos with Archer.
Nothing slipped past Nikki, though. She was all too observant and all too good at fading into the background. So when she showed me some of her favorite frames at the end of the day, my jaw almost hit the floor.
"Don't worry," Nikki murmured when I said nothing for the longest time. "No one else will see these. But I couldn't not capture those moments." She reached over and clicked the button to skim through her highlights, pausing on a couple that painted a very clear picture.
Except it wasn't a picture of two people madly in love and preparing for their wedding. It was a picture of one girl madly in love with three different men, and them with her. Fucking hell, they were perfect... for our eyes only.
"Here are the ones your wedding coordinator wants." Smiling, Nikki clicked into another folder and showing all the cookie-cutter "couple" poses she'd had Archer and I pose for at the beginning of the day. "I prefer the other ones, though," she whispered, giving me a knowing wink.
"They're stunning," I admitted, still mentally berating myself for letting all of that show. If my assassins caught wind that this wedding wasn't exactly what it was meant to be, then the whole plan could be for nothing.
The guys were changing out of their suits across the room, joking around with a relaxed ease that I hadn't seen in... I don't know if I'd ever seen them like that. Maybe we needed to do more stuff together as a group. Maybe that was the key to making our relationship work.
"Will you send these to me?" I asked Nikki quietly. "Then delete them? Arch—"
"Say no more," she murmured. "They're all yours. But maybe when your life is less crazy, you might consider coming back again? With all three of your boys? I'm just dying to get you all in a bed together." She grinned, and I almost choked on air.
My cheeks heated, and I shook my head but couldn't hide my smile.
"You and me both," I muttered under my breath as I left her to take my white satin evening gown off and remove about an inch of makeup.
"Everything okay?" Kody asked when I passed them on the way to the dressing room. My cheeks were still warm from Nikki's comment, and my brain was turning in loops picturing the three of them all covered in oil like that first shoot they'd brought me along for. Except in my mental image, I was in the middle of it all and no one wore underpants.
Groan.
"Yup," I replied with a too-bright smile. "Just getting changed, then we can go." He gave me a suspicious look but didn't push the issue any further.
I changed quickly, throwing on my jeans and tank top, then returned the designer evening gown to the clothing rack outside the changing room.
We said goodbye to Nikki and headed back out to the parking lot, only to find two familiar gangsters waiting beside our car.
"Zane," Archer snapped, his whole posture stiffening with anger. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
The leader of the Reapers pushed off the side of our car, where he'd been leaning, and came toward us with an exaggerated swagger.
"Little brother," he sneered, "fancy seeing you here."
"Cut the bullshit, Zane. What do you want?" Archer folded his arms over his chest and stepped slightly in front of me. I wasn't even totally sure he knew he was doing it.
Cass remained where he was, standing beside their motorcycles with his hands tucked in his pockets, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. He gave me a small nod, though, his eyes sharp like he was checking I was okay.
I should have checked in with the big grump more regularly. The last time I'd sent him a message had been just after Steele woke up from his surgery and the doctors told us he was going to be okay.
"We're not here to see you, Archer," Zane replied, craning his neck to look at me around his brother. "Madison Kate, I wondered if I might have a word?"
Kody snorted a laugh. "If it's anything like the last word you had with her, I'd rather you didn't."
Zane's brow lifted, and he gave Kody a predatory smile. "You mean when I informed her of her marriage into the family? I'd have thought you'd thank me for that. Saved you three the trouble of all those lies you were spinning to keep her in the dark. Besides... are there more skeletons that need to be exhumed?"
I stifled a sigh. This shit was going to end up in bloodshed if I didn't intervene.
Stepping around Archer's human shield of stubbornness, I parked my hands on my hips and levelled Zane with a hard look. "What can I do for you, Zane?"
Of course, I knew he was pissed to have lost his bargaining chip in the form of my security, but Archer hadn't done anything in retaliation... yet. Maybe Zane just didn't like the paranoia of waiting for his brother to strike out against him.
"A word in private, Madison Kate," Zane clarified, narrowing his eyes at all three of my guys. "If you don't mind."
"Actually," I replied, "I do. I'm not keeping any more secrets from Archer, Kody, and Steele, so I'm sure whatever you want to say, you can just say. It'll save me the trouble of repeating it the second you leave."
Zane's snakelike grin turned sour, and his glare darkened. Either he had nothing of any real consequence to tell me, or he wasn't eager enough to say it in front of everyone. Either way, his mood had shifted pretty firmly.
"So, that's it then? All just happy, fucking family now? I saw the engagement announcement." He clapped sarcastically. "Congratulations, little brother. Except, is it still an engagement when you're already married?"
Archer gave a tired sigh, like he'd run out of patience for his brother's bullshit. I didn't blame him.
"Zane, seriously? Don't tell me you're upset you weren't invited to the wedding." Archer's tone was dry and mocking, deliberately poking at Zane's temper.
The older D'Ath brother curled his lip in disgust. "I find it ironic, Archer, how quick you were to purchase yourself a child bride. After all the high and mighty opinions you held toward our great-grandfather for his extracurricular activities, here you are, following in his footsteps."
From the corner of my eye, I caught the way Archer stiffened. This wasn't going to end well.
"I'm nothing like that pervert," Archer hissed, stepping forward to jab Zane in the chest. "He was a sick, twisted, deranged bastard drunk on power and money."
Zane gave a casual shrug, smug in the fact that he'd pushed Archer's buttons. "Sounds a lot like you, brother. All that money and power has gone to your head. You bought your wife just the same as he bought Ana."
Smack.
Dammit, Archer was fast when he was pissed off. One minute Zane was standing there slinging shit and the next he was on the ground, knocked clean out.
"Fuck's sake," I muttered under my breath, then looked up at Cass. He hadn't moved even an inch from his position by the bikes, but now he just looked annoyed. "Cass..."
He huffed a heavy sigh and slouched his way over to us. "He deserved that," the big
guy rumbled, looking down at his gang leader with disappointment. "You okay, kid?" His question was directed at me and only me. The guys might as well have not even existed for all the attention he paid them.
I jerked a nod. "I'm good," I replied. "You?"
Cass's lips twitched in what was probably meant to be a smile. "I'll deal with Zane. You four better get going before he wakes up, yeah?"
Archer said nothing, but clapped Cass on the shoulder in a way that seemed to say, thanks for that, I really appreciate you. Or... something.
My guys started towards our car, but I lingered behind a moment. I had no interest in talking to Zane in private, but I trusted Cass. He'd kept me safe when he hadn't needed to by sending me back to Archer.
"What did he really come here for?" I asked the big, tattooed gangster.
He shrugged. "Fuck if I know, he wouldn't tell me. He found something out that had him excited, though."
I sighed, folding my arms. "Alright, no worries. I'm sure if it's important he'll try again."
Cass jerked a nod, then ran a hand over his short beard. "You really okay, kid? Those boys treating you right?"
My brows flickered up. "Uh, if you're asking about my relationships—"
"I'm not," he cut me off with a huff of Cass-laughter. "I just mean if they're still pulling their bullshit with you, you know what to do. Call me and I'll clean up the bodies."
I laughed properly this time. "Aw Grumpy, you do care. Don't worry, though. I'd just chuck them to the pigs, and no one would ever find the evidence." I gave him a feral grin, and his eyes widened slightly.
"Well shit," he muttered, "that's more like it. Get out of here. Text me and let me know you're home safe."
"Can do," I agreed, heading across the parking lot to where the guys waited with our car. Then a thought crossed my mind, and I spun back around to look at Cass. "Hey, how's your girl?"
The glare he shot me was pure violence, and I just grinned wider. Still unavailable was my guess. When my own drama was all wrapped up, I was going to have to work out who this mystery woman was. She had to be someone pretty cool to have Mr. Grumpy all tied up in knots.
