Page 34 of Protecting Lanie

One of Molina’s men—big, ex-military from the look of him—was the first to react, yanking a sleek black pistol from his jacket. He barely got the barrel up before Logan was on him, slamming his arm to the side and twisting until the bone cracked.

The shot was muffled, but its sound still echoed in Archer’s ears. The other goons weren’t far behind.

Another silenced round hissed through the air, missing Kane’s shoulder by an inch before he ducked low, driving his elbow into a second man’s gut and sending him sprawling.

One of the other Cerberus men moved like a ghost, a blade flashing as he cut the ties off the first girl’s wrists, shoving her behind the nearest couch for cover, before moving on to the next.

Archer didn’t stop moving. Molina was slipping away, retreating toward the side entrance like the slimy bastard he was. Archer surged forward, but another one of the goons intercepted him, bringing his pistol up to bear.

Archer ducked to the side, grabbed the man’s wrist, and wrenched it sideways, forcing the gun to drop. In the same breath, he drove his knee into the guy’s ribs and sent him crashing to the floor.

“Archer—Molina’s moving!” Reyna hissed in his ear.

Archer’s head snapped up, just in time to see the door slam shut behind the trafficker.

“Shit.”

Logan took down the last goon with a brutal chokehold, leaving the bastard unconscious on the floor.

The room was silent except for the ragged breathing of the rescued women and the muffled bass of the party outside.

Kane straightened, glancing toward the exit. “He’s escaped.”

Archer clenched his jaw. “Not for long.”

CHAPTER 10

ARCHER

Lanie had gone too far. Again.

Archer paced the length of his bedroom, his control fraying with every second that passed. His jaw clenched as he replayed the night in his head—her defiance, her refusal to listen, the way she’d lied to his face about seeing Molina.

That was the one that burned. She had hidden the truth from him, even knowing the risk. He thought she’d begun to trust him and to understand the importance of honesty in their dynamic. He scoffed to himself. Was she even aware they had a dynamic or what it was? She should have known that keeping secrets in a situation like this could get her or others killed.

And that? That was unacceptable. If she didn’t know what their dynamic was, she was about to find out. He stalked down the hall, opening the door to her room without knocking.

“Lanie, I need to speak to you in my room. Follow me.”

“Archer?”

“Now Lanie.”

He turned and strode back across the hall, gratified to hear the sound of her footsteps behind him. He opened the door and ushered her inside. When he closed the door, he found her standing near the bed, her green dress still molded to her curveslike a second skin. She was watching him, her breathing uneven, her hands curled into the silk fabric at her sides.

She knew. She knew exactly what she’d done, but more importantly, she knew exactly what was coming. He had warned her, and he had warned her of the consequences. As he recalled, she’d earned herself a count of ten.

"You lied to me," he said, his voice dangerously low.

Lanie swallowed hard. "I...”

"Don’t." He stalked toward her, backing her up step by step until she hit the edge of the bed. He planted his hands on either side of her hips, caging her in. "You saw him. You knew he was there, and you didn’t tell me."

Her breath hitched. "I didn’t...”

"You did." His fingers traced her jaw, tipping her chin up. "And what happens when you lie to me, little one?"

A flush crept up her throat. "Archer...”

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