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“You and he are basically raising that little girl together.Nothingcomes between you. But now you’re ditching Mia’s birthday party?” She scowls so I feel the burn of shame. “You were on the edge of a panic attack waiting for your wife to come out of surgery, but instead of leaning on your bestie for support, you tell him to beat it? What the hell?”
“It’s not—” I shake my head and carefully push up to my elbow. “It’s not up for discussion, Aubs. All you need to know is I’m no longer welcome in his home, and he’s not welcome in mine. That’s all there is to it.”
“I don’t accept that!” she snaps. “Dammit, Arch, you can’t throw away that kind of friendship for no reason.”
“Aubs—”
“No way are your excuses good enough to take more family from that little girl.”
My heart thuds with a painful, desperate ache that leaves me sick in my stomach.
“You’reUncle Arch,” she groans. “You’re someone important to Mia. So whatever issue you think you have with Fletch right now, it shouldneverreach the innocent little girl in the middle.”
“They’re fighting because of me.”
I wrench my head around and lock onto Minka’s perfect chocolate stare as she peers up at me.
Her face is still too pale, her lips, carrying hardly any of their usual color. But it’s her eyes that hurt me most.
“Archer and Fletch are fighting because of me,” she repeats. “Because of something I did.”
“Stop it.” I brush her hair back and lean in to press a kiss to her lips. “Stop talking, Mayet.”
“I did something Fletch doesn’t agree with,” she pushes on. “Something bad. He found out, and now he’s mad at Archer for not telling him first.”
“Whatthing?” Aubree leans over me to hold her boss’ gaze. “What did you do? Because this has been going on for way too long.”
“I—”
“Demand privacy.” I place my hand over Minka’s mouth and turn back to glare at Aubree. “It’s private. The point is, Fletch is mad about it. I thought we could still be friends, ya know? I told him I was sorry. But instead of being a fuckin’ man and talking shit out with me, he went and left my wife to die inside that bank.” My rage boils once more, just as potent and angry as it was while Minka was still in surgery. “He would have had her die in retaliation for his hurt feelings. So I’m done, Aubree.”
I look to Tim, too, since he’s listening. Then to Cato and Felix. “I’m done trying to mend fences. I’m done telling him I’m sorry. And I’m absolutely fucking done letting him put her in danger, all because he’s proud and wanted to know a secret that had nothing to do with him.”
Breathing too heavy, simmering with anger, I remove my hand from Minka’s mouth, but hold Aubree’s stare. “So yeah, thisisgonna touch Mia. Because I can’t be near Fletch, and Fletch can’t be near me. But I still love that little girl like she was my own fucking child. So I’m asking you nicely to take the gift when you go to her party later, and remind her that we’re here. We haven’t walked away, and we’re not letting her go. We’re gonna have to find a way to see her when her father isn’t in the same room, because at this point, I’m not sure which of us is gonna pull the trigger first. But I do know her cute little rainbow party will be ruined when I smash his face in and get blood on the cake.”
“Ugh.” Cranky, Aubree pushes off the bed so it rocks under our combined weight. “You’re breaking up the band, Archer! You’re talking about transfers at the station—”
“Wait,” Minka startles. “What?”
“And you told him he’s dead to you, and now he’s gone! Because you told him to stay gone.”
“Yeah. And the least he can do is listen.” Turning my head, I catalogue the pain in Minka’s eyes. The stiffness to her body. “I’m gonna find your doctor and get some medicine for you.”
“You told Fletch he’s dead to you?” She squirms from discomfort, but tries to hold me close. “Archer?”
“I told him the truth.”
Twisting on the bed and nudging Aubree back, I set my feet on the floor, and groan when pins and needles race along my legs. Bending, I yank my boots on, but I leave the laces untied and step away, though Minka’s fingers grasp for the loop of my jeans.
I feel her reaching out for me. To fix the situation with Fletch, instead of worrying about the sickening pain slicing through her body.
But one is easier to remedy.
Pivoting back to my wife and catching the sparkle of her wedding band, I lean in and kiss her brow. “I’ll be back in a second with help.”
“Archer—”
“I don’t wanna discuss Fletch anymore.”Because it fucking hurts.More than I can possibly process or hold on to. “Stay here.”
