Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Archer gritted his teeth, tightening his hold on the man’s shoulder. He watched as the thug standing before him, the one who had his hand wrapped around his wife’s wrist, turned to face him.
Based on the look on the man’s face, he had been preparing to tell Archer to piss off. But as he turned, his eyes roving over Archer and figuring out exactly who was standing before him, all color drained out of the thug’s face.
“Me Laird,” the man stuttered, immediately releasing Emilie’s wrist. “Me apologies.”
The moment Emilie’s hand was free, she darted around the thug, moving so that she was hiding behind Archer’s massive form.
“Go,” Archer barked, the command leaving him with all the fury that he could muster.
The man startled, stammering out more apologies as he turned on his heels and disappeared into the crowd. Archer watched the top of his greasy head weaving in and out of people until it disappeared entirely, and then he rounded on Emilie.
“What in the heavens were ye thinkin’?” he growled, glaring down at his wife.
He regretted the harshness of his tone almost immediately once his eyes landed on her. She was shaking, her eyes wide with fear as she continued to try to hide behind him.
“The nuns were right about this place,” was all she murmured, and the words were so low they were nearly swallowed up entirely by the crowd. “I shouldnae have come.”
Archer deflated a bit, reaching out and taking her hand. Emilie didn’t seem to register it at first, her eyes darting to and fro as if waiting for the thug that had grabbed her to return.
“The nuns were nae right,” he growled, leaning down to pick up her hand and turn it over.
He inspected her wrist, looking for any sign of physical harm. But other than a bit of a light red ring from how tightly the man had been gripping her, Emilie’s wrist seemed free from injury.
“Clearly they were!” Emilie argued, finally looking directly at him, and her gaze seemed to clear a bit. “Barely even here a quarter of an hour and already I’m gettin’ accosted. That man could have done anythin’ to me. He looked like he wanted to do such terrible, terrible things.”
“He wouldnae have been able to do them,” Archer assured.
He hadn’t yet dropped Emilie’s wrist, and Archer was surprised to find that he didn’t want to. So, he kept hold of her, feeling her still shaking against his skin.
“What do ye mean he wouldnae have been able to?” Emilie protested. “Of course, he would have. He was right there. He had a hold of me, or did ye fail to notice?”
Emilie’s voice was shrill with her fear, and loud enough that it was beginning to draw the attention of others. All around them, passersby were turning their gaze toward her, regarding them with questioning eyes.
“He wouldnae have been able to because I was here,” Archer growled. “I never would have let him hurt ye. I would have killed him with me bare hands if it came to that.”
Emilie’s eyes went wide, but they did not shy away from his. She stared up at him, gaze dancing as she studied his face.
Archer wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for. Maybe she wanted to see if he was lying, if he truly would have killed in order to protect her.
How could she doubt that? She saw the way that I stepped in immediately. She heard the words that I told that thug. And I would have done it, too. I would have reveled in it had he laid another finger on her.
But Archer had a feeling that telling Emilie that would amount to next to nothing. No, her believing that he would actually protect her was something that she needed to figure out for herself.
And so, Archer stood there, holding her gaze. He allowed her to continue staring at him, his thumb rubbing what he hoped were reassuring circles on the skin of her wrist.
Finally, something in his wife’s face relaxed.
“Ye’re right,” she finally breathed. “I ken ye’re right, I just got meself all worked up. It was frightenin’, that’s all.”
Her shaking had subsided, and with more than a little regret, Archer let go of her wrist.
“It’s understandable that somethin’ like that was scary,” he admitted. “But I promise ye, I will always protect ye.”
A muscle ticked in Emilie’s jaw, but she nodded, seeming to finally fully accept his words.
Now that the harrowing moment had passed, Archer was more than ready to get into what they’d had planned for the day. So, he turned and tucked Emilie underneath his arm, keeping her close to his side.
“All right,” Archer growled, “We have business to tend to. But while we’re walkin’ ye’re not to leave me side. Do ye understand?”
“Aye,” Emilie breathed, the word low and barely reaching him.
Archer wasted no time. Keeping Emilie as close as he could without impeding his walking, he began to lead them through the crowd, making his way toward their final destination. All the while, he struggled to keep his mind away from just how good his wife’s body felt when it was tucked into his.