A few clicks on her keyboard later, and the receptionist said, “He’s in room four oh two.”
“Thanks,” Lottie said and quickly made her way to the elevator.
“I’ll wait right outside the door,” Archer said, pressing the button for the fourth floor.
“I can’t thank you enough for all your help.” Her skin crawled as the elevator shot up to the fourth floor. “Especially, considering…”I lied to you.
“It’s forgotten now, Lottie,” Archer said, his voice gentle. He cupped her shoulder, and the comforting warmth battled the chill in her veins. “You did what you had to do to survive. I get that.”
“You do?” she whispered.
He nodded. “I do.” He dropped his hand, sliding back into soldier mode, any softness gone from his face. “Sometimes we don’t get a choice of how to handle a situation; we just have to do what we have to do to make it through.” His gaze dropped to hers. “You’re Hunt’s. You’re Phoenix. You’re family. And we all care very deeply for you, Lottie.”
“Thank you,” she barely managed, her emotions lodged into her throat. “I care deeply for all of you too.” She quickly glanced at the doors as they chimed open, to gather herself.
Forcing herself to keep going and find bravery, she stopped just outside Leo’s room.
“I’ll be right here,” Archer said.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and schooled her expression to neutral before she entered the room.
From his bed, Leo caught her entrance immediately. He smiled, his right eye already showing bruising. “Wow, you actually came.”
“Of course I came,” she said, taking a quick look at Matteo.
Seated in a chair, he quickly put his cell phone away, barely able to look her in the eye.
“You need to stop this,” she said to Leo, moving in next to his bed. “Seriously, it’s got to stop. I honestly don’t know why you’re doing any of this. You need to drop the charges against Hunt andleave, or I’m going to go to the police.”
“And out yourself?” Leo snorted. “Have you forgotten you have a fake identity?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what happens to me,” she spat. “This is between us. I won’t let you bring Hunt into it. He doesn’t deserve this.”
Leo’s lip curled. “He’s already in it, dear sister.”
She huffed, clenching her hands, shaking her head in frustration. “What can I do to get you to see that I don’t give a fuck what you do? I’m not planning to take you down. I do not care,” she growled through gritted teeth. “I have nothing in my possession that can hurt you. Go home!”
“I can’t trust you,” Leo snarled. “You’re a fucking liar.”
Matteo rose. “Maybe—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Leo spat, and Matteo slowly sat back down. Then Leo turned his cruel, dark eyes on Lottie. “My suggestion, little sister, get me what I want. Your time is running out.” He paused. “And now that your cop is no longer around, there’s no one to protect you.”
With evil seeping out of his pores, she knew right then why Hunt had punched him. It wasn’t in anger. It was fear. Because she felt the same fright shake her to her core.
“We’re leaving.”
Startled, she gasped, glancing over her shoulder, finding Archer glaring at Leo. “I can’t leave,” she pleaded. “Not until he drops the charges.”
Archer didn’t take his eyes off Leo, but he was very careful not to threaten her brother, as he said, firmly, “Lottie, we’re leaving.”
That’s when it occurred to her, as Archer took her arm and led her from the room, that her biggest concern wasn’t Hunt in jail, because Leo’s threat on her life wasn’t a statement.
It was a promise.
12
“You’re out, Walker.”
