Faith (The Fast Love Collection Book 1) (15 page)

Epilogue

Archer held one of his hands behind his back, a sheepish look on his face as he walked to the bed. In the other hand was a gorgeous bunch of flowers that consisted of pink and red roses. Edging his way to the cabinet beside me, he laid them carefully and leaned over for a soft kiss.

“How are you feeling?”

“Sore.”

He nodded and the soft sound of a plastic bag crinkling gave him away.

“What did you buy now?”

“It's very cute.” He offered as his defense.

“Sure it is, let me see.”

The bag was put onto the bed, opening it I found another pink dress. We were at ten dresses since Raven's birth yesterday. Honestly, the man didn't know when to stop spoiling her. I was still in hospital and since the birth late yesterday afternoon, Archer had been in and out only a few times.

Dinner was bought after he looked at the hospital's offering, he turned his nose up at it and was gone. Half an hour later he came back with several bags. Pink dresses, booties, a bunny rug that he couldn't pass on and a cold dinner.

When he came in this morning, he came with more bags containing more things. Now I was being offered lunch and another dress. I reached into the bag and pulled out yet another pink object.

“Where in this dull little town did you manage to find a shop that sells leather for babies?”

Archer shrugged and picked Raven up, smooching his kisses all over her chubby cheeks. She was adorable.

I looked at the jacket, wondering who thought that pink and leather went together and decided that they needed to make a jacket for a newborn baby. When I got home I'd have to search his bank statements and find out where he's buying these things. Maybe I could order them to stop selling things to him.

As he sat on the lounge with our newborn daughter in his arms, I knew I couldn't take it away from him. He was being the doting father and lavishing his love upon her.

Raven's birth had been fairly easy going which was great considering I'd had nine months of pure hell. Morning sickness carried on until I was at thirteen weeks, then I suffered indigestion, cramps and a bladder the size of a walnut. High blood pressure meant that I was ordered to rest which was beyond difficult for this person who didn't know how to sit still.

Archer was kept busy, mostly searching for me and ordering me back to the bed or lounge. He didn't clean to my standard and it was driving me absolutely bonkers. Learning from his mistake after finding me cleaning the toilet when he'd gone out to get groceries, Archer made someone visit from then on.

Eddie was a little more forgiving, allowing me to do light duties and only until he saw Archer driving down the road. Like Archer knew I'd been up to no good, he said that when Eddie babysat me the next time, he was going to make James come over as well. James was strict, telling me he'd tape me to the lounge if I lifted one butt cheek off it.

I was beginning to miss Eddie. Living next door to him meant that I was always able to go to the kitchen window and talk to him, he was never far away. My apartment was rented out and now that I lived across the road, it seemed that the distance was greater than ever. He was always around, always there for me and I was grateful that he hadn't disappeared completely.

The insurance had paid out, we built a house that looked like a fortress. Archer created an architectural vision of high walls and modern, sharp lines. And let's not forget the high tech security. I thought that it might have been overkill seeing as very little has happened since that day. Well, nothing that Archer will talk about.

Out of the club was never really going to happen, not when he had a direct link through his father. But the man was true to his word, never accepting a request from a club member. Or at least, none that I knew of. It was something that I knew it was best not to know nor ask about. All that I wanted was for him to come home to me alive and well and Archer understood this.

Something had happened, this much I was aware of. I wasn't one to subscribe to magazines or newspapers so my knowledge of what had happened was limited at best. Eddie was the one that had filled me in. I'd gone to his apartment, waddling my way up the stairs for afternoon tea while Archer was out. On the table was the latest local newspapers, the headline was an attention grabber.
Gang warfare.

It had started off quietly at first according to the article. One member of the Rogue Outlaws was taken here, another one there. Slowly being picked off in ways that looked like accidents or suicide but for those in the know, they knew differently. After all, who would foolishly believe that so many members of one club were meeting with such ends?

The article continued, weaving a story of more members disappearing, some meeting an end that was rather grizzly. Blood was flowing down the streets of this quiet city, a silent gangland war was being fought and it was all rather one sided by appearances.

What the newspaper article lacked, Eddie filled in. He'd been keeping an eye on things, wondering how much involvement Archer really had in it all. Hopefully it was none but I knew that the hope was wasted.

Neither Archer or Mathias had said anything about any of their own losses, the two of them happily went about their lives as if it had nothing to do with them. I'd lost it one night, after having watched a van sitting just up the street for the better part of a week, I told Archer that I was sick of the cops watching us. Magically, they disappeared. If I thought that something horrid had happened to them, I was right in a roundabout way. Something horrid had happened to them, something financially horrid.

It didn't surprise me that Mathias had the cops in his pocket, funding them to look the other way. From another perspective, the war stopped once the other club was abandoned. Mathias took over the territory and now controlled the entire city. It was peace, just in an odd way.

So I guess that Archer returning to the club was always going to be on the cards, I knew that it was in his blood and he never really wanted to walk away. He just wanted Raven and I safe and he believed that it was the answer.

Raven yawned as her father made goo goo faces at her.

“Oh I understand.” He cooed. “You want to go back to bed. You're not like your mother, she doesn't understand the meaning of lazy days.”

I poked my tongue at him, stuffing the clothes back into the bag.

“I am going to buy you a motorcycle.”

“No you're not.”

“I wasn't talking to you.”

He offered a sardonic smirk as he put Raven back into the hospital crib, sitting beside me on the bed.

“I know you weren't. She's a day old and it's way too early to be talking motorcycles.”

“So that's a yes for eventually?”

“No, it's a never, ever.”

Archer smiled again.

“I'll continue this another day, maybe when you're about to orgasm, shouting out yes, yes, Archer please. I'll quickly slide the question in there and you'll agree to it without realizing.”

The door flung open and Alexis walked in with her usual grand flair.

“Did someone say orgasm?” She crooned, almost flailing the flowers away.

She stopped and stared at us for a moment.

“Something wrong darlings?”

“No, not at all.” I said trying not to laugh.

“Good. Got a present for you darling. Here Archie, deal with these.”

The flowers were thumped to his chest as he grumbled his proper name.

“Faith.” I said smugly.

With a huff he was out the door searching for vases. Alexis looked rather smug as she turned from the door to me.

“So this came back for you yesterday. I tried to ring you but for some reason you weren't answering your phone.”

“Yeah sorry. Kind of busy pushing a fat head out of a tiny hole.”

She nodded and pulled an envelope out from under her arm, passing it to me. Then she proceeded to prop the floppy eared bunny present for Raven, setting it into the corner of the crib.

“Oh she is just a bundle of cuteness Faith.”

I agreed completely, first look at Raven and I loved her without question. Lifting her into her arms, Alexis continued to talk to her as if she could understand. I chuckled when she told Raven that she'd be happy to represent her in the expected blossoming career of writing.

That book tour that I was supposed to go on, well it happened in a long and drawn out kind of way. Once I wasn't suffering morning sickness I was able to go to various functions for a few days, return home to see doctors and other baby related appointments. It had made a one month tour drag out to three months but I couldn't complain, at least everyone was being flexible for me.

Sliding my finger under the flap, I lifted it up and pulled out the contents. It was the proof for the cover of my next book. After the basic idea of bad boy meets good girl, I'd had a flush of ideas and my personal assistant was forced to learn how to type. We'd had some pretty heavy arguments in those few weeks, my wrists took a little longer than usual to heal. Maybe I might have been doing things that I shouldn't have.

So my personal assistant was made to sit at the computer while I lounged on the chair with one of my many cravings, a large box of chocolate covered almonds. Dictating to him was difficult, I talked too fast and he typed too slow. Two finger typing a flood of words was a task but we got there.

“Looks great Alexis.”

She peered over and offered a smile.

“Sure does, what a handsome hunk of man meat.”

“Thanks Alexis.”

Archer smiled broadly as he passed her, she rolled her eyes at him.

“They did a lot of alterations on the picture mister swelled head.”

He leaned over and looked at the picture, frowning intensely.

“They took all my ink away and put that shit in?”

“Archer, the one on your chest is a god damn patch for the club. Your father would have a meltdown if they didn't.”

“It's not a patch.” He grumbled.

“Close enough.” I returned.

Alexis darted her eyes back and forth, raising an eyebrow at us.

“So.” She interrupted. “Do you like the cover or not?”

“It's great.” I offered, looking at Archer.

“Yeah it's fine.”

When his back was turned to tend to the flowers, Alexis shook her head. She put Raven back into her crib and took the proof.

“Well, I'll get this organized and give you a call in a couple of days.”

She planted a kiss on the top of my head and poked Archer in the ribs.

“Take care of her mister, both of them.”

“As if I wouldn't.” He crooned sarcastically.

After Alexis had been and gone, Kira, Dane and the girls visited. Eddie and James hung around for several hours, cooing over how cute the clothes were. Archer smiled supremely at me. My parents visited and surprisingly, Saffron was with them as well. She'd only just flown in, looking rather jet lagged but happy to meet her niece and of course, Archer.

Nurses came and went, the doctor visited and said that I'd be out by tomorrow if the night passed well. Archer left at dusk to find dinner, after telling the staff to keep their bland food. I was a little surprised when Mathias turned up with the food, feeling my heart sink as thoughts filled my mind of what Archer was really doing.

“Everything okay?”

“Sure is.” Mathias offered with a grin.

It was one that made me a little uneasy. Not in the sense that I should be worried about what he would or wouldn't do but in the sense that something was going on.

“Where is Archer?”

“Had something to do.”

Something. I'd heard that before. Something equated to trouble.

I looked out the window to the falling light, darkness had taken over rather quickly. Mathias moved the table to the side of the bed, setting up the meal he'd brought in for me.

“Is he planning on being here soon?”

The man nodded without a word or looking up at me. My heart was thumping hard, feeling the anxiety building harder and harder.

“Mathias, what's going on?”

“Well Roxy, I'm setting out your dinner and you're asking too many questions again.”

Ah, club speak for shut up. In the silence of the room I heard his phone vibrate. Taking a quick glance at me, he pulled it out and read the message. A soft sigh escaped him as he looked at me.

“Roxy, come with me.”

He held my hands, helping me off the bed and took me to the window. I stared at the view, unable to find words to speak, unable to comprehend the view.

The grass was on fire.

But not just on fire, it was a message. No, it wasn't a message. It was a question.

Marry me?

“He doesn't do things by halves, does he?”

Mathias chuckled, pressing buttons on his phone and passing it to me. I watched as the man who was standing by the flaming words pulled his phone out.

“Hey baby.”

“Hi.”