by Avery Flynn
Archer’s sorrowful smile dashed her vain hope. “Everything like we practiced. You’ve got this. I’m right here, and I won’t let them drown you.”
She took another deep breath and, reminded herself it was just like when she went on stage. All they had to do was make it to the car, then they could disappear back to the hotel. Faking the confidence she didn’t possess seemed to be her expertise. Clasping Archer’s arm, she let him guide her down the steps careful of her dress and her heels.
They didn’t even make the second one before the lights glared in her eyes, blinding her. Cameras clicking. The shouts rolled over her in a wave.
“Have you a response to the latest reports, Miss Sato?”
“Can you tell us about your brother’s arrest?”
“How would your brother feel about you taking in a musical while he’s sitting in a jail cell?”
Hoshi nearly tripped, but Archer kept her on her feet, and they made the last step. Angling slightly ahead of her, Archer used his bulk to make the reporters back up.
“Don’t you have a comment? Your brother’s facing charges on multiple felony counts. If he’s found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison”
“Did you know about what his plans are?”
“Were you aware the security guard passed away an hour ago?”
The unsettled feeling in her stomach pitted and began to burn, like an acid.
Five steps from the car.
“Hoshi, did you help your brother plan the robbery? It occurred the same night you won This Girl’s Got Talent. Was your participation a smokescreen for your brother’s activities?”
Toes curling tight inside her shoes, Hoshi wanted to grab that microphone from reporter and shove it up her nose.
“She has no comment. Back off.” Suddenly, Archer was just there, his presence offering her a firm strength even as his cool words ordered them away. Then Eddie had the door open, and she was inside the vehicle.
Flashes continued to explode around her, a hellish fireworks display just for her. Anxiety pounded against the inside of her skull, flailing to get out or maybe to just get answers.
They’d arrested her brother? Not just held him for questioning?
Did they have real evidence? Was he involved? How could he be?
A moment later, Archer slid into the backseat next to her and Eddie behind the wheel. Their driver got the car moving, a crawl really as the journalistic fringe hemmed them in.
“I’m sorry.” She said the first thing that came to mind.
“Sorry for what?” Though hostility edged his words, Archer took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You aren’t at fault, and you aren’t the reason they’re here. They all want a pound of flesh, a good juicy story to create a 140 character headline to generate more clicks and ratings.”
He slid his other arm around her shoulders and, for a moment, she resisted the gentle offer before turning her face into his shoulder. She blinked furiously. Raised to oppose public displays of emotion, she fought a losing battle against the tide rising to swamp her. Archer wasn’t the public, he’d become something of a friend.
Maybe more than a friend.
“They arrested my brother.” Saying it aloud made it even more real. “I saw it on the news, then my father texted me and told me not to say anything to anyone. To make no statements. Which isn’t really a problem, because I don’t know anything.”
“As much as you may hate it,” Archer said his voice kind, calm, and soothing. “In this case, keeping you in the dark about all of it may be for the best.”
Rearing back, she stared at him and tried to make out his expression in the passing lights from outside the car. “How can you say that?”
“Easily. If your brother is facing criminal charges, and there’s any reason to suspect you were aware of his activities before, during, or after, they could make you an accessory after the fact. I think your parents aren’t tell you anything because they are trying to protect you.”
Stunned, she curled her hand into a fist. “But they’re also not letting me be there for my brother.”
“I get that. Family is important. Right now your life and your career are also important. What’s happening with your brother, it may be a long time before it’s over. You need to protect yourself, and thus protect your brother from reciprocal scandal on your part. Not involving you, it protects you.”
Confusion swarmed her. “Adonai is trying to protect me? But why? I didn’t do anything.”
“Of course not.” He waved away the idea of her involvement without hesitation “Big brothers protect their little sisters from everything, especially a brother’s mistakes. It’s what they do.”
Despite the fact Archer didn’t know her family, everything he said made sense. He wasn’t wrong; Adonai had never been shy about defending her. If he really needed her help, he would’ve called. He’d called her while in the first few weeks, when she’d been on the show. He called her when he needed to borrow money and sometimes to give her advice.
Borrow money. He’d needed to borrow the cash to get his car fixed. A mistake with a friend damaged his vehicle, and their parents refused to assist him because he shouldn’t have let someone borrow his car. She’d sent him what she could…but had it been enough?
Could that be why he robbed a bank?
The concept was so alien. Adonai was a good person.
“Hoshi,” Archer’s gentle voice intruded on her musings, and she glanced at him blankly. For a moment, she’d forgotten where she was.
“I think I may have overstepped.”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “You said what I needed to hear. I just hate feeling helpless.”
“You’re not helpless,” he said as he squeezed her shoulder. “The next time you talk to the press, make a statement.”
“My father doesn’t want to talk to anyone about anything.”
“You don’t have to talk about the crime, talk about your brother. You can say I love my brother, he’s always been there for me. And I’ll always be there for him.”
The simplicity of the statement struck her. “That isn’t commenting on what he did or may have done. It doesn’t even acknowledge that something’s going on, it just says I love my brother.”
Her companion inclined his head in agreement.
“You’re brilliant.” Tilting her head up, she couldn’t help but smile as she stared at him. “Thank you so much. I think the day I met you was the luckiest one of my life.”
His gaze dipped to her lips back to her eyes. She shivered at the implied request. As sweet as it would be…
“Thank you,” she repeated, then kissed his cheek. “I know you invited me to dinner, but would you mind terribly if I went back to my room and to bed? I’m really tired and I have an early call time tomorrow.”
“Not a problem at all. Would you like a ride to your call?” The ease of his acceptance, and the grace in it—it looped a coil around her heart.
“Don’t you have things to do tomorrow?” The last thing she wanted to do was impose.
“I’ll make the time.”
It seemed they were of similar mindset there, too. She wanted to make the time for him, for the chance to see him. “Coffee at seven?”
“I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
She snuggled against him, resting her head against his shoulder. The drive back to the hotel seemed to take them longer than it had to get the theater. Maybe she was just exhausted.
“And, Hoshi?” A soft whisper stroked her senses. “I think meeting you was the luckiest day of my life, too.”
Oh, the butterflies in her stomach rioted. Maybe she shouldn’t have declined that offer of a kiss, but she wasn’t ready for intimacy.
Yet.
“Swarmed by reporters as she exited the hit musical Hancock, Hoshi Sato declined to answer questions about the charges her brother is facing. Stay tuned to this developing story…” –ACE News Clip
“I
can’t believe you’re still in the city.” Felicity’s annoyance echoed through the phone line. “Are you trying to drive me insane?”
“No,” Archer said as he checked his appearance in the mirror, then tugged on his suit jacket. “I just see it as one of the perks.”
She growled, actually growled, and Arched paused to study his phone. He’d only turned it on long enough to check his email then his voicemail. Both only after he’d enjoyed breakfast with Hoshi and taken a run. “You know, if I didn’t like you so much, I would just fire you.”
“Fire me?” Archer raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you work for me?”
“No actually, smartass, I don’t. This was a favor, as in something I was doing without the expectation of anything in return. That said, if you’re not going to listen to me, there’s no point.”
“I listen to you, Felicity,” he said mustering his patience. “I just don’t agree with you.”
“What? Is it about this girl? You didn’t even know who she was before I mentioned her.” Then there was a pregnant silence. “Oh, Archer, really?”
“Shut up.” They’d crossed the line from public relations to personal, and he wasn’t willing to discuss Hoshi with her. Not on that level. “I’ll be at the Johnson Arms for the foreseeable future. You can keep those reservations open if you want, but I don’t have any intentions of leaving yet.”
“Do you really think she’s your type?” The sober question dug deep, and it left its mark on his soul.
“No, I know she’s not my type. I’ve never been this attracted to someone who was completely honest about who they were. Nor have I had the opportunity to really look after someone.” Not since his mother.
“Not since your mom died.” Dammit. Felicity knew him too well. “All right, I’ll see what I can do about burying some of the stories. But they’re getting traction because the press is really focused on her. You’re showing up in a lot of those photos. I can’t believe they haven’t identified you yet.”
“They’re not looking for someone who plays hockey. Probably think I’m just the security.” For once, he could live with that anonymity, though he’d give it all up if it would protect her. “Is there anything you can do about getting the press off her ass?”
“Look, hot stuff, she is so much chum for the sharks right now. Especially with everything going on with her brother.”
“Speaking of which, what is going on with him? The news keeps publishing a lot of innuendo and suggestion, but they’re not giving straight facts other than he was arrested. Are they actually charging him?”
“They have seventy-two hours from the time they took him into custody to actually press charges or else they have to let him go. We’re only on hour twenty-three.”
In other words, they didn’t have any answers yet. “Well, see what you can do about maybe quashing those stories.”
“Me and what nuclear bomb are you suggesting I drop to get the press on to something else? Have you knocked up someone recently? Oh, I know, maybe you’re announcing your engagement to the supermodel of the week? Archer, there is nothing we can do about this.”
It was an unacceptable answer and one he wasn’t going to agree with. “You’re a smart lady, Felicity. Hell of a lot smarter than I am. Figure something out.”
She growled again, but she didn’t say anything before disconnecting the call. He could do worse in life than have friends like Felicity. With that in mind, he double-checked his teeth then took a step back. Had he really just looked at his teeth in the mirror? His appearance had never been that important to him, not even when he had to show up at official functions. Why was it so important now?
Hoshi.
Oh, damn, she really did mean something to him. Before he could process the thought, a knock sounded on his door. Since he hadn’t ordered any room service after the coffee and juice he’d called down for an hour before, he walked over and checked the peephole.
Holy crap. Jerking the door open, he stared at his cousin. “George, what the hell are you doing here?”
The Andraste prince in question gave him a sly grin. They shook hands, then traded it for a fast hug. Their fathers had been cousins, and while Archer had his issues with his father, he did like the rest of the family. Though the family’s claim to the Belarian throne was long in the past, they retained their titles, wealth and plenty of holdings. Like George, Archer possessed a full title and peerage, he just didn’t avail himself of it.
George’s security detail stood in the hall—two right behind George and, if Archer were a betting man, at least two more farther down.
“It’s good to see you. Do you mind if I come in?”
“Not at all,” Archer said as he backed up, leaving the door wide for George’s security to enter first and do their sweep. He and George waited patiently for the all clear as the man checked both bedrooms of the two-bedroom suite, then assured himself the door to the adjoining room was locked. As long as the Cup was in residence with Archer, he had to have a suite. The connecting door was for the Keeper. If Archer left, he would unlock the door so the Keeper could check on the Cup. Archer had given his word that he wouldn’t allow it to be removed from the room without the Keeper’s presence.
“All clear.”
“Thank you,” George said as the guard exited and closed the door behind them.
“God, I don’t miss that.” Archer commented. Just watching the bodyguard gave him the heebie-jeebies. One of the reasons he changed his name, at least for the duration of his time in popular sports, was because it let Archer ditch the personal security.
Then again, maybe George was the answer to his prayers.
“You know, you get used to it. I don’t mind two guards so much. Besides, we’ve been staying down at the Village for the last few months. Got the entire top two floors of the brownstone.”
“And security has the bottom?” Archer knew how it went.
George shrugged. “Like I said, you get used to it. I like having him around to keep an eye on Penny. She’s worse about security than you are, but at least I know she’s safe when I’m not there.”
“And when you are there, she’s even safer.” His cousin grinned at the retort. “But seriously, cousin, as good as it is to see you, what are you doing here? You do remember part of the arrangement is I keep my distance from the family. Hard to keep my distance, if you show up at my door.”
“True.” George pointed to the coffee sitting on the tray. “Is that fresh?”
“Yeah, got here about an hour ago, but I’m haven’t had any.”
The other man made a circuit of the room on his way to the coffee. “Congratulations, on the win, by the way. We followed every game.”
“Bullshit.”
George grinned again. “All right, I followed every game. Armand and Sebastian both asked me how it went.”
That he believed. Armand wasn’t a huge fan of hockey. Too brutal a sport, though he’d never expressly forbidden Archer’s pursuit of the game. “Thanks, and after you pour the coffee and we exchange a few more pleasantries, can you get a jump on why you’re here?”
“You in a hurry to get somewhere?” His cousin poured himself a cup of coffee then gave him a studious but skeptical look. “A certain hot popstar got your attention, does she?”
That was why he was here. “Did Armand send you?”
“No.” George shook his head. “Mother did.”
That was even worse. The Grand Duchess Marie was in on it. “Hoshi has no idea about the family. She’s perfectly respectable. She’s a good person. No one has anything to worry about.”
“Mother’s not worried about her. Mother’s worried for her. She follows the news, you know.”
Did he ever. If anything ever got past the Grand Duchess, Archer would be truly surprised. “She’s fine. I’m keeping an eye on her and…” He didn’t want to finish the statement.
“I knew it.” George snapped his fingers. “Bastian is gonna owe me a grand.”
&nbs
p; “And what did you know?”
“You care. That pop princess has stolen your heart. It’s written all over your face, man, and glaring at me won’t change it.”
“Man? Has your little American changed you, too?” His cousin George had fallen hard for an artist by the name of Penny Novak, who just happened to be the sister-in-law of George’s older brother, and Archer’s cousin, Armand. Penny was as Bohemian as they came, and so completely not part of their royal circle, yet she was perfect. At least, perfect for George.
“There are worse things you could accuse me of. But, no, I had a bet with Sebastian after that first photo of you popped up.”
“None have been in my name, so how the hell did you know about it?”
With a dry look, George shrugged. “You know Armand’s security. They keep an eye on everything. I’m pretty sure that they’ve got visual scanners that look for photos of us that crop up online. Soon as they hit the report, they get mailed off and, boom, it’s on Armand’s desk and one of us is in the hot seat.”
“Except you’re here and he isn’t, and you said your mother sent you, which means I’m not in trouble.” Archer glanced at his watch. Fortunately, he still had time before he needed to head down to the studio. Hoshi had called him after she left, to let him know that rehearsals were being shortened. Her voice had an odd little catch in it. When he asked about the interview that night, she’d not really given him a direct answer. Hearing the upset she was trying not to show, he’d offered to pick her up and usher her back to the hotel.
He didn’t want to be late.
“Exactly, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.” George’s friendly expression vanished. “You realize that having her brother arrested is going to make the scandal worse, right?”
“I don’t care.” When confronted by a member of his family on an issue he just argued with his publicist about, Archer didn’t bother to disguise his investment. “I don’t care what personal scandals are going on in her life, I don’t care how they’re going to affect the family image, I care even less about what they might do to my image. I like this girl. I like her a lot.”
