Her eyes dilated with her arousal, but she laughed it off. “Don’t go getting a big head about it.”
He laughed with her, swinging his arm on the back of the couch, behind her. “I’ll try not to, but tell me, why a PI? Did you know Luke personally?”
She hesitated, like she questioned telling him the truth. Then her eyes went distant. “My father was a real scumbag. He beat the crap out of my mom for as long as I can remember, until one day he killed her.”
“Jesus, Elise,” Archer said, straightening in his seat. Whatever he thought she’d say, it certainly wasn’t that. “Were you there when that happened?”
She gave a slight nod. “My mom hid me under the bed and told my father she’d told me to run. That obviously infuriated him. The bullets came after that.”
Sickness rolled through him. “Was he arrested?”
“Nope,” she said, with very little emotion. “He blew his brains out after calling in the murder.”
Archer grabbed her thigh and was glad she let him. “Did you see that too?”
She went so very still, staring down at his hand on her thigh, and gave a small nod.
He became transfixed by the agony rippling across her features. “How old were you?”
“Six,” she answered softly, finally meeting his gaze.
He noted a darkness there, deep pain. “Fuck, Elise,” he said, his emotions in his throat. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“Thanks,” she said, with a slight shrug, brushing it off like what she said hadn’t stopped the world from moving for a moment. “Luckily,” she continued, her voice a little lighter now. “I was very little, and it’s an amazing thing what the brain does with trauma. It puts it all in a box and files it away, letting a person move on.”
He couldn’t look away from her, and suddenly, Rhys’ warning about being considerate, that maybe Elise isn’t all strength and claws, made sense. Her past made Archer reassess her. To be so strong in the face of what she’d gone through, to help others to keep it from happening again…damn, she amazed him. “So, that’s why you became a PI?”
“Exactly. I got into this to hunt scumbags before it ever gets bad enough that anyone gets hurt.” She gave another little shrug. “I do a lot of pro bono work for the police, finding abusive husbands on the run.”
“They’re lucky to have your help.”
Her gaze hit his again, and for the briefest moment, he saw softness he’d never seen before. It stole the air from his lungs. “I do what I can, so I can make sure what happened to my mom never happens again.”
He nodded his response, not sure whatever he said would be the right thing. His first impression of Elise had always been that she was a smart, tough woman. But suddenly, his view shattered under her admission. She’d overcome so much, only making him want to know more. “Who raised you after your mother died?”
She gave a warm smile. “My aunt on my mom’s side and my uncle. Both are grade-school teachers.” She drew in a deep breath and shook her arms, obviously wanting to shake off the emotion. When she spoke again, she looked like the typical powerful Elise. “While the beginning of my life was rocky, after they took me in, they gave me stability and love.” She jumped up, went over to the kitchen. “Hungry?”
“Always, can I help?”
“I’ve got it.” She grabbed grapes out of the fridge and washed them. “All right, you got something from me. How about you—why did you leave the military?”
At that, he froze. “Shouldn’t you know this about me too? I have no doubt you dug into my life in retribution for digging into yours.”
She laughed softly. “Sure, I considered it, but I didn’t.” She blotted the grapes dry with paper towels. “I have rules where it comes that too. Zoey told me about your military past.”
He liked that they had that in common. “It wasn’t one specific thing that had me retiring. It was a handful of things. It’s a tough job, hard, relentless, disciplined, and it was almost an addiction. You trained and pushed harder to become stronger and better. I thrived on having a mission to carry out. But it takes a toll. One bad gunshot wound, hundreds of combat-related injuries, and your body eventually says no.”
“That’s the shot on your shoulder?”
He nodded. “Yeah.” He stretched out his fingers, feeling the arthritis deep in his bones. “I thought I’d leave the military in a pine box, but when you’re done, you’re done. I couldn’t have passed the testing again.”
She grabbed a bag of almonds from the cabinet and poured some into a bowl. “That must have been a hard pill to swallow.”
“It was. Took some adjustment to return to civilian life.”
“So Rhys hired you as head of security for Phoenix?” she asked, returning to him with the two bowls and setting them on the coffee table.
“That’s right. Rhys and I have been good friends for a long time now. He needed security, and I needed a job.” He grabbed some grapes from the vines. “It’s frustrating how hard it’s been to do right by him and that job.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Elise said, reaching for a handful of almonds. “The game is changing. The tech that’s out there now is crazy. You just need a Penny. She’ll get everything up to her standards at Phoenix.”
“I appreciate it,” he said, and he meant it. He ate a couple grapes, then asked, “All right, what’s the plan now?”
“We’ll give Penny til’ the morning. She’ll have something to move us in the right direction.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Archer watched her eat the almonds, one by one, something shifting inside him. He’d brought Elise into this because he knew she was the best. Now, knowing the why that drove her changed things. Changed the way he saw her. Yeah, she liked to battle against him, strong and independent. But that’s exactly what helped her survive.
She snorted a laugh and grabbed some grapes. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
He blinked, finding her watching him, eyes narrowed. “You’re an amazing woman, Elise Fanning.”
Her eyes widened, mouth falling open, then promptly shut.
The front door opened, and Hazel walked in, froze, then glanced between them.
Elise broke eye contact with Archer and said to Hazel, “Hey, don’t look so surprised. You’re the one who let him in here.”
Hazel grinned, dark bags under her eyes. “Well, since he’s not dead and I don’t have to help you bury his body somewhere, I’m going to bed.” She yawned and headed past them to her bedroom.
Elise popped the last grape into her mouth and rose. “It’s late.” She gave him a quick look, her emotions locked up tight. “Are you sure you’re good here on the couch?”
“I’ve slept on the desert floor. This is good.” He grabbed the small square pillow and placed it behind his head, wondering if he’d crossed a line Elise didn’t want crossed. “Good night, Elise.”
But the sweet smile she gave him told him she liked his company. “Good night, Archer.” She hit the light on her way out of the living room.