Liar (Madison Kate #2)(34)

I definitely knew where Archer got his charm from, that was for sure. What a shame he so rarely turned it on for me.

Then again... I think I preferred grouchy Archer D'Ath, anyway. He kept me on my toes.

Soon Ana returned to let us know that the meal was ready. It was an odd time of day, somewhere between lunch and dinner, but I was starving so it suited me fine.

Archer hung back, pausing me with a hand on my arm as everyone else made their way through to the elaborate formal dining room.

"What's up?" I asked him when he didn't immediately speak.

His brow was furrowed, and he was watching me with suspicion. "I know you're probably up to something, Princess Danvers," he started, his voice pitched low so there was no risk of being overheard. "But don't."

My brows shot up. "Don't what?"

"Don't do whatever the fuck you're building up for. All the smiles and chitchat and laughter? You might have everyone else fooled, but not me. I see that anger simmering under the surface of your violet eyes, Madison Kate. I recognize the burning need to get even for your dad's threats, but—"

I scoffed and glared at him with acid in my eyes. "Oh yeah, sure. My dad is the one who restricted my freedom and threatened me with fucking committal into a psychiatric hospital if I don't toe the line. Of course. Nothing to do with you."

He paused a moment, his blue eyes cold and emotionless as he stared down at me.

When he spoke again, all traces of that casual openness from earlier were totally gone from his voice. "Well, if anyone could pull Samuel Danvers’s strings like that, I'd be pretty damn careful about retaliation. Wouldn't you?"

He left me there in the hallway outside the dining room with ice forming in my stomach. His smile was back in place as he took a seat to his grandmother's left, but my good mood was left shivering in the cold. Every time I started to think he wasn't as bad as I'd thought, he went and proved me wrong again.

Even more insulting was the fact that I’d had no intention to fuck with him today. I genuinely enjoyed his grandmother's company and had thought we were making progress in not constantly taking swipes at each other. Evidently not.

Archer had taken a swipe and drawn blood.

Slowly I made my way into the dining room and hesitated for a moment. There was a vacant seat left on Constance's other side—as she sat at the head of the table—and directly opposite Archer. I doubted it had been left vacant for Ana—she was bustling around serving up food onto everyone's plates with silver servers—and it'd be too pointedly rude to sit farther down the table.

With a sigh, I took my seat and gave Ana a tight smile as she filled up my plate with delicious smelling food. My champagne glass was already refilled, so I took a long sip and quite deliberately avoided looking across to Archer.

Not that he was paying me any attention, but still.

"Are you okay?" Steele murmured, leaning closer to me. He was sitting on my other side and reached for my hand under the table. I squeezed his fingers on reflex, soaking up some of his strength and letting it ground me. I needed to get back in control of my own emotions, or Archer really would win this round.

Stupid me for not realizing the game was still being played.

"Yeah," I replied with a smile, "just tired."

He started to reply, but Constance cleared her throat and drew our attention.

"My dears," she said with a warm expression on her weathered face, "it's such a delight to have you here today. All of you." She met my eyes and smiled. "Madison Kate, I can see you fitting into our little family just perfectly. It's not every day Archer meets his match." She shot me a wink as her grandson choked on his sip of scotch.

Constance chuckled, and Ana—refilling Kody's glass of water—grinned a smug smile.

"Well, dig in, then," Constance continued, waving a hand at the impressive spread of food. "Ana didn't slave in the kitchen all day for it to sit here and go cold."

Despite what Archer said about Constance and Ana keeping their relationship on the down-low, I'd have to be blind to miss the adoring look both women gave each other.

It gave me hope. Surely Archer couldn't be all malice and cruelty when he had such strong, confident women in his life. Surely.

But once again, why the fuck did I care so much?





14





After hours of incredible food, sweets, drinks, and conversation, Constance pleaded old age and retired for the evening. As the echo of her footsteps died away, an uncomfortable silence fell over the four of us as we sat around in front of a huge, roaring fireplace.

"So, when are you going to tell me why we're really here?" I asked Archer directly, when the tension grew too thick for my liking.

He curved a cold smile at me, his thumb rubbing lazily across his lower lip as he stared me down, unblinking. It shouldn't have been a sexy gesture. It shouldn't. But my body had grown a mind of her own and reacted like he'd just opened his pants and—

"What makes you think there's an ulterior motive, Princess Danvers?" he taunted me, interrupting my train of thought before I could do something embarrassing. Like drool.

I rolled my eyes and shifted in my seat, taking Archer out of my direct line of vision and replacing him with Kody. Much better.