The insistent ringing of my phone roused me from my sleep, and I tried not to disturb Adele as I reached over her to grab it from the nightstand. Slipping out of bed, naked, I walked into the hallway leading to the living room.
"Dad?" I answered the call.
"Patricia has been found. She is dead," Victor Donovan's voice came through.
"Damn it!" I cursed, running my hand over my face and through my hair. "Jessica?"
"She's on the run. I had hoped she wasn't that far gone. She's completely unstable. Where's your girl?" he inquired.
"She's with me," I replied.
"Good. Keep her close," he advised.
"She wouldn't dare!" I growled.
"That's what I thought until I saw her mother's body. She killed her and a taxi driver. Watch your back, son. Let your men know to shoot her on sight," he warned.
"I'm sorry about Patricia, Dad," I said, knowing that my father may not have genuinely cared for his late wife, but she was still his companion, albeit a short-lived one.
"Thanks, son. I'm having her body cremated—it's for the best. I'll be coming back to Duport tomorrow. I'll see you then."
"Alright, Dad, see you then," I replied, and he ended the call.
Pouring myself a drink from the wine cabinet, I decided to call Mark, though I checked the time first—it was 3 a.m. He answered on the second ring.
"Is Adele okay?" he asked with concern.
"Yeah, Mark, Adele is fine," I assured him.
"So, you've heard?" he said.
"Heard? You know?"
"That your crazy stepsister killed her mother? Yes," he confirmed.
"Where are you?"
"Watching her getting picked up by a private jet. She's really gotten resourceful in the last ninety-two hours…."
"She found help?"
"Yes, and you're not going to like this," Mark warned.
"Tell me…"
"It's a group of mercenaries. They call themselves Agent X. I had an old acquaintance who was one of them. He's dead now…."
"Mercenaries?"
"Yup, they started from petty crimes like pickpocketing and drug dealing and graduated to becoming killers for hire… you know the type."
"Great," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "What happened to your guy?"
"What guy?"
"Your Agent X," I said.
"He set his sights on my sister… I really, really hate it when gangsters do that," Mark confessed with a touch of dark humor. I couldn't help but chuckle. Mark had always been an exceptionally protective brother.
"And yet here we are…" I remarked.
"You're not bad. Just a fucking whore," he teased.
"Hey, watch it," I retorted, pretending to be annoyed.
"You're lucky I know you tried to stay away from her."
"Admit it, you just don't want to lose your best friend," I teased back.
"Best friend?" he scoffed.
"Idiot," I replied, and he chuckled. Our banter was a familiar comfort amidst the chaos surrounding us.
"Did Jessica lead you to the gang?" Mark inquired.
"No, it was something I saw at PharmaMed. I think they were involved… I just haven't figured it all out yet. But it's interesting to see Jessica with them now," he replied. My frown deepened as I remembered what Gary said about just wanting to blow up the labs.
"Hmm… I think they may have intercepted my CFO's cover-up plan," I speculated.
"You mean the explosion?" Mark asked.
"Yes."
"And why?..." his voice trailed off. "Is there a way you can track Patricia's finances?"
"Yes, why?"
"I have a feeling she is our link here," he explained.
"Did you see Jessica kill her mother?" I asked.
"Yeah, sorry, I stayed out of it. Something about being a ghost and all that," he said.
"I understand."
"If Patricia is involved in the PharmaMed explosion, then we were right about her being the one who attacked me. That means…"
"She was after Adele… damn it!" I cursed.
"Is there something you want to tell me, Donovan? Why the hell are both mother and daughter after my sister?!" Mark exclaimed.
"Mark… it's complicated," I sighed.
"No! Come on, Donovan! Mother and daughter?! Are you kidding me!"
"They came after me!"
"You could have said no! Trust me, it is perfectly legal to turn a lady down!"
"Yeah, well… that's water under the bridge. She wouldn't get to Adele—over my dead body," I growled, feeling the weight of the situation. Mark fell silent on the other end.
"I am supposed to be dead to keep her away from all this drama, Donovan—"
"I tried, Mark. I tried. She wouldn't let me. And I can't bear to be without her anymore. Unless she doesn't want me. Then I'll let go… until then…." I trailed off, my voice low and gruff, as if I were thinking aloud. "I'm going to ask her to marry me," I finally admitted. Mark let out a sigh.
"Let's keep that until all this is over, okay?"
"I think you need to come to see her, Mark," I said, concerned. "She misses you. I don't like seeing her hurting."
"I can protect her better in the shadows, Archer. I don't like it either. I miss my sister. Give me time. Okay?" he replied, his voice filled with a mix of protectiveness and sorrow.
"Okay," I told Mark on the phone, my voice filled with concern. "Be careful out there… Okay? I would really hate to lose you for real," I said, knowing the dangers he faced.
He scoffed, trying to maintain his tough facade. "I'm not hoping to go down easily."
"Archer?" I heard Adele's voice calling from the bedroom as she stepped into the hallway.
"Got to go, keep me in the loop, please," I said to Mark, ending the call.
"What's wrong?" Adele asked, visibly worried.
"Come," I urged, gesturing for her to come closer. Seeing her wearing one of my shirts, her shapely body draped in it, made my heart race.
"I thought I heard you talking to someone…"
"I was speaking with a friend… but my dad called me first," I explained.
"At this time? Did something happen?" Her concern was evident as she approached me. I pulled her gently onto my lap, wrapping my arms around her.
"My dad called to let me know Patricia is dead," I revealed, my voice heavy with sadness.
"What? But… we saw her. She was fine! What happened to her?" She asked, shocked by the news.
"She was involved in an unfortunate accident," I explained, unconsciously holding her tighter as my emotions overwhelmed me. The fear of losing her was something I couldn't bear.
"Oh, my God! I am so sorry," she said, and I buried my face against her neck, taking in her comforting scent, and tightening my hold on her.
"I'm sorry, Adele. I'm going to double your security. I need you safe. If anything happens to you…" My voice trailed off, and I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence. The thought of anything happening to her terrified me.
"Archer?" She called me softly, her touch on my jaw making me look into her eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to me, baby. What happened to your stepmother is tragic, and I am so sorry. But we can't live in fear of the unknown. We just have to hope and pray for safety," she said, pressing her forehead gently against mine.
"Adele?"
"Yes, baby."
"I want you to move in with me…"
"What?" She whispered, her eyes searching mine, unsure of how to respond to my request.
"I don't want you shuttling between here and your apartment. I want you to be here with me."
"Archer, I don't know what to say…."
"Say yes, please, darling," I pleaded, reaching up to cup her delicate jaw and stroking her skin gently.
"I couldn't sleep a wink last night without you here," I confessed, baring my vulnerability to her. Her smile was sweet, and she leaned in to kiss me softly.
"I missed you too, my love. I would just like to keep my apartment for a bit. Perhaps we could both do the shuttling…."
"Adele…." I groaned, feeling a bit disappointed. "I thought we are putting our all without holding back?"
"I'm not holding back…"
"What do you need the apartment for?"
"Give me time, okay?" She pleaded, and I couldn't deny her request.
"Will you still hold on to the apartment after we are married?"
"What?" She repeated in shock.
"You heard me, will you?"
"N - no," she whispered, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Okay then, I suppose I know what I must do," I said with a playful glint in my eyes, teasing her.
Adele blushed even more but smiled back at me. "You really are something, Archer," she said affectionately.