Page 74 of Guarded from Danger

“Go.” His voice is like a snake rustling through grass. “Now.”

Oh, God.

As we move into the sitting room, Xavier rises from the couch, freezing halfway when he sees me.

Or rather, sees me and whoever is standing behind me.

Xavier’s features turn to stone. More slowly, he stands the rest of the way up. Tension comes off of him in waves. His gaze is more dangerous than I’ve ever seen it.

He stares at the man behind me. In a dark, commanding tone, he orders, “Let her go. Now.”

The man barks a laugh. “Hardly. I’m only getting started.”

As they glare at each other, Xavier’s phone buzzes in his pocket.

“Don’t even think about it,” the man snaps. “Or I will shoot her. I’d rather not; it doesn’t really fit with my plan, but if you push me…”

Xavier’s gaze jumps to mine, fear flickering through his eyes before it’s replaced by an icy calm. “I won’t,” he says. “But let Lucy go. She doesn’t need to be a part of this.”

“Oh, she’s definitely a part of this. In fact, she’s the reason I’m here.” The gun shifts from the back of my head to the front, pressing against my forehead.

Now that I can see the man, there’s no flash of recognition. He just looks like any other man I’d probably look right past on the street. Medium-brown hair, hazel eyes, wire-rimmed glasses, and a brush of stubble no more than a few days old. He’s dressed in a gray T-shirt and jeans, a bit on the thinner side, but he’s well over six feet tall and his arms are ropy with muscle.

Too strong for me to fight back, but Xavier could take him down easily.

Well. If he wasn’t stuck on the other side of the room, and this jerk wasn’t holding a gun to my head, that is.

“Why?” I squeeze out through my narrowing throat. “What do you want?”

The man—whoishe?—smirks at me. “First, I want you to tie up your boyfriend. And then you’re going to drug him.”

“What?”

Xavier growls, “No fucking way.”

“Do it.” A wad of zip ties is shoved in my hand and I’m pushed in Xavier’s direction, while the gun moves to the back of my neck. “Or maybe I’ll shoot him first.”

I lock eyes with Xavier, blinking away tears. Guilt and terror make it hard to breathe.

This is my fault. This man is here because of me. It has to be.

As I move behind Xavier, pulling his wrists behind him and zip tying them together, I whisper, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Luce.” Xavier’s voice gentles for a moment. “It’s going to be alright.” Then it hardens as he directs his attention to the man holding the gun to my head. “Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

“I’m finishing what I started,” he replies. “And I suppose it doesn’t matter if you know my name. Not now.” After a rough chuckle, he adds, “I’m Peter Amberson. The man you’ve been looking for all along.”

It’s not even a surprise. Who else could it be?

Once I finish with Xavier’s wrists, I’m yanked roughly away from him, big fingers digging roughly into my arm.

Xavier snarls, “Take your hands off her.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Peter sneers. “You can’t do anything. If you try, I’ll kill your precious girlfriend right in front of you.”

If possible, Xavier’s expression goes even stonier. “You’re going to regret this.”

“I doubt it.” Peter places something long and slender in my hand. “Now, Lucy. You’re going to inject your boyfriend with this. And if you even think about trying to use it on me?—”

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