Page 51 of Protecting Lanie

Lanie swallowed, holding his gaze. “I’m done running. I love you, Archer.”

A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “That’s good, and I love you, too. But just so we’re clear, if you run, I will chase you. I will find you. And I will spank you so hard, you’ll never be able to sit again.”

Before she could respond, his lips crashed against hers, his kiss slow, consuming, like he was sealing the promise between them. She sighed into him, melting completely, surrendering in a way she never had before—not out of submission, but out of trust.

Because he was hers. And she was his. Forever.

An hour later, they remained tangled together when Archer’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Archer muttered a curse, rolling to the side and grabbing it. Lanie curled against him, pressing a lazy kiss to his shoulder as he answered.

“Vaughn.” A pause, then, “Yeah.”

Another pause. A slow exhale. Lanie felt the change in him instantly. His body, relaxed just moments ago, went rigidbeneath her touch. Archer didn’t respond immediately. He listened, jaw tight, fingers flexing around the phone.

“I’ll be there.”

He hung up, tossing the phone onto the nightstand.

She sat up, pulling the sheet up around her. “What is it?”

“Seth’s been working non-stop on the data we retrieved from the Master’s Market. A self-destruct program destroyed much of the data, and Seth couldn’t stop it in time to save it all. But he got our IT team digging through what he could save, trying to find who was helping them find submissives at Club Southside and supplying them with information.”

“Who?”

“Tessa,” he said softly.

“Tessa? Lanie was shocked and hurt, but the revelation made perfect sense. Her position allowed her to identify potential submissive targets and eavesdrop on Cerberus’ plans. “She was my friend.”

Archer shook his head. “No, little one, she wasn’t. We’ve found emails that lead us to believe she’s the one who let Molina know where you were. Molina might be dead, but the Master’s Market isn’t.”

Her breath caught. “What?”

“They were bigger than we thought,” Archer said, rubbing a hand over his face. “Molina was just a recruiter, a middleman. King has leads on the real players behind the operation—the ones pulling the strings.”

Lanie’s heart pounded. “So, it’s not over.”

Archer’s gaze darkened. “It is for you, but no, not yet.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, Lanie reached for Archer’s hand.

He frowned. “Lanie...”

“I want in.”

His grip tightened, his jaw flexing. “Not happening.”

She lifted her chin. “Archer...”

“No.” His voice was firm. Absolute. “This isn’t your fight.”

Lanie narrowed her eyes. “Like hell it isn’t. They were going to sell me. How is that not my fight?”

Archer exhaled through his nose, frustration flashing in his eyes. “Lanie, I just got you back. I’m not putting you in the middle of this war.”

She sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist. “You don’t get to make that decision for me.”

Archer’s gaze snapped to hers. “You are mine, little one, and I protect what’s mine.”

---