Page 84 of Viper

I don’t answer him, I just continue to pace. I wanted to go after them, but Bullet told me he’d kick my ass if I did. I need to be here for Archer, and I know that, but also knowing that Eden is possibly in danger again has me on edge and feeling like I’m being pulled in two different directions. And I need to talk to her, so how the hell am I going to manage that with Archer asleep upstairs?

I stop pacing and turn to Bullet, who just arches a brow at me expectantly. “Will you sit with Archer when they get back?” I ask him. “I need to speak to Eden, and I don’t need him overhearing what I’m sure is going to be a…loud discussion.”

Bullet nods, his lips quirking up in amusement. “I’ll be needing one of those with my woman, but we’ll hold off until you’re done,” he assures me.

“Crazy’s ass is getting tied to the damn bed,” King grumbles as he comes to stand with me.

“Izzy’s going to get her own ass tied for this shit,” Torque agrees, also coming to stand with us.

Before anyone else can answer, the sound of a car pulling up has us all heading outside to see Syn’s car pulling up outside and them piling out. I step forward as soon as I see Eden, but stop when I see that all the women seem to have scuffed knuckles, but huge grins on their faces. Concern replaces anger as I hurry down toward them, their men hot on my heels. “What the hell happened to your hands?” I demand.

“We took care of a problem,” Rose says happily, wrapping her arm around Eden’s waist and giving her a side hug.

“What problem?” I demand.

Rose doesn’t answer, she just kisses Eden’s cheek, and then pulls away before walking past me. “William, I need some ice, and then we’re going to sit with my baby while his daddy and new mama get themselves figured out. You can yell at me later,” she adds before he can reply. Then she walks past him and into club the house, the other women following, minus Eden, who I pull in to me before she can even think of walking away. Bullet, King, and Torque stare after them before turning to Sniper.

“Just let them tell you,” he sighs, scrubbing a hand down his face, and his knuckles also scraped. “You won’t believe me if I told you. Oh, and at this point, I think we should consider just starting a fund to build a cell for the lot of them to keep their asses out of trouble.” Then he heads up the steps and inside. The other men follow, leaving me along with Eden.

I look down at her, and see her watching me, an unapologetic look on her face, but a wariness lighting her eyes. Neither of us say anything, just stare at each other. “I need you to tell me what the hell is going on, Eden,” I say as calmly and patiently as I can manage.

“What needed to be done,” she replies simply.

“And what needed to be done exactly?”

“Archer needed to be safe, and he will be now.”

My patience is wearing thin. I pull away from her, and then I grab her hand and pull her around the clubhouse toward the back where we have some picnic tables and the playset for kids. It’s also far away from my room upstairs, so Archer won’t wake up and hear us if we get loud. Which might be where this conversation is going if Eden doesn’t start talking instead of being cryptic.

When we’re there, I lean back against the end of one of the picnic tables. “You need to start filling me in on what’s going on here, because if you don’t, I’m going to imagine the worst and lose my shit. So start talking, baby girl. Now.” A small bit of steel leaks out into my voice, which has her eyes going a sharp, deadly green.

“You’re not going to order me to do shit, Viper,” she snaps at me. “I’ve had a fucking long day, and I don’t need you yelling at me. So if you’re going to break up with me, just get it done so I can go inside and sleep before I leave and go back home.”

“Why the fuck would I break up with you?” I demand, confusion intertwining with my anger. “You go out and murder someone?”

“I already killed one man today,” she reminds me coldly. “Don’t think I wouldn’t again if I had to.”

I still. “Eden, I need you to start talking because if I need to hide a body, I need to get to it right away.”

She groans and thrusts a hand through her thick hair. “No, I didn’t murder anyone, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to.” She looks at me with a defiant look on her face as she adds, “And your ex-wife is top of the list. I didn’t kill her but it wasn’t easy, so keep that in mind. Hell, if Rose had a gun, she’d probably have killed her on the spot as soon as we walked into that apartment.”

“You went to Maggie’s?” I ask in disbelief. “Why the hell did you do that?”

“Because she fucking sold her own son for drugs and money,” she screams at me, outraged, her face flushing red. “I was never going to let that stand, Viper. I was never going to let her get away with it. So, we went over there to make sure she understands that.”

In a million years I wouldn’t have expected that. I can only stare at her, still shocked and confused. “And how did you do that?” I inquire carefully.

Now a cool smile comes to her face that sends a chill through me. Oh shit. “I slapped her, let Rose take a turn, and then I put a knife to her throat and told her how stupid a decision she made. I also made her call her lawyer, and have the lawyer draft up a new document that says you now have full custody of Archer. And she relinquishes all her rights to him. Because any mother that would do that to her own child, isn’t a mother, and doesn’t deserve that title.”

Holy fucking shit. My mouth drops open in shock. “W-What?” I finally manage to garble out.

Eden nods, squaring her shoulders. “I’m sorry if you think I overstepped or something, but I wasn’t about to let that stand. Not after what Archer said to me after you left and we were alone.”

“Wait, what did he say?” I demand, straightening back to my feet and full height.

She shakes her head. “No, that’s for Archer to tell you, and I promised him that I would leave it to him. Don’t ask again, because I won’t break my promise to him.”

I accept and admire that, but I’ll be asking him as soon as he’s awake and up to it. “Fine, let’s get back to the fact that you threatened my ex-wife into giving up custody of Archer. Why?” I step forward so I’m towering over her, staring down at her in the low lights we set up around the play area. Just enough that we can see out here if the kids are playing late. Right now, I’m glad for it, because it lets me see her expression. The determination, the defiance, and the completely unapologetic look that covers her face.

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