Page 72 of Viper

Thankfully, Archer takes that to heart and doesn’t ask any more questions about that. Instead, he questions me on the bike we’re fixing up and when we can work on it again. I promise him we can do it tomorrow and when we get back to the apartment, he’s excited and heads to his room to write down everything he wants to check out. The kid is always curious and anxious to learn, and it pleases me that he’s taking this project so seriously. I’ll never force my son to do what I do, but that seems to be the direction he’s heading, and it makes me excited for the future.

While he’s in his room, I pull out my phone and collapse onto the couch. I’m surprised to see a message from Eden, but I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face when I read it.

Eden: What do you think the chances one of your biker brothers is willing to help me sneak into your place? I don’t want to go back to my empty apartment.

“Hey, Archer, you got a problem with Eden coming over?” I call out to him.

“I thought she was working late,” he calls back, walking out of his room.

“She must have finished earlier than she thought. She’s the one asking if we’re good with it, so I think she prefers our company.”

“Of course she does,” he says matter-of-factly. “We’re awesome.”

“I agree. So how about it? Movie night?”

“Are you two going to make out the entire time?” he asks with a disgusted look. “Mom and Tony do that and it’s gross. I usually go up to my room because they always forget I’m there.”

I fight back a growl of annoyance. “I promise that won’t happen. Eden wouldn’t be comfortable with that anyway.” Of that, I can be one hundred percent sure.

He nods. “Yeah, she doesn’t seem the type. Then, yeah, tell her to come over. Oh, can we have pancakes in the morning? Assuming she likes them too.”

“I’m not sure if she’ll stay the night,” I warn him. “I don’t know if she’s ready to do that yet.”

Archer shrugs. “Okay. But I still want pancakes, even if she doesn’t.” Then he turns around and heads back into his room. I grin as I text her back.

Viper: Archer says he’s good with that as long as we don’t make out in front of him the entire time.

Eden: Considering I was going to wear full body armor around you, I think he’s safe.

I laugh at that.

Viper: Baby girl, nothing will keep me away from you. Are you staying the night? And before you say anything, Archer is good with it. Suggested we have pancakes in the morning.

Eden: You asked your son if it was okay for me to spend the night??? Are you insane? What the hell Viper??????? He’s a child!

Viper: Baby girl, he’s the one who brought it up, not me. And I told him that you might not be ready for that, so you have an out. And just so we’re clear, Archer has seen and been around a lot of things with his mother so a lot of this is normal for him. He’s not going to be traumatized, and he understands that couples spend the night together. He’s not a baby, and he’s heading toward those teen years faster than I’m ready.

Eden: I’ll think about it. So how am I getting there?

I shoot a quick message to Bowie and Frost to ask for their help, who both agree and give me a game plan to tell Eden. When I do, she responds about as well as I figured she would.

Eden: I hope this whole hiding out shit is about done, because this is damn annoying. Yes, tell them I’ll make myself look unlike myself and meet them where they said. I better be getting some good shit when I get to your place for this. I’m talking premium ice cream and candy. And Archer and I pick the movie.

Viper: I think we can do that. See you soon, baby girl.

She doesn’t answer, but I know she’s getting ready. In the meantime, I get up and search for everything we’ll need, and then take some time to change my sheets and clean the place up. When I tell Archer to clean his room, he doesn’t fight me on it and gets to work. Usually it’s a bit of a chore, but I guess he wants to impress Eden too.

It’s about an hour before Eden shows, and at first I don’t realize it’s her, until I see Bowie and Frost grinning behind her in the hallway. I wave them all in, and then I look at Eden, who is glaring at my two brothers with a look that could peel the skin off bones. They’ve got her looking like a cougar who is searching for her next victim. On her head is an ugly ass blonde wig that doesn’t suit her at all, her face is done up in terrible make-up, and she’s wearing a dress that’s skin-tight, with some extra stuffing in the butt, boobs, and hips. On her feet are knee-high boots and fishnet stockings. Now those I like, but the rest, I want it all off. “Don’t even say it,” she warns me with a glare. Then she looks at Bowie and Frost. “These two said that I had to look unrecognizable, and when they showed up in my apartment before I was ready instead of the destination they told me, they scared the shit out of me. Then they set to helping me, and this is what we got. Where’s your bathroom? I want this shit off. Now. Oh, and don’t think you’re not going to pay for making me pretend to be a street hooker and try to flirt with your Prospect in the car.”

I look at them sharply, and they just arch a brow at me. “What the fuck?” I hiss.

“Look, we had to make it look like it wasn’t Eden, and sometimes hookers wander that far. This way, if Vlad’s men were around, they wouldn’t know it was her,” Frost says easily. “It was that or we made her look like an old grandma, but we didn’t have time. She’s too pretty to pull that off.” He gives her a charming smile that has me glaring at him in warning.

“You really think flattery is going to get you out of this?” she demands. “Just you wait. I’m going to return the favor and set you up with my best friend and we’ll see what you think about all this after that.” Then she looks at me and asks, “Where’s your bathroom? I’m not letting Archer see me like this.”

“Too late,” Archer says with a laugh. “You look ridiculous, Eden.”

She gives him a small smile. “I know, which is why I want to get this off. I thought it would be a funny joke on your Dad, but it didn’t quite work out the way I planned. How about you show me where the bathroom is and then I can get into something more appropriate to watch that movie and eat junk food?” She follows Archer through the living room, but not before she flips Bowie and Frost off behind her back, making them chuckle.

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