Page 58 of Sinful Deception

“Fifi!” Mia finally dials back in on the world around her, turning from the television and beaming over the back of the couch. “You came back, Fifi! I told Daddy you would.”

“Go.” He gestures toward the couch in permission. “It’s fine. Everything is fine. I just need to breathe.” He tosses a hand towel back to the counter and strides through the living room and into the hall. Stomping feet and, when he reaches his room, a slamming door.

“I should go.” Fifi’s eyes are all for Mia, but her body already points back to the door. “It’s obvious I’ve stepped into something I wasn’t invited to.”

“You’re invited,” Tim rumbles. “He’s just not in the mood to socialize right now.Noneof us are welcome. It’s not personal.”

“See!” Aubree forces a goofy grin. “Even Tim says so, and he’s the king of antisocial behavior.”

“Pretty sure you’re offending me, Aubree Grace.”

While Tim stands and starts toward the girls, I turn to Minka and press a kiss to her temple. “I’ll be back soon.”

Her eyes swing around, searching mine. “Are you going to talk to him?”

“Probably going to hit him, to be honest.” I lean in and press a kiss to her perfect, plump lips. “But it’s fine. It’s what we do. Don’t follow me in, okay? Not till things are calm again.”

“Archer—”

“I’d feel bad if you got hurt because Fletch and I haven’t evolved beyond apes using our fists. Stay.” I set my hand on her shoulder and push up to stand, then I meet Tim’s eyes in warning. “Don’t follow me in.”

“Ohh! Fight.” Cato bounds to his feet. “I wanna watch. I won’t interfere, promise.”

I hold Tim’s stare that way we’ve done a million times in the past, so when he nods, I know we have an agreement. He’ll keep Cato and the girls out of our way. And if Fletch and I escalate to the point of hospitalization, he’ll step in before things get too serious.

“Great.” I turn on my feet and start into the hall. Adrenaline bubbles in my veins, because me and Fletch don’t fight often. Not the real, bloodied knuckle, asshole behavior kind of fight. But when we do, it’s because one or both of us can’t handle the world of hurt trying to take us down. He needs an outlet, and if he won’t fuck away his frustrations, it seems I’ll be the next best thing.

I don’t slow at his door, and I don’t announce my arrival to give him time to prepare. I let myself in to his room and stop to find him spinning in surprise, locking his phone andslipping it into his pocket like I’ve caught him doing something he shouldn’t.

“Arch! What the fuck? Get out of my room.”

“Nah.” I move past the door and close it again to keep the busybodies out. “Who is on the other side of those texts, Charlie?”

Hard-faced, he sets his hands in his pockets. “None of your business. And don’tCharlieme. I’m entitled to my privacy.”

“You’re gonna tell me.” I place my hands on my hips, if only to give him just a little longer before I swing. “Because if you’re in trouble, I need to know so I can help. If you’re buying a hooker, then that’s your business. It’s a mistake,” I clarify, “especially now that you’re patching things up with Fifi. But if you insist, then I’ll support you, even if I think you’re wrong for it.”

“Fine.” He flashes a devious smile. “I’m ordering a hooker. Now leave me alone.”

“You lie.” I saunter a little closer, staring down at my boots with each step. “You’ve never been particularly good at that. So it’s not a hooker, which brings me back to you being in trouble. I won’t stand for it when I know I could probably make the trouble go away.”

“I’ve been talking to a chick.” He broadens his shoulders and sneers. “She’s not Sera, and she’s none of your business. If I choose to fuck away my problems, then that’s my prerogative.”

“Nope.” I stop three feet from where he stands and bring my gaze up again. “Your nostrils twitch when you’re spinning shit, Charlie.” I reach up and tap the end of his nose to illustrate, only to grin when he slaps my arm away.

He’s made first contact, which makes my future guilt exponentially less potent.

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me,” he snarls. “And back up out of my space.”

I tsk and take another step closer. “Don’t think I will. Not when you’re at your most vulnerable and, by the looks of things, doing some shady shit on your phone. Show me what you’re doing, or I’ll smash your face and take the fuckin’ phone anyway.”

“That’s what we’re doing, huh?” He slams his palms to my chest and shoves until my back hits the door. “You don’t win, Archer. You never do, so the fact you keep trying boggles my mind.”

“I guess we have differing opinions on the specifics of success.” I move off the door and tap his cheek with my open palm. It’s so much more offensive than a fist to his eye socket. “Remember the first time we did this after your wife fucked another cop?”

Rage burns in his veins, turning his cheeks red and his eyes like pin-pricks. “Tonight? Really? Of all the nights you wanna do this, you’ll do it with my baby in the next room and my ex-wife going in the ground tomorrow?”

“That’s what we do, isn’t it?” I tap him again, but with my left hand, to keep him guessing. “She wanted someone else, and instead of letting you kill him, I picked a fight and kept you out of prison. This seems like a good night to repeat history, since it’s clear you’re not sexting a chick.”

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