Sneak Peek

The scent of candy perfume filled the room as Archer carefully made his way to the door. His feet moved with caution around the dresses, purses, heels, and jewelry on the floor. His head throbbed with a pounding headache as he looked around for the mini bar. Grabbing a bottle of water and his sunglasses off the nightstand, Archer looked over his shoulder as one of the girls on the large bed sat up and smiled at him.

"Good morning," she waved her fingers seductively. Her hair was a mess. The sheets barely covered her. Archer lowered his shades and flashed her his best crooked smile.

"Olivia?" He asked.

"Madison," the girl smiled. "She's Olivia."

"One of you is a yoga instructor, am I right?" Archer asked.

"Yes," Madison laughed. "I could show you some stretches."

"I would love to," Archer sighed. "But I'm needed elsewhere."

"Do you want to stay for breakfast?"

"No," Archer shook his head. "I don't have breakfast with last night's dinner."

Madison rolled her pretty blue eyes, "See you around, Archer."

"Tell Olivia the yoga lessons are paying off," Archer winked as he backed away towards the door and pulled it open. "Stay as long as you need. Just drop off the keycard at the desk to check out."

Madison wished him farewell as Archer stepped out into the halls and let out the breath he had been holding. He had to admit, his exit went much smoother than he had expected it too. Usually, there would be a whole emotional few minutes of the beautiful girl or girls trying to convince Archer she could change him. Then they would argue and she would cry and call him names and he would buy her something nice...Things were better if everyone just behaved like adults.

As Archer made his way down to the parking lot of the hotel, his phone rang once more inside his pocket. Fishing it out, he accepted the call, "Hello?"

"Do you plan on showing your face around here any time soon?"

"Good morning to you too, Jeremiah," Archer snickered. "How was your night? Pleasant, I hope, after you abandoned me."

"You had your tongue too far down that girl's throat to remember that I did tell you I was leaving," Jeremiah huffed. "Now, get your ass back to town. It's a shit show here."

"When isn't it?" Archer unlocked his car and got in.

"Call me when you're here," Jeremiah said before hanging up.

Archer tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and pulled on his seatbelt. He quickly made his way out of the drive away and turned towards the highway. Leaving his window down, Archer inhaled the sweet morning air and grinned as the engine of his speeding car hummed.

The drive to the sea side town of Del Mare was filled with rolling green hills on either side of the road. The winding path cut through the fields like a river that led straight into town and then vanished into the blue waters of the sea. Archer loved the long drive. The roads were always empty. He was free to break any speed limit he wanted. Often he raced against time to beat his own records. But as Archer turned off the main highway and entered the sole route to Del Mare, his eyes fell on the dark rain clouds in the horizon.

Shit, Archer felt his heart grip as his foot started to ease off the gas pedal. His hands began to sweat and his throat dried up.

Gray skies.

Archer hated gray skies. He could still hear the banging of the rain on the hood of the car and his brother shouting his name.

"Archer! Give me your hand!"

"Archer!"

Feeling his hands grow numb and his legs shake, Archer let the speed of his car decline as he drove staring at the gray clouds. His insides felt hollow as he grew closer and closer until the clouds were directly above him. The sun had vanished and the air crackled like a wood fire.

"Give me your hand, Archer!"

Beep!

Archer snapped back to reality as the loud horn of the yellow punch buggy behind him drowned out his memories. His eyes shifted towards the rearview mirror where he caught a glimpse of the car flashing its headlights. He tried to get a look at the driver when the world around them lit up like a stage.

Archer's feet immediately hit the breaks as a loud clap of thunder broke the sky. The yellow punch buggy came to a stop behind him and the driver's side door opened.

"Hey!"

Someone shouted.

Archer bit down on his molars to keep himself from shaking as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. His eyes were screwed shut and his knuckles turned white from how hard he gripped the steering wheel.

"The speed limit is seventy miles per hour," the voice grew closer. "You're driving thirty at best. What's your problem?"

Archer could care less about what anyone was saying. He wanted to be able to feel his hands again. He wanted to be able to breathe again.

"Hey!"

Archer's eyes flew open as the loud thump on the hood of the car struck him harder than the thunder. He turned to find a pair of electrifying brown eyes glaring at him.

The wind had picked up and it was playing with the girl's long wavy hair. It blew into her face as she reached up and pulled it back to tuck behind her ear. Her honey skin was lightly tanned and wet from the light drizzle that had begun to fall from the clouds. She peered at Archer with her full lips pressed into a thin line and her dark brows knit together. The skin on her forehead formed a perfect v between her brows as she waited for Archer to speak.

"What's the point of having this car if you're going to drive around like my grandmother?" She asked. "Get off the road."

"Go back to your car," Archer managed to say.

"And do what? Watch your rear end sit in the middle of the road?" The girl arched her brow. "Move your damn car."

"Or what?" Archer asked, growing irritated as lightning and thunder mingled with their conversation.

"Or I will go through you," the girl said.

Somehow, Archer believed her. Maybe it was the existing fear running through his blood or the loud thunder. But something about the way the flashes of lightning reflected on the girl's eyes told him she wasn't kidding.

Well, I'll be damned, Archer's jaw clenched. He leaned forwards and looked over his shoulder towards her car. The girl watched him as he reached for the button on his car and turned off his engine.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"I want to see this," Archer said. "I want to see you go through me with that piece of junk."

"Are you insane?" The girl asked. "Move your car!"

"No, go through me."

"Look," the girl stepped away from Archer's car and sighed. It was only then that he noticed how long her legs were. She was average at best but had great legs. "I need to get to my hotel before the storm hits. Please, pull over or get off the road."

"Do you not see how wide this road is?" Archer stuck his head out the window. "Go around!"

"You're in the middle of the road!" The girl yelled. "I'll probably fall into the ditch if I try to go around you."

"Then wait!"

"Wait?" The girl looked baffled. "Wait for what, idiot?"

"Wait for the rain to stop."

"Are you fuckin' with me right now?"

"I'm not moving."

"Oh my god," the girl shook her head. Her dark hair was sticking to her arms. "Mom was right about this place."

Archer turned away and rolled his window up. He could feel the girl staring at him in disbelief as the wind picked up and blew around her hair. After a few long minutes, she stomped back to her car and turned on her headlights. Archer shut his eyes as she slowly drove past him. He didn't even care when their side mirrors collided and she cursed out loud. He remained unmoved until she pulled in front of him and drove off. The yellow of her far was like a small bumblebee flying into the storm.

Archer watched the car until he could no longer recall the yellow against the horizon. Heavy rain began to fall as he covered his ears with his hands and hummed to drown out the sound of his brother calling his name. Every time thunder boomed, Archer wished it would split the sky open for the clouds to escape through. He could feel his ribs start to ache from how hard his body tensed in his seat. The heels of his feet dug into his shoes as he groaned and tasted blood in his mouth.

For the next hour or so, Archer stayed inside the car in the middle of the road until the rain stopped and the wind pushed all the clouds away like a broom. He didn't dare open his eyes to look at the road until he could no longer hear a single drop of rain on the hood of the car. When he did look up, it was as if he was the only soul on planet Earth. The road was empty and the sky was grim. The water swallowed up all the sounds, leaving everything in a hush.

Keeping his eyes on the skies, Archer started the engine and resumed his journey. The wheels of the car splashed over puddles and sprayed water everywhere. When he realized he was chasing the gray skies into Del Mare, Archer hit the gas paddle, hoping to beat the rain there.

As the town began to rise up in the distance, the yellow punch buggy made another appearance. Archer drove faster to make sure he crossed into Del Mare before the girl did. Despite the anxiety in his system, Archer found himself laughing as he zoomed past her and she flipped him off with her middle finger.

But as she chased him into town and they both slowed to a stop beside each other, the gray skies weren't the only thing Archer needed to worry about anymore. Seeing the smoke clouds in the sky, Archer stepped out of his car and took off his sunglasses. He head the girl do the same as they both stared at the massive fire rising up from the Dimaggio mansion up the hill.

"Oh my god..." the girl whispered.

Archer slowly turned to look over at her.

"Welcome to Del Mare," he said. 

See you soon, peeps