Page 44 of Satan's Son

Chapter 19

Time wasn’t my friend. In fact, I would like to classify time as my mortal enemy. Always tick, tick, ticking away. I was glaring at the clock when I caught my unexpected guest moving out of the corner of my eye.

“I told you, don’t move,” I snapped at him.

Four long hours, and Ethan still hadn’t shown up to put me out of my misery.

“Oh, come on, Addison, where is your sense of fun?” Archibald smirked across the table at me.

I came home angry, ready to throw everything of Ethan’s out. But as soon as I slammed the front door behind me, I was greeted by a complete stranger, sitting in our small living room drinking my alcohol. He said his name was Archibald Wilson.

He was currently eating his way through my salted peanuts. Peanuts I hadn’t offered him.

“Oh, come on, love, you really need to lighten up.” He leaned back in the chair while pouring himself another glass of wine, which he had also helped himself to.

I must remember to take those ‘you’re welcome to take my stuff’ signs down tomorrow.

“Can’t you just leave?” I snapped, tapping my finger on the table.

“Now why would I do that? I haven’t seen Ethan in a very long time, so no, dear, I’m not leaving.” He gave me a teasing smile. “He won’t be much longer.”

“And how would you know that?” I was more than certain that I was the last one to see Ethan. I’d also told him not to come back.

Yet here we sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Mr. Beast.

Archibald went from a smile to a full-blown grin. “Because I just heard the front door.” He rose.

“Archie?” Ethan’s eyes widened.

I just sat still, watching Archibald engulf Ethan Beast into a hug.

“My friend, been too many centuries!” He laughed, letting Ethan go. Archibald’saccent was old English and while it nearly killed me to admit it, I liked it.

“How…” Ethan shook his head and glanced at me. “How did you find us?”

“A rumor here and a whisper there. Didn’t take me long to figure out that Ethan Beast had graced the world.” Archie reached for his glass. “Although I do have one question, what’s with the prune?”

“I’m sitting right here.” I threw him a direct look. “Really. Archibald, show some manners.”

“I told you to call me Archie.”

“I told you to leave on more than one occasion. Yet here you are, still in my house. Still eating my peanuts. Still drinking my wine.”

Archie barked out a laugh and slapped Ethan on the back. “She’s a little spitfire, isn’t she?”

“Can you two take this reunion elsewhere? Like maybe back to Hell.” I crossed my arms.

My patience was thin, perhaps nonexistent.

“Not from Hell, love.” Archie sat his overly good-looking body back in the chair.

Great, it’s making itself at home, again.

“Addison.” Ethan’s lips formed a tight smile. “Can we talk for a moment?”

“No.”

“Please.”

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