Page 95 of Knotting With A Stranger

“With how rough the snow was, too dangerous, gorgeous,” Archer confirms.

“What about the police?” Lily asks, looking between us with increasing alarm. “Shouldn’t we call them?”

Hunter and I exchange a look. “This is personal and something we’re going to handle ourselves,” Hunter explains.

“At least let me finish cleaning you up before you go,” she insists, dabbing more antiseptic on the cut under my eye. “If you’re determined to do this macho revenge thing, you’re not doing it while still bleeding.”

Her words might be dismissive, but her touch is anything but—gentle, careful, her concern evident in every press of her fingers against my skin. I find myself leaning into her touch, craving more of it even as I prepare to leave her behind.

I turn to Lily when she’s finished, cupping her face in my hands and pressing a hard, quick kiss to her lips. She looks startled, confused by my intensity, her golden eyes wide and questioning when I pull back.

“We won’t be long,” I promise, my thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. Her skin is impossibly soft under my calloused hands. “But we have to go now while the trail’s fresh.”

“You could die out there,” she whispers. “Both of you. For a stupid map?”

“It’s not about the map anymore,” I tell her. “It’s about making sure Travis knows he can’t come after what’s ours.”

Something in my tone, in my expression, makes her breath catch. Her eyes search mine, looking for something—reassurance, perhaps, or maybe understanding of what I’m really saying.

“I’ll go change,” Hunter says, already halfway to the stairs. “Two minutes, James. Meet me by the back door.”

I nod, then turn to Archer. “You protect her,” I command. My hand clasps his shoulder, fingers digging in hard enough to make him wince. “You got it? If Travis comes back?—”

“No one will touch a hair on her head,” Archer interrupts. “Not over my dead body.” His amber eyes flick to Lily, then back to me. “Besides, I’m armed, and she probably knows seventeen ways to poison someone with baking ingredients. We’ll be fine.”

Despite everything, Lily lets out a short laugh. “Eighteen, actually. The nutmeg trick is new.” Her attempt at lightness falls flat, though, the worry still evident in the tightness around her eyes and the way she hugs herself as if cold.

I feel a reluctant smile tug at my split lip, reopening the wound. A fresh drop of blood wells, and Lily automatically reaches up to dab it away, her touch impossibly gentle.

“Lock everything after we leave,” I tell Archer. “Every door, every window. And keep Thor with you—he’ll hear anyone coming before you do.”

Thor whines softly at my feet, clearly torn between wanting to follow me and staying to protect Lily.

“Stay,” I tell him firmly. “Guard.”

His ears perk up at the command, and he moves to sit directly next to Lily, his large body pressing protectively against her leg.

She nods once, then stands on tiptoe to press a soft kiss to the uninjured corner of my mouth. “Go,” she whispers against my skin. “Both of you do what you need to do. But come back to me. Keep Hunter and yourself safe.”

Her words follow me as I head for the stairs, taking them two at a time despite the protest from my battered body. Each step sends a fresh wave of pain through my skull, but I push through it, fueled by rage and something else—something that has golden-brown eyes and smells like vanilla and peppermint.

In my room, I quickly dress, wincing as every movement pulls at forming bruises. As I’m lacing up my boots, Hunter appears in my doorway, dressed in black, a ski mask in hand.

“You sure you’re up for this?” he asks, those eyes assessing my condition with the practiced gaze of someone who’s seen his share of injuries. “No shame in sitting this one out.”

“Try to stop me,” I challenge, straightening to my full height despite the wave of dizziness that accompanies the movement. I lock my knees to keep from swaying, refusing to show weakness.

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across Hunter’s face. “Good. Because between us, we’re going to make my cousin wish he’d never been born.” He tosses me a black ski mask. “Suit up. Time to show Travis what happens when you mess with us.”

Up on my feet, I’m fucking ready.

“When we find him,” Hunter continues. “We don’t hold back.”

The cold certainty in his voice mirrors the ice in my own veins. “Trust me,” I reply, pulling the ski mask down over my face, “I won’t.”

22

LILY

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