Hunting for Honey - THE SPECTER SERIES [book one]

Chapter NINETEEN: The Secrets

Honey Sinclaire

"Honey.. Before his death, Alex often worked with Specter on criminal investigations and..undercover operations.." Archer begins as you settle back against the cushions, nervously awaiting the whole truth..

"I overheard Patrick say Alex had passed on 'critical details'.. Was he an informant?" You ask with eager interest..

He gives you an odd look at your mention of Patrick's name, "Ah no, he was more like a semi-retired operative.."

Your mouth falls open, "Alex was a spy?!"
You can't believe it..

Archer nods, "He was.. A few years ago, a man named Brian Asher joined the board of Carrington Corp.." An expression of disgust crosses his handsome features as he speaks the name 'Brian Asher'..

The name is most definitely familiar to you, "I remember.. I sent out the office memo.."
Alex had seemed perfectly normal when Mr Asher had joined the company.. It makes you wonder how many things you didn't know about the old man you had loved so much..

How he must have been living the same lies that Archer lives..

"Specter - the security syndicate I work for, have had their eye on Asher for a while now.. He is known to have extensive ties to the criminal world but for the longest time we haven't been able to connect him to anything solid, or find an associate willing to turn on him.." Archer leans back on his palms, streching out his long legs in front of him, making himself comfortable..

Okay that's just terrifying information.. "And Alex just let this guy jump on the board of his company?!.. Why?!"
How many people had been exposed to this evil man for the sake of this whole set up?

You can't begin to imagine the damage a person like that has done to the people around them..

"He did.. So that we could catch Asher in the act and connect him to the bigger picture we know he's involved in... Think about it Honey.. A transport company?
It's the perfect cover for his illegal weapons deals. He can smuggle the guns and launder the money all in the one place.."

Realisation hits you like a truck as you slowly exhale the words, "The board's financial discrepancies.."

He taps his nose in a 'you know it' fashion, "Exactly.. I don't know how you found them.. They must have been buried deep for Ellerie to have missed them.." He frowns, clearly displeased with Ellerie's error..

You find yourself feeling a little bad for her.. After all the only reason you had found those discrepancies was from keeping your own running tally of end of year figures for years.. From there you were able to spot some unusual trends and you decided to look into it further..
"I... I just wanted to do a good job.. To prove that Alex had chosen me for a reason.. That I deserved to be COO.."

Archer gives you an affectionate smile reaching out for your hand, "Don't forget.. Alex actually chose you to be the CEO, Honey.. Carrington Corp is and always was supposed to be yours.."
He says proudly, as if you were his to be proud of, "And he knew exactly what he was doing.."

You smile back at him placing you hand in his, feeling a buoyancy in your chest, while he gently traces feather-light circles on your wrist with his thumb and he resumes his story...
"A week before he died, Alex sent me access to an encrypted website. There was information on there about Asher, about his dealings, locations, communications, associates.."

This may well be the most unbelievable thing you've heard so far.."Alex sent you access to an encrypted website?.. How!?..The man couldn't even use his cell phone.."

He grins at you, giving you a look that says 'really'.. "Ah, Honey.."

You shake your head.. "Right, of course.. Spy.."
You sit up straighter and motion for him to continue.

"The documents on the website all suggest that something big is about to go down, Alex must have figured it out, because the day he died I received two more files.. But they're both password protected and the encryption on them is so complex our tech team hasn't been able to access them yet." His squared jaw flexes with frustration

"You think I know the password? Archie.. I don't.. I swear I would tell you if I did.."
You hurriedly reply, wide-eyed and worried he thinks you're some kind of villain..

He reaches up as if instinctively, gently tucking your loose curls back behind your ear.. His fingertips leaving goosebumps in their wake, "I know baby.."

His hand falls away the urge to grab it and place it back at your cheek..

"But I think Alex might have told you what it is without you realising.. Encoding messages is a part of our training and he had to hide the key somewhere... I think it's you.."

Why would Alex drag you into this like that.. Not cool, old man!

"Why would he give the key to me? I'm not a freaking secret agent!" You rub your eyes exasperated..

"No but he trusted you the most.. You were like family to him, he loved you.."
Archer pauses, waiting for your eyes to return to him.. "If I were him, that's exactly what I would have done.."

At the devoted look in his shining emerald eyes as he stares at you, or you can manage to say is, "Oh.."

He angles his body to face yours even more, running a hand back through his thick glossy hair.. "Can you remember anything he said or did that might have been related to the password? Odd, or out of place?"

You give him an incredulous look.. Does he realise what a ridiculous question that is?
"Lord, Archie I don't know.. Almost everything Alex said was odd!"

He hums thoughtfully, "Hmmm, fair point.."

You sit there quietly, Archer appearing lost in thought.. Both of you trying to piece together the puzzle Alex has left behind..

After a few minutes you break the silence nervously.."Archer?"

Snapping out of his trance karma he drops his eyes to yours once again, "Yeah?"

You swallow, and commit saying what you had been planning to say if you got the chance..
"I need to apologise to you.. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did.. I was..."

He tries to stop you.. "No, baby don't.."

But you gently place a hand over his mouth, forcing him to listen, "No, I need to say this.."
You feel him smile beneath your hand, but he doesn't move..
"You've been looking out for me since before I even realised it... You saved my life.. Even now you're sitting here taking a risk by sharing this with me.. Trusting me.."

You want to say more. To tell him you miss him. that you thought about him constantly.. But that might be a little too much, so instead you say.. "I don't know why I reacted the way I did.. I guess I was scared. and.."

He reaches up, taking your hand from over his mouth and keeping the back of it softly..
"Honey, I promise to keep you safe I won't let anything happen to you.."

The sincerity in his voice breaches the barricade around your heart, sending it fluttering around like a hummingbird in your chest..
"I believe you and I believe in you.. I don't particularly like that you would keep secrets from me, but.. I am beginning to understand why.."

You draw yourself closer to him, sliding into his lap, leaning your chest into his..
"So, I trust you, Archie.."

He tilts forward, "I Won't Let You Down.."

Your breaths intermingle as you hover an inch from each other's lips.. Tension fizzing and popping all around you.. Until you can't bear it anymore..

The breathy plea leaves your lips before you can second guess yourself..
"Archie.. Kiss me.."