Once they were alone, Mac slung an arm over Archer’s shoulders. “Well, that was…something.”
“Yeah,” Archer said, his grin crooked. “Definitely the oddest Mulvaney Halloween ever. And that’s saying something.”
“You’d think I’d feel some kind of sympathy,” Mac admitted, “leaving an old lady to August. But somehow, I feel like there’s no torture adequate enough for that woman.”
“Yeah, it makes me miss the kids at the Watch,” Archer said. “How did a bunch of silly little psychopathic twenty-somethings become such a huge part of our lives?”
Mac chuckled under his breath. “Stockholm syndrome, maybe?”
He led Archer to the stone bench beneath the gazebo, the structure haloed by strands of white lights that flickered in the breeze. Then Mac grabbed Archer’s ass and pulled him in until he straddled his lap.
“I wonder what they’re up to right now?” Mac mused, voice low and amused.
Archer laughed, resting his forehead against Mac’s. “They probably have the teachers trussed up and are torturing them for candy.”
“I bet Gift’s whispering in Payton’s ear like a puppet master,” Mac said, dipping his tongue into the hollow of Archer’s throat. His voice dropped to that low rumble that always seemed to vibrate straight through Archer’s spine. “Did you rent this costume or…”
“I bought it outright,” Archer said, breath hitching just slightly. “Your creepy pirate fetish isn’t a secret to anyone. You’re welcome.” He tilted his head back to give him better access. “Don’t get too excited, though. I’m not missing that bitch’s sendoff.”
“Which upsets you more?” Mac asked, teeth grazing his skin. “That she broke Zane’s heart, or scared the shit out of Noah by almost taking out our most spoiled baby psycho?”
Archer’s laugh was soft and sharp all at once. “Honestly? It’s a tie. My brothers can take care of themselves, but when they go after the feelings faction, I start to forget we have a code,” Archer murmured.
“You are fiercely loyal for a psychopath.”
“We both know you don’t think I’m a psychopath.”
“I also don’t care,” Mac said, his thumb brushing the back of Archer’s neck in slow circles. “As long as you loveme.”
“I do,” Archer said in his best Jack Sparrow impression, voice dipping into a lazy drawl. “By the way, did I mention how dashing you look tonight, Lt. Norrington?”
“Once or twice.”
“This does feel like the ultimate enemies-to-lovers trope,” Archer teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“I thought you saidwewere the ultimate enemies-to-lovers trope.”
Archer smiled, soft and real this time. “We were never enemies. That was the problem. That was always the problem.”
Mac’s hand slid up into Archer’s hair, tugging lightly until their foreheads touched. “And now?”
“Now,” Archer said, his grin turning wicked as he dropped back into character, “it’s not a problem a’tall, luv. No problem a’tall.”
Their laughter tangled with the hum of the garden lights. Somewhere behind the hedges, vengeance was still unfolding, but for now, in this small, stolen corner of the chaos, it was just them.
Shiloh
Uh, why did we create a new group chat? And why is it called Avengers Assemble? And why are Lake, Felix, Noah and Zane missing?
Seven
Noah is taking care of Adam and Felix is taking care of Zane. And Lake is missing because this chat is about him.
Shiloh
And whose the random number in the chat?
Jordan
