She visibly paled. “He’s done this before? I don’t understand how he would even find out I’ve been here?” Now she sounded a bit panicked. Good. He would use that to his advantage.
“Trust me, as much as we try to keep this under wraps, this is a high profile case. Young, beautiful college girls are being snatched. It’s a media frenzy. Someone will find out you were here and leak it to the press. It’s only a matter of time. And when that happens, a bull’s-eye will be painted directly on your back. This guy will consider you a threat he may act to eliminate.”
He’d tried pushing a little compulsion her way. She regarded him for a moment, her eyes narrowing.
“Thank you, Dev, but I promise you I’ll be just fine. I have a good security system at home and I have a concealed carry permit. I practice twice a week at the range. Plus, I’ve been training in Jeet Kune Do for the past eight years. I’m good.” She had the most infuriating smirk on her gorgeous, full lips. Lips he wanted wrapped around his cock. Now.
Well…shit.
He glanced at Detective Thatcher and Ren, and they had the same smirks on their faces, Ren clearly containing his laugh. He pushed a bit of his power toward them. Wiped the smirks right off…at least the human. Ren looked at him with a knowing laughter in his glittery eyes. Paybacks are a bitch, pretty boy.
Now what? She wasn’t leaving here alone. Over his dead body.
Okay, onto Plan B… Plan B…what was Plan B?
“How about compromise, man?”
“Compromise?”
“Yeah, compromise. The act of negotiation, concession, finding a middle ground? I know it’s a foreign concept to you, Dev, but pulling alpha won’t work on this chick.”
Compromise definitely wasn’t his best skill. But to keep Kate safe, he would give anything a try.
Dev pleaded—groan—pleaded, “Kate, please let us keep you under protection for just a few days. If nothing slips to the press, then you can go back to your normal life. Business as usual.” Yeah, no fucking way that was happening. Ever. But she didn’t need to know that now. He just needed to get her with him and the rest would fall into place.
She sighed heavily, clearly contemplating his latest offer.
Ren could barely contain his laughter now. His shoulders were shaking. Goddamn pretty boy wasn’t gonna be looking so pretty very soon.
“Can’t you just post a patrol outside my house?” she asked.
“A safe house would better, Kate. It’s just a few days. Come on…just think of it as a much-needed vacation. You do look a little tired.” He quickly added, “Beautiful, but tired.”
She frowned at that statement, brows creasing, wrinkling that smooth, delectable forehead. He definitely liked it better when she smiled.
“Where exactly is this safe house and who will be with me?”
A small smile played on Dev’s lips, knowing he was making progress. He’d better not too get too cocky. “I can’t tell you exactly where the safe house is, for your own protection, but it’s just right on the outskirts of Milwaukee.” Dev glanced at Ren and back to Kate. “And Ren and I will be protecting you. I promise you, Kate, we won’t let anything happen to you.” Nothing, but the most intense pleasure you can handle.
“Look gentlemen, I sincerely appreciate your concern, but I’m not in any danger. If you feel better, send a police car by my house once in the evening for a few days, but going into protective custody seems pretty excessive. Now, I really do need to be going, as I have a class to teach in just a few hours.”
She grabbed her coat and purse and stood to leave.
“Kate, I really wish you’d reconsider,” he pleaded.
There was no goddamned way he was letting her out of his sight for a single, solitary moment. It went against every single protective instinct in his body to let her walk out that door without him. His body vibrated with nearly unrestrained need to pull her into his arms and flash her the hell away from here and he needed to rein himself in quickly before he did something stupid.
“At least tell us where you teach…please.” That word tasted bitter too. He had a feeling he’d better get used to saying it. A lot. But only to her.
She turned and gifted him with the most brilliant smile he’d ever seen. It was brighter than a thousand suns and more beautiful than any word he knew in any language. What was this poetic shit filling his brain? He was whipped after less than an hour in her presence.
“I’m an assistant psychology professor at Marquette University.” And with that she walked out the door.
Dev was out of his chair in a flash. “She doesn’t leave our sight. Let’s go.”