Driving Tempo

by Raine Thomas

  She pushed to her feet. “Anyway, I wanted to be sure to thank you. Mark and the kids and I are all having a wonderful time.”

  “We’re glad to hear it,” Dane said when Lily continued to stare at Sydney’s mother like she didn’t recognize her.

  Lily managed to shake off the feeling once Suzanne left. “You know,” she said, “that’s a woman who once refused to speak to her daughter for a whole month because she bought a pair of red underwear.”

  Dane’s eyebrows lifted. “Wow. Good luck, Keith.”

  “Mmhmm.”

  After a few minutes, Dane reached over to stroke the back of her neck. “How’s the arm feeling?”

  “Itchy,” she admitted. “All of the dancing has made me work up a sweat. But it’s otherwise fine.”

  “Okay,” he said. “And the ribs?”

  “Tender, but tolerable.”

  He nodded. He always tried to keep his questioning about her well-being subtle, but she knew how upset he still was about what had happened to her and Sydney and the injuries she had suffered. He had been pampering her and she had to admit that she was letting him.

  Nikki had shaken her more deeply than either of them had realized. Lily had started meeting with a therapist after exhibiting signs of post-traumatic stress. The sessions were helping, but she still dreaded going to bed every night, knowing the nightmarish memories would be there to haunt her.

  At least Nikki’s death had offered them some small relief from the stress they’d been enduring over the past few months, Lily reminded herself. The darkly threatening e-mails had finally stopped.

  In the course of looking into Nikki’s recent plans and actions, the investigative team had discovered that Nikki had been paying her roommate to send the messages. The roommate had claimed she wasn’t reading the e-mails or paying attention to the attachments with the altered photos, stating she just wanted the money.

  Rhonda had stuck to the same line about helping Nikki orchestrate the kidnapping. She continued to flat-out deny knowing Nikki intended Lily or Sydney any harm. So far, investigators hadn’t found any evidence to contradict her statements.

  Lily hadn’t spoken to Rhonda since the incident and never intended to do so again if she could help it.

  One other detail revealed in the course of investigating Nikki involved the circumstances of her birth. She had been given up for adoption but the adoption hadn’t been sealed. The Ordinem team had done a little digging and discovered that the woman who had given Nikki up for adoption was none other than Regina Greene. It seemed the two women had reconnected when Nikki was a teenager. Nikki had gotten involved with The Void as a way to conduct recognizance for Regina and Suddenly Something.

  Apparently the tour and the tumultuous relationships Nikki had maintained with Keith and Mal had somehow pushed her over the edge. The use of drugs and alcohol had exacerbated her poor judgment, leading her to concoct and attempt the plan that ultimately got her killed.

  Regina was under close scrutiny, but much like Nikki’s roommate and Rhonda, she was claiming she had no knowledge of Nikki’s actions.

  It was a common theme.

  Lily tried to cling to the positives and not dwell on the fact that her stalker still hadn’t been found. That was a problem for another day.

  As though reading her thoughts, Dane leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. “I have a question for you,” he said near her ear so she could hear over the music.

  “What question is that?”

  “Will you marry me?”

  She grinned. “I do believe I already answered that question some time ago. The answer is still yes.”

  “What I mean is,” he said, running his finger lightly over her earlobe and sending a pleasant shiver through her, “will you marry me now?”

  She tilted her head to look into his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the marriage license I’ve been keeping in my jacket pocket, waiting for the right time to use it. We got it before giving the wedding to Sydney and Keith.” He brushed his lips against hers. “The officiant stayed for the reception. I sent Barney for your wedding dress and called my parents, who should be here shortly. Ray is already here as a guest, as are the other people you’d want here. We’ve got a completely empty garden we can use for the small, quiet ceremony you’ve always wanted.”

  She looked at Sydney and Keith. “I don’t want to take any of the shine from their moment.”

  “They’re the ones who suggested it. Since it’s already so late in the evening, I thought we could wait until midnight to start the ceremony. That way we’re not really getting married on their wedding day.”

  “Really? They don’t mind?”

  “Of course they don’t. They said we should get married and head out on our honeymoon like we originally planned.”

  She didn’t think her heart could get any fuller. “Didn’t you gift our honeymoon to them too?”

  “Nope. Keith planned their honeymoon. They’re going to London and Paris over Sydney’s winter break. Our seaside Italian villa still awaits.”

  “But we were supposed to leave two days from now,” she recalled.

  “Yep. It’s a good thing I had the foresight to ask Barbara to start packing for us.” He flashed his dimples. “So what do you think? Are you ready to begin our new lives together as husband and wife?”

  The words filled her with so much joy, something she desperately needed after everything they’d recently been through together. She gave him a brilliant smile.

  “Absolutely,” she said. “I can’t wait to begin this next chapter with you.”

  To be concluded...so stay tuned!

  Keep in touch with Raine and be the first to find out when the next book in the House of Archer series releases.

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  Read on for a special look at Beautiful Finale (House of Archer #4).

  Beautiful Finale

  Chapter One

  There was broke, and then there was busted-ass, livin’-out-ya-car, can’t-even-afford-Ramen broke. Jada Morgan had crossed that line more than a month ago. To say she was desperate to change her circumstances was like saying Snoop Dogg liked to smoke a little weed.

  She sat in her car in front of Archer and Lily’s beautiful Beverly Hills home and took a couple of deep, calming breaths. Envy coated her stomach as she examined the spectacular ranch-style house with its large curving driveway, expansive windows, and lush landscaping. What would it be like to live here? To come home to a place like this and spend every night with the man of her dreams like Lily did?

  As natural as such a feeling might be, she pushed it aside. It wouldn’t help her right now.

  “Okay, Jada,” she said to her reflection in the vanity mirror of her driver’s side sun visor. “You got this. You’re fierce. You’re a fighter. You won’t walk out of this meeting without a paying job.”

  She continued to stare at her reflection for a full minute after her pep talk. She sought even a hint of the urgency she felt. When she was confident she was the only one who would know her innermost thoughts, she nodded to herself and got out of the car.

  She had parked in front of one of Archer and Lily’s four garages. There were already four other vehicles parked there. Having worked with The Void on a handful of social media shadowing opportunities over the past couple months, Jada knew the blue Camry hybrid belonged to the band’s sound specialist, Sage Strickland. Sage had in all likelihood brought his best friend, Void drummer Noelle Fox, along with him. The two seemed to travel together most of the time. The black Lexus sedan parked next to the Camry belonged to the band’s rhythm guitarist, Xander Phillips. If Jada had to guess, she’d say the brand new silver Honda CR-V still bearing the car dealer’s packaging details taped to the inside of the rear window belonged to the expectant parents, Keith and Sydney Connors. It looked like the vehicle had been driven right to the house from the lot.

&
nbsp; The last vehicle, a burgundy Audi, belonged to Christopher Donahue, The Void’s manager. Seeing it made Jada break out into a stress sweat.

  Spotting the security cameras tracking her progress, she did her best to remain cool and collected as she approached the massive front door and pressed the doorbell. She heard a faint, pleasant chime resonate inside the house. Less than a minute later, an attractive older woman answered the door.

  “Hello,” the woman said warmly. “You must be Jada. Everyone is waiting for you in the parlor.”

  Jada tried not to gape over the word “parlor.” She’d never been anywhere nice enough to have an actual parlor.

  You got this, she reminded herself, plastering a smile on her face. “Great, thanks,” she said.

  “Right this way.”

  Jada knew her eyes weren’t quite their normal size as she followed the woman through the open foyer. They passed a spacious dining area on the left that looked like it could easily seat twelve guests. To the right was a library with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and an inviting window seat overlooking a side garden with a water feature. Ahead of them, Jada spotted the edge of a gleaming kitchen bathed in natural light let in by sweeping panels of windows and glass doors leading to a pool and outdoor entertaining area. They turned down a hallway before actually entering the kitchen, at which point Jada heard the sound of several voices and a round of laughter. They must be nearing the parlor.

  Her heart started pounding hard enough she felt it in her ears. She tried to be subtle as she wiped her damp palms on the skirt of the summer dress she had chosen to wear for this meeting. Lily had called only an hour ago and asked if Jada could meet her and the band at her home. Jada had known there was only one reason they’d want to meet with her: to discuss her future with the band.

  When she had initially won the Single Spotlight contest for her work promoting the “Not Mine” release back in July, the opportunity had been meant as a chance to shadow Lily in her role as the band’s social media manager for one day. During a meeting with Jada shortly after winning the contest, Lily had decided that she wanted to explore more of Jada’s talent behind the camera. She reasoned it would give Jada a chance to experience what working on social media was really like to see if it was of genuine interest to Jada as a career. Over the past couple of weeks, Lily had dropped a few hints that she might be considering hiring an assistant now that she had accepted the role as the Social Media Director for The Void. Jada supposed Lily had been trying to gauge if Jada would be interested.

  What Jada hadn’t told Lily was that she would have taken the role—any role—even if she hated it. She couldn’t afford to be picky.

  She figured saying such a thing wouldn’t make her look so appealing as a potential employee, so Jada had paid her dues and done her damnedest to impress Lily and the rest of the band over the past two months. Now she would find out if she had done well enough.

  She rounded one last corner with the woman she assumed was the housekeeper and stood for a moment in the wide doorway leading into the parlor. It resembled what she’d always thought of as a living room, a place for receiving company that wasn’t quite as homey or lived-in as the family room. This room did look homey though. There was a fireplace along the far wall with a dark wood mantle covered in colorful decorative items and a few framed photographs. In the center of the room, two long, comfortable-looking couches faced each other across a wood and glass coffee table. On the other sides of the table were two pairs of wing-back chairs. Every seat was in use except the chair next to Christopher.

  The band’s manager was smiling, an expression that made his green eyes seem to dance. He had a cheerful disposition that did nothing to ease Jada’s nerves around him. She knew how powerful he was in the music industry. From the moment she had been introduced to him, he had intimidated her.

  Keith Connors, the band’s bassist, also made her wary. The guy didn’t smile much and his intense blue eyes seemed like they could pierce someone’s soul. Not much escaped his attention. When he looked at her, she felt as though she was being weighed and measured. It mystified her how he had ended up with the sweet and unassuming Sydney Ward—now Sydney Connors. Jada guessed something about their opposing personalities clicked for them. They sat next to each other on one of the couches, Sydney curled up against her new husband’s side with her eyes closed. Jada could admit they looked good together...like darkness and light.

  Sitting on Sydney’s other side, Xander took up half the couch. The large, muscular, sexy-as-sin male simply dominated any space he entered. In his khaki cargo pants and tight camo T-shirt, he should have appeared out of place in the stylish Beverly Hills home. Instead he looked just as at home there as he did standing on a stage playing his guitar. He had a way of adapting and blending no matter where he went. Despite that, Jada couldn’t help but notice him anytime he was in her vicinity. He made every one of her senses stand at attention.

  She deliberately looked away from him. Now was not the time to get distracted.

  Her gaze swept around the remaining people in the room. As she had suspected, Sage had driven to the meeting with Noelle, who sat on the other couch next to Lily and Archer. Sage sat in one of the wing-back chairs facing the fireplace, so Jada could only see the back of his head. The chair beside him had been pushed close enough that Sage could hold the hand of the person sitting there. Jada caught a glimpse of dark red hair when the person leaned closer to Sage and reasoned that it was Lily’s sister, Rosemary. Sage and Rosemary’s relationship was a new development, one that made Jada curious.

  “Jada,” Lily said, rising from her place beside Archer. “Thanks so much for coming on such short notice.”

  “Of course.” She stepped forward and accepted Lily’s hug, a form of greeting Jada still hadn’t gotten used to. “Congratulations to you and Archer.” When she pulled away from Lily’s hug, she looked over at Keith and Sydney. “And to you two, of course.”

  Keith and Sydney had been married just two days ago. In a surprise twist, Lily and Archer had held their own ceremony just after midnight that same night. Technically the couples had been married on separate days even if they had shared the same venue, officiant, and even wedding guests.

  Lily had asked Jada to help her out with the band’s social media after the wedding so she could focus on packing for her honeymoon. Jada hadn’t hesitated to say yes. It not only offered her great experience, she had actually enjoyed posting about both events over the past couple days. She had made excellent use of the photos and video clips Lily had shared with her.

  If she did say so herself.

  “Thanks,” Keith said in response to her congratulations. He kept his voice low, making Jada think Sydney might actually be asleep.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have a gift,” Jada said, looking from Keith to Lily.

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” Lily replied, waving Jada towards the open chair. “You had very little notice about the weddings and you’re still getting to know all of us. We don’t expect gifts.”

  Jada crossed the room and took the seat, barely avoiding issuing a Thank God in response to Lily’s statement. She couldn’t afford food, never mind buying anyone a wedding present. Still, she felt bad not having so much as a greeting card for either of the newlywed couples.

  “I wanted to thank you in person for stepping in at the last minute to cover for me after the wedding,” Lily went on. “You did a wonderful job.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Jada said.

  In the back of her mind, she prayed that she hadn’t only been invited here for a thank-you. The light prickling of anxiety-induced sweat broke out along her hairline and under her arms. What was she going to do if she wasn’t offered a paid position?

  Shut up, she told herself.

  “You’ve really impressed all of us since you won that contest,” Lily went on, invoking a series of nods around the room. “Even with everything that has aired on House of Archer and the huge amount of press about the band
lately, you’ve approached your work with The Void objectively and with passion. It’s easy to see you enjoy what you do.”

  Jada wasn’t a blusher, but having such pointed compliments aimed at her—not to mention having the undivided attention of one of the hottest bands in the world—had a flush working its way along the back of her neck. She glanced to her right and met Xander’s deep brown gaze. She struggled to swallow the nerves that rose up to tickle her throat.

  “Thank you,” she said, turning her attention back to Lily. “It’s been fun getting to know all of you and pursuing something I love to do.”

  Lily smiled. “I won’t beat around the bush. We’d like to have you officially join the team as my assistant.”

  If Jada hadn’t been sitting down she just might have fallen to the ground, so great was her relief. Her smile wanted to burst from her. She decided to set it free.

  “I would love to,” she said.

  “I know it’s unusual to discuss a job offer with so many people in the room,” Lily said. “But we all wanted to officially welcome you if you accepted.”

  Jada’s lips parted in surprise when the woman who had answered the door wheeled a cart into view. On the cart were two buckets holding bottles of champagne, champagne glasses, and two platters of some kind of food. Jada hadn’t even determined what was on the platters before her stomach immediately made itself known. She knew it had grumbled loud enough to be heard when Xander’s gaze once again moved to her. She pretended she didn’t notice.

  “So we’ll do a little celebrating and discuss some of your responsibilities first and then kick everyone but Christopher out of the room to negotiate everything else,” Lily said. “Would you prefer champagne or sparkling cider, Jada?”