The criminal flinched, then put on his tough-guy face. He had menace down to a fine art, but the other guys didn’t seem to notice.

“Want help, Deke?” Tyler asked hopefully.

“Got it. This will be my pleasure. I hate pricks who threaten women. Cowardly motherfuckers.” He grabbed her attacker by the hair and bunched up his fist, clearly ready to smash in his face.

“Wait!” she called.

Deke hesitated, glaring her way.

“If you hurt him too bad, they’ll arrest you. A-and he won’t be able to talk. Neither of those will help.”

Grumbling, Deke reached into his back pocket for a set of cuffs. “You’re ruining my fun, damn it, but if that’s the way you want it . . .” Then he looked straight at her. “Kata, right?”

She nodded. “Hunter sent you, too?”

“Yep. He’s my brother-in-law, so when he called, I came.” He secured the criminal’s wrists behind his back and lowered the guy on his belly like a snake.

Just hearing that confirmation made something in her flutter. Even hundreds of miles away, Hunter had protected her.

That sent shards of both delight and anxiety through her. She was beyond grateful that he’d sent reinforcements, but clearly he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.

“I see.” She heard the trembling in her own voice.

Deke planted his big combat-booted foot in the middle of her attacker’s back, then grimaced. “Shit, you look wiped out. She’s about to do a header, Tyler.”

As soon as he said the words, her knees began to give way. The residual adrenaline that juiced her system bled out, turning her legs to Jell-O. She stumbled, but Tyler caught her and swept her up in his arms.

“Easy, baby,” he murmured as he lifted her.

Kata didn’t like this shaky, overwrought feeling, how vulnerable Hunter’s pursuit and the assassin’s attack made her feel.

“I’m fine,” she choked. “Put me down.”

Tyler rolled his eyes and kept walking. “Let’s sit to be on the safe side. Hunter would tear me a new one if I let you faint and you hit your head.”

She swallowed. Yeah, she could picture that. Even this poster child for bodybuilding didn’t want to displease her—gulp—husband? Was this how everything had started for her mother, with a bit of flattering attentiveness and overprotection?

“And you know him . . . how?”

Deke and Tyler exchanged a glance. Then Tyler set her in a chair and knelt in front of her. He shrugged and hesitated. “I’ve . . . um, worked some with Deke’s family.”

At that, Deke barked out laughter. “My cousin Luc would take issue with that description. He would describe it as trying hard to get in his wife’s panties.”

“He could kiss my fucking ass, too.”

Leveling a considering stare at her, Deke ventured, “How do you know Hunter?”

Kata froze. “He didn’t tell you?”

“There wasn’t exactly time. He barked at me to protect you. I figured there’d be opportunity for questions at some point. Spill.”

Damn, she didn’t want to be the one to tell Hunter’s family they were married. And why should she? Hunter may not have any intention of ending this impulsive relationship, but Kata was having second thoughts about this marriage. And third and fourth. Not that she wasn’t grateful to him for sending the cavalry, but . . .

Hunter’s a total Dominant. Very into BDSM. Insists on taking complete control.

“We met in Vegas last night.” A simple, safe response that didn’t invite more questions.

Deke’s sharp expression told her that he was mulling her answer. “It was your birthday party he flew out for. So, did he . . . make good on that favor for your mutual friend, Ben?”

Kata gasped. Deke knew that Hunter had flown out to participate in her birthday ménage? The sparkle in Deke’s blue eyes said yes.

A flush crawled up her face. Why couldn’t the concrete open up and swallow her whole? “Hunter told you about that?”

“Nah.” Deke shook his head. “Tyler and I happened to be with him when he got the call from Ben. Otherwise, we’d still be wondering where the hell he went last night and why. So, did you get your birthday wish?”

“Not . . . exactly,” she hedged.

Deke frowned. “Did Ben change his mind?”

Tyler looked her up and down and snorted. “If Kata was my girl, I would have changed my mind. Of course, I wouldn’t have invited some other schmuck to help me fuck her in the first place.”

Both men turned to her expectantly.

“Well . . .” Kata hesitated, mortification rolling through her. And more molten anger. Damn, who didn’t know her business? And what the hell did she say now?

Deke’s gaze zeroed in on her left hand, then he asked softly. “Shiny new ring. Did Ben marry you instead of share you last night?”

Kata swallowed, trying to figure out how to derail this train wreck of a conversation. “Not . . . exactly.”

“Shit.” Deke tensed, then pinned her with a hard stare that made Kata feel as if he could see straight through her. “Now I know what I heard in Hunter’s voice, besides apprehension. I heard possession. Ben didn’t marry you. Hunter did.”

TO all outward appearances, Hunter looked as calm as a lake on a windless day. He exercised great mental control to not pace the aisle of the plane, not imagine that, even now, Kata could be dead. But inside, the waiting, the not knowing, was fucking killing him.

How she’d become everything to him in one night was a mystery to Hunter. Their eyes had connected. They’d danced and kissed, then poof. That quickly, he was completely taken. He didn’t love Kata . . . yet. But that was coming, his gut told him. Soon.

If she survived.

Biting back a curse, Hunter palmed his phone, already turning it on as the plane landed. The flight attendant could kiss his ass.

As soon as the little device lit up, he saw a text from Deke. They’d found Kata at her office. She was fine. Attacker in custody. Detectives on scene. Thank God! Profound relief poured through him, and he sagged into his seat.

As soon as the gate opened, he strapped on his backpack and ran into the terminal to grab a taxi. Perched stiffly in the backseat of the musty-smelling vehicle, the need to hold her battling with an urge to kill the gunman, Hunter barely saw the Lafayette landscape whiz by.

Someone had tried to kill his Kata, probably for no other reason than she’d done her job and reported a criminal who’d failed to live up to the terms of his probation. Goddamn scum had fucked with the wrong man’s woman. If the bastard tried to touch one hair on Kata’s head again, Hunter swore he’d bypass the police and demonstrate to the asshole every way he’d ever learned to kill painfully.

The ten-minute ride to her office seemed to take two hours. Finally, the taxi pulled up in front of a nondescript office building crawling with myriad police cruisers, a pair of unmarkeds, and an ambulance. Hunter threw money at the taxi driver and bailed out at record speed.

“Sorry, sir.” A uniformed officer stopped him at the perimeter. “This is a police investigation. You’ll have to stay behind me.”

“Someone tried to kill my wife. I’d like to see her.”

The youngish cop frowned. “I know Kata. She’s not married.”

“She is as of last night, and I’m not playing this game with you anymore.” Hunter dipped under the tape, dropped his backpack, and jogged off in search of Kata.

There. In a chair, she sat with her head between her legs, trying not to faint. The late afternoon sunlight glinted off the rich red and brown strands of her hair. Tyler knelt beside her, hand on her knee, pressing a bottle of water into her grip. A detective barked questions at her. Everything about the scene set Hunter’s protective instincts off.

He jogged his way to Kata and cupped her shoulders, dragging her against him. She lifted her face, and he tried not to curse. She looked pale, shocked, exhausted, her mouth set in a grim line. Her eyes said she’d endured too much for one day.

“Hunter.”

Even her voice shook.

“I’m here, honey. I’ll take care of you.”

“You’ll have to back away, sir. I’m questioning the witness,” the detective insisted.

Hunter got up in the idiot’s impassive face. “My wife is in no position to be questioned right now. Have you goddamn looked at her? She’s either going to faint or give out. She may be in shock. I don’t want you saying another word to her until medical has checked her out.”

“I’m right here, Hunter.” She looked annoyed. “I can speak for myself.”

The steel in her tone surprised him, though he guessed it shouldn’t. That combination of strength and softness was one of the things that made him so hard for her. He would find other qualities that drew him to her, and once he knew her better, he’d add those to the list and fall deeper. For better or for worse . . .

“You don’t have to,” he offered softly.

“I want to. And I refused medical. I’m fine.”

Was she fucking serious? One look at her, and he knew better. “Except that you’re having trouble staying upright.”

She glared at him, clearly not liking his sarcasm. “Look, it’s been a really eventful twenty-four hours. I’m grateful that you sent Tyler and Deke. But I don’t need you in my face, barking at me. I just want to finish up here, so I can go home and get some sleep. It’s already stressful enough that this stranger won’t admit why he tried to kill me or who hired him.”

Hunter froze. “It wasn’t Villarreal?”

“Not that he’ll admit.” Kata shrugged. “The police will figure it out. I’ll be fine. I just need rest. I know work is going to be a bitch tomorrow, so—”

“Work?” Oh, hell no. “If you’re on someone’s hit list, then you’re not coming here or going anywhere out of my sight until I figure out how to put a stop to this shit.”

Kata bolted to her feet—and immediately had to brace herself on the chair.

Beside her, Tyler stood quietly, shaking his head. “Shit’s gonna hit the fan now . . .”

Hunter and Kata both ignored him.

Drawing in a sharp, steadying breath, she looked her husband in the eye as she pulled herself to her full height—which meant the underside of his chin. But she didn’t let that deter her.

“Ben told me what you’re into, but I’m never going to be the meek little woman. That should have been clear in Vegas. I won’t ask anyone’s permission to do what I want, Hunter, especially not to go to work. One incident won’t keep me from a job I love. As soon as I get some sleep, I’ll be fine. I get that you’re worried about me. That’s sweet, but I’ve been trained to defend myself. This office will be full of people tomorrow, and I have folks I can call for backup, if necessary. But I fought this thug off today by myself. I got away with my brains, my gut, and my determination to fight back.”

Hunter’s gut tightened. She was a stubborn thing. Strong. That would only make her surrender all the sweeter. But for now, he needed to talk her off the ledge.

He gentled his voice. “I’m proud that you fought him off all on your own. I feel better knowing that you can. But I’m here to take care of you. I’ve defended people for Uncle Sam for the past decade. This prick won’t even get in the same zip code until I catch him. I’ll keep you safe; I promise.” He held out his hand.

Kata backed away. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m a grown woman. I’ve lived alone and paid my own way for the last seven years. I make my own decisions. Don’t pull this high-handed heman crap on me.” She raked fingers through her long hair, looking exhausted. “I’ve seen enough of it to last me a lifetime.”

Damn, the stepfather again, he’d guess. Frustration pressed in on Hunter. Gritting his teeth, he pushed it down. Kata wasn’t thinking with the right fear, hadn’t realized that he wasn’t the enemy. But he’d make sure she got some rest—and some peace. Then she’d realize he was right.

He snagged her hand, bracketed his thumb and forefinger around her new wedding band, wiggling it just enough to remind her that he’d put it there. “I spoke vows to love, honor, and cherish you. That includes protecting you.” He leaned closer, spoke softly in her ear. “So if I have to tie you to my goddamn bed and keep you naked and busy until we catch this guy, don’t think that will bother me one bit.”

Chapter Seven

“HUNTER, what the hell is going on?” a familiar feminine voice called from behind him.

Stifling a scowl, he turned to find Deke standing in the doorway with his arm curled around his wife, Kimber. Hunter’s gaze swept over his sister. She looked happy, healthy—and very pregnant. He hadn’t been Stateside in months. Seeing his baby sister preparing to have a baby of her own was a shock.