Page 77 of Shots Fired

“Emmett Richards is single,” I suggest.

She takes a sip of her cocktail, shaking her head. “No offense to him, but he doesn’t float my boat.” She shrugs a shoulder, turning to face the rest of the room. “No one here does. I guess I’m looking for a unicorn.”

She doesn’t wait for my response as she pushes off the bar, heading for the restroom herself. I guarantee Darcy will be another thirty minutes now.

And that gives my brain just enough time to center back on Liam. It’s not lost on me that Darcy didn’t tell me what he had said when he contacted her, and a part of me wonders if her omission was deliberate.

He doesn’t deserve to lay eyes on her again, let alone have her back in his life. Rage sprouts from anxiety, fire singeing my veins.

She’s carryingmybaby, andnowhe comes waltzing back into her life like they can just start over. Sure, he doesn’t know she’s pregnant—or at least I think he doesn’t—but who the fuck is this guy?

I stare down at her bag.

Don’t do it, Archer.

The small voice of reason loses, and I snatch up her bag, unzipping it and pulling out her phone as I head for the door, praying no one on the team is witnessing my exit.

The chilled fall air clings to my thin dress shirt as I stand outside Lloyd’s, staring at Darcy’s locked phone. A picture of her, Kendra, Collins, and Jenna on a night out fills the screen.

Fuck. I want that picture to be of me, bouncing our baby on my knee.

My first attempt to unlock her phone fails. The code isn’t her date of birth then.

I try a second—Jack and Kendra’s wedding date.

No luck.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I contemplate the impossible. She wouldn’t go with the first night we hooked up, would she? I try it since that’s my passcode.

The screen unlocks, and I swallow down a lump of emotion, navigating to her messages.

Shit, I know this is an invasion of privacy, but my protective instincts tell me Darcy is only letting me see the tip of the Liam iceberg.

Liam: Why are you dodging all of my calls?

Darcy: Because we’ve got nothing more to say. I don’t want to talk to you, and it’s my right to have peace.

Liam: Speak for yourself. I have plenty to say.

Darcy: Like what? I’m at work, and I need to concentrate on an article that’s due to be published first thing in the morning.

Liam: Like I want you back. Like I think we made a mistake, splitting up. You shouldn’t be in New York. You should be here with me, planning our lives together.

Darcy: Are you for real? The last I heard, you were in love with Libby. Get a grip, Liam. Does she know you’re texting me?

Liam: Libby and I are over. So, no, she doesn’t.

Liam: Are you seeing anyone right now?

Darcy: You lost the right to ask me that a while back.

Liam: What’s his name?

Darcy: This is ridiculous. Leave me alone.

Liam: Not going to happen. What’s his name?

Darcy: My life has got nothing to do with you anymore.

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