Page 38 of Protecting Lanie

The room tilted. Archer exhaled slowly, fighting the fury clawing up his throat. Not happening. Not ever.

He glanced back into the bedroom, watching Lanie’s sleeping form beneath his sheets.

She had no idea. No idea how close she had come to being stolen away from him forever.

Archer turned back to the hallway, his voice cold, steady.

"Find the traitor," he ordered. "Because if I do? There won’t be anything left of them."

He ended the call, slipping back into the bedroom. Lanie shifted, murmuring his name in her sleep, her fingers curling in the sheets like she was reaching for him.

Archer settled beside her, running a slow hand down her back. He wasn’t losing her. Not to Molina. Not to anyone.

And whoever had betrayed them? Tried to steal her away from him? They were already dead.

CHAPTER 11

LANIE

Lanie woke to the feeling of warmth—strong, possessive arms wrapped around her, a steady heart beating beneath her cheek.

For a moment, she didn’t move. She stayed curled against Archer’s chest, letting herself absorb the rare, fleeting peace that came with being held by a man who made her feelsafe. That was the problem, though. Safety was an illusion. And last night had proven just how fragile that illusion was.

Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the curtains. Shadows still draped Archer’s bedroom, but something felt…off. It took her a second to realize what it was.

The house wastooquiet.

She shifted carefully, trying not to wake Archer as she slipped from the bed. He made a low, sleepy sound in protest, his grip tightening instinctively around her waist, but she wiggled free. The moment her bare feet hit the hardwood floor, the warmth disappeared, replaced by a creeping chill of unease.

Moving toward the window, she pushed back the curtain, and her stomach dropped.

Armed men were stationed outside.

They weren’t just patrolling the perimeter; they were positioned strategically, standing alert with eyes scanning the street. She could make out at least three in the backyard alone. And those were just the ones she could see.

Lanie exhaled sharply and ran back to the room he’d given her to grab her phone—except it wasn’t on the nightstand where she’d left it.

"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath.

Before she could even start looking for it, the low, gravelly voice behind her sent shivers down her spine.

"You’re not going to like the answer to that question, little one."

Lanie whirled around to find Archer standing behind her in the doorway, watching her with an unreadable expression. His eyes were sharp despite the fact that he’d just woken up, his body all lean muscle and restrained power as he walked toward her, bending over to toss her over his shoulder. When she struggled, he swatted her ass.

“You don’t leave our bedroom without telling me. Do it again and you’ll owe me five. I rather enjoyed waking up to you last night… and you seemed to enjoy it as well.”

Unceremoniously, he dumped her back on the bed and stretched lazily. Her heart hammered. Why did she find him so wickedly arousing? She fought down the feeling.

"Where’s my phone, Archer?"

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was way too pleased with himself.

“Confiscated."

Lanie’s hands fisted at her sides. "You can’t just confiscate my phone?"

“Do you have any idea how adorable you are when you think you can tell me what to do? You can’t, by the way. And I’d dial back the attitude if I were you.”

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