Page 33 of Fallen Legacy

I grab my mobile and press call on a number I haven’t used in a while.

“Eliza, hi!”

“Just to be clear, Vee, I haven’t forgiven you, but I need you to talk some sense into me. Tell me not to have sex with Archer. Tell me he’s a bastard and that I shouldn’t ever let him back in.”

Her answer is to giggle down. “Sorry girl, but as much as he is all those things, he’s also like a brother to me and yes, I know what he did, what we all did was wrong. He is sorry. Don’t you get it?” She sighs. “You can have him eating out the palm of your hand with a click of your fingers. He’s never looked at any girl the way he looks at you. He looks at you like…like he’d burn down worlds to give you whatever you wanted.”

“Bah, I knew I shouldn’t have called you,” I say sulkily.

“Just use him for sex, honey. Take it and enjoy it.”

I laugh along with her before we both fall silent. “I miss you,” she says. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It was wrong of me, and I swear it’s you before my boys from now on.”

“I miss you too,” I admit with another sigh. I scrunch my nose up in intrigue when I hear the loud noise of an engine in the background. “Where are you?”

“Oh, didn’t Archer tell you? I’m on my way to join you guys. Archer is bringing me in on a job.”

“He is?”

“Yep, he said something about you not being ready for what’s required.”

“Oh, he did, did he?” I say, arching a brow. “Well, I’ll guess I’ll see you soon.”

“So, are we talking again?” she asks me. I can hear the hope in her voice.

“We’re talking, but you have a lot of grovelling to do and if you ever keep secrets from me again, we’re done.”

“Never again. I cross my heart and hope to die.”

I chuckle. God, I have missed her. “No dying, please. I’ve had enough death in my life.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

I place my phone on the bedside table and ponder what Vee has just told me. I shower and change into clothes from the suitcase. How a suitcase full of my clothes was ready and waiting for me on the private jet is still a mystery. Once I’m dressed, I head into the main part of the penthouse to quiz Archer.

I find him sitting at the breakfast bar, a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. Rafe is over by the cooker cooking eggs.

“Rafe has done you bacon and eggs,” Archer tells me, not lifting his head from his phone to address me.

“I’m not hungry,” I reply, taking a seat beside him. “A milky coffee will do, please.”

Rafe rolls his eyes. “What did your last slave die of?” he asks me as he grabs a cup and makes my drink for me.

“I had him murdered after he and his friends betrayed me,” I snipe with a sarcastic smile aimed his way.

“Don’t be like that Little Red. You know you love us really.” I jump at Sebs’ voice in my ear when he wraps his arms around my neck from behind and kisses my cheek.

“Jesus, you stink of alcohol,” I grimace, fighting the roll of nausea that I feel. “Seriously, Seb, some distance please.”

Laughing, he drops another kiss on my cheek before he pulls away and heads over to the fridge. I’m about to ask him what time he rolled in when two women enter the room from the direction of the bedrooms. Both women are dressed in tight, short dresses and heels.

Archer looks up when they giggle, and a deep frown mars his perfect face. “Leave. Now.”

Seb tuts and he saunters over to the two women, throwing his arms around the shoulders of them both. “Sorry about my friend, ladies. He’s such a grump in the morning. It’s probably because his fiancée’s not putting out and he’s feeling somewhat frustrated.”

“I can help him out with that,” one of the girl’s purrs, giving Archer the eye.

“I’m standing right here,” I bark, pulling the girl’s attention to me.

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