“Yes.” She sat up straighter despite the sting in her shoulder. “I always told the kids when they were teenagers, don’t ever let someone take you to the second location. Ever. Fight in the parking lot. Fight in the street. Fight ugly and loud.” She shook her head. “I let the kidnapper take me to the second location.”
Archer’s expression transformed in a way that hurt her to see. The anger was gone, replaced by something that deepened the creases around his eyes.
“Baby. You were blindsided. Drugged and zip-tied. You didn’t let anyone do anything.”
“I still know better. If I’d just screamed instead of trying that hand signal for help, someone might have come.”
“And he probably would have shot them.”
His bald statement sent a shudder of fear through her. She still didn’t know why that man came after her, but she knew Cannon would have her in the war room very soon asking that very same question.
Archer brushed the back of his knuckles over her cheekbone with such tenderness it brought tears to her eyes. “What matters is you’re safe.”
“My siblings,” she said quickly. “They need protection.”
“They have it.”
She flicked her gaze back to his. “What?”
“They’ll have protection at all times until we know what this is.”
“They’ll be terrified—”
“They won’t know they’re being guarded.”
Relief made her melt even more. “Thank goodness, because Jake and Tanner would hate that. And Lara would…flirt with whoever you sent.”
Archer’s lips twitched into a smile. He cupped her face and dropped a soft kiss to her forehead.
A knock at the open doorway turned their attention outward, and she realized at some point Rivers had slipped out of the room unheard.
Rome stood in the doorframe. “Update. Dogs are halfway through the tunnel search. No news yet.”
Archer nodded once. “Keep me posted.”
Rome disappeared again, and Jolie watched Archer’s face. The calm was still there, but underneath it sat the same fury she’d seen flashes of since he burst into the cabin and found her on the floor.
She didn’t get a chance to bring it up because Cannon walked in. His shoulders were stiff but his eyes warm when he met Jolie’s gaze. “Are you up to talking?”
She let out an exaggerated sigh. “I nearly got murdered and there’s paperwork.”
That earned her a ghost of a smile from Cannon and a low groan from Archer.
“I’m ready to talk.” She started to jump off the table, but Archer’s hands were there, wrapping around her waist and easing her to the floor. He held her for a beat longer than necessary, then they walked together to the war room.
Once she was seated at the big table with the entire team gathered around her, Jolie felt the weight of their support settle in. Every man there wore looks of concern on their rugged faces.
Archer’s hand found hers under the table, giving her the strength to relive her experience.
At Cannon’s prompt, she explained what happened in the motel, how she’d heard a knock and expected the motel clerk to bring blankets. She told them how the man forced her out of the room at gunpoint and drove her away in a strange-looking utility vehicle with tracks instead of tires.
As she got to the part when he stuck her with a syringe in the neck, Archer’s fingers convulsed against hers, and she gave them a soothing squeeze.
When she reached the part where she asked for food, everyone tensed. “I asked him to untie me so I could feed myself, thinking if only I could get free, I might be able to fight.”
Several of the men nodded, which made her feel she’d done something right in the whole mess.
“He got me food—a granola bar—and fed it to me. But I noticed he was nervous. Sweating heavily and his voice had an edge too, like he was angry. Then I saw the burn near his wrist and I tried to get him talking about it.”
