Page 48 of Bound By Threads
Everything tilts,and I crash to the ground. I can’t breathe. I can’t move. My head spins, and I brace myself for someone to grab me.
Roman’s voice rises, but another voice cuts him off.
“What the fuck is going on in here?” The door slams open so hard it rattles the windows. Archer storms in like a hurricane, eyes zeroing in on me like a missile.
One look, and he’s across the room. Roman turns just in time to catch a fist to the face. The crack of bone on bone is deafening. Roman hits the floor—hard.
Oscar rushes in right behind him. He sees me on the ground and drops to his knees without hesitation.“I got you. Breathe.”I crumple as he pulls me into his arms, pulling me into his chest like it’s instinct. Like I’m something precious, not shattered into a million pieces.
Archer stands over Roman, fists clenched, chest rising and falling with pure fury. His voice comes out dark and deadly. “I was a medic in the Marines,” he snarls. “I can break every bone in your body while naming them, fix you, and do it all again.”
He crouches beside Roman, who groans, clutching his jaw and spitting blood onto the floor. Archer leans in so close that Roman has no choice but to look him in the eye. “Your daddy can’t protect you here. You come near my girl again—any of you—and I swear to god, I’ll make sure you never forget what it feels like to be broken.”
The silence that follows is suffocating.
Crew stands frozen to the wall. Elijah has stepped back, his face back to that unreadable expression I used to hate, eyes flickering between me and Roman on the floor. But he says nothing.
There’s nothing left to say.
Oscar’s arms tighten around me, like if he just holds on a little tighter, it’ll anchor me back to this moment instead of the memories spiraling in my head like shrapnel.
“You’re okay, Lottie,” Archer says as he looks at me. “Oscar, get her out of here.”
I want to believe him. I do. But I feel like a house still on fire even after the flames have been put out—just smoke and ash and memories that won’t die.
Roman groans, trying to sit up, but Archer’s boot plants firmly on his chest. “Stay down,” he warns.
Oscar gently guides me up and pulls his hoodie off his body and over my head, his scent wrapping around me like a shield.“Come on.”
Archer falls in step behind us as Oscar leads me toward the door, his hand on the bottom of my back.
It takes everything in me not to look back.
Chapter24
Lottie
The hallway is quiet. Oscar’s arm is around my shoulders as we walk, his steady presence anchoring me with every step I take away from them. Archer trails behind us like a silent sentinel, his jaw tight, eyes scanning every shadow like he’s still in combat. There’s a darkness in his eyes when they land on me—not aimed at me, but around me, like he’s angry with the world for putting me in this position.
We don’t stop until we’re entirely out of the building. Past the quad, down the back stairs, into the small, mostly empty parking lot that overlooks the tree line. It’s far enough from them that I feel like I can finally take a breath.
Oscar guides me to the curb, helps me sit, and crouches in front of me so he can meet my eyes.“Can you breathe for me?”he signs.
I nod once, but it’s not true. The breath I pull in is shaky and uneven. My throat aches, and every deep breath I pull in feels like razors in my lungs. Oscar gently takes my hands in his and places one on his chest. He pulls away and gestures.“Okay. In through your nose. Feel my breath. Match it.”
He breathes slow, deep, and steady. I try to follow, but my lungs still feel tight, my throat raw from forcing the words out.
“That’s it,” Archer says, crouching down beside me. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” He holds out a bottle of water, he must’ve grabbed when I wasn’t looking. I take it with trembling hands, the cold plastic grounding me.
I sip slowly, and when I look up, Archer’s eyes are softer. “You don’t have to say anything. Not now. Not ever if you don’t want to. Just know we’ve got you, and those fuckers don’t deserve anything, especially when they try to demand it.” Archer’s hands move, signing so Oscar isn’t left out of the conversation even though he can read lips.
“They don’t have any power over you anymore, Lottie.”
I look between them, my chest tight with something that isn’t panic—something heavier for the two men by my side. I still can’t speak. The words feel trapped in my throat like they’ve been cemented in place, but I want to. “Thank you,” I manage to force out, my voice raspy and choked. “How did you know where I was?”
I bring the water to my mouth with shaking hands as I wait for them to answer me.
Oscar taps his chest, then signs.“I saw.”
