Chapter 54.
The transition from the raw, freezing tension of the parking lot to the sudden movement of Victor’s body was a blur. One moment, Briar was reeling from the weight of Archer’s retreating shadow, her heart heavy with the silence he had left behind. The next, the world tilted on its axis. With the terrifying, efficient strength of a man used to moving heavy equipment under fire, Victor stepped forward, hooked an arm behind her knees, and hoisted her upward. Before she could even process the sensation of her feet leaving the gravel, she was draped over his shoulder, the liquid gold silk of her dress bunching around her waist. "Victor! Put me down!" Briar squealed, her voice echoing off the silent, hunched shapes of the nearby SUVs. She gasped as the air was momentarily knocked out of her,
- Writer
