Page 35 of Unlocked

She stared at him. "Archer, surely you have better things to do than ferry me around."

"No," he replied evenly. "Keeping my board members safe is a top priority. At the moment, my security team is handling other issues. I'll handle yours."

She crossed her arms. "You usually have people for this. Besides, it's broad daylight."

She'd heard the rumors about Archer Gray over the years. High body count both in the bedroom and outside of it. MMA. Former intelligence, or something darker than that. She'd always dismissed them as exaggeration, the kind of mythology that built up around powerful men. Looking at him now, standing there in the garage with that particular stillness he carried everywhere, she wasn't so sure.

The rolled-up sleeves exposed forearms roped with muscle. His knuckles were scarred. His stance was balanced, coiled. Even in dress trousers and a white button-down, he looked like something barely contained. All lean power and controlled danger. The kind of man who calculated outcomes before anyone else in the room had registered that something was wrong.

But it was his eyes that did it. Cold. Flat. Assessing. The veneer of civility she'd grown accustomed to had dropped away entirely, and what remained was something primal. A predator running quiet calculations. She had no doubt whatsoever that he would kill to protect someone if he had to.

And worse, she was equally certain that he'd be good at it.

A small shiver moved through her that had absolutely nothing to do with the temperature of the garage.

That had not been on her bingo card for the year. Needing protection was one thing. Having someone this dangerous insist on providing it personally was something else entirely, and she wasn't sure she trusted herself to spend the morning alone with him and come out of it with her composure intact.

"Fine," she said briskly, covering all of it. "Let's go."

She wanted this over with. Facing the mess in her apartment was inevitable, part of the healing process, and she knew it. But she hadn't planned on doing it with Archer Gray watching her every move.

The deeper she got into this, the more she was convinced that showing weakness to anyone was a mistake.

Showing it to Archer Gray was something else entirely.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Rush burst through the garage door. "Archer," he said, his face serious. "We need you."

Archer's face went blank. "Is this important?" he growled.

Rush gave a nod.

"Stay here," Archer said to Tatum.

She was already on edge, and this made her want to grind her teeth. She wasn't helpless. She didn't need all this fuss. She just wanted to go to her apartment.

Archer walked over to Rush. They whispered for a moment, and then Archer glanced at her. She couldn't tell if that glance meant they were talking about her or something else entirely.

For fuck's sake, she said to herself.

A moment later, Archer returned to stand in front of her. "I need to deal with something."

"Great. I'm just gonna⁠—"

"No. I need you to stay here."

"I'm sorry, what?" Tatum demanded.

"I need you to stay here. We've been over this. You're not safe walking out there by yourself. Just wait here. It'll only take an hour or two, tops."

She stared at him. She wanted to argue that he was being ridiculous, but she also knew there was no way Archer was going to give in. She had a distinct feeling that Archer Gray did not give in about anything.

So instead, she glared, huffed, and nodded. "Fine."

She was too pissed off to stay still and too annoyed at being told what to do to actually listen. She didn't need any more overbearing, condescending people in her life. She already had two. Her dad was usually pretty good, but even he could pull it on occasion, and Bunny was unparalleled when it came to overbearing. She didn't need Archer Gray pulling that as well.

The cab stopped in front of her building. She paid the driver and went straight in. It wasn't until she was standing in front of her door that she hesitated.