Chapter Fourteen
Echo
A FEW DAYS later, I had just climbed into the car and buckled my seatbelt, ready to head to my last patient when Archer called. “Hey, honey.”
“Hey beautiful. You almost done with your day?”
“Just got in the car for my last patient. What about you?”
“I’ve got one more client, then I’m done. There’s a party at the clubhouse tonight and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me?”
“Sure, that sounds fun,” I said as enthusiastically as I could, fighting back the wave of panic beginning to settle in my stomach.
“I have to run by the mall and grab a gift for my mom. It’s her birthday on Friday,” I said as I started my car.
“Do you want to meet there and then we can head to the clubhouse after?”
“Yeah, baby, text me when you’re done and where you want to meet.”
“Sounds good.”
We rang off and since I finished up with my last patient early, I decided to run home and take a quick shower before heading to the mall. Archer texted he’d be done soon, so I told him I’d be at the little antique shop by the pet store and headed that way.
I didn’t make it inside before I heard my name being called.
I turned toward the sound and let out a quiet, “Shit,” when I saw who it was.
I should have kept walking.
“I thought that was you,” Ezra Biddle, my ex-boyfriend said as he strolled toward me.
God, he was so, I don’t know, prep school, douchey.
He wore a pair of blue Chinos, a linen button up and a pair of deck shoes, sans socks.
The pretentiousness went even further as he didn’t own a boat.
Of course, his father Lionel Biddle, the aerospace tycoon did, but he’d have to acknowledge his son was alive to invite him aboard.
I had sympathy for Ezra. He was raised in enormous wealth but was basically ignored by his own his parents.
They treated him more like a prized thoroughbred than a child.
Raised by caretakers, nannies, and prep-school teachers, Ezra was groomed for excellence throughout his entire childhood but never guided toward any particular path or passion.
Now, he was pushing thirty and was completely lost at sea.
But as bad as I may have felt for Ezra, there were reasons I broke off our relationship.
Serious reasons that I wanted to keep in the past.
Now, all these months later, being in the same physical space as Ezra, while processing my feelings for Archer, was disorienting.
As clearly as I thought I could see Ezra’s character when I broke up with him, now it was as if I was looking at him through a zoom lens.
A lens provided by Archer. A man, who in stark contrast, looked like a criminal on the outside, but was pure of heart on the inside.
Of course, Ezra only showed me his best side at first, but the longer we dated the more his affection, gifts, and even his attention, felt hollow and somehow transactional.
Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t see through all of his ridiculousness back when we were dating.
Oh, right.
The Archer of it all.
“Ezra,” I bit out. “You’ll have to excuse me. Um, I have to be some—”
“Can I get a hug?”
I instinctively stepped back. “No.”
“Look, I’ve tried to call you several times.”
“I wouldn’t know, Ezra. I have your number blocked.”
“I understand.” He smiled. “I should have defended you that night, dear. The boys are dicks. Especially Donnie. Sometimes he can push a joke a little too far. I’ve told him a million times. You know that. Since we were kids.”
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t stop a shudder.
“Come on. You’re not still mad, are you?” he asked, his voice dripping with saccharine sweetness.
“First of all, don’t call me ‘dear.’ I hated it even when we were dating. And second, your little buddy, Donnie called me a freak , and you and your friends all laughed. You didn’t know I could hear you, but I could and you laughed at me when you should have told him to fuck off.”
“Please, Echo. I fully admit that I was drunk and I acted like a complete asshole. But that’s all ancient history now. I’ve changed. You made me want to change. I’ve even been thinking of going to an AA meeting.”
“What the…?” I frowned. “Look, I really need to be somewhere, so I’m going to go.”
“Would you consider giving me a second chance?”
I scoffed. “Not even if hell froze over.”
“God, I miss you.”
I felt like my brain might short circuit. “I’m going to walk away now before I say something cruel.”
Ezra reached for me and that’s when Archer appeared, his face screwed up in what could only be described and pure, unadulterated rage as he stepped over to Ezra. “You touch her and I’ll break every fuckin’ bone in your hand.”
“You can’t threaten me. Who the hell are you?” Ezra asked.
“I just fucking did and I’m the guy who’s telling you to keep your baby-soft, never been used to put in a single day of hard work, hands off of Echo.”
“How long have you been here?” I rasped.
“Long enough to see you tell this clown to get lost. Long enough to see he’s not taking the hint.”
“Who is this guy?” Ezra demanded of me.
“Not that it’s any of your business.” Archer stepped in front of me. “I’m her man.”
“You’re associating with violent degenerates now, Echo?”
“Who the fuck are you?” Archer asked Ezra.
“This is my ex -boyfriend, Ezra,” I replied.
“The asshole who called you a freak?”
“It wasn’t me, it was a friend of mine—”
“Then your friend is an asshole as well. Why don’t you get the fuck outta here and the two of you can go blow each other.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I finish my conversation with Echo.”
“You’ve got a really big problem following instructions, don’t you?” Archer growled. “Move on.”
“I’m not afraid of you. I’ve got a brown belt in Brazilian Jujitsu,” Ezra threatened.
Archer grinned. “Good. It should match your brown pants.”
“These pants are khaki, not brown.” Ezra scoffed.
“Well, they’re gonna be brown really soon, cause I’m gonna hit you so fuckin’ hard you’re gonna shit yourself.”
“Biker bravado bullshit,” Ezra said. “We’re in a public place. You won’t touch me.”
I glanced around, worried that security might be coming to investigate, but the mall was pretty empty .
“Oh yeah?” Archer taunted, coming face-to-face with Ezra.
Ezra swallowed hard. “Touch me and my lawyers will make sure I get every dollar in your bank account. All one-hundred-seventy-two of them.”
“This is your very last warning,” Archer said. “Turn around, walk away, and never speak to, call, text, or reach out to Echo again or I’ll take this to the next level.”
“I’m not bluffing about the Brazilian Juj—”
Before Ezra could finish his sentence, Archer slapped him across his face so hard that I’d bet people heard it from as far away as the food court.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t your sensei teach you how to defend a bitch slap?” Archer taunted. “Oh, well. Maybe that’ll be in next week’s class.”
Ezra held a hand to his reddening cheek. “You assaulted me!”
“More like I prevented you from assaulting this woman.”
“There are cameras all over this place,” Ezra bit out. “I’m going to sue you.”
Archer wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “Good luck with that.”
“I swear to god, you’ll be hearing from my attorney.”
“Cool story, bro. But hear me on this. You come at Echo again, for any reason, I won’t just slap your face, I’ll snap your fuckin’ dick off and mail it to your mother.”
“I always knew you were a freak,” Ezra snapped. “Now you’re hanging with your own kind. Typical. ”
I grabbed Archer’s arm before he could do anymore damage to Ezra’s face.
Guiding me away from a still reeling Ezra, Archer pulled out his phone as we made our way to the exit. “Hey, Dad, yeah, can you do something for me? Yeah, had an altercation with Echo’s ex at Vancouver Mall about five minutes ago. He’s threatening to sue. Yep, cool. Thanks. Love you. Bye.”
Once we were back at my car, he faced me. “You okay?”
I shook my head and buried my head into his chest. “That was scary.”
“I’m sorry, baby, I’m sorry he scared you.”
“It wasn’t just him. You scared me, too” I said, pulling away.
“I was just protecting you.”
“I understand,” I said, gripping his cut. “And I’m glad you were there, but next time, maybe we try walking away before the situation erupts into violence.”
Archer chuckled. “That wasn’t an eruption. That creep got away with a love tap. After how he treated you, I should have ripped his head off.”
“Protecting me is one thing. You made me feel like a cavewoman being fought over by two club wielding Neandertals.”
“He was going to grab you,” Archer protested.
“You’re not listening to me,” I said. “Seeing that side of you was a real yellow flag for me. You know what? I think I need some space. Maybe you should go to your club party by yourself. I still have to get a gift for my mom since my shopping time was interrupted.”
“Wait, hold on.”
“Goodnight, Archer,” I said, turning and practically making a run to my car.
Now I not only had to find another place to buy my mom a present, I had to avoid the mall and Archer for at least a century.
I burst into tears and drove out of the parking lot.
* * *
Archer
I’d hoped the ride from the mall to the clubhouse would clear my head a little bit, but I was still completely spun up by the time I got there.
I mean, what the hell did Echo expect me to do?
Just stand there while that piece of shit put his goddamned paws all over her?
No fucking way. Biker or not, that shit ain’t happening on my watch.
Tonight was Hawk’s birthday bash, and I was looking forward to emptying a few tall boys, losing some money at the pool tables, and hanging with my club brothers. Since Echo made it clear that I was riding solo tonight, I figured why not get shit faced and into a little trouble.