Page 16 of Red River

Archer’s words—"You’ll be mine"—could indeed mean exactly that. Mine. Ineveryway. And, God help me, I was ready for theeveryway part.

Intense. Insane. And worse… I was inappropriately turned on, my dick straining in my pants.

I gritted my teeth and took a few shaky breaths. For God’s sake, my husband wasn’t even buried yet, and here I was, picturing what it would feel like when Archer’s hard dick pushed into me, claiming me completely.

Maybe there had always been a treacherous, slutty little omega part of me—a part that never got the chance to come out. But deep inside, there was this… hunger. And after these last few years of stress and exhaustion, it was clawing its way to the surface.

My hand went down, feeling my dick through my sweatpants. No. Icould not.I let out a long sigh and shook my head, trying to snap out of it. I had to get my act together.

With a monumental effort, I composed myself and headed back to the kitchen, where Stephen and Sam were waiting at the table.

I handed the phone back to Sam. Mine was still hidden somewhere in the house, thanks to Igor, who refused to return it—probably just to prove a point. If Stephen hadn’t shoved Igor out of the kitchen and locked the door to his room, I wouldn’t have even been able to have this conversation. The whole situation was exhausting. I couldn’t physically control Igor, and he was completely out of hand.

Sam’s crystal-blue eyes—the same shade as Archer’s—met mine.

"How did the conversation go?" he asked.

"Pretty well," I said, swallowing hard. "He said we could come over in the next few weeks. He’s getting rooms ready for us." Of course, I left out the more… private details of the call.

Sam cleared his throat and glanced at Stephen. "We’ve been talking, and we have a proposal for you. Stephen and I can stay here until you’re ready to move out. My dad will take care of Steve. Stephen can deal with Igor, and honestly, you’ve got so much on your plate right now. I can’t imagine how you’d manage everything if Igor locks you in your own room again. This situation isn’t sustainable."

The weight of it all pressed down on me, and I felt shaky, weak, and completely overwhelmed.

"Thank you," I blurted out. "You’re lifesavers—and Archer too."

It was quite a generous offer on their part since they lived far away and had to leave everything behind to stay with me.

"Remember," Sam began carefully, "you always have the option to go to your parents."

"No," I cut in quickly. "I think it’s better to spare the kids from one big shock at a time. Thomas raised them to believe my parents were… well, evil. He always spoke about them with bitterness and indignation, and it really stuck. Now Igor had brought all that anger back to the surface and reinforced it. I had little chance of convincing them that reconnecting with my parents wasn’t a bad thing."

The truth was, I had to convince myself as well. I couldn't call them in the middle of this mess—I’d be ashamed of how poor we’d become. I could still hear my father's words from years ago:"Thomas has had three businesses, and at thirty-four, he still hasn't made it. He's clearly making the same mistakes… River, think this through. I know you dream of having a big family, but he may not be the best choice for that."

I didn’t listen. I ran out of the room that day, shouting that he didn’t understand, that he was insulting Thomas. But my father had been right. During our marriage, my husband started three more companies, each ending in failure.

I felt foolish—like a little child who had ignored their parents’ advice and paid the price.

My parents' faces flashed in my mind’s eye.

My father… I hadn’t always been on the best terms with him, for many reasons—even before Thomas appeared in my life.

But I’d had such a good relationship with my dad! When my father simply forbade me from marrying Thomas, Dad just… begged me to reconsider. The memory of his teary eyes after I yelled at him to just leave me alone made me shiver.

I needed time—more time—before I faced them both again. Time. That’s exactly what Archer could give me.

The fact that his home was so close to my parents’ felt like a sign, as though it was meant to be a stepping stone. Maybe this was how it was supposed to happen?

"Thank you," I said again, my voice shaky. "I just need to sort things out in my head, and the safe haven Archer is offering feels like the perfect starting point for the changes I need to make in my life."

Sam smiled warmly. "Of course. I hope everything works out for you—and that you and your parents find your way back to being a happy family."

ARCHER

That evening, I wrote what was probably the longest email of my life to Sam. I had so many questions, especially about River’s kids and their interests. I wanted to get to know their personalities a little better.

Sam filled me in on Riley, the oldest son.

He was an award-winning violinist and an accomplished student who had started college a year early and was currently studying music. Apparently, he fully supported River moving in with me. However, with everything going on with Igor, Riley had already decided to head back to campus—even though it was still winter break—because he couldn’t stand being under the same roof as his younger brother for another minute.

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