AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mind races as I try to process his words. Is it really that bad? Could they really have that much power and reach? I feel a knot form in my stomach as I consider the consequences of ignoring his warning. My father is dead, and I almost lost Lake…
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Maybe he’s right. Perhaps I don’t need the protection, but my family does. I might not like some of them, but I can’t in good conscience let them die.
“Hi, Archer.” Lake takes a step forward. “I don’t have anything to do with this. I would like to head home if you don’t mind.”
I can feel the tension in the air, and I know something is off. The younger man’s jaw twitches, and I can sense his anger simmering just below the surface. “The name is Finnegan Gil,” he says, his voice laced with irritation. “You’re confusing me with someone else.”
Lake smiles as if trying to diffuse the situation. “Probably. I apologize. You look a lot like a family friend—my father and uncles mentored him when he was young.”
I’m confused by her words, and my mind struggles to make sense of it all. “Your father, the tattoo artist?” I ask, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. How does a tattoo artist have any connection to a man who works for a security company? Did Lake hit her head?
Finnegan smiles. “It happens more often than you can imagine.” He tilts his head toward the man next to him. “Derek can show you the town, Miss…”
“Lake Zimmerman. I’m an FBI agent, but I was born in Seattle,” she responds, and I don’t understand why she’s giving him so many details about her life.
“D, would you mind taking care of our guest while I discuss with Mr. Thorndale why he has to stay with us.”
“She should stay,” I say. “She mentioned that she’s also FBI and could help us with whatever you need to know.”
Finnegan shakes his head.“If we need her later, we’ll call her.”
Lake doesn’t protest. She leaves without giving me a second glance. What am I missing?
ChapterFour
Lake
Everything has gone to shit.
Everything.
Things Lake screwed up before the week is over:
I almost got killed.
I slept with my best friend.
Somehow I landed myself in WITSEC, and I don’t know how to get out of this one without blowing my cover.
Fuck.
All the people who were counting on me are going to be pissed. What can I say? Umm, I’m sorry, but I’m stuck here. The weight of the situation is crushing me, and I feel like I’m suffocating. My mind is racing a mile a minute, and I’m just hoping and praying that this man can help me.
I start with a simple question, “So, he still doesn’t remember he’s Archer, huh?”
Derek glances at me and doesn’t say a word.
“Listen, I just need to go home.”
“Let’s get to the house, and we can discuss your situation,” he says without batting an eyelash or smiling at me.
Somehow, he reminds me of my father. He takes his role too seriously while working. He’s so stoic, that it’s almost unnerving. It’s like he’s a robot, programmed to do his job and nothing more. I can’t help but wonder if he’s a former special op. There’s something about his demeanor that screams Navy Seal, Delta Force, or a Ranger.
I just need to find the tattoos that will give him away, or… “My father is—”
“I need you to stop talking,”he growls as we make our way cautiously through the eerie town of Heartwood Lake.
This is the first I have heard of this place. I scan my surroundings with intrigue and awe. The buildings are aging, their walls crumbling and stained with age, but still with an enchanting charm that’s hard to resist.
