Chapter 4 - The Lion's Cage
The fighting lasted for what felt like an eternity.
I crouched in the dusty,
narrow hallway behind the library,
my hands over my ears.
Every explosion rocked the floor beneath me.
I could hear men shouting in Italian,
the sounds of struggle,
and the chilling silence that followed.
Suddenly,
a light flickered through the cracks in the wood.
I held my breath,
praying it was Archer.
"I know you're in there,
little maid,"
a voice sneered.
It wasn't Archer.
It was a voice I didn't recognize—oily,
cruel,
and full of malice.
"The boss told us about the girl he's been hiding."
"He seems to think you're special."
I pressed my back against the brick wall,
looking for a way out.
The passage was a dead end.
I saw a heavy brass candle holder on a small shelf and gripped it tight.
The door to the passage was kicked open,
and a man stepped in.
He was large,
with a scar running down his cheek and a wicked-looking knife in his hand.
"Come here,
darling,"
he whispered.
"Let's see what Archer sees in a mouse like you."
I didn't wait for him to reach me.
As he stepped forward,
I swung the candle holder with all my might.
It struck him across the temple,
and he let out a grunt of pain.
I ducked under his arm and ran toward the library,
my heart screaming in my chest.
I burst into the room,
only to find it in ruins.
The books were scattered,
the furniture overturned,
and Archer was standing in the center,
surrounded by three men.
He was wounded again,
bleeding from a cut on his forehead,
but he looked like a god of war.
He saw me,
and for a split second,
his focus wavered.
"Elena,
get back!"
he roared.
The distraction gave the lead assassin an opening.
The man raised his gun,
aiming directly at Archer's heart.
I didn't think.
I didn't hesitate.
I threw the heavy candle holder at the man's arm.
The shot went wide,
shattering a crystal vase behind Archer.
In that moment of confusion,
Archer moved with a speed that shouldn't have been human.
He disarmed the man and brought him to the ground.
The other two guards,
hearing the noise,
rushed in to finish the fight.
When the room finally fell silent,
Archer turned to me.
His chest was heaving,
and his eyes were wild.
He walked over to me,
grabbing my shoulders.
"I told you to stay hidden,"
he said,
his voice shaking with anger and relief.
"I couldn't let him hurt you,"
I sobbed,
the adrenaline finally leaving my body.
He pulled me into his arms,
holding me so tightly I could feel the frantic beat of his heart.
"You're a fool,"
he whispered into my hair.
"The bravest,
most beautiful fool I've ever known."
Around us,
the mansion was a tomb,
May you like
but in his arms,
I felt entirely safe.
