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He’d felt a whole lot better when Elle had called hi her sitting there tense and worried about her sister but still waiting for hi

Relief, absolutely, but also soer door and yanked her out of the truck and into his arrip and for a rare moment let his vulnerability show as he took comfort from her embrace "You waited"

"You asked raciously

He was undone He ood at it, but with this woan’s already inside Her plan was to taunt Lars with the Russian pocket watch, telling hiive it to him if he promised to leave her and me alone--"

Archer made a derisive noise

"She’s not stupid--she knows he’s an arrogant asshole," she said "But he’s an arrogant asshole ill happily run his mouth to show off She wants to implicate him And then turn the both of them in"

He o in after her"

"No, because you told "

Eddie bobbled his head on his thin neck "Girls like to be asked It’s a fe," Elle corrected "You wanted me to wait for you and I did I don’t see a car out front so probably Lars isn’t even hoan out of there and--"

"There’s no ‘we’ on this," Archer said

"No?"

"Hell no" He looked at Spence "Watch her" Then he turned to Reyes and Lucas "You’ve got the front, I’ll go in the back"

The guysat Archer’s orders Archer started to vanish around the back of the house

Elle followed hi Spence swear from behind her She didn’t care

Archer flashed her a quick look of irritation but she took it as a good sign when he nodded at Spence "Watch the street"

The alley was narrow, lined with fencing and the occasional trash can They counted buildings and Archer stopped Elle at the right gate "I can get in and out faster alone," he said

"But I can keep her fro stupid," she said

He didn’t like this, she could tell, but again he didn’t try to hold her back The back door was unlocked, the handle turning easily in her hand She looked at Archer, surprised

With a gri in, stepping in front of her "Go back," he ordered

Before she could follow his direction, shots rang out Elle stood frozen in shocked horror as Archer spun toward her, tackling her down off the steps and onto the grass, hauling her behind a tree and pressing her do there

She reached out and grabbed his shoulders Morgan Morgan was in there! "Archer, we have to get to her--"