Page 59 of Brother to Brother

“We’re leaving Friday, but Baby, the Arizona chapter… the shit they’re doing… Dragon won’t have it. It goes against everything this club has stood for since Tilly died. They’ve had long enough to clean up and get on board.”

“What happened to it being ‘club business’?” My voice was muffled against his chest and the vibration of his chuckle made me want to cuddle a little closer.

“Somehow I don’t think you’re gonna rat me out, but I’ve got a vested interest in seeing Dom’s face, looking him in the eye, when I ask about the way he treated you.”

I nodded, my eyes riveted to the floor and the scuffed and worn toes of Archer’s motorcycle boots. Heat rose in my cheeks, and I felt the blush bloom against my skin. I don’t know why it still humiliated me so much, but the sting of embarrassment was still pretty sharp. Archer touched my face with gentle fingertips that smelled of orange hand cleanser and beneath that, worn metal.

We’d both gone to work that morning and my feet ached from having been on them all day and then some. One of the girls hadn’t shown up for her shift, and I had called Revelator to see if I could take half of her shift and get a few extra hours in. He’d been happy to, and so I’d stayed, picking up dinner for Archer and myself and a little dessert for Noah as Rev had said he’d feed our son dinner.

Noah was tired, his little head against my shoulder and I figured Rev had successfully worn him out for us. That made mine and Archer’s life a touch easier, at least for tonight, so I reminded myself to thank him when I dropped Noah off tomorrow.

“Put our son to bed, Mel… then come to bed yourself, k?” Archer asked in that low, soothing, husky voice of his that I was becoming so accustomed to.

I nodded gently and told Noah, “Say goodnight to Archer, Baby.”

Noah fussed and rubbed one eye with a tiny fist, before throwing himself at Archer who swept him up before I dropped him.

“G’night, Little Man,” Archer said hugging him.

“Ni Daddy Atcha,” Noah hugged Archer around the neck and we exchanged a look.

“Noah,” I asked, having my suspicions, “Did Rush and Nox tell you to say that?”

He nodded, “Unca Atcha kissed Mommy in her white dress and that makes Unca Atcha Daddy Atcha now,” he said and it was amouthful. I was proud of him, but I was also grateful to Rush and Nox. Archer and I had no idea how we were going to explain it to Noah, now, it seemed we wouldn’t have to.

“Uncle Nox tell you that?” Archer asked and Noah nodded.

“Remind me to thank Nox,” I uttered and Archer hugged Noah, bouncing him a bit and moved over to our son’s crib to put him down.

“Yeah, no shit,” Archer said and winced before I could say it. I closed my mouth and smiled raising an eyebrow. “Go on, I got this,” he murmured and I nodded.

“Ni ni Mommy!” Noah called and I waved at him.

“Night, night, Baby!”

I went into the bedroom and swung the door closed enough to hide behind it while I changed out of my uniform. I wanted to shower, but my tired, aching feet had other ideas when it came to me standing around. I hung my head and Archer, who could still see me through the crack in the door called out, “What’s wrong?”

“I need a shower but I’m really tired and my feet arekillingme.”

“Shower,” he ordered and I sighed.

“Yeah…”

I made it quick, resisting the urge to live under the siren’s call of hot water for longer than it took to wash my body and hair. Stepping out onto the bathmat, I knew regret and with a reluctant sigh, I toweled off and slipped into the gorgeous satin and lace pajama set that Archer had gifted me the first night of our honeymoon. Of course, I hadn’t had occasion to wear it since then.

I slipped out into the bedroom and raised an eyebrow, Archer had the wedding gifts piled on one side of the bed. The other he patted and told me, “Get over here.”

I sat down next to him on the edge of the bed and he lifted my feet into his lap. It was an awkward position for me to maintain sitting up, so I lay back against the pillows. We’d opened the few gifts that had been labeled for the honeymoon. Aside from Rush’s simple box filled with bath accessories from Hayden, there had been massage oil scented like the little heliotrope flowers from our wedding, that had been from Nox, and a little matching bottle of perfume from Everett. Mandy had sent a box of chocolates infused with things considered in some cultures to be an aphrodisiac.

Rush had sent along a tube of lubricant called ‘anal eaze’ which made me blush brightly and had Archer suggest we would definitely be using it in the near future, which we hadn’t yet; I was still warming to the idea. The last honeymoon gift from the wedding had been from Blue and had been another of Rush’s simple wooden boxes that had contained a blindfold, as well as a whole bunch of sensation causing implements. From a set of wicked metal claws Archer could put on his fingertips, to a spikey little needle sharp wheel on a metal handle, to silk and velvet scarves as well as a little page of instructions that had been beautifully written in calligraphy.

We hadn’t precisely gotten to that box either, and I’d been impressed at how much these little boxes had held and that Archer had fit them into his saddle bag. Now, I looked dubiously at the small pile beside us and sighed.

“You insisted on the ‘thank you’ notes,” he smiled and handed me a notepad and pen and I arched an eyebrow at him.

“It’s been a long day,” I said.

“Yeah and I put that frown on your face, it was the only thing I could think of to turn that frown upside down.” He started to rub my aching feet which he’d placed in his lap and I let my eyes drift shut.

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