Sure enough, halfway through round two, Archer unleashed his inner beast. Blood flew, splattering the blue floor of the octagon, and the next thirty seconds were a heart-racing flurry of hard fists, sharp elbows, and stealthy knees. Then it was all over. Jimbo hit the deck with a crash as a final right hook snapped his head back and turned out the lights.
"Told ya." I turned to Steele with a victorious grin.
He just laughed, then jerked his head to the cage. Archer was at the mesh, beckoning for me to come closer. Kody grabbed my hand, hauling me up into the octagon with him as he jumped around and whooped his excitement over Archer's win.
Once Jimbo was back on his feet, the referee did his bit to officially announce Archer as the victor. Then, the second his gloved hand was released, Archer grabbed my face and kissed me long and hard, right there in the middle of the former big top.
The after party was held in the old fun house. Hades has converted it into a seriously funky nightclub, but I still needed to swallow past a lump of lingering fear as the four of us made our way through the front door.
Inside, though, not a trace of that horrible old fun house remained. The only nod to what had been there the last time I'd been inside was the abundance of mirrors everywhere, except now they just reflected flashing strobe lights and scantily clad dancers. I tried not to ask too many questions about the Timberwolves—their gang was none of my damn business—but I was getting the distinct impression the less legal side of their income came from the sex trade. Prostitution, I meant, not human trafficking. Given how Archer had saved Seph, I’d think Hades might be firmly against the skin market.
A handsome guy in nothing but a pair of black latex hotpants greeted us as we approached the bar and advised us that we had a table reserved in the VIP section. He escorted us over to it, shaking his ass in time to the music as he walked, then left with our drink orders.
As soon as we were seated, I looped my arms around Archer's neck and kissed him again. "Congrats on your win, Sunshine," I told him in a husky whisper.
He just gave a lopsided grin and tucked a loose, blonde curl behind my ear. "I don't think you've ever looked hotter than when I saw you dancing beside the cage tonight."
I scoffed. "Uh-huh, 'cause I'm wearing your hoodie."
Kody cleared his throat and tipped his head at Archer like he was trying to remind him about something. Or maybe just hurry him up.
"Right," Archer muttered. He swept his hand over his wet hair—fresh from the shower—and reached inside his jacket. "Kate, seeing as tonight sort of marks an anniversary for all of us, especially here, I wanted to give you something."
He placed a folded stack of papers down on the table in front of me, then a single sheet of folded paper beside it. Steele pulled a pen from his own jacket pocket and placed it beside the papers.
"For all the bad memories October 31 holds for you, Hellcat, we hope this might be the start of repairing them." His gray eyes held mine for a moment, sincerity shining through.
Kody shifted in his seat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "This might seem like a gift just from Archer, but it's really from all of us."
Archer rolled his eyes. "Right. But mostly from me. Open this one first." He tapped his finger on the thicker stack of paperwork.
Frowning in confusion, I picked it up and unfolded it carefully. My eyes scanned the top page, and my heart stopped. Dread pooled in my stomach, and I flipped through the pages until I found Archer's signature already on the appropriate lines.
Hurt squeezed my chest, and my gaze flicked up to meet Archer's eyes. "You're divorcing me?"
His expression stayed carefully neutral, not giving away any emotions as he stared back at me. Was... were they breaking up with me? If so, this was a monumentally shitty way to repair my lingering fear of Halloween.
"I married you without your knowledge or consent, Kate," he told me in a carefully even tone of voice, despite the booming music all around us. "I'm giving you the opportunity to start over... if that's what you want."
My brows flicked up, and a sharp streak of stubborn anger shot through me. "And what if it's not?" I slapped the divorce papers back down on the table, and my diamond ring glittered under the lights as if mocking me. "What if I don't want this?"
Archer drew a deep breath, his jaw tight as he picked up the single sheet of folded paper. "Well, then you could take this one instead."
Seething, I snatched it from his fingers and flipped it open. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find there, but it sure as hell wasn't the simple legal document with his signature at the bottom.
My brows shot up even higher. "A dissolution of our prenuptial agreement?"
Steele cleared his throat, pulling my attention from Archer's blank face. "We thought... if you're happy with things the way they are—"
"I am," I snapped, cutting him off. "I thought you all were too."
"What?" Kody exclaimed, panic flashing across his face. "Of course we are. Why would you—?" He broke off, understanding dawning. "Oh shit. You thought—"
"You guys gave me fucking divorce papers; what am I supposed to think?" I demanded, feeling my cheeks heat. I was so fucking confused. What the hell were they trying to achieve here?
"Princess," Archer murmured, placing a finger under my chin to bring my gaze back to his. "We're not ending things. We're offering you a fresh start on equal footing with all of us. That's all. Trust me, Kate, nothing on this entire damn Earth could make us leave you now. We all love you too damn much."
Relief washed over me in waves, and I could finally breathe again. I'd jumped way into the wrong conclusion there, and my panic had momentarily blinded me to logic. But I got it. He was trying to right his first wrong against me.
"Oh," I murmured, all other words failing me.
Archer's lips curled in a smile. "Exactly." He knew I was on the right page with him now.
"So, you don't want to divorce me?" I bit my lip, still tense. Of course, it was always going to be a messy situation with the four of us. I couldn't legally marry them all, but... Archer and I were already done. We'd even had a wedding, complete with multiple fatalities. And cake. We'd had wedding cake... albeit licked from each other's bodies in the kitchen of a bakery.
His pale blue eyes softened, and his thumb tugged my lip from between my teeth. "I never want to divorce you, baby girl. You're my reason for living."
My heart thudded faster as my breath caught.
"For the record," Kody added, his tone dry, "Steele and I already have IDs made for you in alias names, you know, in case you ever wanted to make things semi-official with us one day."
Shock held me frozen for a second, then a bubble of way too excited laughter worked its way out of my throat. Shaking my head in disbelief, I picked up the divorce papers again, then ripped them into confetti.
"Does that answer the question?" I asked, meeting each of their gazes one at a time.
Archer's grin was wide as he smoothed the other document out on the table and handed me the pen. "Sign this, Kate. I don't need or want any legal claim over your estate. I just want you."