5. Five
5
FIVE
MILA
I kept to myself the next couple of days as I tried to wrap my mind around Zach's disappearance and what I knew in my heart was Archer's admission of guilt. What I didn't know was why. Why would he murder someone in cold blood? Why did he protect me? Why did he follow me? Why did he kiss me? So many questions raced through my mind that I was driving myself crazy.
I needed some fresh air.
Grabbing my jacket, I slipped on my boots and headed out of my house to take a walk. The autumn air was chilly, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp air. It was a Friday night, so most of the college students were out partying. Lacey was going to a party at the quarry with Chad, who I was sure were officially dating at that point, but neither had confirmed it. As I walked, I tried to clear my head, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Archer's face. The beautiful face of a murderer. The face of a man who had followed me. The face of a man who had protected me. The conflicting emotions in my heart were tearing me apart.
The sound of a motorcycle broke through the silence, and I turned to see a blacked-out Indian pulling up beside me. The rider was dressed in all black, their face obscured by a helmet. My instincts told me to keep walking, but something about the rider's presence intrigued me. The motorcycle slowed down and came to a stop beside me. The rider turned off the engine and removed their helmet. My heart raced as I realized it was Archer.
"Hey," he said, looking at me with his intense green eyes.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I wanted to talk to you," he said, his voice low and deep.
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling vulnerable in front of him. "About what? How you're a murderer?"
Archer sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I was protecting you."
"Protecting me?" I scoffed. "You killed someone."
"For you."
"For me? Like that somehow makes it okay?" I started to walk away from him.
"I would do it again," he called after me.
I spun around and stormed back toward him. "This is what I don't get: why would you kill someone for me? You don't even know me."
"I like you."
"Is it because you like me that you follow me around like a creep or kiss me in the library when I didn't want you to?"
"You seemed to want me to at the time."
I rolled my eyes. "What do you want with me?"
"I want to take you to a party."
"Last time I let someone drag me to a party, a man ended up dead."
"This time, you'll be on my arm, and as long as no one touches you, no lives will be lost."
I contemplated for a moment, my body trembling with fear and excitement. I didn’t know why I was even considering it, but something about him drew me in. Maybe it was the danger, the mystery, or the thrill of being with someone I knew could protect me.
Or maybe it was how he looked at me like no one else ever had .
Whatever it was, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. "I will go with you on one condition."
"And what's that?"
"You have to answer my questions."
"About?"
"Anything I want."
Archer smiled, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Anything you want, little rabbit."
He handed me a helmet, and I paused, meeting his gaze. He nodded for me to get on the bike behind him. I slid my legs over the smooth leather of his seat and tried to keep some space between us, but the way the seat dipped down made it impossible not to have my crotch pressed against his backside. As he started the motorcycle back up, I pulled the helmet over my head and wrapped my arms around his waist, careful not to get too close. I tightened my grip as he picked up speed, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins. It was exhilarating being on the back of his motorcycle, feeling the machine's power beneath me and his body's warmth against my own. The wind whipped past us as we sped through the country roads, heading farther away from town. I tried to focus on the questions I wanted to ask Archer, but the feel of his strong muscles under my fingers distracted me. The scent of his cologne mixed with the leather of his jacket was intoxicating.
We rode through the dark roads until we found a clearing in the forest, tucked away from the main road, easy to miss unless you were looking. Archer parked the motorcycle next to a blue one similar in style to his. I pushed away from his body, lifting my leg over the bike and placing my helmet on the seat. I tried to brush my hair down while he removed his helmet, placing it next to mine.
"Where are we?" I asked him, taking in my surroundings. I could hear loud music floating through the trees, and a small stone path peeked out from the thick tree line.
"The quarry."
"Lacey mentioned that she would be here tonight too. "
"Ah, the friend that left you alone at the cornfield party?" he said flatly.
"She's a good friend," I protested, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he reached out his hand for me to take, and I hesitated before taking it. His hand was warm and strong, cradling mine, and my body shivered in response. I let him lead me down the gravel path through the trees. The ground changed from dirt to gray stone, and the music got louder with each step we took. We reached the entrance of a large clearing that opened up to the mountains of slick rock. I peered over the cliff's edge and saw dark blue water sparkling in the moonlight below. Dozens of people were gathered around a massive bonfire, dancing, drinking, and laughing. The music was so loud that I could feel the bass vibrating in my chest, and the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and smoke. The quarry was lit with strings of fairy lights draped from the trees. Archer wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in close to him as we navigated our way through the crowd. I could feel the eyes of the other partygoers on us, and I couldn't tell if it was because they recognized Archer or because they wondered who the new girl was. He led me to a small group sitting around a fire pit, passing a bottle of whiskey back and forth.
"Hey," Archer said, and the group turned and looked at us.
"I wondered when you would finally show up. And it looks like you brought a little friend ." The guy speaking had dark brown hair, a chiseled jaw to die for, and big blue eyes that stared at me like I was a juicy steak, and he hadn't eaten in days. I'm almost positive he licked his lips, but maybe I was daydreaming. Either way, I found myself staring at his lips like a fucking creep. The girl on his lap, a petite blonde, noticed how I was looking at him, and she shoved her tits into his face, stealing his attention from me.
My face was on fire with embarrassment, and I cleared my throat and looked to the ground like there was something more interesting there.
Archer pulled me closer, and I felt his arm wrap possessively around my waist. "This is Mila," he introduced me to the group. The possessiveness in his tone did not go unnoticed by the others in the group or me. "She's with me."
I felt a blush creep up my neck at his words. I didn't know how to feel about being claimed like a piece of property, but I couldn't deny the excitement in my stomach.
His eyes flicked from Archer back to me, and I felt like he could see right through me. "Well, if she's with you, you better take care of her, or someone else might," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
Archer tightened his grip even more, and I hissed in pain, turning my head to look at him. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes stared murderously at the brown-eyed stranger. I could feel the anger reverberating through his touch, and I did not doubt that if someone didn't break this stare down, there might be another murder.
"I want to go get a drink. Will you come with me?" I turned and asked Archer, desperate to pull his attention to me.
"I'm just messing with you, brother. I wouldn't dare touch what's yours unless you let me." He turned his gaze to Archer, letting out an amused laugh. Turning back to me, he introduced himself, flashing a playful grin. "I'm Kai, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, but I'm not his ."
Kai smirked and laughed, the rest of the group joining in. "Okay, sweet girl. Whatever you say."
I rolled my eyes, pulled myself out of Archer's grip, and stormed through the crowd toward what looked like the alcohol table. I grabbed a red cup, filled it to the brim with rum and coke, and gulped it down, hissing at the bitterness that burned my throat and warmed my insides. The blonde at the table smiled at me, letting his eyes slither down my body before returning to my face.
"Can I get you another drink, beautiful?"
"That'd be great," I responded in irritation.
"You got—" his voice trailed off, and he took a few steps away while looking to my right.
"What?" I asked in confusion, following his gaze to Archer, who stood beside me.
"I-I'm sorry, Archer, I didn't know she was with you." He looked between Archer and me, then turned around and almost ran through the crowd to get as far away as possible.
I dropped my shoulders in exasperation and turned to face him, anger burning through my veins. "I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone." I poured myself another drink and took a large gulp before continuing. "Why does everyone keep saying I am yours ? Because I'm not."
Archer stepped forward, towering over me, his presence powerful and intimidating. "I think you like the idea of being mine, Mila." His voice was low, deep, and husky. I could feel his hot breath on my lips, and I shivered, ready to argue with him.
"I—"
He cut me off, his fingertip pressed against my lips, stopping the words I wanted to shout at him. "Stop arguing with me," he said, his voice low and commanding. "Let me show you what it's like to belong to someone."
I stared up at him, his eyes blazing with intensity, and I knew I was in trouble.
"I know you feel it too." His hand cupped the back of my neck, pulling me in close to him, and his lips grazed my lips. "The energy between us. The way your body responds to my touch. Don't deny it."
"I'm not denying anything," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I want to make you mine in all the ways that matter. I want to claim you as mine in every sense of the word."
"I-I don't know what I want."
"Yes, you do, little rabbit."
He was too close, his lips hovering over mine. I didn't want to want him the way that I did, but I couldn't deny the way that my body reacted to him. I didn't even understand why I wanted him. He was a stranger to me, a murderer, and I barely knew anything about him, but I wanted to know everything. His hand moved down my back, pulling me even closer to him, and a rush of heat spread throughout my body. He pressed his lips firmly against mine, and the world around us disappeared. The sounds of loud music were muffled by the steady thrum of my heartbeat pulsing through my ears. It was just him and me, lost in a kiss that seemed to last forever. His hands roamed over my body, making me feel more alive than ever. A moan escaped my lips, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth. I could feel his hardness pressing against my thigh, and I knew what he wanted.
But did I want the same thing?
As much as I tried to resist him, my body was betraying me. I wanted him in a way that I had never wanted anyone before. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and I felt him respond. His kiss was hard, rough, and filled with a possessiveness that I had never felt before.
"Oh my God, Mila?" My best friend's high-pitched and perplexed voice screeched in my ear while her firm grip yanked me away from Archer.
"Ouch," I protested.
"What are you doing with Archer fucking King?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" I blushed.
"He's bad news, Mila. You’re too good for him."
I frowned in annoyance and pulled my arm out of her grasp. "Maybe I'm tired of always being good! Maybe Archer fucking King is exactly what I deserve."
"Mila, I didn't mean—I'm sorry."
I sighed. "I know. I want to feel like a normal college girl. And right now, for whatever reason, he is interested in me."
"Just be careful, okay? He has a reputation, that's all. I don't want you to get hurt." She looked over my shoulder and scowled at Archer.
"I am a big girl, Lace." I squeezed her hand reassuringly and turned back toward Archer, who stood with his arms crossed and an unamused look on his face.
"You good?" he asked, his eyes watching Lacey intently.
"I'm great." I grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the table and wrapped my fingers in his, pulling him toward the friends he had introduced me to earlier. The blonde girl on Kai's lap was kissing his neck, and his hand was between her legs, both oblivious to our arrival. The others were busy laughing and drinking, enjoying the warmth of the fire. I sat beside Kai and his girl, resting my back on a giant boulder. Archer sat down next to me, and I moved closer to him, taking a big drink of whiskey and passing it to him. I watched him take a bigger drink, mesmerized by his perfect features and how the fire lit up his olive-green eyes.
"Your friend seems to have an issue with me." His voice was low, leaning toward me but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"She's protective," I responded, leaning back on my elbows. The stars were bright, and the full moon shone down on us. "She doesn't seem to like you very much."
"I'm not surprised. I don't care for her much, either."
I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. He handed the bottle of whiskey back to me, and I took another drink, letting the warm liquid slide down my throat. I closed my eyes and let the effects of the alcohol, the fire, and Archer's scent settle into my soul. I opened my eyes and realized he was watching me, his eyes a mixture of desire and something else.
The firelight reflected off his face, casting shadows on his chiseled features—black hair, strong shoulders, and bright green eyes. I leaned closer to him, my head buzzing, and extended my lips toward him. He brushed his lips against mine before putting his arms around me and pulling me into his lap. I moaned softly as I felt his hard cock pressing against my hip. It was exactly what I wanted.
What I needed .