Hunting for Honey - THE SPECTER SERIES [book one]

Chapter FIFTY FOUR:The Score

Honey Sinclaire

...s i x  m o n t h s  l a t e r...

You're sitting on the floor of Archers - now your - apartment..

He had asked you to move in almost immediately after his shoulder recovered and you'd basically had your bags packed before he could finish the question..

You had only bent down to pick up a paper you dropped but that was hours ago, now you've just admitted the defeat of your swollen belly and are trying to finish filling out the reports from where you landed..

The news plays softly on the flatscreen in front of you but you don't pay much notice, because your cellphone is pressed between your head and shoulder while Iris chatters on in your ear about a missing persons case with some financial abnormalities she wants you to look at.. "If you could have something, anything by next week.. Hunter Paxton from Langley has been on my ass like a dog with a bone.." She complains..

Iris had recruited you to work on a part time basis at Specter, she likes the way your mind works and wanted you to assist in finance and data analysis..Turns out in all those years of working hard for Alex he had taught you much more than how to just be CEO..
Still you took up your position at Carrington Corp as CEO and Archer 'stepped down' citing a need to continue his own freelance career..Not that any of the employees knew anything about him other than that he was the hot boss, who you so luckily snagged..

"Hunter Paxton?" You ask, causing Archer - who is sitting at the dining room table - to peer up from his computer.. A weird look on his face at the mention of the name Hunter Paxton.. You cock your head at him, but he just shakes his and goes back to typing..

"He's basically Langley's version of our West.." She muses and you can practically hear her eyes roll down the phone..

"Ah, gotcha.." You smirk and Archer looks at you again.. This time grinning like the devil..

"You'll meet him soon enough Honey, don't you worry, he will make sure of it.. You know it's funny because--"

"Iris.." You're so shocked by the image showing on the five o'clock news right in front of you, that you have to cut her off.. "I gotta go.. I'll call you back.." You hang up not waiting for her response.. You stare up at the screen, mouth hanging open in disbelief.. There, a familiar face.. One you had hoped never to see again..

Nikita Drackov.

His ugly mugshot stares back at you..

You scramble to your feet, which takes some doing with the baby bump and fumble with the remote to turn up the volume, listening intently as the newscaster speaks, "The body of known gang member, wanted felon, and Russian ex-pat, Nikita Drackov, was found in an abandoned warehouse earlier today with multiple gunshot wounds.. Police and forensic teams are still investigating what they are suspecting to be a homicide case.."

You click mute and drop the remote to the coffee table in shock.. Slowly you turn around to face Archer.. He doesn't look up from his laptop.. But he must feel your eyes on him because he utters a glow growl.. "Yes, Honey?" His tone is sweet and innocent..

"Did you?--" You stop yourself - a hand flying to your mouth - when you realise you want his answer to be yes..

"Did I what, darling?" He lifts his gaze, arching his perfect dark brow to punctuate his question..

You already know the answer.. But you can't ignore the closure this will bring you.. Your time in that wearhouse still haunts you.. Sometimes there are nightmares that only Archer can wake you from.. You take a deep breath.. "Did you.. do that?"

He closes the lid of his computer and leans back in his seat.. Fixing you with that steely green gaze, that intense stare that still gives you goosebumps.. "What would you say if my answer was yes?"

There is barely a moment's pause before you reply.. "Good.."

He doesn't say anything, just nods his head once and gets up, crossing the floorboards to reach you.. His hands grip your waist as he bows his head and his lips press against yours in the most tender of touches.. "I love you baby.. You will always be mine to protect.. Both of you.." His hand goes to your stomach and right then you feel the flutter of a tiny kick inside you, you hear his breath catch in amazement.

You sigh leaning your head into his chest.. "It's a good thing, because if this baby causes you half as much trouble as I did.. We're going to need it.."

He chuckles warmly and wraps you tighter, inhaling your scent..

Everything is right in the world.. The stars have aligned and you know that this is the destiny Alex dreamed for you when you were too broken to dream yourself..
This is the fairy-tale neither of you believed possible before now..

The Alpha, The Belle and their baby..

— T H E  E N D —

...A note from the Author...

All my lovelies, thank you for completing Hunting for Honey, the first book in 'The Specter Series'. I have so enjoyed sharing Honey and Archer's story with you all and I appreciate each and every one of you who read, voted, shared and commented along the way. xx

Dedicated to the man who makes me feel safe, who without, there would be no muse to my creativity. My dearest J.

Please, share your thoughts with me in the comments!
I look forward to hearing from you, much love my sweeties xx

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NEXT IN THE SPECTER SERIES politics, pursuit and pleasure abound in book two; Fields of Clover..
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A dirt-bag ex-husband, an ex-marine you can't resist & no way to keep the two from colliding..
All he wants is to keep you safe...
Will you let him?

~Yevette Fields~
"You've been hounded by your spoiled, narcissistic and abusive ex-husband - Zachary Ryan - for years. After a brutal attack on your life and months laying low with the resulting court case pending.. The trail finally comes to a close, and a verdict is reached... Its just not the one you were hoping for.."

~Patrick O'connor~
"I left the marines a broken man and I stayed that way.. Until I saw her..Yevie. I learned useless hard lessons all my life growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, but one thing I learned as a sniper - battles are best won from a distance, and there is one particular war I'm ready to wage.. Zachary Ryan - spoilt, blue blood brat and senators son - has some serious sins to answer for.. But money is power, and it seems like justice for Yevie, will have to come from me.."