by James Tate
He took two steps closer, crowding me against the vanity. "I wasn't looking at you like you might break, Princess." His voice was rough as his thumb and forefinger caught my chin and jerked my face up to hold his gaze. "I was looking at you and thinking how you might be one of the strongest women I've ever laid eyes on. But I also worry that I've broken something in you." His eyes searched mine like he could see all the way down to my damaged soul.
I drew a deep breath, feeling it flood through me and calm my tense muscles. "If you have," I told him in a whisper, "then I don't want it mended."
He groaned, then kissed me like his very life depended on it.
When he released me some moments later, my cheeks were hot, my lips swollen, and my heart pounding so hard it hurt.
"Come on," Archer said, "let's get home. In case you forgot, we're getting married tomorrow." His smirk was all mischief as he linked our hands together to tug me out of the restroom.
I grinned back at him. "How could I forget?"
The private dining room had already been stripped of plastic sheeting—and dead bodies—and all the chairs and tables were back in the rightful places. Archer led me through the empty kitchen and out the staff exit into the alleyway behind the restaurant.
Kody and Steele leaned against another nondescript, midsize sedan, laughing about something while they waited for us.
Kody spotted us first. "All good?" His sharp gaze ran over me from head to toe, then back to my face. He searched my eyes a second before he jerked a nod.
"Yup," I replied with a tight smile. I wanted to wrap my arms around myself, but I was pretty certain my dress was coated in blood too. The fabric stuck to me in a wet sort of way, and I didn't want to get it all over my hands again.
Steele crossed over to us and gave me a tight squeeze, kissing my hair. Apparently, he didn’t care about the blood. "You're incredible, you know that?" He whispered the words in my ear, then released me before I needed to respond.
Archer rapped his knuckles on the trunk of the sedan. "You boys got this handled?"
"Absolutely," Kody confirmed, then reached into the back of the car and pulled out a pair of Kevlar vests. He tossed one to Steele and strapped the other on himself. "Not taking any chances tonight." He shot me a wink, and my stomach rolled with anxiety.
After all, bulletproof vests only protect against a body shot. What if this time my stalker aimed for a headshot?
"We'll be hypervigilant, Hellcat," Steele assured me in a quiet voice. "I promise you, we'll come home safe."
"Damn right, we will," Kody agreed with a broad grin. "See you at home, babe." He smacked a quick kiss on my lips, then he and Steele slid into the body-disposal vehicle.
Archer and I made our way further down the alley to where Sampson waited beside the Range Rover.
"That was quick," our head of security commented as we slid into the SUV. For once, Archer didn't take the driver's seat. Instead, he left it for Sampson to drive us while he sat in the back with me.
"The late Samuel Danvers would probably disagree on that point," Archer murmured with an edge of black humor that made Sampson chuckle.
I said nothing, just stared out the window as we drove. Only a moment later, Archer reached over and unbuckled my seat belt.
Fear jolted through me and I started to protest, but he just lifted me into his lap and pulled his own belt over both of us. I pulled a couple of deep breaths to force my car-crash fear back in its box and relax into his embrace.
"Remember that first night we drove to Rainybanks?" he whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my neck. "When you sat in my lap the whole way, just to piss me off?"
I smiled at the memory. "Of course. You were so angry the whole way there."
He let out a low chuckle. "I was angry because with every passing minute holding you in my arms, your ass grinding my dick, I was losing myself to you... all over again. Except this time, I knew I'd never be able to let you go."
His arms tightened around me, emphasizing his point, and I just snuggled against him.
When we got home, he carried me all the way up to my bedroom. Silently, he placed me down on the edge of my vanity and reached for my zipper, but I stopped him with a hand to his chest.
"I've got this," I told him with a gentle smile. "Thank you."
His brow dipped, but he didn't argue. He left me to shower alone, probably going to use their shared bathroom instead.
I washed up quickly, then dressed in one of the many T-shirts I'd swiped from the boys and climbed into my big bed. Archer joined me just a few minutes later, flipping the lights off on his way into my room. His big body curled around me in a way that screamed of comfort and protectiveness.
Neither one of us spoke for the longest time, just lay there in our tangle of limbs for ages until I started to drift into sleep. That's when I heard him whisper against my hair, ever so softly.
"I love you with my whole blackened soul, Kate. You're my everything."
* * *
Some time later, I stirred as the mattress dipped and Steele climbed in on the other side of me. His hands were cold, and I groaned as he pulled me out of Archer's sleeping embrace to cuddle me to him instead.
"Shhh," he breathed. "Go back to sleep, Hellcat."
A moment later I heard another set of footsteps, then Kody's muttered curse when he found my bed already full.
Steele shook with silent laughter against me. "Too slow, bro," he whispered.
Kody grumbled some more, then it all went quiet again and I let myself drift back into deep, dreamless sleep.
The next time I woke, I could sense it was almost morning. A quick glance at my clock over Archer's shoulder confirmed that guess, so I ever so carefully climbed out of bed without waking him or Steele. Except I almost stepped straight on Kody, who had made a little bed on the floor beside my bed.
So damn cute. I needed to invest in a bigger bed.
Smiling to myself, I padded into the bathroom to shower and get ready for my wedding day.
Holy crap. It was finally here.
I washed and dressed quickly, then crept back into my room to find Kody and Steele both gone. Archer was still fast asleep, snoring softly and hugging one of my pillows to his face.
Too. Freaking. Cute.
Grinning way too damn hard, I grabbed my dress bag from the closet then tiptoed downstairs. I'd get ready at the venue, where my hair and makeup artists would be waiting. For now, I needed food.
In the kitchen, I found Kody and Steele laughing and joking with each other as they mixed batter for waffles.
"How the fuck did you two go from dead asleep to baking in three point six seconds flat? It's not natural to wake up that quick," I grumbled, sliding onto a stool and accepting a kiss from Steele.
He just grinned back at me and tucked a loose strand of pink hair behind my ear. "We wanted to make sure you had some food before you left," he told me. His gaze was locked on mine and more intense than his lighthearted tone.
"You're sweet." I leaned up to kiss him again. "But I'm pretty sure my car is due any minute now."
"We'll make waffles to go," Kody told me with a wide smile as he poured batter into the waffle iron. "They can wait five minutes."
Steele nodded his agreement, checking his watch. "I better get changed. I'm coming with you this morning, Hellcat."
My brows rose. That hadn't been part of the plan. I was supposed to go off with a security detail to get hair and makeup done—just like a real bride—and the boys were checking all our reinforcements and artillery.
"We decided it's safer," Kody told me as Steele rushed out. "None of us feel good about leaving you alone, even with our security guys. Better that either me or Steele stick close to you this morning."
I wasn't even going to argue that point; I totally agreed. "So, how'd Steele get the job?"
Kody grimaced. "Rock, paper, scissors."
A heavy knock on the door pulled our attention, and I slid off my stool to ans
wer it while Kody checked my waffle. I peered through the safety glass, then double-checked our video monitor to ensure Sampson was alone before opening the door.
"Morning," I greeted the older guy with a wide grin.
His brows twitched in confusion. "Are you ready to go?" His big, black SUV idled at the base of the steps, waiting for us, and I jerked a nod.
"Yes, just give me two minutes? Kody’s making waffles. Come in." I stepped back and held the door for him.
He gave me a puzzled look but did as instructed. Sampson had no idea about our plan today, none of our security did. Only the four of us and Zed's backup knew that this wasn't my real wedding day, so maybe I wasn't acting like a bride should? Fuck it. Whatever. Sampson would work it out soon enough, and if he really was on our side, he'd understand the subterfuge.
When we got back to the kitchen, Kody was putting the finishing touches on what he informed me was a "banana waffle sandwich," which he then wrapped with a napkin and handed to me.
"See, now you can eat it in the car," he told me, proud as punch, "but maybe take extra napkins for the syrup."
Sampson groaned and shook his head but said nothing as I took a bite of my breakfast. Steele came jogging back downstairs a few moments later and announced we were ready to go.
Kody followed us through to the foyer, then snagged my wrist before I could leave.
"Hey, babe?" He tugged me around to face him, and I awkwardly licked syrup from my lips. "Whatever happens today—"
"Kodiak Jones," I cut him off with a warning growl, "you better not be saying goodbye right now. Whatever happens today, we'll all make it out alive. Got it?"
He gave me a pained smile, but I grabbed the front of his T-shirt in my fist, yanking him down to kiss me. When I released him again, we were both breathing hard, but I wasn't done making my point.
"No one, Kodiak Jones, no one is separating the four of us again. Certainly not some piece-of-shit, limp-dick businessman throwing his fucking cash around. You're my damn penguin, Kody." I crushed another hard kiss against his lips, then smacked him on the ass. "See you at the altar, babe."
I hurried out of the house before he could stop me again because the last thing I needed was to start leaking from the eyes so early in the day. And that was exactly what would happen if I let him tell me he loved me like there was a chance one of us might die today. Nope. Not happening. Not on my watch.
"All okay?" Steele asked as I slid into the backseat beside him with my waffle sandwich still clenched in my hand.
I jerked a nod, then leaned over and kissed him too. He groaned against my mouth, his tongue flicking over my lips and his fingers threading into my hair to pull me closer.
"Are you gonna share that with me?" he murmured when our kiss ended some moments later. It took me a hot second to follow what he was even talking about, but that was all the time he needed to lean forward and take a huge bite out of my waffle sandwich.
With a shout of protest, I yanked my food away but he just grinned as he chewed his mouthful of stolen food. Bastard. But I couldn't even be all that mad at him... I loved the food-stealing prick too damn much.
Now I just needed to get fake married to my real husband and clean the slate of assassins. Then, maybe, we could entertain a happily ever after.
Maybe.
31
My bridal suite was set up in a hotel room directly across the street from the chapel where the wedding would play out. The second we got inside, I was bombarded with women all talking at a million miles an hour. Steele just laughed at what must have been a deer-in-headlights look on my face, then murmured in my ear that he'd find us some coffee.
Fuck, I loved him.
Hours later, my hair was a perfect cascade of pink curls pulled back from my face in an intricate braid and threaded with small white flowers. My makeup was flawless, and I almost seemed to glow from the inside. Like I'd just swallowed Tinker Bell or some shit.
I'd just stepped into my wedding gown when I heard voices outside the bathroom door.
Frowning, I tugged my zipper up, then pulled the door open to find out what the fuck the problem was.
"Arch?" I asked, my voice sharp with alarm. "What's going on? What's happened?"
He and Steele both turned to look at me in unison, and for a second it seemed like they were both frozen in time, like someone just pressed pause on them. It was only broken by my wedding planner's shriek of panic.
"No!" Alyssa howled. "No, it's bad luck! Don't look!" She tried to somehow block Archer's line of sight by leaping between us, despite the fact that she was all of five-foot tall and not blocking shit.
Archer's lips twitched in a grin, but his eyes didn't leave me for even a second. "I think we'll be fine, Alyssa," he told her with a hint of laughter. "Kate and I don't buy into superstitions much, do we, sweetheart?"
His teasing tone of voice made me think he wasn't here because our plans had suddenly gone awry, so I let the tension slip out of my shoulders somewhat. "He's right," I assured our panicked wedding planner, touching her shoulder gently. "Could you give us a minute, please?"
She looked confused but nodded anyway and started to hurry out of the suite with the hair stylist close behind her. Then she paused at the doorway and swung back around with a frown on her face. "Actually, Madison Kate, I was coming up to ask if you've heard from your father? I haven't seen him at the chapel, and we're getting awfully close to time." Her brows hitched high, like she was trying to remain optimistic but could quietly sense it all falling to pieces.
I gave her a tight smile in return, thinking of how my father had howled when I drove that blade into his thigh. "Oh, I'm sorry; he won't be able to make it," I told her with a forced smile. "He and Cherry ate some bad shellfish on their flight home yesterday. They're both terribly laid up with diarrhea today."
Alyssa's smile slipped to a grimace. "I see. Okay, well, no matter. It's a modern wedding; there's no reason you can't walk by yourself." Except her tone suggested it was the worst thing in the world. How right she was. I'd be one hell of a target like that... but that was sort of the point. Become bait.
"Actually," Archer spoke up, "Sampson is going to step in, right?" He gave our security guy a pointed look, and the older guy peered up at us from his phone.
"Um," he started, his sharp gaze flicking from Archer to me, then back again. "Yes, of course. I'm practically Madison Kate's surrogate uncle, so it's only right."
I bit my lip to keep from laughing at his fumbled lie, but as Alyssa was already gushing her enthusiasm for that plan, I doubt she’d noticed. Part of me felt a little guilty that I wasn’t asking James to take that role, but the guys and I had decided to keep things cautious with him for now. A surprise biological father at this late stage of the game was just a bit too cliched to trust him implicitly.
"Okay, cool, now that's sorted, so if you could..." Archer gave Alyssa a tight smile, the rest of his sentence pretty damn clear.
"Oh, yes, of course," she exclaimed, pressing her hand to her chest as her cheeks pinked. "Sorry, you wanted a moment with your beautiful bride. Please be quick, though. We're ready to start in just ten minutes."
With that, she bustled out of the room and my hair and makeup girls followed. Archer gave Sampson a pointed look, and the security guard reluctantly got to his feet.
Before he also left, he gave us all a critical look and shook his head. "Look, I don't know what's all going on here today," he said quietly, "but I don't need to know. I'll guard you with my life, miss. Same as every day." He gave me a short nod, then exited the room, closing the door firmly behind himself.
I arched a brow at the boys, my hands on my hips. "Okay, what's going on?"
"I'm pretty confident Sampson is loyal," Archer replied as he moved over to the sofa and opening the silver briefcase he'd brought with him. Inside was a slim silver pistol, much smaller than the Glocks the boys favored, and a white leather holster.
"What's this?" I asked as I moved closer to g
et a better look.
Archer turned his face to shoot me a sly grin. "Princess, you didn't think we were sending you out there totally unarmed, did you?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not." Hitching my long, lilac skirts up, I showed him where I'd attached my butterfly blade to my garter belt. Except apparently showing them my sexy lingerie interwoven with a deadly weapon had hit their stun buttons again, and both boys froze with their eyes glued to my, uh, knife.
"Actually, Steele," Archer said, clearing his throat as he recovered first. "I wanted to talk to Kate for a moment in private. Do you mind?"
Steele rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. He was already dressed in a sharp suit but hadn't put his jacket on just yet. "Bullshit, Arch," he snapped back. "Unless by talk you mean fuck, which I'd believe."
Archer glowered at his friend. "I'm serious, bro. Just give me five minutes."
I could tell Steele wanted to refuse. He wanted to argue and keep me to himself a little longer, but something in Archer's expression made his shoulders sag.
"Fine," he ground out. "Five minutes. Not even you can fuck that fast." He gave me a wink, then glared at Archer again before leaving the room.
When he was gone, I gave Archer a quizzical look. "Okay, you're acting kind of weird this morning, Arch." I sank down to sit on the sofa beside the gun case. He was on his knees, so it put us at eye level. "What's going on?"
His lips quirked in a half smile. "I can't just want to give my bride a gun on our wedding day?"
My glare flattened, even though I did appreciate the gun. "Steele could have given me the gun, Arch. Fess up; you've got something else on your mind."
He didn't disagree, but his gaze did drop away from my eyes and rake over my body, pausing over the dangerously low neckline and the generous curves of my breasts on display. "You look sensational, Kate," he told me, his voice rough. "Better than anything I could have imagined. You're a fucking goddess right now, you know that?"
