a couple of pear ciders tucked into the back, so they'd have to do.
Returning to the sofa, I pulled my phone out and shot off a text to both Steele and Kody, letting them know Archer was at my place. Drunk.
"You need to drop this shit with Demi Timber," Archer announced after I sat back down. For some inexplicable reason, I’d sat back on the sofa beside him, rather than returning to the armchair where I'd have some physical distance to buffer the attraction between us. Idiot.
I unscrewed the top of my cider and shook my head. "Hell no."
Archer blew out a breath, like I was testing his patience or something. Poor dear, he'd learn sooner or later that I didn't play games. When I consulted a divorce lawyer, I fully intended to divorce his sorry ass.
"You can't divorce me, Madison Kate," he said, sipping his own cider, then screwing his face up in disgust. "What the fuck is this shit?"
"Pear cider," I informed him, my expression flat. "Bree loves them, and you are an uninvited and unwanted house guest. So you'll drink it and you'll fucking love it, or your next beverage will be drain cleaner. Clear?"
One of his black brows raised at me, and his bloodshot eyes turned wary. "Yeah, alright then." He took another sip, and this time only cringed a little bit.
Oh look, he can be trained after all.
"As for divorcing you, I'm absolutely making that happen. Unless you'd like to give me a seriously good reason why that wouldn't be in my best interests?" Like... a prenup?
He sighed heavily and ran a hand over his short beard. Once again, I found myself reconsidering my general distaste for beards... On the right face, they weren't so bad.
"If you divorce me, Princess, then you'll lose everything. Your entire inheritance from your father—paltry as it is now that he's nearly broke—but more importantly, your mother's trust will be transferred to me. You'll have nothing left." He delivered this news without emotion, like it was just a fact that was due no remorse or regret.
"What the fuck?" I hissed at him, my fury spiking to nuclear levels as I leapt to my feet. "Are you kidding me right now? Why would you do that? What the fuck did I ever do to you to deserve this?"
My breathing was heavy and hot and angry tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but Archer just looked up at me, impassive and unapologetic.
"Because I forked over a shitload of money to free your father from his bad debts, Princess. No one in their right mind does something like that without an iron-clad contract. Spare me the theatrics too. It was a smart business move and you know it." He let out a harsh laugh, colored by his intoxication. "Hell, you'd have done the exact same thing in my shoes; that's what pisses you off more than anything. You understand the why of it, but you just hate that it was done to you."
My fists curled at my sides, my fingernails digging painfully into my palms. I couldn't argue with him, though, because he was right. From a purely business point of view, of course he’d safeguarded his investment. From a personal point of view, though? I wanted to make him fucking bleed.
I worked through those thoughts, and he just stared up at me, his cool blue eyes assessing and curious. For the first time in as long as I'd known him, his mask was gone. He wasn't trying to guard his thoughts and feelings; he wasn't hiding his reactions. It was unnerving as hell.
"You want to hurt me, don't you?" he asked after a moment, a grin curling the corners of his lips. "You've got murder in your pretty eyes, Princess. It's such a turn-on."
Fuck me.
Turning away from Archer's all too intense stare, I checked my phone and found messages from both Kody and Steele. One of them had asked if I needed him to come pick up Archer's drunk ass. The other asked if I needed a body cleanup. Both made me smile.
"Calling in your guard dogs, Princess?" Archer asked with a mocking laugh. "Running scared again. Typical."
I rolled my eyes and tapped out a quick reply to both boys, assuring them we were just fine. I didn't need my so-called guard dogs to tear Archer a new asshole, thanks.
Spinning back around, I planted my hands on my hips and speared my asshole husband and owner with a glare that