I waited until Steinwick left the kitchen, then drew a deep breath and brought the phone to my ear.
"Hello, Father."
"Madison Kate," he replied, his voice clipped with anger. "Where's D'Ath? I asked to speak with him."
I rolled my eyes. Of course he had. Steinwick was clearly not a fan of my father and had decided to bring the phone to me instead.
"He's busy," I told him, keeping my tone just as curt as his was. "What do you need? I'm sure I can help."
My father scoffed a laugh. "I seriously doubt it, Madison Kate." His tone practically dripped with scorn, and I was utterly dumbfounded that I hadn't noticed it sooner. Why had I needed the guys to shove my face in it for me to realize that my father didn't love me? He'd never loved me.
Why had I been so totally blind to that fact until now?
"Just tell your fiancé that I'll call back some other time." My father must have seen our engagement announcement. He clearly had no idea I was already aware of the marriage contract.
I stifled an irritated sigh. "Sure thing, Dad." But also, I hope you choke on a chicken bone and fucking die, you pathetic excuse for a human.
"Great," Samuel Danvers snapped back. "I'll see you at the wedding then."
I spluttered. "Wh-what?"
"You don't think I'd miss my only child's wedding, do you?" The sneer in his tone spoke volumes. Yeah, fuck-face, I know perfectly well that you were in full attendance at your child's wedding. What a shame she wasn't there. "Cherry and I will be back at the end of the month."
On that ominous threat, the call ended, and I had to resist the urge to throw the fucking phone through the window. It wasn't the phone's fault that my father was a slug on the cabbage of life.
"Hey," Archer said, coming into the kitchen all sweaty and delicious, straight from the gym. Kody was still out on client sessions, so Archer was working out alone. He had another big-ticket fight booked for the week after our wedding, and he was taking training pretty seriously.
I didn't reply, just stripped him naked with my eyes. Shit’s sake, I was turning into a sex addict.
"You okay?" he asked, putting his iPod and earbuds down on the counter and circling around the island to me. "You seem... I dunno. Tense and angry."
It was on the tip of my tongue to snap back at him with an insult. That had been our pattern for so long that it came naturally to us. But Archer wasn't being a prick with that statement. In fact, he looked genuinely concerned.
Dammit. All these mushy feelings were really messing with that angsty hate sex thing we did so well.
I let out a long sigh, scrubbing my hands over my face. "I'm fine," I finally admitted. "My father just called, wanting to speak to you."
Archer's brows rose. "He did?"
"Steinwick brought the phone to me instead. Sly old fox. Anyway, my dad said he would call back another time and wanted to wish us congratulations on our engagement and gushed about how happy he was that his little girl had found love." I kept my tone flat as fuck; there was no way Archer could hear anything but sarcasm there. Yet for some reason, he was grinning. "What?"
"You said love."
I scowled. "I was joking."
He just smiled wider. "Sure you were."
I rolled my eyes and considered stabbing him with a fork. "Whatever. He said he'll be back for the wedding—with Cherry. Actually, explain that to me."
"Explain what?" he asked, pulling out the stool beside me and sitting down close enough that our thighs touched.
I waved a hand in the air, gesturing to my prior statement. "Cherry, your mom. How are you okay with her dating my dad when you know what a piece of shit he is? He's keeping her all drugged up and shit, too."
Archer just shrugged, his expression never shifting. "So?"
I frowned. "So? She's your mother."
"And Samuel is your father. Is that going to stop you from putting a bullet between his eyes the second he steps foot into our wedding in five and a half weeks?" Archer gave me a knowing look, before he snagged my last piece of toast.
I frowned, considering that perspective. "Well, no. But he tried to fucking sell me on a human black market. He deserves to die."
"Didn't try, baby girl. He did sell you. It's just fate that your Prince Charming swooped in and saved the day." He shot me a teasing wink.
I glared. "Prince Charming? More like Harvey Dent. But you want to tell me your mom did something equally bad? What was it?"
He finished his mouthful, then sighed heavily. "Cherry isn't as bad as your father, Kate. But she's no fucking mother. She never did anything inherently evil; she just didn't care. She doesn't hold the capacity for love. Having a baby with Damien was just an attempt to climb the ladder of the gang’s hierarchy. When she realized Damien didn't give a fuck about her or his kid, she lost interest in me. I wasn't raised by her, and thank god for that."
My heart ached for baby Archer, and I placed my hand on his leg, squeezing to show I was listening.
"She's a gold-digging whore, Princess. She's exactly what someone like Samuel Danvers deserves, and in the meantime, it suits my interests to have eyes on him at all times." He gave me a small shrug, crunching down the last of my toast, then dusted his fingers off over my plate.
"She's spying on him for you?" I never even considered that possibility.
He jerked a nod. "In exchange for a monthly stipend, yep. When they return to Shadow Grove, which was bound to happen at some point, your father will die and Cherry will move on to the next rich, horny idiot who takes her fancy."
What a sad pair we were. Then again, I'd never met Steele's parents, but they didn't exactly sound like exemplary examples of loving parents. And Kody had never even mentioned his outside of his deceased grandma.
"Why keep my dad alive this long?" I propped my elbow on the counter and leaned my head on my hand. "Why not just kill him and reclaim your money?"
"Because, it's just money, Kate. I can make more money, but I can only give you one chance at vengeance. Don't you want to cut your pound of flesh from his body with your own blade?" He was so casual, like we were discussing whether to serve chicken or beef at the reception dinner, not considering murder. It was hot as hell.
I bit my lip and groaned. "That's actually one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me," I muttered, heat rising into my cheeks. It was one thing to tell a person you loved them, it was another to play a long game and keep an adversary alive at significant financial loss just to let the woman you love seek closure in the form of patricide.
Be still my heart.
Archer shot me a grin. "Anyway, I should get back into the gym. Kody left me strict instructions this morning about what to work on." He leaned forward and kissed me, then hopped off his stool.
I frowned. "So why'd you come in here if you're supposed to be training still?"
He quirked a lopsided smile as he walked backward out of the kitchen. "'Cause I missed you."
My jaw hit the floor, but he was already gone. Hot and cold motherfucker was constantly throwing me for a loop.