Page 58 of Ruthless Legacy

“Anytime, especially you Eliza. You come by anytime,” he grins, winking at Archer, who grunts under his breath and pulls me towards the exit.

“That was so much fun,” I say as we reach the Land Rover and when Seb climbs in the back, I realise it looks like I’m upfront with Archer.

“You are a weird girl,” Vee states with a shake of her head. “I mean, who would choose shooting over shopping?”

Rafe wraps his arm around her, and chuckling, he kisses her head. “You make shopping look like an Olympic sport, Vee.”

I watch them through Archer’s mirror. It’s strange to think they’ll be married one day and despite me still trying to get my head around this arranged marriage shit, I can see that they are so well matched. Pulling my gaze from them when they lean in for a kiss, Archer’s eyes meet mine. He’s looking at me like he is in some kind of internal war with himself. “You, okay?”

He clears his throat and nods, pulling his hypnotic eyes away from me as he starts the car and pulls back on to the road. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

We eat at a cosy-looking place a few towns out from the Bay. It’s set back along a small country lane, and you would likely miss it if you didn’t know it was there. The restaurant itself is in a large barn with huge wooden beams on the inside. There is an enormous fireplace with a burning fire that heats the space and gives it that cosy ambience that just makes you want to curl up with a hot chocolate and watch the flames. I order a hot chocolate with cream and a chicken pie with chips. Verity orders a chicken salad — obsessed with watching her weight even though she’s already tiny.

Seb and Vee muck around play-fighting, and Rafe ignores them, scrolling on his phone. As I sit here watching them, it’s clear to see they are all close. That they are there for each other and I can’t help but crave being a part of it. To feel like I belong and am accepted. To know that someone will have my back should I need them. For the last four years it’s been just me and Kit, but it’s been hard having to always be the strong one and not having anyone that I can rely on.

“What’s running around in that mysterious mind of yours Scarlet?” Archer asks me from where he sits opposite me. While I have been busy observing his friends, he has been busy watching me.

“Is there just the four of you? Do any of you have other siblings?”

Archer leans back in his seat and continues studying me. “I’m an only child. Rafe has an old sister, Octavia. She’s married to my cousin, Gabe.”

“Wow,” I comment, “you guys really like to keep it in the founding families.”

“Our family ties are strong. We know and trust each family, and what better way to strengthen that trust than with marriage?” Rafe pipes up, not taking his attention from his phone but clearly listening in on the conversation.

“Was your sister’s marriage pre-arranged?”

He lifts his eyes from his phone to look at me and I hope I haven’t pissed him off with my questions. “They were, shall we say, steered towards each other. They’re happy. My sister’s first child is due this December.”

I nod my head, stirring the cream on my hot chocolate and return my attention to Archer. “What about you? What are your thoughts on the Aces tendency towards marriages of alliance?”

He takes a drink of his coffee before he answers me, like he has all the time in the world. I have to wonder if anything fazes this guy. He’s always so in control. “I think I will do my duty to my family and if that means marrying someone they believe will strengthen us, then so be it.”

“But what about love? What if you meet someone and fall in love?”

His response is a dismissive snigger. “Love has no place in our world. Love makes you weak, vulnerable to others who want to have leverage over us.”

I can see from his expression that this is what he truly believes, and to be fair, I agree to some extent. Love can cause pain and regret, and it makes you vulnerable. That is why I have shut myself off to ever letting myself care about anyone other than Kit. That way, I’ve remained strong and never felt that feeling of disappointment when someone let me down. But then I remember the love my parents shared. The way my dad used to look at my mum like she was the centre of his universe.

“Do you believe in love, Eliza?” Vee asks me, and again I hadn’t realised that she had been listening in, thinking she was too busy trying to wind her brother up.

I shrug my shoulders as I feel the weight of everyone’s stares. “I’ve never been in love, so I can’t comment, and I have no intention of ever finding out.”

Verity sighs. “Love, lust, hate, they’re all closely interlinked.”

“Which ones do you feel for me, Vee?” Rafe asks her, grinning and placing an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side.

“Why all three of the previous babes,” she tells him, dropping a quick kiss to his lips. Rafe’s response is to nuzzle into her neck and whisper something in her ear that brings a blush to Vee’s cheeks.

“Don’t talk dirty to my sister when I’m in the same room,” Seb groans, throwing a salt sachet at Rafe. Rafe grins a wicked grin at him before he grabs a hold of Vee by the back of her neck and pulls her in for a toe-curling kiss.

Seb groans and jumps to his feet, muttering about needing some air. I avert my gaze from Verity and Rafe, who pull apart and whisper to each other. Archer has remained quiet, and I find his eyes on me again. I shuffle under his scrutiny. Is he listing all my flaws in his head right now?

The waitress arrives with our food and Seb returns to his seat and normal conversation resumes. It has been one heck of a strange day. Starting with dead birds, to shooting, to talking about arranged marriage and love. One thing I can say about today though, is Archer knew exactly what I needed today in order to let off some steam, and that fact alone scares the shit out of me.

When Archer pulls up in the drive at the Alderman mansion, the place is a hive of activity. Two large vans sit in the driveway with A1 Security services written across the side.

“It looks like Wilbur has taken my advice on tighter security.”

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