Anson could feel his blood boiling. Hudson was moving through traffic expertly weaving between cars. There were three shots that he heard, two of them pinging off the metal of the vehicle. Another made a thumping noise and Anson knew they either were aiming at the tires or got off a lucky shot. The tires were puncture-proof along with the windows. The body panels were reinforced. They could roll over a small bomb and come out alive.

It wasn’t that his mate wasn’t safe, it was the rage that someone thought to try to pull this shit when he was there. That was fucking insulting.

“Goddamn it, Hudson, who is it?”

“I see a black truck that’s trying to keep up. He’s weaved a few times, that’s not normal driving behavior.”

Anson pulled out his phone and called 911. As it rang, he pushed Piper down onto the floorboard and she gave him a glare and tried slapping at him. He deflected the blows and ignored her.

“Yes, my name is Anson of Clan Fehu, I work for King Security. I’m traveling down Fifth heading north. A black truck took three shots at us. At least two made contact. The vehicle is still following us. We’re in a black Denali license plate alpha five seven kilo zero three. We’ll be continuing to head north then head up Olive until we hit I-5 then we’ll be turning south. Yes, I’ll stay on.”

Anson looked down at Piper, expecting her to look terrified. Instead, she was looking up at him, searching out his eyes. When he gave them to her, she smiled. She fucking smiled at him during a shootout and car chase.

“Maybe not so normal of a day, huh?” she asked.

Shaking his head he tried to give her a serious look.

“Don’t worry, honey, I’m fine,” she said like she was trying to comfort him.

“Are you kidding?”

She gave a shrug. “Are you going to let anything happen to me?”

“No, of course not!”

“Then this is just a new way to ride in a car.”

“For fuck’s sake,” he growled. “Yes? I understand. Can you have someone meet us at KSI? Yes, that’s the address.”

Anson hung up and spoke to Hudson. “He peeled off, they’re pursuing.”

“Gotcha.”

“Can I get up now?”

Anson looked down at Piper and shook his head. “I’d prefer you didn’t.”

“Well, I’d prefer going to work. I don’t want to go back to your workplace. I have my own, remember?”

“Babe…”

“Don’t you ‘babe’ me, Anson. I have a job to do. You are not plopping me in that room just so you can keep an eye on me. Eden is at the office, she can watch me.”

“And what am I supposed to do?”

“Take the car for a wash?”

Hudson started laughing in the front seat. “I like her.”

“Shut up, Hudson.”

“I like you too, Hudson.”

“Don’t talk to him, you’re my mate.”

Piper put her hand on his face. “I am, and your mate is saying ‘take me to work.’”

Anson let out a low growl, his eyes flashing yellow and his teeth elongating slightly and pushing out over his lip.

“Don’t you bare your teeth at me. I want to go to work. If you want to sit outside the building, that’s fine. Just let me get my work done, okay?”

Looking her deeply in the eyes, he saw her absolute trust and it shook him. She wasn’t afraid. She should be, someone just shot at her. The slim chance they were aiming at him or Hudson didn’t factor. Piper was a different person from the woman that had screamed at him in the KSI office. She’d been a different woman from the moment he’d kissed her. She was Kindred through and through now.

“I’m not leaving you alone in that building. I don’t care if I have to sit in the lobby.”

“Fine, I’m going to be late. Hudson, step on it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Don’t boss him around,” Anson said.

“Don’t boss me around,” she replied.

“Never gonna happen,” he said placing a kiss on her lips. That thrill shot through him like it always did. He settled her back on the seat and kept his big body around her as best as he could.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, Piper staring out the window like she was on a Sunday drive and Anson looking at every possible threat on every street corner. Arriving at her office, both men got out and formed a Piper sandwich getting her into the building. She was deposited in her office with Eden following the two men in and shutting the door behind them.

“Something I need to know?” Eden asked, crossing her arms and looking very annoyed that she’d been left out of something.

“Someone took a shot at the car this morning,” Hudson filled her in.

“No shit? You okay, honey?” Eden asked Piper.

“I’m fine. It was very dramatic. Hudson is a good driver.”

Both Anson and Eden snorted at the same time.

“Right, you’re staying here. I’m in the lobby and Eden’s out front. Hudson will meet the cops back at KSI and keep us updated. You don’t leave this room for anything, understand?”

“What if I have to pee?”

“Excuse me?”

“What… if… I… have… to… pee?” Piper enunciated.

Eden hid a smile while Hudson didn’t even try. Anson dropped his head back and looked up to the heavens for the briefest moment. Offering up a plea to the Great Mother that his mate was taking her safety seriously.

“Take Eden with you, and then come back here,” he replied.

“Don’t you think you should check with Eden if she wants to join me in the bathroom?”

“Nuh-uh, don’t drag me into this,” Eden said with a snicker.

Anson leaned over Piper, who was sitting in her desk chair. He placed both hands on the armrests and got very, very close to her.

“You need to take this seriously, mate. This morning wasn’t a joke. This could be over in the next few hours. Let’s not screw up now. And if you do anything stupid, I’ll take you over my knee and make you wish you had listened to me.”

Anson watched Piper’s eyes get soft and sexy, his cock responded the opposite, getting hard and thick. “You make it too easy for me to get what I want,” she said quietly, her voice better meant for the bedroom than her office with his two teammates in the room.

“Minx, get some work done. I can’t promise I won’t be pulling you out early today.” He placed a hard kiss on her mouth before stalking out with Hudson trailing after him.

Eden sat on the edge of Piper’s desk and whistled. “Damn, you have him wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?”

“Do I?” she replied, her eyes glittering with humor.