Piper laid on the couch in her living room. She was under a mound of blankets as the television flickered with The Bachelorette. She’d been re-watching old seasons to make herself fall asleep. Her nightmares were more than she could bear lately. It was why she hadn’t slept in her bed in weeks.

Before he left, Anson had gone around the room, reaching up and adjusting her motion detectors by hand. She marveled at his reach. He was so tall he didn’t need any assistance to move them around. He’d waited outside the door as she turned the deadbolt, snapped the bottom lock and set the alarm. She knew his hearing could easily pick up on all of it, and that he’d probably growl at her again if she didn’t do it right.

She’d walked back to the living room and watched him stride down her sidewalk back to his car. His lights pulled out and she drew the curtains. They were heavy and blocked out the light in the room. She made herself a microwave dinner, and then poked at it with a fork because it had to be the least appealing thing she could have possibly chosen, before settling for a pint of ice cream.

Snuggling under her pile of covers made her feel safer. Sleeping or attempting to sleep upstairs made her mind play tricks on her. She would imagine hearing glass break and then held her breath as she waited for the alarm to sound. It never would, but then she would imagine how the attacker had gotten into the house without tripping the alarm. Her mind conjured footsteps creaking on her stairs. She couldn’t stand the thought of being trapped in her room with no way to escape. The fall from her bedroom window wouldn’t kill her, but it would damn well hurt.

Her messed up sleeping patterns had started to get to her at work, and finally she’d given up on her bedroom and had been sleeping downstairs. It was a battle to see how long she could stay awake before sheer exhaustion would take over. The few hours of sleep she was able to get each night were just enough to function, but not enough to really rest. Her job was too important to her to take a vacation or a leave of absence. She’d worked too hard to gain the trust of her clients. She wouldn’t leave them in the lurch because of her emotional baggage.

Checking the time, she picked up her cell phone and dialed her sister.

“Sup,” her sister, Rose, answered.

“Not much,” Piper sighed.

“Whatcha watching?”

“Bachelorette.”

“What season?”

“Two.”

“Good lord, why?”

“I’m binge-watching from the beginning. I like to dissect the nuances of the evil ones from the goody-two-shoes to see if they’re acting or are really that mean or gullible.”

“Sounds liked a valuable use of your time.”

“What are you doing?”

“Grading papers.”

“And how’s that going?”

“I weep for our future. Hey, you sound off. Something wrong?”

Piper had been debating whether or not to tell her sister about what was going on. She’d kept everything so well hidden for so long that she hadn’t even told her best friend. Anson wasn’t that hard to read. She knew that if she didn’t tell her family so they could be on alert too, he would. She was sure he’d be able to get numbers and addresses. A video chat with her parents and Anson in the background sipping tea was a viable future horror show.

“I need to tell you something.”

“You found a new guy?”

“Hah, more like six or maybe seven, I’m not sure.”

“What the hell? What did I tell you about adopting an entire litter of puppies? That is a horrible idea.”

“No, no puppies. Do you remember those letters I got in college?”

There was silence for a moment. “You mean the love letters and flowers? Wasn’t that just some guy that was trying to woo you?”

“That’s what I thought for a long time. But it never really stopped.”

“What do you mean it didn’t stop? The flowers and letters?”

“That and other things.”

“Piper Magnolia Armstrong, what other things?”

Piper almost laughed. Rose was only two years older than her, but sometimes she sounded just like their mother.

“The letters got meaner, then they’d be nice again. There were phone calls... hang-ups and stuff. There were a few incidents. My apartment was broken into. I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it. But the tires on my car were slashed. Recently it’s gotten a little more…”

“More what?”

“Everything,” she said, her voice cracking.

“Piper, honey, what?” Shit. Piper could already hear the worry in her sister’s voice.

“He-he sent me a heart,” she said, her voice gasping as a sob got stuck in her throat.

“A heart? Please tell me it was a nice paperweight?”

“No, a real one. A pig heart. The police checked.”

There was another silence.

“Some asshole sent you a motherfucking heart! What kind of sick bastard is this? Do you know who he is?”

“If I knew I could get it to stop. He’s also sent photos of me. He’s watching me, Rose.”

“Are the police at least doing something?”

“You can’t arrest a ghost. They can’t track down some guy that sends me shit that creeps me out. I can’t get a restraining order because I don’t know who it is. They suggested I hire security.”

“Security? Like a bodyguard?”

“Yes. I have the money. It’s not like I have a lot of expenses. I save almost everything I make. I felt like I didn’t have a choice.”

“Do you trust this company?”

“It’s the best Kindred bodyguards money can buy in this town.”

“Kindred… bodyguards… Holy shit, Piper, they’re bears.”

Leave it to her sister to go straight there. “Yes, as far as I know, they’re all bears. I’ve only met a few so far.”

“Sorry, but are they hot? Don’t get me wrong, I’m still totally pissed at you for keeping this from me. So that means you also kept it from mom and dad. But you know, I like me some Kindred.”

“Yes, so far, again, the ones I’ve met. I’m meeting more tomorrow morning.”

“Baby sister, what can I do for you? You know I’ll kick some ass if I need to.”

“I know you will. Right now I need you to let me tell mom and dad. I don’t want Anson doing it for me.”

“Anson? That sounds promising.”

“No, that sounds like trouble. He’s bossy and kinda rude.”

“Sounds hot.”

“It’s not hot, it’s annoying!”

“Uh-huh, hot. So, are they really taking care of you or just taking your money?”

“I’m being chauffeured to and from work. Anson is coming back tomorrow because my house isn’t secure enough. Actually, I’m not sure, but he may be still outside in the parking lot. I’m afraid to look.”

“Dude, go look and offer him a midnight snack.”

“I think my bad luck with men has soured me to even looking anymore.”

“Don’t say that, Pipermint. There is a mans out there for you.”

“I don’t need a mans... or a man for that matter. I do fine on my own.”

“I can’t tell you what to do. You’ve had more broken hearts than anyone deserves. But don’t close yourself off to love. I’m just putting it out to the universe that maybe one of these bodyguards might be the real one for you.”

“Yes, I’ve been a jilted bride twice because the universe wants me to mate a Kindred. That has to be the biggest cosmic joke I’ve ever heard.”

“You are not a joke. You’re awesome and these guys better take good care of you or I’m going to drive over and lay it down.”

“Please tell me you don’t talk to your students like that.”

“Hey, I’m hip! But really, be safe. Do what these guys say. They probably can’t stay in business if they’re shitty at protecting people. Nobody would leave a Yelp review.”

“Har-har. Sorry I didn’t tell you before, it was just…”

“I know, SuperPiper can handle it all.”

“I really thought I could,” she admitted.

“You can, and now you have a crack team at your back to help you out. I expect daily updates now or I’m going to think horrible things have happened.”

“I will message multiple times with breathing updates.”

“You better.”

“Love you, sis.”

“You too, Pipermint.”

Piper hung up the phone and clutched it to her chest. Reaching for the blankets, she pulled them up over her head and waited until the morning.

* * *

A pounding on her door jerked Piper out of an uneasy sleep. She jumped up, terrified. Light coming in through the back windows which meant it was morning. Looking at her phone, she saw she had gotten almost four solid hours of sleep and her alarm was just about to go off.

The banging was insistent so she went to the door and stood on her tiptoes to peek through the peephole. There standing in the morning light was Anson. Canceling the alarm, she unlocked the door and swung it open as she ran her fingers through her hair, sure she had to resemble a hedgehog after how she had slept.

“Good morning,” he said in that low rumbling voice that seemed to travel to parts of her body that were asleep just moments ago.

“What on earth are you doing here? And why are you pounding on my door so early?”

“I need to secure your windows. I wanted it done before you left for work. I also brought a brace for your patio door, your garage door, and another deadbolt.”

“We aren’t allowed to make changes to the units.”

“I’ve already had a discussion with the property manager through the owner of the complex. It’s fine.”

“You…” she didn’t even know where to start. She’d only managed a horrible evening of sleep and Anson had managed to not only secure permission for the upgrades he wanted to make, but he’d also acquired the items needed to get the work done.

“I’m going to get started while you get ready for work.”

“But…” She wasn’t sure what she was objecting to, her brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders yet.

Anson pushed past her and walked into the kitchen area.

“Close the door and lock it, Piper.”

Piper moved to do what he asked. Not because he asked, he told, but she would have had to close the door anyway. So it wasn’t like she was letting him boss her around. That was a sad rationalization, even in her own mind.

Shaking her head, she walked towards the stairs. She’d just set her foot on the bottom stair when she heard, “Nice pajamas by the way.”

Piper looked down to her matching sushi jammies and froze. She was wearing food-related sleepwear in front of the hot bodyguard. That didn’t project the kind of professional appearance she wanted to keep with her newly hired security staff. She wasn’t even sure that it was normal for her to allow someone like Anson into her space like she was.

Piper hurried up the stairs to shower and change. She could hear Anson making noise throughout the house. There was no reason for her to think he would intrude on her bathroom. She hurried anyway, drying her hair and pushing product through it to spike it up. Wrapped tightly in her fuzzy robe, Piper grabbed the things she needed from her dresser and locked herself into her walk-in closet.

She dressed in record time. Slipping on a pair of heels, she smoothed the front of her suit jacket and skirt. Today was a dark navy suit with that was tucked at all the right points along with silver earrings that she’d bought when she’d come home from Greece and a matching silver cuff bracelet her sister had given her. The full-length mirror she kept in there showed her usual self. Maybe with slightly darker circles under her eyes. But to anyone that didn’t know, she looked like a confident woman who was in charge of her life and her career.

Needing coffee desperately, she went downstairs and called out to Anson.

“Anson?”

There was no response.

“Hellooo,” she tried again.

The house was quiet. Maybe he was hanging out in the car waiting for her. That seemed like a much more normal thing to do then busting in on her before breakfast. She headed to the kitchen realizing for the hundredth time that she’d never bothered to decorate it. That happened after her last apartment downtown. There was no way she could know if she would have to move again to get a break. This condo was rented on a month-to-month basis. She couldn’t even be bothered to sign a lease at this point.

Granted, this home had also come from needing a place to live after she came back from her second non-wedding. She had already moved her things into Darius’s home in Bellevue, and after Darius’ sister Meg helped her move her things back out, she hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to do much of anything. Piper had made herself numb at that point. There were practical things that needed to be handled before she could break down. And she did, as much as she was able to.

Piper poured herself a cup of coffee and then grabbed a travel mug and poured another for Anson in case he needed it. She turned to leave the kitchen and froze in place. Her scream startled not only herself but probably her neighbors as well. Anson was standing not even a foot behind her and she hadn’t heard him open a door, rattle a handle, or sneak up on her.

“What the hell! Why are you sneaking up on me?” she screeched.

“I don’t sneak.”

“The hell you don’t, what do you call this?” she said pointing to him.

“I came in through the garage door, walked in here, and stood while you poured coffee. Bears don’t sneak.”

“I… seriously?”

“What?”

“Bears don’t sneak. That’s your answer?”

Anson stared at her. “We leaving?”

Piper wasn’t sure if she was mad at him or annoyed she was so lost in thought that she missed him coming into her house. She had too many other worries to not be on guard at all times.

“Yes.”

“Good, we’re meeting Luca and Hudson at D or D at seven.”

“Anything I need to know?”

Piper started following Anson as he marched through her house and out the front door.

“Luca can be…intimidating.” Anson stood behind her as she locked the door. Anson reached past her and checked the door.

“Do you think I locked it wrong?”

“Covering all bases.”

He turned and walked ahead towards the SUV that he had already running with the click of a button. Anson held open the door and waited for her.

“The back seat? Really?”

“I’m perfectly fine explaining to you daily why you will be riding in the back seat. And if you think my speech is boring, you will hear the exact same from my coworkers with slight variations.”

Piper glared at him but held out the coffee she had poured for him. Anson took it and she climbed in. Anson closed the door in her face and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“So if I’m meeting the other guys, does that mean you won’t be picking me up tonight?”

“No, Luca has tonight and tomorrow. Van will be back tomorrow and I’ll arrange for him to meet you too.”

“What’s with the names?”

“Names?”

“You all sound like you belong on a soap opera.”

“Wait until you meet Eden and Zion.”

“Sheesh,” she muttered. Piper leaned back as the car pulled out. A few minutes down the road she realized that she hadn’t checked the parking lot before walking outside. It was something she had trained herself to do over the years. With Anson by her side, it was easy to trust him. That wasn’t an easy thing to accept. Letting her guard down could be bad. It could put her in a position where her stalker could get to her. Then again, judging by the picture, he was already too close. How many times a day did she interact with him and not know it? That thought made her want to scrub her skin off.

“What’s worrying you?”

“What makes you think I’m worried?” Piper responded, looking at Anson in the mirror.

“I can smell it. You were fine and then you got anxious.”

No secrets from the Kindred, apparently. “I was thinking that I usually check around before walking outside. I forgot to.”

“That’s my job. I swept the outside before I came in. I’d smell or hear anything that shouldn’t be there.”

Piper should have known. That’s why she hired the Kindred. They could do what humans couldn’t. “I was also thinking about how many times a day do I come across the person doing this? Does he make my coffee? Or is he someone I work with? I just can’t wrap my brain around the obsession.”

“I’m not going to say I don’t understand the appeal.”

“What, to creeper stalk me?”

“That someone met you and decided you were worth pursuing. I’m sorry it’s been this terrible. This person isn’t healthy. You made the right choice contacting us.”

“Yeah, real smart,” she mumbled again.