Tag had picked up the phone but he’d been cagey in trying to get her off the line. Nya didn’t know what he and Gio were doing, but she certainly got the impression that she was interrupting something.

When she told him it was important, life or death, he did get a little bit cocky and accused her of being dramatic, but Tag knew her well enough to recognize that her tone was serious and he eventually gave her an address, which she gave to Archer. He and Shaw disappeared out of the apartment and she was told to stay with Ester. Archer also drummed into her the need to stay put and told her that she shouldn’t open the door to anyone under any circumstances.

As she had before, she’d followed his instructions, but it was a sleepless night. For her at least. It got into the wee hours and Nya kept telling herself not to look at the clock, but the seconds were torturous. More than once she checked the devices to make sure they weren’t faulty because the minutes didn’t seem to be passing at all.

Her phone didn’t even complete its first ring before she grabbed it up off the nightstand and pressed receive. “Archer?” she said, the desperation apparent in her tone. “Where are you? What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“Well, hi,” Archer said.

“Please don’t do that, I’m not in the mood to play,” she said, scrambling off the bed. Clutching the phone with two hands, she tiptoed out of his bedroom to leave Ester behind sleeping in the sheets. “I can’t believe it took you this long to call me.”

“I thought you’d be asleep,” he said.

“Asleep?” He actually meant it, he sounded sincere. “How in the hell could I sleep when you’re out there? There’s people who want to…” Nya didn’t even want to say the words. “Archer, please tell me you’re ok.”

“I’m ok.”

“Thank God,” she said, sinking down onto the couch and hooking her elbows around her knees as she drew them up to her chest. “And Tag? Is Tag ok? I know you don’t really care, but I—”

“He’s ok. Everybody’s ok,” Archer said, maybe he’d caught on now to her level of stress because his voice became soothing.

Nya took a deep breath and the biggest sigh of relief she’d ever exhaled came next. “Oh, Archer, I love you so much. I’m so sorry about all this. I know you’re doing it for me—”

“Calm down, Ny,” he said. “Have you been this wound up all night? Don’t you trust me? You know I take care of our business.”

“I know you do, Fella, I do,” she said, closing her eyes and holding the phone closer to her mouth like it somehow brought her closer to him. “I know you do, baby, but I feel so helpless. I hate feeling useless sitting here; I can’t do anything to help you. I just went through this same thing the other night when you and Tag went away for your meetings with Gio and Lucas. I feel like all I do is sit here waiting for you.”

He didn’t say anything and she knew that she was being unreasonable. It wasn’t Archer’s fault that she felt powerless as she paced and sat and stood and walked and tried to occupy herself. But that didn’t stop her rambling, she kept on going. “And it’s different when you’re out there with Tag. I can trust you to look after yourself; I know you can do that. But you like watching your own ass, not worrying about anyone else’s.”

“I don’t mind watching yours,” he said. It was obvious that he was trying to flirt with her to make her feel better and relax her, but Nya still felt itchy and tense.

Her heart was still going too fast for her to think about relaxing. “I love you.”

“You really have been worried. Usually you only say that this much when my dick’s inside you.”

Still with the flirting. “What would you rather I say?” she asked. “Would you rather I beg you to come home to me?”

“I can’t, Sweets. I want to, but I’ve got to hang here for a while.”

“Where are you?” she asked. “I can come to you. Wherever you are in the city—”

“No.”

“Please,” she said. “Please, wherever it is, I’ll be safe if you’re there.”

Funny how quickly he forgot about the flirting. “Taggert’s a loose cannon, and I don’t trust Gio. And you expect me to keep my eyes on your tail too? You know I’ll sacrifice your buddies and every guy here if I think you’re in danger. Don’t you think it’s best you stay where you are? You stay safe.”

Yes, she knew what he was saying, if Archer felt like there was even a chance she could get hurt, he’d pull them both out leaving Tag and Gio to their fate, whatever it may be. But she still wanted to be close to her love.

“My tail is always safer when it’s next to yours. If I was with you—”

“No,” he said, “don’t start making promises about what you’ll do to my dick. I’m in a room full of guys, I can’t…”

He didn’t finish his sentence and she saw an opportunity to tease him while she held this power. But it wouldn’t be right to torment him, not while there were so many variables. Nya didn’t know who was in that room with him or what their motivations were or even if they knew that she existed.

The fact that Archer was calling a woman at all at this time of night to reassure her, showed those in the room with him that he had a vulnerability, which he’d be hating every second of. If she started prodding him to make intimate declarations they might pique the wrong people’s interest.

So if she couldn’t go to him, Nya tried for the better option. “Why can’t you come home to me, Fella? Bring Tag here and—”

“Not a chance,” Archer said. “And you don’t open that fucking door for anyone. I don’t care if the Pope shows up, or the President, you keep that door locked, and if anyone knocks, you call me, you understand?”

Why was he so worried? Archer didn’t say he was, but when he issued those commands in the way he did, it was his way of saying that she was on his mind. Nya knew he didn’t like to be separated from her any more than she liked to be separated from him. And what she’d said about her being safer when he was nearby was true.

Guaranteed, Archer would rather be with her right now than wherever he was. “You keep bailing my friends out,” she said. “Doesn’t it get old?”

“All the time,” he said. “At times like this, I start to question how the hell I end up in these situations so often, and I always figure it started happening when I met you.”

“Question?” she asked and although it was subtle, she picked up on the teasing in his voice. “Question enough to want your independence?”

“Yeah, I question it until I walk into the apartment get a look at your tits and then I remember how worth it you are.”

Archer was worth this worry too. “I don’t want to lose you. I know I’m a pain in the ass when you call and I’m emotional. But it’s only because I’m worried that you’re hurt. What would I do if you were? I realized the other day, I can’t get in touch with Derren or Kristof.”

“We’ll take care of that soon as I’m home,” he said. “If anything happens to me, one of them will always find you.”

But how long would that take? Nya didn’t even want to think about it. Days? Her heart wouldn’t cope if she had to pace and wonder for hours and days. “Can you tell me what happened?” she asked. “Tonight. Who’s there? Is Shaw with you? Did Lucas find you?”

“I can’t talk about that,” he said. “Everybody’s safe and we’re in a safe place. But I can’t leave Tag and Gio here alone. The guys around don’t trust your friends and I can’t trust them to act right, you know?”

He couldn’t trust Tag not to start an argument and Gio not to start a fight. Wherever they were, if the people around didn’t know Tag and Gio then they were Archer’s friends, well, his associates. Her man didn’t really have friends. How Tag and Gio acted was a reflection on Archer, so he had to be there to make sure they didn’t step out of line.

“Will you come home to me tonight?” she asked.

“Listen, Sweets, I just called to let you know that everyone was safe, ok? I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at the courthouse tomorrow.”

And then there was a silence and the phone line died in her ear. He’d called her ‘Sweets’ which meant there were outsiders nearby. He hadn’t told her he loved her even though she’d said it to him more than once and that told her that the men who were there may be enemies.

They were safe, for now, but that didn’t mean they would be safe all night.

Nya had to try to sleep and she felt a little bit better now that she’d heard from Archer, but she slept better with him at her side. So while she returned to bed, she kept her phone close, praying that he’d call again. It probably wouldn’t happen, but if it did, she’d be ready.

 

 

Despite her attempts to keep him on the line for as long as possible, their conversation had been brief. Too brief. Nya kept herself awake with thoughts of things she should’ve said to her love. He’d hung up and that was the last she’d heard from him, though she jumped every time she thought maybe the phone had vibrated.

It was so Archer that his final words were about seeing her at the courthouse. Whatever he was going through, whatever trauma he’d endured with Tag that night, he was still aware of everything including his mother’s upcoming nuptials.

Her initial relief didn’t last and it didn’t matter that Archer had assured her that everyone was alive. Nya felt that it wasn’t enough to hear the words; she needed to look at his face and at Tag’s too. 

Nya couldn’t understand why it was so important for her love to stay with Tag and Gio today when she felt like she needed him so bad. Archer hadn’t referenced Shaw at all, she didn’t even know if he was still with them. She’d begged to be allowed to join them, but without Archer revealing where they were, she had no chance of finding them without his invitation, which of course, he didn’t give.

Ester had been all about the wedding at breakfast. She’d made eggs and attempted to put Scotch in her coffee, Nya had her work cut out keeping the woman sober.

Before long, it was time to get dressed. Ester spent a huge amount of time on Nya’s hair and on her makeup. The woman said she loved having a daughter who she could dress up like a doll. Nya thought she should’ve perhaps spent some more time on her own presentation.

Although Ester did look beautiful, the woman’s dress seemed almost demure by her usual standard. By comparison to the ivory bridesmaid dress that Ester had insisted was perfect for Nya in the store, it was kind of plain. The gown Nya wore had an ethereal quality that did lend itself to the occasion, and she couldn’t deny that it was beautiful, but she did feel a little overdressed.

Ester assured her that being the younger model, Nya should have the most beautiful dress and joked that she’d had hundreds of wedding dresses through the years and had chosen something completely opposite to normal in hopes it would be a sign the outcome of the day would be different to normal too. Changing her apparel might break the cycle of Ester’s failure to say “I do” and Nya hoped this day would be different too.

Nya couldn’t say that she was in the mood to be festive. If Archer had been around, maybe she’d have been able to relax and embrace this joyous event.

As it was, she hadn’t heard a peep from Derren and he hadn’t shown his face. There was a possibility that he and Kristof were helping Archer with Tag, but if they were, the last thing Nya wanted was to be with a jilted Ester if something went wrong or delayed the men.

Nya would be devastated if some terrible fate befell her love or her friend, and almost as devastated if something happened to Ester’s.

Somehow Ester managed to stay chipper. She looped their arms together and led her out of the apartment. They grabbed a cab and stopped at the florist on the same block as the courthouse. Nya was surprised to see the bouquets, and more surprised when Ester began to arrange fresh flowers in her bridesmaid’s hair.

“Ester, stop fussing with me. This is your day,” Nya said as they ascended the external stairs into the courthouse.

Ester seemed to know exactly where they were going, and took the lead in getting them to the right place. All Nya knew was that some places in the city held weddings by appointment only, whilst others were done on a first come, first serve basis, she didn’t know which Ester and Derren had chosen. She wasn’t looking forward to the idea of a long wait, although that may give Derren and Archer a chance to arrive if they’d been held up.

Ester led her up some stairs and down a corridor to a room, but before they went inside, she stepped back to look Nya over once more. “Beautiful,” Ester said, cupping her face.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” Nya asked, stroking a hand over Ester’s hip.

It wasn’t a surprise that the woman had gone for a mini-dress, and the pale blue color was perfect. Ester wasn’t much older than her son and she still had such a childish glee sometimes that Nya forgot they didn’t share a birth year.

“Now hold your flowers up,” Ester said.

“Shouldn’t we wait to see Archer and Derren?”

“Oh no, they’ll be inside. It’s tradition that the bride shouldn’t see the groom before they meet at the altar.”

Only Ester was capable of making Nya smile on a day when she was so worried. Yes, Archer had assured her that her friend was safe, but she still hadn’t heard Tag’s voice. This Lucas guy may still be out there and she had no idea what had happened with the job. But Ester was the closest thing she’d ever had to a mother and this could be one of the most important days of her life.

So when Ester linked her arm through Nya’s again, Nya pulled herself close. “Thank you for this,” Nya said.

Ester stopped before opening the door. “Thank you for what, daughter?”

“For letting me be a part of this. For welcoming me into the family.”

Nya had never been to a family wedding. Friends had gotten married and she’d shown up to receptions that usually ended up as drunken brawls. But she’d never been invited to a family event where she was a member of the wedding party. And here she was, walking this wonderful woman down the aisle.

“Oh, my daughter,” Ester said, stopping to cup her face again. “You are the most gorgeous, sweetest, sassiest woman I’ve ever known. My son couldn’t have made a better choice. Thank you for loving him. I’m so very proud of you and so very proud of him and I know you’ll look after each other forever.” Ester leaned in as if to kiss her lips and then paused. “Oh.”

The woman produced a tube of lip gloss from her cleavage and swiped it across Nya’s lips. The warm liquid was slick and felt gloopy because she laid it on so thick. But Ester was classy with makeup and Nya knew her lips would be shimmering and shining just the right amount. She trusted Ester even when she went over the top.

“Thank you,” Nya said.

“Chin up and keep smiling,” Ester said, projecting her breasts. “And keep those girls out.”

She turned towards the door and opened it with a flourish before pulling Nya forward.