10. Archie

10

ARCHIE

"You're supposed to be shoveling— not building a snowman." I toss a snowball at Gennie's backside.

"I did shovel." she clomps over to a pine tree, breaking off two branches for the snowman's arms. "But walking around in these size twenty boots is too dangerous for hard labor."

"Babe, they're size fourteen, not twenty. And I stuffed the toes pretty good, didn't I?"

"Umm, yeah. But when I walk, I move like Frankenstein."

"A sexy Frankenstein." I blow her a kiss.

"You just think I'm sexy." She blushes.

"Sure as hell do." I swing my head around at the sound of an engine and crunching snow. "Looks like we've got company."

I turn to see Gennie turning whiter than the snow. "It's okay, sweetheart." I run to her. "I've got you."

"He found me…" she whispers, clinging to my jacket for dear life. "He's going to kill me—kill you."

A black Humvee with police lights crests the hill. "No, baby," I pull her in tight. "Those are my friends that I told you about, the Whiskey Creek police officers." She's shaking so hard I swear I hear her teeth clacking.

The Humvee comes to a stop, and my friends, Brock and Mitch, jump out.

"Sorry it took us so long to get here. We had to wait for Skeeter to plow the mountain. You must be Gennie." Brock sticks out a glove. "Good to meet you."

"Any friend of Archer's is a friend of mine." Mitch takes out his badge. "We're the good guys, I promise."

"Baby." I lift her face to mine. "They're really my friends. They're here to help us. To help you."

"They don't know Donny?" she whispers.

"We don't know him, Gennie. But after being briefed by Archer, we've looked into him. He's not a good cop. And he's not a good man." Mitch stuffs his scarf down the front of his leather jacket.

"He's the worst of the worst." Brock chimes in.

"I don't understand." She blinks.

"Let's go inside to talk." I take her hand. "There's no way I'm letting you deal with this situation you're in on your own, sweetheart. We're going to keep you safe. We're going to protect you. I meant it when I told you that your battles are now my battles. And that's the way it's going to stay, baby. Nothing you say, nothing you do is going to change that." I tap the side of her temple. "So, whatever's going on in that beautiful brain of yours, stop thinking it. You're not leaving here. You're staying. Come hell or high water. You. Are. Staying."

Tears glisten in her eyes. "You don't know what you're saying."

"On the contrary, I know exactly what I'm saying. Now come on, I promised my friends they'd get to taste some of your cooking."

"You told them about my cooking?" She blinks.

"Absolutely. I was bragging." I grin.

"We were drooling when he told us about the peach cobbler." Mitch heads for the front door. "Do you have any left?"

"Of course not, you moron." Brock whacks Mitch on the back of his head.

"I made a chocolate mousse." Gennie offers.

"Perfect." Mitch beams as he runs to open the door.

I scoop Gennie up.

"What are you doing?"

"You've got Frankenstein feet, baby. I'm carrying you."

She hooks an arm around my neck. "No," she shakes her head. "I mean, what are you doing?"

"I'm protecting what's mine, sweetheart." I kiss the tip of her nose. "And you are mine." I press my lips to her mouth to prevent her from denying my truth. I set her down in the foyer, remove my boots from her feet, and help her out of her coat.

"Archie…" She strokes my cheek. "I am not your problem."

"Baby." I take her hand and kiss her palm. "You are my everything. You are not a problem. If I needed your help, would you think of me as a problem?"

"Of course not." She blanches.

"Then why should I think of you that way?"

"I don't know." She stares at the floor and sniffles. "I guess it's because I'm always used to being viewed as a nuisance. But you don't see me that way."

"No, I don't," I say, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "You are a gift, Gennie. Don't you ever forget it."

"I don't deserve you."

"Sweetheart, you deserve the world. And one way or another, I will convince you that it's true. I don't know how long it will take, but I'm not giving up. Now let's go talk to Mitch and Brock."

"Donny Mason is not a lone wolf. He committed the robbery with other cops." Mitch scoops up another spoonful of hamburger casserole.

"What?" Gennie drops her fork onto her plate. "They were cops, too?"

"Yes. They've been committing crimes for a while now."

"How do you know?"

"Businesses are hit at just the right times. The cameras are always either broken or disconnected. There's no DNA. No traces of evidence were left behind. The crimes are too clean." Brock wipes his mouth with a napkin. "By the way, this is the best food I've ever eaten."

"I told you she was a good cook." I reach across the table to squeeze her hand.

"She's not a good cook. She's amazing." Brock winks.

"What happens now?" Gennie asks.

"You let us continue to investigate. Then we'll make a plan. Until we figure things out, you'll stay with Archer."

"But the storm's over. I have to get my car and return it to the rental company."

"Done." Mitch pushes his plate back. "We had it towed to New York and returned to Hertz. They were told the car was found abandoned on the New Jersey Turnpike."

"You guys are the best." I raise my beer.

"So, I don't have a car?" Gennie pales.

"I'll get you a car, sweetheart. Don't you worry about that. We didn't want a trail that could lead back to you, to here."

"Do you think he knows where I am?"

"No," Brock declares. You can rest easy. But we know where he is. And we have eyes on him at all times. All we need is a little more time, and we're going to have a rock-solid case to hand to the Boston District Attorney. He's not going to get away with a thing, Gennie. Not one thing."

"I don't know."

Her voice is so quiet and soft that it guts me. "You are safe, Gennie. I guarantee you that."

Mitch nods. "Doll, if you're in Archer's orbit, you're safe. No one will get to you. Not only do you have The Wall protecting you, but you also have us and all of Whiskey Creek. We're family. We've got your back."

Gennie cracks a smile. "The Wall?"

"Yeah," Mitch grins. "Your boyfriend didn't tell you his nickname?"

"No." She bites on her bottom lip. "But it does fit. He is a pretty big guy."

I breathe a sigh of relief as I listen to her banter back and forth with Mitch and Brock. I was worried I might have to tie her to me for a while to prevent her from running. But as I watch the color come into her cheeks, the light hits her twinkling green eyes, and I hear the sound of her laughter, I think she's going to stay.

And that's a gift.

Now, I just have to figure out how to reach Donny Mason without her knowing. We are going to meet, and he is going to do right by her.

I'm going to see to that.