Prologue

Then

Thea

“There’s nowhere for you to hide,” my mom’s screech sounded through the thin walls of the trailer we shared.

Something shattered, and I winced, hoping it wasn’t another plate. We were down to three.

“I knew I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance.”

Her words slammed against the iron-clad wall I’d built around myself. She could no longer penetrate it. Her barbs no longer hurt. My flimsy door, on the other hand, wouldn’t hold up to the assault she’d wage against it soon.

Pushing my small window open, I slipped outside, landing hands first in the overgrown grass. The trailer park I’d lived in my whole life backed onto parkland, the perfect place to disappear.

Evading my mom had become a skill I’d excelled at from an early age. It was a necessity for survival.

I’d been using the window as soon as I’d realized nothing I did or said could stop her raging anger.

And like every time things at home became too much to bear, I made my way to my best friend’s house. Everleigh’s parents were barely ever home, and her housekeeper didn’t mind the extra mouth to feed.

At least the days I stayed with her I didn’t have to go to bed hungry. I worked at a small diner in town, but the money didn’t stretch far. Not after paying for rent and utilities.

The smart thing would be to leave my family far behind. But instead, I scrambled to hold on to the pathetic life I had. But what else was there? I had no money of my own and no way to get out of Falina. The small town was the only place I knew.

Not looking behind me—because that would take time I didn’t have—I sprinted for the line of trees.

“Get back here, you ungrateful little shit. You owe me.” I could hear her yelling across the trailer park, but nobody would care. They’d gotten blind and deaf to what was going on over the years.

I made my way through the thick underbrush, scraping my arms and legs.

When the first property with perfectly cut green grass came into view, I sighed in relief. The new housing development was beautiful, and I’d always dreamed of living in such a nice place. There were no potholes in the road, and none of the houses had broken windows. I could walk down the road without getting hassled.

Maybe in another life this is where I’d end up instead of the moldy trailer I call home.

When I saw Everleigh’s house, I sped up. It had become my sanctuary. I didn’t know what I would have done without her all these years.

I walked around the house to the gate leading into the backyard. Everleigh had claimed the basement, and I had a key to the door that would get me straight there.

The loud noise of the TV greeted me as soon as I pushed the door open. Once I made it down the stairs, a familiar sight greeted me: my best friend and her little brother hanging out on her couch, watching cartoons.

Archer had only just turned ten but had been part of our trio since I could remember. We’d all been inseparable since meeting six years ago. Archer was just four back then, but we’d dragged him along with us wherever we went.

It was either that or he’d have to stay with the housekeeper. Everleigh had been more of a mom to him than his own ever had, making sure he went to school, put bandages on his many scrapes and made sure he had clothes that fit him.

He was a carefree kid, always smiling and moving around. But he was also incredibly smart, having skipped a grade and on his way to skip another.

Archer spotted me first and jumped up from where he perched on the backrest of the couch. “Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to get here for hours.”

I greeted him with a high five. “What’s up, little dude?”

He ran up to the coffee table and picked up a case, waving it over his head. “I got a new video game.”

“Is it Guitar Hero?” I asked the same question every time he bought a new game. It was the only one I knew how to play. But he usually convinced me to play with him anyway, only to beat me within the first five minutes.

I didn’t mind because it was entertaining to watch his excitement and enthusiasm when he played.

“Of course not. Will you play with me later?”

I brushed my hand over his head with a smirk. He’d recently started putting product in it, and I loved to mess it up. He escaped and went straight to the bathroom to fix his hair.

Laughing at him, I sank onto the couch next to Everleigh. “Hey, Ever.”

“What did she do this time?”

I swiped a hand over my face, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Same as always.”

“You staying over?”

I nodded. “If it’s okay with you?”

She nudged me and hit Play on the remote. “You know you don’t have to ask. You’re always welcome.”

Archer rushed out of the bathroom, his hair shiny from the extra product he’d added. “Hey, you started it without me.”

Ever rolled her eyes. “You missed two whole seconds.”

He growled at her and settled atop the backrest of the couch. His position looked decidedly uncomfortable, but Archer had always climbed anything he could; balancing on the back of the couch wasn’t a challenge for him.

Ella, their housekeeper, brought us dinner downstairs. She greeted me with a smile, not surprised I was there. I was a regular fixture at their house, after all.

We finished our dinner and settled in for another movie. Everleigh had every subscription service out there. I didn’t even own a TV.

I’d been getting drowsy, my eyes drifting shut, when shouts from outside interrupted our movie marathon. I recognized the loud voice instantly and was wide awake again. Sprinting up the stairs, I raced around to the front of the house. When I saw who was charging up to my friend’s front door, my pulse picked up, and my muscles tightened to the point of pain.

As soon as Mom set her eyes on me, they narrowed to slits, and she stormed my way. “We weren’t done talking.”

Her loud, high-pitched voice rang through the quiet street. I didn’t need to check to know that anyone who heard her would watch with avid fasciation. After all, everyone knew when Lila Henderson was involved, they would get a good show. I just hoped nobody called the cops.

I stepped toward the street. “Let’s talk over there.”

Putting her hands on her painfully narrow hips, she shot me a smirk. “You act like you don’t want your little friends to see me. You should finally accept that you’re trash who pretends to be more. If you’d accept your place in this world, you wouldn’t struggle so much.”

Gritting my teeth, I held back the tears. She didn’t deserve them. “And what exactly is my place in this world?”

When her eyes flashed with something I called her demons, I knew I’d be in for it.

“You think you’re too good to work at Diamond’s?”

I flinched when she mentioned the only strip club in town, Diamond Jewels. My hunched shoulders and fisted hands did nothing to help my case since Mom was a bloodhound on steroids. As soon as she sensed weakness, she’d take me apart bit by bit.

Working hard not to let my fear show, I pushed my shoulders back and lifted my chin in defiance. “It’s just not for me.”

I was also only seventeen. Not that the owner would care how old I was.

She pulled herself up to her full height. She was an inch taller than me and loved looking down at me. I’d always been small. And malnutrition had made sure I stayed that way. “I have bills to pay, and Marty is ready to give you the prime spot. He’s wanted you to dance for him since he saw the show you put on at your sixteenth.”

That was a memory I liked to keep buried in the darkest recesses of my mind. I’d had too much to drink and somehow ended up at the strip club, dancing on the stage. Turned out I was good at it.

“I’ll repeat what I’ve said to both of you many times. I’m not interested.” I turned to walk back inside, hoping against hope that she’d drop it.

A hand clamped onto my arm, and I winced at the pain. Her grip would leave another bruise to add to my tally.

“We’re not done.”

She’d be relentless until I gave in. But I hoped that before that happened, I’d have left town. And I’d better sort something out soon because she wouldn’t let this go. Especially not since I’d found out that she owed Marty a lot of money—and intended for me to work it off.

“Everything okay out here?” Ella appeared next to us, and I fought hard against the urge to sigh in relief. She’d dealt with Mom many times in the past.

“We’re talking. You’ll have to fucking wait,” my mother, the charmer, barked at her.

Ella wasn’t dissuaded by her. Instead, she crossed her arms, looking like she was having a casual chat. “If you don’t take your hands off her right now, I’m going to call Sheriff Cooper.”

The threat of the sheriff appearing was enough and she released me. I didn’t rub my arm like I wanted to, since it would only draw more attention. Any other cop, she wouldn’t have cared since they liked to visit her regularly. But the sheriff was happily married and not interested in anything she had to offer.

Shooting me another narrow-eyed glare, she finally backed away. “I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Nothing good ever followed that statement. It might be best if I stayed away for a few days.

Mom stalked back to her beaten-up old Ford, ripping her door open and finally driving off. I watched her car turn the corner, leaving a cloud of exhaust fumes behind.

Ella put her arm around my shoulders, steering me back to the house. “Come on, honey. Let’s go back inside.”

I looked up and noticed Everleigh and Archer standing in front of the house. They must have witnessed the whole sordid scene. Even though they’d seen many of my mom’s outbursts, I still tried to shield them as much as possible.

They were the only ones who stuck around, unconcerned about who my mom was and more interested in what I meant to them. I could never pay them back for all they’d already done for me.

Ever met us halfway across the lawn, taking my hand. Ella released me after giving me a reassuring squeeze. She went back inside through the front door, and we turned to go back to the basement entrance.

Archer took my other hand, and the three of us walked next to each other in silence. When we reached the back door, they released me, making sure I went downstairs first.

My hands shook, and I had to take deep breaths to stop myself from breaking down. I needed a minute. “I’ll be right back. You can keep playing the movie. I’ll catch up.”

I rushed to the bathroom before anyone could stop me and closed the door behind me. After splashing water on my face, I sank down on the floor, leaning against the cold tiles next to the sink.

I didn’t know how long I’d been in there, but a knock on the door startled me back to the present and away from my dark thoughts.

Everleigh came in and sat down, taking my hand in hers. I leaned my head on her shoulder.

She sighed and rested her cheek on my head. “You have to get away from her.”

“I know.”

“We’ll find a way.”

Little did we both know that it would take another seven years before I would finally find freedom. And that the freedom would come with a steep price tag attached.

Chapter 1

14 years later

Archer

“Suit up. We’re jumping in five,” Devon yelled over the plane’s engine.

The seat I sat on rattled, throwing me back and forth. Adrenaline surged through me at the thought of jumping out of the plane, then swimming the rest of the way to our target.

Tonight’s mission was a rescue. There was a hostage situation on a yacht. They were unfortunately the majority of what we did.

But this was part of the job and what paid my salary. Besides, it was most likely another false alarm. We’d had a couple over the last few weeks. I didn’t know who was on the boat, since there had been no time for a proper briefing. But it didn’t make a difference. The people that hired us all looked the same to me.

Devon walked past me, making the signal to move out. “Let’s go, Falcon Team.”

Less than two years ago, I graduated with honors, signed up for my master’s degree in physics, and was getting ready to go on a trip of a lifetime. Now I checked that I’d strapped my knives on properly and my gun was in a waterproof pouch.

There were five of us, and before each jump, we did one last check of one another’s parachute. Nobody wanted to plunge into the water at 150 mph. I slapped Carter on the back and turned so he could check my pack. I trusted my teammates implicitly. It was the only way we’d all survive.

Carter grinned, rubbing his hands in excitement. I’d never seen him be anything but cheerful and ready to charge in and do his job. He seemed to have no fear. Instead, he was excited about the prospect of plunging into icy water and then climbing aboard a yacht where we didn’t know what we’d find.

He stepped up to the open cargo door, then looked back at me with a salute and jumped.

I was the last to go, everyone besides the pilot already having left. With one last glance at the now-empty cargo hold, I jumped. I had to pull my parachute immediately, the jump not high enough for even the slightest delay.

I plunged into the icy waves, immediately unclipping my gear. After clearing the parachute, I swam toward the lights of the yacht. As soon as we’d stepped foot out of the plane, it was complete radio silence.

I knew my team would make their way to the light as instructed. I’d catch up with them once there. We all had different directives on where to enter the boat and what to disable first.

Our goal was to take the yacht back and then get the clients safely to the closest harbor, which in this case was Genoa. We already had a plane waiting there, ready to take them to the States. No matter how much we suspected this was another hysterical client who thought their butler was out to get them, we’d take all necessary precautions.

My muscles burned by the time I made it to the side of the yacht. The rough conditions slowed me down, the gear strapped to my body heavy.

My job was to secure the hostages. According to our intel, there were three staff and the two owners on board.

Only an hour had passed since they’d sent the distress call. If we hadn’t already been doing a job in The Haag, we wouldn’t have been close enough to respond so fast.

Usually, high-profile clients always had one of our men with them, but they’d opted to go by themselves this time. We’d tried talking them out of it, but in the end, clients made the final decisions over their security, no matter how much we advised against something.

Bet they won’t ever do that again.

Water splashed against the side of the boat, masking any sound I made pulling myself out. I’d lost at rock, paper, scissors and had to go over the side, solely relying on the suction caps I’d attached to the hull to pull myself up.

Once I was in, I’d be right next to the living area, where we’d detected the most heat signatures and someone would likely hold the hostages.

I made it up the side using only my arms, unable to find purchase for my feet.

Since becoming part of Locked Security, I’d taken any job I could. Being busy meant there was no time to think. My head wasn’t a good place to be these days, and burying myself in work was much easier than dealing with my demons.

I chanced a peek over the side and didn’t see anyone. Sloppy work, not covering all sides of the yacht, but careless bad guys made my job much easier.

Rolling over the side, I came to a stop in a crouch, getting my gun out of its protective pouch. Checking the magazine, I advanced on silent feet, my destination the door a few feet in front of me.

Voices drifted out through the windows. Someone was yelling, and then a loud slap sounded, followed by a whimper.

I lifted my head, peering inside. A guy who must have been one of the kidnappers stood over a kneeling figure, lifting his hand before bringing it down hard.

The person tumbled to the side, only to be righted again by another guy standing off to the side. My blood heated, and my hand tightened on the gun.

“When I ask you a question, I expect an answer,” the guy doing all the slapping yelled, his words easier to make out now.

Time to break up the party.

Counting three guys in black gear and machine guns, I waited for the signal that all the other men on deck had been taken out.

The few minutes it took to hear the three clicks in my comms seemed to take years, the sound of a hand hitting flesh again and again testing my self-control.

One last glance through the window confirmed all attention was on the hostage getting the shit beaten out of them. Bad for them, but fortunate for me.

Easing inside, I shot two guys with tranquilizers before they even knew I was there.

The third man turned my way but was down before he’d even touched his gun. That only left the hostages, who looked at me as if I was about to take them out next.

I holstered my gun and held my hands up. “I’m with Locked Security. We’re here to get you home.”

Once they realized I didn’t mean them any harm, they all started talking over each other.

The headache that had been slowly building all day developed into a throbbing ache. “Calm down. We’ll get you out of here as soon as the chopper arrives.”

Ignoring the questions hurled at me, I made my way to the form slumped on the ground. I saw shapely tanned legs first, followed by jean shorts and a white blouse spattered with blood. The mass of shiny blonde hair was hanging over her face, making it hard to see how badly she was hurt or if she was even awake.

Kneeling next to the prone form, I put my hand on her arm, only for her to flinch back. “Ma’am, are you okay? My name is—”

“Archer,” a pained whisper interrupted me.

I was wearing my full tactical gear, which included a mask. It would be hard to recognize me. Confused who would know me by my voice alone, I brushed the silky strands off her face and froze at who was lying in front of me. “Thea.”

It came out strangled, my brain unable to comprehend her bruised and bloodied face.

“You mind giving me a hand up?” Her voice already sounded stronger and more like the woman I’d known most of my life.

Unsure where to touch her, since her whole body was one big bruise, I settled on her shoulders, sitting her up.

She groaned but didn’t protest, just gritted her teeth, ignoring the lonely tear tracking down her cheek.

She lifted her gaze, and our eyes met. A barely contained fire raced through my blood upon looking at her familiar moss-green eyes. Or eye, rather, since one was almost swollen shut. Even bruised and battered she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. And the one I could never have.

My hands tightened on her at the sight, and she groaned in pain. Immediately loosening my hold, I grimaced. “Shit, sorry.”

Holding on to my arm, she pulled herself up to standing only to double over with a grimace, pressing her hand to her middle. She took a few deep breaths while I stood frozen. I’d never felt so helpless.

What is Thea doing on a boat in the middle of the ocean?

Righting herself, she focused her attention back on me. “Why are you here?”

“I’m working for Locked Security. And since we were the closest team, you got us.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her, the surprise of seeing her making it hard to hide my feelings. “Can you tell me where your husband is? We were told that both of you are on board.”

The reminder that she was now married doused the fire in my veins with a large bucket of ice.

Startling at my now-harsh voice, she grimaced. “He’s not on board. Everyone who was is in this room right now.”

I frowned, my hands forming fists to stop myself from reaching out to her whenever she groaned in pain. “Why would port authorities think there was one extra passenger?”

“Just a mistake. He didn’t join us for the trip.”

My teammates interrupted whatever reply I had.

“Good job, newbie,” Chase said, slapping me on the back, assessing the room. “But we’re missing a hostage.”

Turning away from Thea, who was now with Devon, our team’s medic, I shook my head. “Everyone’s accounted for. Apparently the husband wasn’t on board.”

Frowning, Chase narrowed his eyes. “Our intel is never wrong. Carter hacked into the port authority server himself. The husband was logged as one of the passengers.”

Cracking my neck, one of many bad habits I’d picked up after coming back to the States, I sighed. “She says he wasn’t on board. But we should get him on the line to make sure he’s safe.”

His eyes stayed on my face for a few more seconds before Chase turned to Thea. “Mrs. Barlowe, do you mind calling your husband so we can confirm he’s safe?”

Thea held out her hand, the only sign that she’d heard him, and he handed her his satellite phone. She dialed a number from memory, then put the phone to her ear. Her hair had always been gorgeous, but now it was even longer, falling down her back in thick waves. She’d filled out, her new curves suiting her.

“Hey, honey,” she said when a muted voice sounded on the other end. “There was an incident on the yacht.”

The other person yelled, cutting off anything else she wanted to say. “I’m fine,” she eventually cut in. “But the guys from Locked Security want to speak to you to make sure you’re okay. Since you’re on the manifesto.”

Her voice dropped at the last part, and I wondered what was going on here. Why would her husband pretend to be on the boat?

Thea handed the phone to Devon, who briefly spoke to William, then hit the Off button. “Okay, let’s get you to a hospital.”

Holding up her hand when Devon took her elbow to guide her out, she turned back. “What about the yacht?”

Looking at the three crew members, I weighed our options. We could anchor the boat here and hope nobody made off with it, or we could persuade the crew to get it to the closest harbor.

I looked them over. They seemed a little shaken up but had no visible injuries. “You guys up for getting the yacht to a dock?”

A guy stepped forward, white uniform untucked, one of his shoulder pads ripped off. “Of course. A captain never leaves his ship. We’ll get her back safely, Mrs. Barlowe. You go and get yourself fixed up.”

Lowering her head, Thea sighed in defeat. “Thank you, Ricky. Radio if you need anything.”

“I will. Now take care of yourself, and don’t worry about a thing.”

When Devon guided her out of the room, she didn’t stop him. Carter spoke to the captain, and I followed Thea, unable to let her out of my sight.

She placed one foot in front of the other with infinite care, leaning heavily on Devon.

The urge to hurt the guy who’d hit her was overpowering. But if there was one thing I’d learned in the past year, it was how to turn off my emotions.

“Where do you think you’re going, newbie?” Carter called after me. “We have captives to process and hand over to the authorities.”

Losing sight of Thea as she disappeared around the side of the boat, I turned back. My thoughts should have been on completing the mission, not on a woman who was only a memory.

Picking up the guy who’d stood guard, I slapped him, hoping he’d wake up and I wouldn’t have to drag him behind me.

The sound of a chopper approaching signaled Thea’s ride to the hospital. I spent the remainder of my night dragging unconscious bodies to a police boat that had arrived to take the guys we’d knocked out into custody.

I made a note to talk to the office about lowering the doses in the tranquilizer darts, since it was hard work dragging limp bodies.

When the chopper came back to pick us up, I didn’t ask about Thea. Instead, I requested to be assigned to the next available team going out on another mission.

I was in luck, since there had been an assassination attempt on the US ambassador in South Africa. They still needed someone to complete the team to go out there and extract him. It was the perfect way to forget about a past I no longer wanted to remember.

Chapter 2

Thea

Images of Archer’s ice-blue eyes ran in my head on repeat, mocking me with their clarity, teasing me with their intensity. He’d worn a face covering, but I’d recognize his honeyed voice and those eyes anywhere.

I thought seeing him again would feel like seeing an old friend. Instead, every missed opportunity, every missed chance, came roaring back at me. The last time I’d seen him, he was eighteen, already tall but not as muscled as he was now.

The feeling of his hard bicep under my hand was burned into me. I’d always thought of him as a younger brother, but around the time he turned eighteen my feelings had changed. And I’d been disgusted with myself for feeling something for my best friend’s younger brother, which resulted in me cutting any contact with him.

I hadn’t seen him in seven years. My attraction to him should have been all but a distant memory. But it seemed it burned brighter than ever.

I wanted to let the tears I was holding at bay fall. Not because someone had beaten me up, but because Archer had treated me as if I was a stranger. As if I’d been nothing more than a job.

I guessed I was. And it had been my decision to cut him out of my life. The consequences were mine to bear.

“Darling.” My husband, William, came into my hospital room with grand hand gestures and tears in his eyes. All his theatrics froze in their tracks when he set eyes on me. Then they bulged out of his head, and he took a stumbled back.

Ciel, his boyfriend, was right behind him, stopping his retreat. When he stepped around my frozen husband, he gasped, clasping his hands to his chest. “Mon cherie, what have they done to you?”

Rushing to my bedside, he fussed over the blankets, then visibly wavered between touching me and breaking down in tears.

Putting him out of his misery, I lifted my hand. “This is the safest part on my body to touch right now.”

He collapsed on his knees next to the bed, holding my hand. “We should have been on the boat with you. I’m so sorry for making William take me to this stupid art show instead.”

Squeezing his hand, I swallowed the resentment that wanted to rise. What happened wasn’t his fault. “If you had been on board, things might have gotten much worse. I’m getting out of here tomorrow, and the doctor said nothing’s broken. I only have a few bruised ribs.”

A miracle, really, since I could still feel the boot hitting my side.

William finally came unstuck and rushed to my other side, taking my free hand in his. “I’m so sorry, darling. This is all my fault.”

I turned my head his way. “What do you mean?” 

“I made an error of judgment. But I’ll fix this.” He put the back of my hand to his forehead, then his lips. “I promise.”

They stayed with me until the nurses kicked them out. Despite fighting to keep my eyes open, I fell into a drug-induced sleep.

***

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” William hovered next to my bed.

I’d been home for five days, confined to the bed, even though I was perfectly capable of walking. But William’s guilt weighed him down, which was why he wouldn’t let me lift a finger, anticipating my every need and refusing to let me walk farther than the bathroom.

His constant hovering was wearing on me. No matter how well he meant, if he didn’t back off soon, I’d throw something at him.

I wanted to stay in bed for the next week, not talking to anyone. Which, so far, William had prevented, forcing me to shower every morning, then staying to keep me company.

Whenever I indicated I wasn’t up for it, he carried me to the bathroom. If I didn’t undress fast enough, he did it himself, then deposited me into the shower, handing me a soaped-up loofah before leaving.

If only Ciel were here to talk sense into him. But he lived in Paris and needed at least three Valium to brave getting on a plane. The fact he came to the hospital in Genoa where the rescue team had taken me showed how much he cared. He wouldn’t get on a plane for just anyone. Ciel was the yin to William’s yang, and they balanced each other out perfectly.

William would have lost it at the hospital if Ciel hadn’t been there.

“I’m fine. But a nap sounds great.”

I knew if I said I was going to sleep, I’d buy myself at least two hours of peace. I wondered how he’d been able to postpone work for so long. I’d never seen William take more than a day off, not even when he had his wisdom teeth removed and could barely talk.

His guilt must have been weighing him down more than I thought.

Finally backing off, he smiled at me. “I’ll leave the door open, but I’ll be in the office. If you need anything at all, yell out.”

Resigned to spending another day assuring my husband I was fine, I turned on my side, watching him walk out of the room. It was as elaborate as the rest of the house, every last thing color coordinated.

I’d gone with an elegant look, choosing pastels and whites. The room was light and three times the size of the trailer I grew up in. I could hear the ocean when I opened a window, something I did often.

William was an attentive husband, even if he couldn’t give me the one thing I longed for. I’d known from the start what I was getting into. He’d always been honest about who he was. If someone had asked me before the incident on the boat, I would have said William would never have done anything to put me in danger.

But now I couldn’t shake the doubt that ate at me. My emotions were all over the place. Not only about William, but I also hadn’t been prepared to see Archer. He’d changed, yet he was still the same. His voice had carried a hard edge that hadn’t been there before, and his piercing aquamarine eyes were duller.

The man I’d encountered on the boat was much more jaded than the joking, carefree boy I once knew.

I wondered if he had a girlfriend. He wasn’t married, I knew that much. My best friend—and his sister—Everleigh would definitely have mentioned a marriage. But then again, she didn’t mention his change in career either. I doubted she even knew.

He’d only been back a year after disappearing in the wilderness of Guyana. We still didn’t know what had happened to him.

The phone on my nightstand vibrated, and I dove for it, grateful for the distraction. My desperation to escape my thoughts was so great that I accepted a call I usually avoided.

“Don’t you know how to answer a phone? Or do you have people doing that for you now?”

I’d been ignoring my mom’s calls for the past week. Talking to her required a strength I simply hadn’t possessed so close after being used as a punching bag and seeing Archer.

Not that I was a stranger to a beating.

“How are you?”

Keeping my voice neutral was the best way to get her to tell me why she was calling. I guessed it was money. She didn’t ever call for anything else. Thankfully, I didn’t have any siblings. I wouldn’t want to put anyone through what I had to deal with growing up.

Or at least what I’d endured until I met Everleigh. She’d been my knight in shining armor. I didn’t know if I’d have survived without her and Archer.

“I need money.”

Standing up, I paced the room, biting my thumb, the pain distracting me from the hurt I felt at only being a piggy bank to her.

I didn’t know my dad, and I doubted my mom knew who it was.

“How much?”

“Ten K.”

Biting down on my thumb with too much force, I cursed, shaking out my now-throbbing finger.

“Are you crazy? Why do you need so much money?”

“I just need it. Now, are you going to help me or not?”

The bubbling rage caused my vision to waver and my breathing to speed up. I’d been doing plenty of thinking over the last week. It was time to make some changes in my life, starting with cutting ties with the person who had been using me my whole life. She’d never been a mom and never would.

The realization was hard to accept.

“Not.” I ground the word out, readying myself for the abuse that was sure to follow.

“You ungrateful little bitch. I let you live with me. Fed you. Clothed you. And this is the thanks I get? Just because you spread your legs for a rich bastard doesn’t mean you’re better than me.”

And there it was. “You let me live with you? I think you mean to say thank you to me for paying rent. For making sure the water and electricity didn’t get cut off. For working even though I had to go to school. For continuing to give you money even now.”

My voice kept rising until I was yelling into the phone, my breathing choppy.

“How dare you.” Her voice now matched mine in volume, and I cringed at the high tone. “If you don’t transfer the money, I promise I’ll have a chat with your husband. I’m sure there are things you’d rather he not know.”

One thing nobody—including my mother—realized was that William knew everything there was to know about me. I’d had to agree to a thorough background check, a medical exam, and sign an ironclad prenup and nondisclosure agreement before we married.

“Go for it. Now I think it’d be best if you lost my number.”

After I hung up on her screaming, all strength left me. The phone seemed too heavy, and I dropped it to the wooden floor with a loud thump.

I wondered if I’d forever be haunted by a past I thought I’d escaped.

Familiar arms wound around me, and I turned, burying my head in a comforting chest. William must have heard me yelling into the phone. Lucky for me, because he gave great hugs. And he was affectionate with those he cared for. Even though he didn’t love me the way I wished he did, I knew he loved me nevertheless.

A sob cut through the silence, and William tightened his arms around me. “She’s not worthy of your tears, darling.”

His words only made me cry harder.

She’d never cared about me. Mostly resented my existence. There was no reason I should try over and over again to build a relationship that simply couldn’t exist.

William somehow steered me to the bed without letting go, then laid us both down, wrapping his body around mine.

If this was all I could ever have, it would have to be enough.

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