Page 8 of Viper

Archer shakes his head. “No, she’s had boyfriends before. When I was little it bothered me, but Dad told me that just because he and Mom aren’t together doesn’t mean I should be upset that she wants to see other people. Sometimes things don’t work out between parents, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want the best for you, and that also means they are allowed to see other people because they need to be happy too.”

Judge Brown nods, looking thoughtful. “And do you get along with your Mom’s boyfriend?”

Archer’s smile doesn’t waver, but his eyes are frosty as he replies, “They’ve only been together a little bit so we haven’t spent much time together. Just when he’s over at the house and stuff.” My neck is itching that there is more to it, but he’s tight lipped. I have to hand it to Archer, he is one smart kid and he knows how to answer things like a pro without revealing too much. He’d make a hell of a lawyer if he keeps it up.

“And do you think that your Mom’s boyfriend and Dad will get along if he’s around permanently?”

Archer purses his lips in thought. “I guess so,” he finally says. “He and Dad don’t really talk. Dad really only talks to Mom, and it’s usually only about me. But they’ve never yelled or gotten mad at each other, or fought or anything. And Dad said I need to be respectful, even if I don’t like it. So I’m trying.” There’s no missing the slight scowl on his face now. There is no love lost with the boyfriend it seems.

Judge Brown nods. “I think that you sound like a very smart young man, and you’re obviously handling this situation very well. I still need to talk to your parents a bit more, but will you be upset if I decide to keep you at the same amount of time with your dad? I’m not saying that’s going to happen. I just want to know your thoughts.”

Ah, here it is. Judge Brown is well known for getting to the truth of the matter. Kids say what they want to make sure that they sound the best, but when they might not get what they want, one of two things happen; they cry, or they get angry and demand to know why. That’s when being a kid truly shines through for them.

Archer does neither, though his shoulders droop slightly. Instead he replies calmly, “I’ll be sad if I can’t spend more time with my dad, but I understand. Dad told me that it might not happen, and that it’s nothing to do with me, but we need to follow the rules you give us. I just really hope you’ll consider letting me see him more.” He gives the judge a sad look. “I’m going to be almost a teenager soon, and I want to be able to spend as much time with my dad before I’m too busy with high school and a job.”

Judge Brown smiles. “I’ll see what we can do. Thank you for talking to me, Mr. MacKenzie.” He holds out his hand for him to shake, and Archer takes it with a small smile. “Now, I’d like you to stay here with Ms. Eden, while I talk to your parents. You’ll be in good hands.” Then he winks at him. “And see if you can charm her out of sharing that secret stash with me later, huh?” Archer grins and nods, and we both watch the Judge and the lawyers walk out of the room.

Though Gail does look over her shoulder and glare angrily at Archer. I stand, letting the chair scrape loudly on the floor, and bring her attention back to me. Letting her know that I’ve seen what she’s done, and make a production of grabbing a pen and writing down some notes. Gail’s face doesn’t change, but I see the uneasiness in her eyes before she looks forward again and continues following the judge back to the courtroom.

“She’s awful,” Archer mutters, making me look down at him.

I don’t bother trying to pretend I don’t know who he’s talking about. “She’s a bit of a jerk, huh?” I ask. Archer pauses and looks at me for a moment. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Anything said now isn’t on record.”

He doesn’t look like he believes me, but finally says, “She’s always bossing me around, and it ticks me off. She’s not my mother, but my mom doesn’t say anything to her so she just keeps doing it.”

“Sometimes lawyers think they are more important than they are. But we know the difference, don’t we?” He grins now and nods. I sit back down and start to type up my notes, while still talking to Archer.

He’s a sweet kid, and charming as all hell. Whoever this girl Arya is that he has a crush on doesn’t stand a chance when he’s older. Still, it’s rare for me to feel such a connection to this kid, but there’s something about him that makes it easy. Probably because he’s not a spoiled brat like most of the ones I see here. Okay, maybe not most, but lately a good majority. There are always a few you can see are lashing out because of the turmoil going on with their parents, but Archer seems remarkably well-adjusted.

It’s another half hour before the door of my office opens, and when I look up, I have to use every ounce of control I possess not to stare when I see who comes in through the door. Or let my jaw drop when I hear Archer say excitedly, “Dad!” And I certainly manage to keep my expression polite when those cold blue eyes land on mine, and recognition flares in them immediately. Followed by desire, annoyance, and most importantly, determination.

Shit.

FOUR

VIPER

My son is safe, and it’s funny how you spend so much time searching for someone only to find them in the most unlikeliest of places.

As I suspected, Maggie immediately tries to get me to argue with her as soon as the judge is out the door. The bailiff gives her a warning look, but she ignores him. Tony also ignores him by standing and snarling, “You’re an idiot if you think the judge is going to side with you. You’re nothing but a dirty biker, and they don’t like that shit.”

I wanted to say he’s a dirty-ass junkie, but I keep it inside and don’t even look his way. Instead, I focus on the papers in front of me that Hunter left for me to go over. I’m doing nothing to lose any kind of chance to have more time with Archer. Soon enough, Archer will be old enough that it will merely be a formality. Especially since courts tend to take a teenagers opinion more seriously.

“You’re an idiot if you think I’m going to let you get away with this,” Maggie yells from across the room. “You and those stupid bikers don’t do anything but party and fuck the club chicks all day. And that business of yours, it’s nothing more than a waste of time because you don’t do shit. You probably sit in your office and fuck off all day. Or fuck whatever is walking around that will let you stick it in,” she finishes nastily.

“That’s enough,” the bailiff barks at her, pinning her with a hard glare. “You heard the judge, so keep it civil.”

Without her lawyer here to help keep her in check, Maggie clearly can’t stop herself from speaking. I have to hope the bailiff doesn’t have a preconceived notion about me that will result in the judge not believing I didn’t engage. “The Judge is going to tell you to take a hike, so all of this is for nothing, and you bet your stupid ass you’ll be paying my lawyer fees too. And when he does tell you no, I’m going to ask for more child support. Bleed your ass dry.”

Again, I stay silent and look at the papers in front of me. Though I’m not really reading them. I’m pretending to and flipping pages at what seems like a normal interval. Fuck, I want this to be over with. The judge can’t get back here soon enough. And I hope Archer is okay. Being surrounded by a judge and lawyers is not something I ever wanted, even though I knew it was a possibility. Still, Judge Brown seems decent, so I’m sure Archer is fine.

“Fucker,” Tony sneers behind me, having moved toward me. I knew he was going to try something, but I don’t look his way, and I don’t reply. Which of course pisses him off, and he stupidly shoves at my shoulder. “I’m talking to you, asshole,” he snaps.

“Don’t touch him,” the bailiff snarls, stepping forward. “Get your ass over in your seat, or I’ll remove you and have the judge hold you in contempt.” He glares at Tony, who sneers at him, but lifts his hands and backs away.

“Pussy,” Tony says under his breath, but loud enough that both I and the bailiff here. The bailiff looks like he’s ready to bring out the cuffs, but has far more patience than me and steps back instead. Though this time, his hand is resting on his belt, close to his taser. I bite back a grin. Damn, wouldn’t I love to see that being used on this asswipe today, but I suppose that will have to wait for another time.

“What is taking so long?” Maggie demands of the bailiff after another restless fifteen minutes; complete with a full soundtrack of her sighing, moaning, and huffing out her annoyance as she paces and moves around. I watch her out of the corner of my eye and my gut is telling me she didn’t think she would be this long and is looking to get her next fix. Her jittery eyes, and the way she sniffs every few minutes and rubs at her nose are clear clues. Tony is a bit more clever about it, but he’s doing the same, even if he is trying to be subtle. I pull my hands off the table and sit quietly but clench them in my lap. I don’t want my son exposed to this.

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