Page 91 of In the Dark

“Great.” I grabbed my purse and started to walk past him, but his hand was at my throat, pulling me close before I walked by. “Don’t try to run off, Viper.”

His tone, his hand on my neck, the way his thumb rubbed up and down on my pulse like it was a soothing grip rather than a mean one had shivers racking my body. “I’m under contract now, Knight.”

“And even still, I worry about losing you.”

I met his eyes. “Don’t you have to have me to lose me, Callahan?”

He hummed. “I’m earning you, Viper. Earning every bit of you before I take you.”

Then he let me go, and I went on my shaky legs because my knees were definitely weak.

Mia might have been the best tool I’d ever had. She brought Marian with and had Archer immediately at her side over another fake crisis.

“Archer, it’s honestly nothing,” Marian said.

“Are you sure?” he frowned at her as we walked into the library, and Mia told them, “We’re going to look at the romance section.”

Archer didn’t even glance our way this time.

As we walked off, I said, “I feel like I should thank you for that.”

“I hated when Jameson put security on me all the time.”

I chewed on my cheek, not sure how to get rid of her now. “I see.”

“And I figure you might definitely hate it if you’re looking for something they don’t know about.”

Our eyes met.

She held up her hands. “I’m not prying. As long as it doesn’t hurt my family, I’m fine with it.” She waved me on and said, “Just don’t make me regret it.”

I hesitated, needing to know, “Why are you helping me?”

“Because I think my brother-in-law likes you, I think you’re misunderstood here …” She paused to think more. “I think people deserve the benefit of the doubt even when the odds are stacked against them, and maybe I’m wanting to right a wrong I may have inadvertently caused.”

“Whatever happened between you and Lex, I don’t blame you for,” I told her because I really didn’t. “Protecting your family came first, and Lex had never been a part of mine.”

She relaxed like it was a weight being lifted. “Archer says you’re not bad, and I want friends rather than enemies around … or at least your respect. If I can earn it by doing this, so be it. Plus, Fran really wants us to walk our pets together.”

I laughed. “That poor girl needs a cat.”

“Yeah, I’m working on it.” Mia smiled and then waved me on. “Go do what you need to, but be quick. The guys are going to be at that country club in about half an hour. I know my future husband.”

I started to hurry away from her toward the computers, but I stopped to say, “You’ve earned more than respect. You’ve earned my friendship, Mia. I won’t make you regret it.”

Well, I really hoped I wouldn’t. How could I be sure when I didn’t know what I would find?

I sat down at the computer and moved the mouse to wake it up. I glanced around, and before I could stop myself, I popped the SD card in.

It only took a few moments for the files to pop up, and when I clicked them, a line for a password came up.

I was pretty sure I knew the password. Yet, I didn’t type it in. My fingers hovered over the keys, thinking, waiting.

Paolo had lied about the trafficking, my aunt glossed over it, and I considered what I might have to do to make it right.

I considered what else I might find too.

The fear of the unknown stopped me. The fear of losing my family and them being something I didn’t want them to be stopped me too.