Page 16 of Protecting Lanie

She looked… comfortable. At ease in a way he hadn’t seen before.

He wasn’t sure how he was going to tell her it was a fantasy—a fragile moment of normalcy that was about to be ripped apart.

He forced himself to unclench his fists. She hadn’t known—hadn’t realized that she was standing in the center of a storm. She’d been blissfully unaware that her past was clawing its way back to her.

Archer was about to shatter her illusion of safety. He moved through the crowd with quiet purpose, his presence shifting the air as he approached. Lanie caught sight of him, her lips parting slightly.

Tessa took one look at Archer’s face and muttered something about handling a delivery before slipping away.

Smart woman.

Lanie tilted her head. "You look…"

"Come with me," Archer interrupted.

Her brows knitted together. "What? Why?"

Archer didn’t answer. He simply held out his hand.

Lanie hesitated, then, slowly, she placed her fingers in his. The moment their skin touched, a slow pulse of awareness rolled between them. He could feel her breath quicken. Could see the flush creeping up her neck, but she didn’t pull away.

He led her through the club, past the curious stares, past the murmur of speculation. He didn’t stop until they were in one of the privacy rooms, the heavy door clicking shut behind them.

Lanie crossed her arms. "Archer, what’s going on? You’re scaring me."

He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her, taking in the soft uncertainty in her eyes, the way she curled in on herself slightly, as if bracing for bad news.

"You trust me?" His voice was low, steady.

Lanie blinked. "I… yeah."

"Good," Archer murmured. "Because I need you to do exactly what I say from now on."

A shadow crossed her face. "What do you mean?"

Archer took a step closer. "Vinnie Molina has resurfaced here in Chicago and word is, he’s looking for you."

Her breath caught. Archer saw it—the flicker of panic before she slammed the wall back into place.

"You don’t know that," she said, her voice tight. “How do you know I know him?”

Archer let out a slow breath. "I kept thinking you looked familiar, but couldn’t figure out where I’d seen you. I was looking at some files associated with the trafficking team. You were listed on the dark web as being available for discerning out of the country buyers. My sister is one of the ones they’ve abducted…”

“Oh my God, Archer, I’m so sorry, but I don’t know anything.”

He reached out to cup her face, and instinctively she rubbed her cheek against his palm. “I know that, sweet girl. Right now,what I need is for you to stop pretending you’re safe. That’s what Meri thought, and she wasn’t."

Lanie shook her head, stepping back. "But he let me go. He…"

"He didn’t," Archer cut in. "He was biding his time. And now, he’s back."

Lanie’s hands trembled. She clenched them into fists. "How do you know this?"

"Because I make it my business to know," Archer said. "And because Cerberus has been tracking him and the others behind the Master’s Market."

Lanie exhaled sharply, turning away. "This isn’t happening," she muttered. "I left. I ran. He wasn’t supposed to…"

Archer was behind her before she could finish, his hands bracketing her hips, holding her still.

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