Wild at Heart

one

T
hey don’t know if he’ll make it.

Dalia’s words rang in my ears, echoing through my head, paralyzing me as people bustled all around the busy Paris airport. My body had frozen; I was unable to move, unable to feel, unable to think. I could see other people’s lips moving, but could hear no sounds.

All that existed in this moment was Dalia. And her news about Dare.

“What is he doing in New York?” My phone was pressed hard against my ear. “I thought he was still in Amsterdam. When did that even happen?”

“Oh, god. He didn’t tell you?” Dalia said. “Shit, Ree. I’m sorry. Our dad is out and he—”

“
What?!
Your dad is OUT?”

Chills prickled my skin, and I could feel the blood drain from my face. If their father had been released, it could only mean one thing.

My father had done it.

I was almost too afraid to ask, but I had to know. “Dalia…what happened?”

“Dad put Rex in the hospital two weeks ago. Dare went after him.”

I closed my eyes, hot tears stinging.
Two weeks ago?
Dare had been in the States for two weeks and hadn’t told me?

And it was all because of my fucking father.

“Okay. I’m coming. I’ll be on the first flight.” I took a deep, shaky breath. “And Dalia?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell him I’m on my way. Tell him to…” I choked back a sob, forcing my voice to be steady. “Tell him to wait for me, okay?”

“I will, Ree,” she said. “I will.”

I was sprinting for the counter before I even hung up. But the surly ticket agent informed me that I’d just missed the last available seat on the next flight to New York. Not that I could afford the three-thousand-dollar ticket. Hell, I couldn’t even afford to travel with luggage at this point. I’d been paying Dare’s rent since I’d gotten here, and I didn’t have enough left for a last-minute flight home. Not even close.

Since I’d cut myself off from my old lifestyle, I had no credit cards. They were all linked to my parents, anyway, and I knew my mother and father would rather see me suffer than lift a finger to help me. There was no fucking way I’d call them. They would never pay for my ticket—not for it to take me back to Dare—but even if they did, the price they’d extract in return would be much too high.

I tried to think of anyone that I could call. To say that I was lacking in the friend department was an understatement. Dare’s family—though the closest thing I had to siblings—were out of the question. And I couldn’t possibly ask Sabine for another favor. Especially not when I was on the verge of abandoning her again, after everything she’d done for me. Not that she wouldn’t understand, but it was too much. I couldn’t impose.

That really left only one person.

And I hadn’t talked to him in months. Not since he’d taken my hand and gotten down on one knee. We’d never gone this long without talking. Archer had been my best friend since Crestridge. And, at times, he’d been my only ally.

Now, I had to hope he would be again.

My finger hovered over his name for a moment, and then pressed
Call.
I couldn’t afford to hesitate. I didn’t know how many moments Dare had left.

As the phone rang, I calculated what time it was in New York, trying to figure out where Archer would be. Knowing him, at nine in the evening, he was already sweet-talking some hot girl into his bed.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pleaded with him to pick up.

Three rings in, I was pretty sure he’d hit
Ignore
, and I started to hyperventilate. Panic filled my lungs.

“Baby girl!” His voice rang out, and I started to cry. “I was wondering how long it would take you to come to your senses. I accept your apolo—”

“Arch?”

He paused and I could almost
hear
the raised eyebrow on the other end of the line. “What’s wrong, Reagan? Are you okay? If he did anything to you, I swear I’ll—”

“No,” I said. “I’m okay. That’s not—” My throat closed as I imagined Dare lying in a hospital bed three thousand miles away. And I had to ask Archer, of all people, to help get me to the love of my life. I could barely believe what I was about to say. “It’s Dare. He’s in New York, and I can’t afford the ticket…”

“He left you? He abandoned you in Europe? Reagan,” Archer said, and I could picture him pacing as he ran his hands through his wavy, blond hair. “Seriously, babe. You deserve better than—”

“
Archer
.” My voice sounded hoarse. “He’s in the hospital. In intensive care.” A sob shook me as I pressed my hand to my mouth, fighting to keep my terror contained. I could not fall apart. Not now. Not when Dare needed me to be strong. “Please, Archer. I love him. You were the first person I called. I can’t ask my parents for help, you know that. But I need to get to him. And I…I’m
begging
you, Arch. You know what that means.”

“Jesus, Reagan.” He blew out a ragged breath. “Where are you?”

“Paris.”

“Okay. Give me a minute.” His voice was muffled as he talked to someone on his end, and I gripped my phone tighter to my ear, my hands cold, my knuckles bone-white. I couldn’t relax, not until I had a ticket in my hand.

Every minute…every second—
oh, god.

“Reagan?” Archer said. “The flights are booked solid. There’s nothing for six hours. I’ll make the arrangements for you.”

“I’m already here. I came to pick him up, but he didn’t…” I swallowed. “Which airline?”

“I’m working on it. Go home and pack. Try to relax. Be at Charles De Gaulle at ten. And don’t worry about anything…I’ll pick you up.”

“Really?” A lump formed in my throat. Archer had never picked anyone up from the airport in his entire life.

“It’s you,” he said softly. “Of course I’ll be there.” And before I could thank him he said, “Now go. Don’t worry. I’ll get you home.”

When I got back to the airport—bag packed and nerves shot—I realized Archer hadn’t told me which airline counter to pick up my ticket from. I was pulling out my phone when it rang.

“AirFrance,” he said, not even bothering with a hello.

“Thank you—I was just about to call.”

“I know.” The warm familiarity of his voice soothed me just a little. Made me feel like I wasn’t so alone. I needed that if I was going to make it to New York with eight more hours of uncertainty.

Hurrying for AirFrance, I said, “What time does the flight leave?”

And that’s when I saw him. Leaning against the counter underneath the blue-and-white sign, his designer clothes slightly wrinkled. His ice blue gaze filled with concern as I stopped short, mouth hanging open, trying to blink back tears that would not be held back. They rolled down my face as he walked toward me, his hands already reaching for my bag.

“What…?” I couldn’t even form a sentence.

“I told you I’d pick you up,” he said, raising one eyebrow. “What did you think I meant?”

A laugh sputtered in my throat even as I started to cry, amazed at his gesture, relieved that I wasn’t alone. So fucking grateful that he was still my friend.

Archer folded me into his arms. “It’s okay, I’m here,” he said, holding me tight. “From the sound of your voice, I thought you might need someone with you, that’s all.”

I nodded into his shoulder and sniffled, not giving a damn that I was a total mess. Today, out of all days in my twenty-two years of life, I was allowed to cry. Just for a little while, because in mere hours…I’d have to be a rock.

No matter what.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” I said. “I’m so sorry about everything. I just—”

“No,” Archer said, leaning his head on mine. “I’m sorry. I never should have pushed the engagement. Pushed us. Especially since I knew how you felt about him. It was a jackass move on my part.”

I pulled away and wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. “Yeah, it was.”

He laughed. “Let me make up for it.” Grabbing my bag, he waved an arm toward the departure gates. “Your private sky chariot awaits, Lady McKinley. Sushi and copious amounts of bubbly. Unreleased movies. Unrestricted party favors…”

While I appreciated Archer catering to my previous whims, I tuned out the long list of in-flight luxuries.

As long as I had a way to Dare, I couldn’t care less how I got there.

two