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CHAPTER
21
Archer
When I get the callfrom Gage, telling me that piece of shit Jared was at Sloane's place not barely more than an hour after I'd dropped her off, I knew I needed to get to her before he could fill her head with lies and take advantage of the situation. When I entered the apartment, the sight of him so close to her made me see red and all I wanted to do was beat him to a bloody pulp. He was always going to be waiting in the wings for his chance to get Sloane back, not that I blamed him, but she was now and would always bemine,no matter what, and now I knew what I needed to do to make that happen. After Gage left, I took a hold of her hand and led her towards the couch. "Please, sit."
Letting out a puff of irritation, she dropped into the couch. "You know if you're just going to tell me more half truths Archer, you can just save your breath I've had enough of it."
Placing my finger on her lips, I tried to remain calm and in control, which could be very trying at times with the accusations and assumptions she jumped to. "First of all, I'm not going to give you anyhalf truths.I'm going to be totally honest with you," taking a deep breath, I proceed. "When I was younger, I had a best friend by the name of Parker, we did everything together. Riding bikes, playing baseball, checking out girls, and getting ourselves into trouble at times. He had a younger sister named Bryn, that was always wanting to hang out with us, and she did when we let her, but most of the time she had to sneak up on us to get her way. But as we all grew up, Parker and I always kept an eye out for her, making sure no boys picked on her or took advantage of her after she blossomed into a beautiful young woman by the time we all got to high school. After graduating, Parker and I went our separate ways, him off to college, and me off to join the military. We always saw each other now and then, but eventually lost touch over the years, as people do. Anyway, I got a call from him about six months back... he told me that Bryn had been beaten and strangled to death."
"Oh my God Archer, I'm so sorry," she said, covering her mouth with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Thank you. It was the club I'm a member of that she died in, Sloane."
"What?"
"She was dabbling in the lifestyle and I didn't even know she was into it, neither did her brother."
"Was she there before you became a member?"
"No, I was a member at the time, but I wasn't there the night she was killed. I always wondered if I had been maybe she would still be alive today."
"Don't you dare take on that guilt, Archer. It's not your fault that sick fuck took her life." Raising my brows at her cursing, she said, "Sorry, I just can't believe someone could do something so heinous to another human." Pausing for a moment she asked. "Why couldn't you just tell me about this from the very beginning?"
I looked up to the ceiling for a moment. "I didn't want to worry you about it or have you view the people in this lifestyle,mylifestyle, as threats. I wanted to be able to show you how much pleasure you could get from what I do, not have you look at it through jaded eyes and be afraid of it."
Reaching up to stroke my face, she leaned in and places a soft kiss on my lips. "Archer, I know you would never allow anyone to hurt me the way he did her."
“ButI'vehurt you, Sloane. I hurt you tonight when I said that shit about keeping our distance. I was only punishing myself for putting you in danger tonight. I should have known better than to take you to the club. Now if that sick fuck was in there, he may have seen you."
"Archer, look at me." Raising my head, I looked into the most beautiful pair of eyes I hoped to see every day for the rest of my life. "I-I love you, Archer Jennings. I love everything about you. I just wish you would learn that being honest with me is not going to make me run. The thing that makes me run is when you shut me out, that's what hurts me more than anything."
Hearing her words, it took a couple of seconds for the three most beautiful words I'd waited to hear from her sink in. "You love me?"
Tilting her head sideways, she answered. "Oh, don't act all shocked at this revelation when you've known I have been in love with you for awhile now."
Not able to contain myself any longer, I pulled her into a deep kiss, taking her breath away as we glided our tongues over one another, touching and feeling each other. Ending the kiss, I told her. "I love you too Sloane, probably have since the first day I saw you. You mean more to me than I can ever tell you."
