Page 108 of Archer

I turned to stare at her. “That guy can’t hurt me. I’m pissed that I didn’t catch him. Again.”

“He could’ve had a gun.”

“I had a gun,” I said. In case she had forgotten. “And I doubt he was trained to use a weapon even if he had one. He probably could hit a moving target if he tried. And if he took a shot at me, it would’ve been the last one he took.”

Her eyes met mine, luminous in the low light.

I wanted to tell her that I’d lied. That he could hurt me by getting to her. That she was the most important thing to me, and chasing him across the sand didn’t begin to touch the lengths I’d go for her.

But the words stuck in my throat, too honest and too revealing.

And I didn’t want to mess them up.

Knox appeared behind her in the hallway. “Sloane and I are heading over to Island Adventures to get things set up for tomorrow, then I’m meeting Colton to review a few things. If you need anything, call. Make yourselves at home. Help yourself to anything you need.”

A few moments later, the front door closed, and the house fell silent.

I reached for Harper on instinct.

She came willingly, fitting perfectly against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her.

“I’m scared,” she admitted against my shirt. “All the time now. Even when you’re right here, I’m scared.”

“Fear is normal. It’s your brain trying to keep you safe.”

She pulled back enough to look up at me. “I want⁠—”

Whatever she’d been about to say died on her lips.

“What?” I asked softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you want?”

Her eyes met mine, and the vulnerability there nearly destroyed me. “I want you to know that I am not a distraction, and I hate that you said that to me, even if you truly meant something else, I deserve better than that. What we did last night wasn’t something I do easily, and saying you regretted it because it kept you from doing your job was pretty awful of you. You hurt me. And I wanted you to know.”

With that, she picked up her bag and left me standing alone in the guest room.

Chapter 36

Harper

I woke to the sound of soft laughter and the hum of voices the next morning. I’d slept soundly and for hours. Far better and longer than expected given yesterday’s chaos and my ongoing frustration with Archer.

Still, being someplace new, someplace Webb hadn’t sullied or attacked, provided the peace my nervous system so desperately needed. I dressed quickly and used the bathroom, brushing my hair and teeth before heading downstairs.

The heavenly scents of freshly brewed coffee pulled me forward, but the added aroma of warm, spun sugar made my stomach growl before I’d even arrived.

Maggie Sullivan waved an oven mitt as I rounded the corner to the kitchen. Before her, a tray of golden muffins sat upon the stove, apparently just removed from the oven. “Lemon blueberry muffin?”

The others turned in my direction, their conversations temporarily halted.

Knox and Colton, Archer and Sloane all said a sudden, “Good morning,” followed by a mashup of their individual words. “How did you sleep?” “Did we wake you?” “How are you feeling?” “Do you want coffee?”

Archer rose and met me at the last empty seat, then pulled out my chair.

“Thanks.”

A platter at the table’s center held an abundance of sliced fruits, chunked cheeses, and an array of quartered pitas, mini biscuits, and tiny waffles.

Maggie delivered a steamy mug of coffee and a small plate with a large muffin. “Enjoy!”