9. Nine
9
NINE
ARCHER
M y vision tunneled into a blinding rage. That motherfucker Alexander Benson, the leader of The Collectors, had the audacity to set foot on my territory and lay his filthy hands on my rabbit. He was signing his death warrant, and I would relish in watching him choke on his blood as he gasped for mercy that would never come. Revenge would be mine, and it would be sweet. In a flurry of adrenaline, I broke free from his henchmen and watched him stumble backward, swallowed by the frenzied crowd. My eyes darted around, searching for Mila, finally spotting her and Maddie clinging to each other near the cliff's edge.
One of the goons aimed a gun directly at my heart as I fought my way through the chaos to reach her. I didn't care about the weapon or the pain it could inflict. Nothing would stop me from getting to Mila. The sound of gunfire erupted, and a blinding pain moved through my shoulder. Kai appeared a second too late, but he fired his gun with deadly precision, and Alexander's bodyguard's brains scattered through the icy wind. The force of his body falling took Mila and Maddie right over the edge with him.
When I reached the edge, I didn't hesitate. I took a leap of faith and plummeted into the icy depths of the quarry water below. The frigid shock engulfed me, and I fought to avoid gasping for air. I had a better chance of survival if I slowed my heart rate and conserved my energy. With every stroke, I dove deeper, feeling the pressure of the water building around me. My lungs screamed for oxygen as I strained to search through the murky darkness to find my queen.
My vision blurred as I frantically scanned the depths of the quarry, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Finally, I caught sight of her dark hair, tangled and floating lifelessly just a few feet away. My veins surged with adrenaline as I swam toward her, forcefully shoving off the lifeless body of her attacker that had pinned her to the bottom. Wrapping my arms around her limp form, I kicked off with all my might, desperate to break through the surface and save her from drowning. Every muscle in my body burned with exertion as I fought against the weight of both our bodies and the pressure of the water pulling us down.
I broke the surface, gasping for air and kicking toward the rocky shore. I thrashed out of the water, frantically clutching her to my chest. I finally reached the jagged rocks and laid her limp body down on the flattest surface I could find. Her once vibrant skin was pale and frigid like ice. I pressed my ear to her chest, and my own heart almost stopped when I didn't hear a heartbeat.
Her chest was still.
Wrapping my mouth around hers, I breathed my life into her. Her chest rose, but she still wasn't breathing. My heart pounded furiously against my ribcage, and I pressed my lips back over hers, breathing for her again.
I wanted to howl.
I wanted to rip the sky apart.
I wanted to kill every last person who had caused this, and let their blood spill over my feet.
I wanted to wrap her in my arms and kiss her until the sunset enveloped us.
I wanted her to fucking breathe so I could punish her for touching that fucking cunt, Alexander.
It didn't matter that she didn't know who he was .
She did now.
I would remind her that she belonged to me. I would bathe in her tears while I left my mark on her ass.
When I was done with her, she would never look at anyone but me.
I pressed my hands against her chest, right above where her heart should be, and pumped hard. The icy water soaked every part of my body, the cold quickly draining my strength.
With shaking hands, I pressed down hard on her chest, willing her heart to beat again. I leaned down and covered her lips with mine, forcing more air into her water-filled lungs. Her body convulsed as she coughed up water, gasping for air. As she struggled for breath, I held her tightly against my chest, desperate to keep her safe and alive. My lips pressed against her forehead, begging whatever god was listening to spare her life. Finally, she drew in a ragged breath and coughed again. Relief flooded through me as I collapsed beside her, trembling with exhaustion.
Her eyes flew open, and I let out a choked laugh. "It's okay, Mila. You're okay," I whispered, clinging to her desperately.
But she couldn't stop shivering.
"Archer?" she managed to utter through chattering teeth. My heart clenched at the sound of her voice, weak and vulnerable.
"I'm here," I replied fiercely, wrapping my arms around her even tighter.
"Where's Maddie?" she said, looking around frantically.
"I'm here, Mila," Maddie replied, running toward us.
Kai followed her, drenched and shivering.
"We need to get out of here and get warm fast," I told Kai, my tone urgent.
"Cold," Mila whimpered, her body trembling.
Summoning all my remaining strength, I lifted her into my arms and began trudging up the rocky path to the clifftop. She burrowed her face into my shoulder, still shivering violently. Each step was a struggle, and my muscles burned with exhaustion.
As we neared the top, most of the partygoers had scattered in panic, but I saw Lacey still standing there crying, tears streaming down her face. When she noticed us approaching, she rushed over to us.
"Oh my God, Mila. Are you okay?" Tears flowed freely down her face.
"She's alive. But we need to get her warmed up quickly. Did you drive?" I asked her.
She nodded quickly. "Yeah, my car’s parked in the clearing."
"Kai, grab some of those blankets and follow us," I instructed over my shoulder.
Lacey led us into the clearing, jumping behind the wheel, while I climbed in back with Mila to keep her warm. Kai climbed in beside Maddie, and I covered them with blankets before taking Mila into my arms again.
"Should I drive to the hospital?" Lacey asked worriedly.
"It's too far. Put this address in your GPS." I rattled off the address to our manor, watching her frantically type it into her maps. "We have a doctor on staff at the house."
She nodded, hitting the accelerator and speeding out onto the road. I cradled Mila in my arms, feeling her shivering gradually weaken.
"I'll be alright," she whispered.
She sounded so fragile, like glass about to shatter.
When we reached the gates to the property, Kai rolled down the window for the guards, and they waved us on, the large gate rolling open to let us pass. Lacey coasted up the long, stone driveway and pulled up to the multi-car garage next to the estate. The sun was beginning to rise, and the sky blazed with beautiful shades of orange, pink, and yellow. I carried Mila straight to my bedroom and set her on the bed.
"I need to get these wet clothes off you," I told her.
She nodded weakly.
I pulled off her wet boots, peeled her socks off her feet, and tossed them aside. She pulled her jacket off, letting it fall to the floor, but struggled to unbutton her pants .
"Lie back on the bed."
She did.
I unbuttoned her jeans and unzipped them, pulling them down over her hips while she pulled her wet shirt over her head and threw it on the ground. I stared down at her perfect body, her curves bared in front of me. She sat up, her dark hair falling down her back, and I was mesmerized by her. "Take your bra and underwear off for me," I instructed her.
She looked up at me, biting her lip before unhooking it, exposing her full breasts.
My cock stiffened in my wet jeans.
She reached down, grabbed the bands on her panties, and pushed them down to her thighs. She stood up next to the bed, letting them fall to the floor, then lay back down.
I struggled to pull off my wet clothes, standing almost naked before her. My cock raged hard in my boxers, twitching with each breath she took.
"Archer…" she whispered, her voice low and quiet. It was nearly a sigh.
Just hearing her say my name sent my head spinning.
"You're bleeding. What happened?" She sat up and reached for my shoulder.
The bullet had just grazed me, and I could already feel it clotting. I would still need stitches, but a little bit of blood loss wouldn't kill me. "It looks worse than it is. Stay there. You need to rest."
I pulled back the covers and lifted her into my arms, laying her gently in the bed. I let my briefs fall to the floor before I slid in beside her, pulling her naked body against mine. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her so tightly she had to take little breaths.
"I'm so cold," she whispered, her naked, trembling body pressed against mine. It took everything I had not to roll her over and fuck her senseless, warming us both in the process. She seemed so small and delicate against my over six-foot frame, and my body yearned to possess hers. I fought against my instincts, trying to control the primal urge to dominate her and make her mine .
"Shh," I whispered. "Try to focus on getting warm." I pressed my lips against her forehead, and she closed her eyes, sighing softly.
"Mila," I whispered against her skin.
She took a ragged breath before turning to face me. I stared down at her, drinking in her beauty with my eyes. Her dark, wet hair clung to her face and speckled my shoulder. Her lips were slightly parted, her dark eyes pleading for me to hold her.
A soft knock on the door shattered the moment, and our on-staff doctor, Gage, cautiously peeked his head inside the room. "Can I come in?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yeah," I nodded, reluctantly pulling away from Mila's warm body and sitting up. "This is Gage," I introduced him to Mila. "He's our doctor. I want him to check you out."
Mila pulled the blanket tighter around her body, suddenly feeling exposed as Gage examined her with clinical efficiency. He prodded at her skin, listened to her heart and lungs, and checked her temperature.
"Everything looks good. I would suggest that you get some rest before you get up. Your body has had to work overtime in an attempt to regulate its core temperature. Drink warm fluids, rest up for the night, and if you start to feel worse, have Archer call me." He shifted his attention to me, opening his bag and retrieving a suture kit.
"Looks like you need a few stitches." He nodded to the wound on my shoulder.
"I'm good, Doc. Go check on Maddie and Kai," I dismissed him, eager to get back to being alone with Mila.
"Are you sure?" he questioned.
"Yep."
"No, he's not," Mila's tiny voice interrupted.
I frowned and shot her a warning look. If she noticed, she didn't give any indication. Instead, she tilted her chin up, clearly unbothered.
In a deceptively sweet, sing-song tone that was hard to say no to, she continued, "Let the doctor do his job. It'll only take a few minutes, right, Gage?" She paused, checking with him to see if her bold assumption was correct.
Daring me to argue with her.
"Yeah, Archer. Let me, the doctor, do my job," Gage's eyes glinted with restrained laughter as he teased me, knowing I despised being told what to do. But I could see the amusement dancing in his gaze as he played along. I knew he was silently relishing this, and I glared at him with a look that conveyed my annoyance, but he only smirked in response.
"Five minutes, tops," Gage taunted, reveling in my frustration.
"Fine. But then you can fuck off," I retorted, sitting on the bed next to Mila.
She raised her eyebrows, surprised at my harsh words, but quickly lowered them when Gage chuckled. She must have realized by then that we had a habit of exchanging playful insults. As Gage pulled out a suture kit and wound cleanser and went to work, Mila edged closer to watch him work. Her attention was utterly captivated as he expertly stitched up my wound, her eyes following every move as if drawn to a mesmerizing flame. As the suture needle pierced my skin, pulling the edges of my wound together, I watched her. She seemed completely at ease, as if watching someone get a wound stitched was a routine thing in her life.
My eyes were fixated on her, watching as her lips parted and her eyes focused intently on Gage's work. And for the briefest moment, her eyes met mine, and in them was a raw, intense look of longing. She quickly looked away, but I saw it. I felt the surge of desire welling up inside me, and I knew I had to have her.
Gage finished stitching, surveying his work with a proud smile as he cleaned the area again. "That's it," he said.
"Thank you, Gage," I replied, tentatively touching the stitches.
As Gage gathered his things and was prepared to leave, I could see Mila's eyes following him, still enthralled by his work. When he closed the door behind him, I looked into her eyes, seeing the same desire I felt churning inside of me. "Do you want me to call Gage back and leave you two alone? "
She blinked, snapping out of whatever trance she was in. "Excuse me?"
"The way you are looking at him."
"What way?" She furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Like you want to fuck him."
"I was not," she protested weakly.
"I know that look."
"You don't know shit." Her anger flared, radiating off of her in waves as she angrily flung the blanket off her body and stood, glaring at me, before grabbing her wet clothes.
Fury radiated from her every move as she stormed toward the bathroom. Without hesitation, I lazily got to my feet and followed her like a predator stalking his prey. When she realized what I was doing, she attempted to slam the door shut.
But I was faster.
In one swift movement, I pushed my way inside until she stumbled backward in shock. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she cried out, attempting to shield herself with her wet clothes.
"I may not know shit , but I know what desire looks like," I growled, closing the door behind me and backing her against the wall.
Her eyes were wide with fear and arousal, her breaths ragged as she tried to push me away. I grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head with one hand while the other roamed over her body hungrily. Her clothes fell to the ground in a forgotten heap as she stood before me, completely exposed.
"Let go of me," she whispered, her voice laced with defiance.
Defiance that made my cock twitch.
"I'll let go of you if you tell me that you wanted to fuck Gage," I countered, my eyes never leaving hers. "You want to know what those skilled hands feel like on your body, don't you, little rabbit?"
"What do you want from me, Archer?”
Her annoyance was evident in her tone, but beneath it lay a hint of desperation. A fire burned in her gaze that both infuriated and aroused me .
My lips curled into a predatory smile as I leaned in closer. " Everything ."
I could feel her shuddering beneath me, the heat from her body, and the trembling of her muscles, making it almost impossible not to take her right then and there.
I took a deep breath to steady myself as Mila stared back at me with disgust and confusion. My heart raced, and my cock throbbed with the need for release that only she could provide.
"If you want everything, you have to make good on your promise earlier," she whispered, her gaze set on my lips. Her tone dripped with a darkness that made my chest ache.
"What?"
I'll play along.
"You promised if I went with you to the party, you would answer every question I have," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I did. But right now, I am asking you a question," I countered.
"Then I propose new terms."
"Let's hear them," I demanded.
"An answer from me for an answer from you."
"I don't think you're really in the position to negotiate right now," I growled, squeezing my grip around her wrists, reminding her that I was in control.
"You made a deal with me. Surely, you aren't going to go back on your word," she prodded. "Take it or leave it, King."
My little rabbit has fangs.
"Fine. You have a deal."
"Good. Who was that guy at the party, and why did you get into a fight with him?"
I stared at her before I responded, choosing my words carefully. "That was two questions."
She huffed, and I smirked. I loved pushing her buttons.
"Alexander Benson." I paused. "Your turn. Do you want to fuck Gage?"
"No," she replied, short and sweet .
"Didn't I tell you not to lie to me again?" I reminded her of my warning earlier.
"I'm not lying."
I opened my mouth to scold her, but she continued speaking.
"Why did you get in a fight with Alexander Benson?"
"He touched what was mine."
"I'm not yours ."
"Another lie. And here I thought you were the honorable one in this relationship."
"I'm not fucking lying. I don't want to fuck Gage. I'm not yours, and we aren't in a relationship," she sneered, yanking her wrists out of my grip, surprising me with her strength.
"Then tell me the reason for the fuck me eyes."
She turned her face away but stayed rooted in her spot. "I don't know what my eyes were doing," she said, barely audible.
I gripped her chin and turned her face toward me. "Don't look away," I scolded. "I want to know every thought that goes through this beautiful mind of yours."
She stared at me, not speaking for what seemed like an eternity before something changed in her eyes. Something so macabre that if I didn't have the same darkness clinging to my soul, I might have missed it. I knew what that look was, but I wanted to hear her say it. I needed to hear it.
"I was thinking about how I wanted to reach my fingers into your wound and touch your blood. I wanted to feel the sticky warmth between my fingers. I wanted to touch the fibers of your muscles. I wanted to be the one stitching you up. I wanted... your blood on me." She paused, licking her lips and meeting my gaze, her eyes burning with intensity.
The look on her face mirrored the look I witnessed when Gage was stitching me up. I’d been wrong. I had thought Gage's presence aroused her, but it was entirely the opposite. My rabbit was twisted and demented, craving a primal connection to the things I hid from the light. That is why she didn't turn me into the cops for killing Zach. She was curious and knew I could show her things she could only dream about. I could bring her into my world of death and destruction, and like the eager girl she was, she would follow me anywhere.
"I underestimated you." I leaned in closer, feeling the heat of her breath on my face.
"What do you mean?" Her voice was full of pain and longing, and I could sense that she was struggling with her desires. I reached out and cupped her face, stroking her cheek gently.
"You're a wild creature, much like me, and I can see that now. You defy the ordinary and seek something dark, something primal...and you know I am the only one that can feed your hunger."
Her eyes widened with surprise at my words, but there was also a hint of recognition in her gaze. She wanted me to continue, to explore this new dimension of her that I had uncovered.
"And you, Mila, are a master of disguise," I whispered, letting my fingers trail down her cheek. "You hide your true self from the world so well, but you can't hide it from me."
She didn't speak, but I could see the turmoil in her eyes. The battle between her desire and her conscience raged on, her body betraying her with every heavy breath and flushed heat of her skin.
I gave her a small smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's okay to have these dark desires."
"Do you think I am a murderer like you?" she asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Not exactly," I said, my voice soft and gentle. "I think you crave the same things I do. The rush of danger…" I paused, running my fingers softly down her arm. "The thrill of the unknown…" My fingers slid in between the slit of her pussy, dripping wet, coating my fingers. I moved my finger softly up and down, watching as her breathing quickened. "I know you're tired of living in the darkness alone, just like I am."
She met my gaze, her eyes wide and searching as if trying to find something she couldn't quite see. Her heart was racing, her breaths shallow and barely audible.
"Is that why you won't leave me alone? "
"Do you want me to leave you alone?" I whispered against her lips as I stopped moving my fingers.
For a moment, I thought she wouldn't speak and would retreat into that shell she'd built for herself. Safe inside the walls she’d erected to protect herself from her wants and needs, afraid that the world would shun her. But then she let out a shaky breath, her eyes locked on mine.
"No.”.
"No, what, Mila?" I pushed my fingers inside her, wanting to coax the truth from her.
"No, I don't want you to leave me alone," she admitted breathlessly, looking away from me in embarrassment.
A small smile spread across my lips as I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I had known from the moment I laid eyes on her that she was different, that there was something dark and wild lurking beneath the surface of her sweet exterior. And now, it seemed, I had finally found a way to unlock that darkness within her.
"But I'm not yours," she protested again.
"You've been mine since the moment I kissed you in that library. I'm forever imprinted on your soul. There's no escaping me now."