Piper had started to get nervous around four o’clock. She knew she was going to have an escort home and it seemed weird.

After her meeting with King and the sinfully handsome Anson, she’d returned to work and looked through the list of people that could be her potential stalker. She’d started the list during college, but it hadn’t gotten much bigger over the years. Some of the names on the list seemed to be a stretch, just people that she’d had minor incidents with. No fights, or threats, just people she didn’t get along with.

Anytime the police had asked in the past, she’d said there wasn’t anyone in her life she didn’t get along with, but that really wasn’t true.

Everyone had people they didn’t mesh well with. You just didn’t think that those people would send you a fucking heart in a box.

Piper shuddered at the thought. She’d installed an aromatherapy mister to try to kill the imaginary smell that was still lingering in her office. She asked everyone that came in if they smelled anything until she realized just how rude and off-putting that question was.

Looking at her list, she almost laughed out loud. She’d gone all the way back to middle school when she had gotten into a lunchtime pushing match with Jennifer Hagey over a rumor that Tyler Summer had asked her to the spring dance. She didn’t even remember what Jennifer looked like anymore.

There was also the frat guy she’d turned down and he’d called her the C-word in front of a packed party. That one was a stretch because he hadn’t known her real name.

She included the mailman that she’d argued with about wet mail. The landlord that had looked at her in a creepy way in her first apartment… Now that she was looking at it properly, her list was rather pathetic. It was sad to lay out all the people you’ve had unfortunate contact with over the course of your life and try to figure out who’d sent animal parts through the mail.

Would these people actually invest this much time to torment her? To call her endlessly, track her down after every move, every number change, and make her live on the edge for so long was a big commitment, and no one on the list seemed like they’d bother.

“Ms. Armstrong?”

Piper looked up to see her assistant. “Yes?”

“Here’s your mail. Your five o’clock canceled and wanted to reschedule for next week.”

Piper looked down at her paper desk calendar. She had openings next week so she just nodded. Her assistant kept her digital calendar up-to-date and synced to all her devices, but Piper still liked the tactile memory builder of writing it down.

She had nothing left on her schedule for the day. Should she call her new security firm and tell them she could leave early? Or would that mess up their plans?

“Thank you, Libby. As soon as it’s five, head home before anyone stops you and asks you where I am.”

“I will, have a good night.”

Piper nodded and looked through her stack of mail. There were the usual items and a half-ton of junk mail which she immediately recycled.

Then there were some invitations. There was something about the creeping holiday season that made companies want to start throwing parties. Looking over two invitations to Halloween costume parties, she slapped sticky notes on them for Libby to decline.

Piper was not the type to dress up and look stupid. It wasn’t professional and she didn’t want anyone to think she didn’t take her job seriously.

She ripped open a manila envelope absently with her silver letter opener and reached in to pull out what she assumed were papers.

Looking down expecting to see a stack of contracts, she froze when she saw her own face looking up at her. It was something she had to repeat in her own mind a few times to sink in. It wasn’t a picture of her from high school, or college, not even from a few years ago. It was a photo from today and she was walking into the building that held King Security.

He’d followed her.

On the bottom of the photo was written in red ink: WRONG MOVE BITCH!

Dropping the picture as if it was on fire, she pushed her chair back from the desk. Her hands were shaking. She put them in her lap and forced herself to start taking deep, slow breaths.

Of all the things over the years, this was the most violating. She had fooled herself into thinking that the letters and flowers were from someone that lived on the other side of the country. Far away and far from her. It was the only way she could sleep at night.

This person had been feet from her, or maybe yards with the right camera. It validated her feeling that someone was watching her. The feeling that someone was behind her and breathing down her neck all the time.

Reaching for her cell phone, she ignored her trembling fingers as she hit the speed dial King had made her set up on her phone before he put her in the cab.

It rang in to the main number of KSI. King had told her that she could call at any hour of the day and get a voice on the line. After-hours the phone was directed to an on-call service and all the staff programmed current clients into their phones so they would pick up.

The phone rang once and the receptionist answered so formally she almost forgot why she was calling.

“Can I help you?” she repeated.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I need to speak to…” she paused. Who did she ask for? King was who she’d met with, but he said Anson was handling her case.

Deciding to let Nadia decide she skipped to who she was. “This is Piper Armstrong. I met King today? I need to speak to someone about picking me up.”

“I see you are scheduled for a six o’clock pick-up. Our team will be at least ten minutes early and waiting for you in the lobby of your building.”

“Yeah, I mean yes, that was the plan. It’s just… I’m off early today,” she tried to sound casual and it came out scared and chipper at the same time.

There was silence on the phone for a moment. “I can inform Anson that you are ready, or would you like to talk to him?”

“No! I mean, no, if he could just come early. I’m ready to go home.” Piper couldn’t stop her eyes from welling up as she said that. She needed to go home. ‘No crying in the office’ was one of her top rules. You did not show emotion in the office unless it was completely unavoidable, and even then only if it was anger or disappointment.

“He’ll be there as soon as he can and will text you when he’s there. Please don’t leave your office until you receive the text. Absolutely no waiting on street corners. We’ve already had one of those incidents this year.”

Piper wasn’t about to ask what that incident was. It couldn’t have been good if it was being called an ‘incident.’ “T-Thank you,” she managed and cringed that she’d stuttered a bit.

“Have a good evening, Ms. Armstrong.”

The line went dead and Piper resisted the urge to pull her feet up to the seat of her chair and assume the fetal position. Her office had a bank of windows that looked out to the main room. There was no way she was going to be giving anything away to the piranhas snapping at her heels. It wasn’t a kind thought but it was true. In the corporate world everyone wanted to get ahead, and they would gnaw their way to the top if they had to.

Her phone rang, breaking her out of her thoughts. She grabbed it and saw KSI’s ID flash across the screen. She expected to hear the receptionist’s voice when she answered.

“Piper? Is there a problem?”

It was Anson, that deep voice apparently as effective over the phone as it was in person.

“Problem? I just got off work early.” Even to her own ears that sounded fake.

“No, your voice is telling me that isn’t all of it. If you don’t tell us, we can’t help you. Why did you call?”

Piper had to release the stranglehold she’d had on this topic if she wanted to get to the bottom of the problem. It didn’t mean she didn’t have to do a finger by finger pull to open her mouth and tell Anson what was in front of her.

“I got a picture.”

“Of?”

“Myself.”

“From when?” His questions were curt and flat. It helped her to answer him.

“Today, walking into your building. There’s something written on it.”

“What does it say?”

Piper cringed as she read the words aloud. “It says: wrong move bitch.”

“Do not leave your office. Do you understand? I will be there in less than six minutes. I want you to lock your office door. I will come up to get you.”

“Anson, it’s not that big a deal. I…”

“Piper, you think your life is not a big deal? What does this person have to do to get your attention?”

“I know, I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry, be smart. You hired us to keep you safe. Let me do my job. I’ll be there in four minutes now. Lock your door.”

The phone clicked dead and Piper set the phone down. She hesitated thinking that locking her door during the day in an office full of people seemed like overkill. Then again, what would Anson say to her if it wasn’t locked when he arrived? She didn’t need a scene. It would be enough to have the giant man in her office building as it was.

She secured the door then returned to her seat. She stuffed the picture back into the envelope and pushed it to the edge of the desk so it wasn’t in her direct line of sight.

Staring blankly at her computer screen in front of her, she waited for what seemed like an eternity. Anson had said four minutes, but how could he possibly make it in that time? She glanced down at the time on her screen. It had been four minutes. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing up to look at the direction in which he’d be coming.

The cubicles in the middle of the room were all occupied by people going through their normal, quiet movements for the end of the day. A lone person walked by occasionally. The muffled sound of a phone ringing would break the soft murmur of voices.

Her eyes shot back down to check the time on the computer again. Her heart was racing and she wasn’t sure if it was from leftover fear, or anticipation. She looked up and trained her eyes on the hallway that led from reception, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Anson was standing at the end, his dark hair slicked back. His eyes were focused and scanning the room. She held her breath until his gaze hit hers from across the distance.

Her eyes widened and her heart picked up speed as he headed straight towards her and she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Heads started popping up from the cubicles. Mostly the women, and a few men, gawked at the intimidating hot guy dressed all in black marching towards her office.

Piper stood and forced herself to walk slowly to her door. She knew he was already there and before she could reach for the handle, she saw it jerk as he tried it. Hastily she unlocked it and pulled it open.

“It better have been locked,” he warned in a gravelly voice.

He took a cursory look at her and then glanced around her office quickly before going to the desk and picking up the envelope that was dangling precariously at the edge.

Anson pulled out the picture and a low rumbling growl rolled through her office. She could feel the vibrations through her body and it settled in her belly. She couldn’t help taking an instinctive step back from him.

His eyes shot to her and she saw the beauty of them reflecting metallic silver at her before returning to normal.

“I’m sorry. This photo means that he was on you today. Which tells me that he’s usually on you.”

“He?”

Anson dropped the picture on the desk. “It could be a woman. But this level of stalking, with the gifts especially, signifies a man.”

“So it’s not Brenda Moss from middle school who’s still mad because I stole her boyfriend. Even though he was never her boyfriend. She tried to call dibs on him, but you can’t call dibs on a person, right?” She stopped herself when she realized that she was babbling.

“It means that he is not only obsessed with you but that he wants you for his own. He’s not going to let you have a life that doesn’t include him. Even if he has to force his way into that life.”

Piper wrapped her arms around herself. She wanted to keep herself from giving in to the shakes that her body was trying to dissolve into. It was taking everything she had not to burst into tears. That could wait until later. When she was alone. Not in front of the hot bodyguard.

“I really want to go home.”

“I’ll take you. I want to assess your security. If I’m not assured that you can be left alone, I’ll sleep in my vehicle to make sure you are safe.”

“Anson, that’s not necessary. I have good locks and alarms on all the windows. Nobody is getting in without me knowing.”

“And then what?”

“Excuse me?”

“Then what? What do you do when your alarm goes off? You wake to the sounds of glass breaking, then what?”

“I’ll call 911.”

“If they don’t get there in time?”

“In time?”

Piper had to press against the back of her chair as Anson leaned in and got in her space. “What if in the nine minutes it could take for a unit to respond, someone manages to assault or kill you? What good is your security system if that happens? Do you know how long nine minutes is? What kind of horrors can happen in that short amount of time? This is not to be taken lightly. For fuck’s sake, this is your life!” he roared at her.

That was all it took. He’d yelled at her and she was too shaken to keep her shit together. Piper Armstrong burst into tears in her office for the first time in her career.

Big, ugly, hiccupping sobs.

If everything wasn’t completely fucked up, she would have found the look of terror on Anson’s face amusing. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was crying or because he usually didn’t have to deal with any type of emotionally fragile females.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” she wailed. She knew she was loud enough that the bullpen outside could hear her. It was too late to salvage. She would have to tell anyone that asked that her aunt died or some other reasonable excuse for her behavior besides the sexy man yelling at her.

“Fuck,” Anson growled and pulled her from her seat to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. Piper buried her wet face and snotty nose into his chest. Her fist gripped into his shirt and she clung to him. He smelled good and was strong. His strength wasn’t just in the muscles under her hands, it was his height and honestly just the fact that he pulled a client into his arms and hugged her in the middle of her office with everyone staring. She wouldn’t have been surprised if she found an extra line item on her bill.

“I’m sorry,” he said it as though he was searching for the words.

“It’s not your fault. I should be stronger than this.”

“Fuck that! You’ve been strong for years. This asshole is fucking with your mind and he’s been living rent-free in your head for way too long. He doesn’t get to do that. You decide who is in your life and he is not going to manipulate his way into it.”

Piper liked that. She did think about this mystery person too much. She always had it in the back of her mind that she had to be on guard on some level at all times. Even at home she couldn’t let go of the worry.

“How am I going to walk out there? I’m guessing that everyone heard me crying,” she said, still sniffling into his shirt. She didn’t want to look up at him. She’d be embarrassed, or more embarrassed, if he saw her red nose and probably smudged makeup. Piper hadn’t planned on waterproof mascara for the day.

“So what? Don’t tell them anything. Be mysterious.”

“They’d see right through that. I’m the boss to most of them. They’ll just think I’m a bitch.”

“I doubt that. Give yourself some credit.”

“What the hell am I going to do? I can’t keep running from this asshole. I like my house. I don’t want to move again.”

“We’re handling this shit. We’ll do everything we can to end this as soon as possible.”

“But why, wouldn’t it be better for your business to keep me as a client for the long run?” She stepped back from the big man. It didn’t make sense for them to help her solve her problem, just manage it. It was how banks worked. You got a client, you kept it. You made them dependent on your knowledge and your ability to manage large portfolios with multiple investments. You wanted them from birth to death, as the saying went.

“We have plenty of clients that because of the nature of their business they will always need security services. You have a problem that should not, and will not, continue. I don’t know how much you know about the Kindred, but we don’t tolerate anyone hurting or controlling someone because of fear. It’s not in our nature to ignore that.”

Piper had wondered what it would be like to have a Kindred as a mate. She didn’t personally know anyone who did. From what she saw on TV or read in the tabloids, they tended to be absorbed into their partner’s Clan in a good way. Regardless, her family was amazing. She wasn’t hurting for supportive back-up and love from her parents, siblings, and extended family, but there was something special about the Kindred bond.

“I won’t lie, I’m tired of this. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder. That,” she said pointing to the envelope, “proves that I have to look over my shoulder all the time.”

“No, we’re going to do that for you.”

Taking a deep breath, Piper adjusted her gray suit, smoothing the front of it. Straightening her spine, she reached for her purse that she kept in her desk. Her compact was in the outside pocket. She turned away from the windows and checked her makeup. No giant raccoon circles and her eyes weren’t too red. Her crying had been short and fierce but not too damaging to her appearance.

Piper looked past herself in the mirror and caught Anson watching her. She couldn’t say that she was uncomfortable with Anson being her bodyguard. That title still made her twitch a little when she thought of what kind of people had bodyguards. He was handsome and hit everything on the list of things she looked for in a man, not to mention all the things that would get her hot.

Maybe having different employees work with her wouldn’t make her feel as self-conscious as Anson did.

Snapping her compact closed, she turned to face him. “Let’s get out of here so they can start talking about me behind my back.”

“You think they would do that?”

“I would if I was sitting out there and what just happened here had played out in front of me. I’m sure your job is much more action-packed. Around here it’s all numbers. When something happens that doesn’t involve numbers, it’s all over the office in minutes.”

Anson made a grunting noise that she interpreted as an acknowledgment of what she said but possibly not an understanding.

“I walk out first, you stay behind me. I open all the doors, you proceed through the doorway, continue walking and I will reposition us as needed. Your job when we get to the car parked outside is to sit your ass down so I can secure the area.”

“Wow, rude much?”

“No, not rude, efficient. I need you to follow instructions. They aren’t because I’m being rude. I’m doing it because it’s the best way for me to know where you are at all times.”

“Shit, sorry. I’m used to being the one giving orders. I’m honestly not used to taking direction except from my boss and I think he’s even afraid of me.”

“Well, in your field you know your job and people respect you. I can say the same for my field. Trust me to know what I’m doing.”

“I do, really. I won’t second-guess you.”

“Won’t you?”

Piper paused on her way to the door. She thought for a moment then gave him a shrug. “Probably, but I’ll try not to.”

That earned her another grunt. The laid-back attitude she’d seen earlier in the day was clearly not the same as when he was working. It was easy to misjudge him based on his appearance. He looked more bro than badass. Except when he went in to badass mode, then everything about him changed. He was hotter, if that was possible.

Piper couldn’t even let her mind slip over into that thinking. Kindred were too perceptive to their environment and those around them. She didn’t need any more embarrassment after wiping her nose on his shirt.

“Lead the way.”

Anson gave her an up and down and she followed his gaze going down to her pumps and back up to his eyes.

“Can you walk in those without falling over?”

“Excuse me, I can walk in any heel. Hell, I could jog in these.”

Grunt.

Piper pursed her lips at him. That grunt was not a method of communicating properly.

“Let’s move.”

Piper resisted the urge to salute Mr. Bossypants.