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“Good evening, my beauty,” said Archer when Athena pressed the speaker to answer the house phone a while later.
“Thanks, son,” she chuckled.
“Mother? You’re still there?” Archer grumbled. “I thought I talked to you this morning. It’s Kady’s turn right now.”
“Don’t worry, dearest, I didn’t intend to stay,” she reassured him. “I just thought you might like to know about the bit of trouble we ran into while we were out shopping today.”
“Oh no, now what happened?”
“Your little China girl is out causing more trouble,” she told him.
“Well, I had a bit of trouble in here last night, too,” Archer admitted. “I just ran across the guy who actually committed the crime that landed me in here, and a few of his friends. I have no idea why they think they should be mad at me when he is the one that did it, but I guess he’s been telling them that I ordered him to skim funds and they believe it. So anyway, Kady, when you see me tomorrow don’t be too surprised by the black eye they gave me when they knocked me out. I really can’t say what they may or may not have done after that, but at least they didn’t kill me. The warden asked if I wanted to be placed in isolation but I told him no.”
“Oh, but Archer, you might not get so lucky next time,” Kady gasped, suddenly terrified for the father of her child. “My friend Juno’s brother was killed in prison, and he was a real bad ass. I can’t imagine what they might do to you if that guy didn’t even survive.”
“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart,” he replied smoothly. “I may not be a bad ass on my own, but I am able to buy protection same as him. Remember, we’re in a completely different kind of prison than the one that guy probably died in. Not one inmate in here has less than a million dollars in the bank, you know. I’m sure I’ll be just fine. Which reminds me, I need you to put money on somebody’s books for me. Remind me to give you the details before you come out here tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Kady agreed.
“Now go home, Mom, unless you want to listen to mushy stuff.”
“But I didn’t tell you the important part,” she complained, interrupting him.
“Go on,” he sighed.
“Mia was leading around some reporters in the middle of a baby furniture shop and kept pointing to her abdomen,” she explained. “Why on earth would she be doing that?”
“I have no idea,” he said, sounding so tired all of the sudden that Kady felt her heart break just a little. She knew it must be difficult for him, a man who was used to taking action, not being able to lift a finger to help or protect his family. “The woman is totally crazy. Just stay away from her.”
“I know I would, if she would let me,” Kady grumbled.
“I know, hon, she keeps following you,” he sighed. “But was she closer than five hundred yards?’
“Technically, she was,” Kady said. “But she could easily lie and say she didn’t know I was there since we were in a department store. I’m not sure how we could prove otherwise.”
“Well, why don’t you snap pictures of her with your cell if she does it again?” Archer suggested.
“I guess I could try that,” Kady said. “I mean, she’s the one who keeps bothering me, so what difference does it make if I do it back?”
“Yeah, that might just work,” Athena agreed. “Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to talk, then. Just remember before you get too frisky that you’re being recorded. Ta ta!”
“Good-bye, Mother,” Archer called out as she went. Kady just waved since the woman could actually see her.
“Is she gone?” Archer wanted to know.
“Looks like it,” Kady chuckled.
“Do you have any idea how much I miss you, Kady?” he wanted to know, the tenderness and love in his voice swept over her, erasing the more painful moments of the day. “When I was lying there on the floor with five guys punching and kicking me, I wondered if I was about to die, and all I could think about was you and never getting to see your face again, or even knowing what our baby looks like. It was really tough. I really want to hold you in my arms right now.”
“I thought you said it was ju
st a black eye,” Kady protested, her fear for him coming back in waves at his more detailed description of the attack. “It sounds like they really hurt you, Archer. I really wish you would have taken the warden up on his offer to put you somewhere safe. It can’t be good for the baby if I’m worrying about you throughout most of the pregnancy, you know.”
“Ah, trying to guilt trip me, huh?” he laughed, somehow still managing to sound like the same old carefree Archer despite the drama they were both going through.
“It isn’t funny, Archer,” Kady insisted. “You lost consciousness. You might have ended up dead right then and there.”
“Well, all that tells me is that whatever their agenda was, they obviously don’t want me dead,” Archer pointed out. “Which makes me wonder just exactly what they do want instead. They never even asked me any questions, and they didn’t even bother to threaten me. They just dragged me down and beat me senseless. When I came to, they had just left me in the hallway and a medic was working on me. They took me to the infirmary and gave me a few stitches where someone had bit my thigh, so I really don’t think I want to know anything more about it, if you know what I mean.”
