On the other hand, Krystal was sentenced to eight years in prison, mainly because of Archer's documentation over the months and Dana’s confession. Krystal had planned to attack Annie and Sadie after she killed Archer. I was last on her list.

I’m just so damn thankful he did what he did and that Liam was able to come through for him.

It took nearly a year, but Archer and I finally feel safe in Lawton Ridge. While I won’t go anywhere without my self-defense keychain, most of my fears have vanished. I love being married to Archer, and we’re excited to start planning for the future.

As I put on the breastplate to my Wonder Woman costume, my phone rings. When I see Tyler’s name flash across the screen, I pick up.

“Hey. I’m almost ready. Tell Gemma to quit stressing.”

He chuckles. “I wasn’t calling about that.”

“No? Something wrong?”

“Not really.” He pauses. “I just got a call. They caught who was responsible for Eric’s murder.”

My breathing increases. “Oh my God. Who?”

A long sigh escapes him. “It’s Mafia-related. Victoria’s dad never got over her loss and somehow linked it back to Eric’s involvement. The hit man was arrested for another crime and confessed.”

The silence draws on, and I’m not sure what to say. I was convinced Natasha did it since she was so distraught over his affair.

Archer stands in the doorway dressed as Captain America. He sees my face and asks me if I’m okay. I nod so he doesn’t worry. After the Krystal drama, we don’t keep anything from each other.

Once I end the call with Tyler, I tell Archer the news.

“Wow,” he says. “I guess his wife knows then?”

I shrug. “I’m sure she does. No telling what she’d have done if she hadn’t been convicted.”

He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight. “She was crazy, but I can’t imagine the pain of losing a spouse. Even if Eric didn’t talk about her or if it was arranged, she seemed to care about him a lot. Grief can make people do crazy things.”

“If something happened to you, I’d act the same way,” I admit as he leans forward and steals a kiss.

“Me too, babe. Don’t want to even think about it. Oh, do I have lipstick on my mouth now?” he asks.

“Nah, I could literally get on my knees right now, and this stuff would still be perfect.”

Archer chuckles. “That’s actually kinda hot, and I’d like to test that out. Whatcha say, wifey?”

He steps back, getting a full view of my costume, and smirks.