Miranda disappears behind a row of vehicles, the men right behind her. I lose sight of them completely. At least fifty yards of concrete and parked vehicles separate me from where they vanished.
But I can hear everything.
The beast inside me surges forward, and my senses sharpen. Every sound is amplified in ways human ears could never catch.
“Well, have you thought about our boss’s offer?” A male voice.
I’m running now, weaving between cars, trying to close the distance.
“I told you,” Miranda hisses. “I’m making payments like we agreed. And my answer is still no.”
“This will all go away if you just spread your legs.” One of the men laughs, and something feral snarls within me.
“I’m not a whore, so tell him to kindly fuck off.”
My nurse certainly spares no punches. Her mouth is going to get her into trouble one day.
I hear the lunge. The scuffle of feet. A sharp cry. The heavy thud of flesh hitting flesh.
“Get your hands off me!”
The beast inside me snaps, unexpected rage bursting through my veins. It takes everything I have not to shift on the spot. However, I leap forward, using the hood of a nearby car as a springboard, and land on top of Miranda’s vehicle with a metallic thud that echoes through the parking garage.
Two men have Miranda pinned against her vehicle, each holding one of her arms. The third is on the ground, blood streaming from his nose as he staggers to his feet.
All three men look up. Miranda’s eyes go wide, shock on her face.
I bare my teeth in something that’s not quite a smile.
“Let go of the lady,” I say, my voice coming out low and dangerous. “She might have zero personality, but that doesn’t mean you get to put your hands on her.”
Chapter Four
Miranda
Zero personality?
Did this jerk really just say that?
He’s standing on top of my car. My Honda. My poor, beat-up Honda that’s barely holding together as it is, and now he’s balanced on the roof like it’s a stage. The parking lot lights cast shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and those ridiculous cheekbones. His dark hair falls across his forehead, and his amber eyes are practically glowing with intensity.
My stomach does this annoying flutter thing that I absolutely refuse to acknowledge.
This is not the time to notice how attractive he is. This is the time to be furious that he just dented my car.
I should have asked security to walk me out instead of marching into this parking lot alone like an idiot. Now I’m ambushed and my car is wrecked.
The man on the ground staggers to his feet, blood still streaming from his nose. He wipes it away with the back of his hand and snarls up at Grayson, “Who the hell are you?”
Then he pulls out a knife.
I immediately tense up.
Grayson jumps down from my car with a metallic groan that makes me wince. The roof dents further under the impact of his landing. The repair costs flash through my mind, and I could cry.
“Let her go,” Grayson says, his voice low and threatening in a way that makes my skin prickle. “Now.”
The men holding my arms hesitate. I feel their grip loosen slightly.
