Chapter 76

That night, I’m heading to the kitchen to prepare Mia’s late night meal. She hasn’t woken up yet, I’m holding her baby monitor. But I expect her fussing at any moment. This, at least, is generally predictable and something Neil and I added to our schedule.

Which is part of the reason I’m surprised to hear voices from the kitchen.

“You will talk to me,” Neil said, voice more tired than angry. “I’d like to know why you are being such an insufferable dick.”

“It’s not any of your damn business, Neil.”

“Anything that affects the natural order around here is my business, Archer. If there’s an issue, I’d hear about it now so I can make the necessary adjustments.”

“Gods, you just have to fix every little thing, don’t you? This. Doesn’t. Affect. You. Let it go.”

“I’ll let it go when you give me a damn good reason to, and not a minute before.”

“You think I’m an insufferable dick? You should look in the mirror.” Archer, however, does sound angry. Although, when doesn’t he?

Even when he ordered me to touch myself, he did so with a deep growl. Sex isn’t even enough to temper his rough edges. Although he didn’t cum. Maybe if he would, he wouldn’t be so…

I shake my head. What am I even thinking about?

I will never see Archer cum. I don’t want to see that, no matter how much my body, even now, is responding positively to the very idea. Maybe I needed to rent some porn or something. Or read that BDSM book series Debbie recommended. Anything to get me off this cliff, wanting what I can’t have.

“You’ve always had some rage pent up,” Neil says. “I get that. But lately it’s been –”

“I don’t need lectures from you, Neil.”

Maybe I should come back later, in a few minutes or so. Likely their argument will be over by then and Mia will probably be awake.

I start to back away from the kitchen door. I make it three steps before I hear my name and stop.

“I know this has something to do with Chloe,” Neil says.

My heart leaps into my throat, treacherous thing. We don’t care about Archer, heart, or what he thinks of us. Still, I inch back to the door to hear better.

“I have more important things to worry about than some gold-digging bitch,” Archer says.

“Maybe. But she’s the one you are ignoring,” Neil says.

“I’m not ignoring her. She’s simply beneath my notice.”

“Bullshit,” Neil says. “You ran away from her after Nanny Lessons.”

“I wasn’t running –”

“Beau even made a comment.”

A moment of silence follows, ending with a quiet, “Shit.”

“Since you won’t just say it, I’ll guess,” Neil says. “You want to fuck her.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Tell me I’m wrong, then. Say the actual words.”

Archer falls silent. My heartbeat pounds loudly in my ears. I wait for him to deny it. Then I wait some more.

“That’s what I thought,” Neil says. “Chloe is attractive, there is no shame in recognizing it –”

“Like hell there isn’t,” Archer snaps.

“But she is an underling,” Neil continues, like he didn’t hear his brother. “She is beneath us, and we cannot forget it. We need to treat her as the subordinate she is.”

Archer stays silent a moment, then he says, “’We?’”

Neil grumbles, “I have eyes.”

I shouldn’t be hurt by the things Neil has said. The words aren’t new, neither is the sentiment. But to hear it from Neil, when we just started to be cool with each other again, and for Archer to agree, after everything we’ve almost done together… I can’t stop the hurt swelling in my chest.

I step away then. I don’t want to hear anymore. Forget the schedule. I’ll feed Mia when she wakes up and not a moment before.

Later, I go to the bank and take out the money Tide needs. I want to save Tide, but I’m also pissed at the brothers. To hell with what they think. I’m going to do what I think is right, forget the consequences.

I head to class and afterwards, pull Tide aside to give him the money. It’s in a thick envelope. He opens it and starts to count.

“It’s all there,” I say. Some annoyance grows within me. Here I am helping him, and he’s insulting me by thinking I’d shortchange him?

He ignores me until he’s finished counting. Then he frowns at me. “It’s not enough.”

I blink, startled. “What?”

“This isn’t enough money. You said you would help me.” His face crumples like I betrayed him.

“It’s two thousand dollars.”

“I told you I needed three thousand.”

What? No, that’s not what he said. I’m certain of it. “You said two thousand.”

“If you didn’t actually want to help me, you could have just said so.”

I stare at him, my mouth slack with disbelief. This can’t be real. What kind of asshole would lie about something like this? “Did you hit your head or something?”

“Don’t blame me for you not remembering how much I said.” Tide crosses his arms, but he’s not near so intimidating as any of the Hayes brothers. That he thinks he can frighten me or making me feel bad is almost laughable.

What kind of girl does he think I am? Does he really believe I’m going to fall for this gaslighting bullshit?

“Give me my money back, you ungrateful ass.” I hold out my hand.

He takes a step back. “Let’s not get hasty.”

“You are lying when you say you told me three thousand. You’re trying to extort me or something, but we don’t do that where I come from. You’re trying to take advantage of me, and I won’t fucking stand for it.” I make a grabby motion with my hand. “Give me my money back, now.”

Tide crumples at once. He really is a coward. “Listen, okay. The truth was, two thousand was enough last week but it’s not enough now. The guys after me, they need more.”

“They said they wanted two-thousand dollars.”

“That was before my family borrowed more.” Tide lowers his head in shame. I kind of want to punch him.

“You borrowed more?!”

“We have debts. I thought if I could win some at the casino…”

Suddenly, I see Tide in a new light. Here’s a man who will never be out of debt. Maybe he has a gambling addiction, maybe he just has something to prove. But any sensible person would know the way out of debt is not to borrow more from the people trying to kill you.

Tide is small. Pathetic. A coward. And likely an addict.

“You can keep that two thousand,” I say, because I pity him so much. “But you will never get a penny more out of me. That two thousand is it. Forever. Do I make myself clear?”

Tide nods.

It’s more than he deserves, really, especially since he tried to screw me. But I’d rather pass off the money and be done with this, then have to worry about it ever again.

At least I’m true to myself. It’s not my fault Tide can’t hold up his own end of the deal by being a decent human being.

He doesn’t even thank me.

Fucking asshole.

Annoyed, I turn from him, ready to start my trek back home.

I nearly walk straight into Neil, who has silently come to stand behind me.

“You’re behind schedule,” he says.

My throat goes dry.