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Uh-oh, he’s getting worked up again, Brandi thought nervously.
“Slade…honey?” She put a hand on his rock-hard bicep. His entire big body was tensed with anger and she wondered uneasily if he was going to lash out and hurt someone.
“Not gonna hurt anybody, baby,” he sent through their link. “I’ve just been listening to your thoughts about how that fucking scum was harassing you and you couldn’t do anything about it. Makes me fucking angry!”
“Yes, I can see that,” she sent dryly. “But we need to de-escalate this situation. Gus still has a gun, you know.”
“Should I disarm him?” Slade wanted to know.
“No, no!” Brandi sent quickly. “That would only make matters worse. Just try…try to look non-threatening.”
As if there was a way for a seven-and-a-half-foot-tall angry alien warrior to look non-threatening. But at least he could try.
“Fine but get behind me,” Slade ordered. “If that fool with the weapon loses his head and shoots I don’t want you in the line of fire.”
His protectiveness touched her and Brandi moved back as he requested.
Just then the wail of sirens outside caught everyone’s attention. The crowd of people who had been talking loudly suddenly got quieter and someone said,
“It’s the ambulance I called. Everybody make some room.”
As the paramedics ran into the building and were directed to the back, the crowd began to back up and make room. All but one of them retreated to the far end of the room—but a young man with red hair and freckles cautiously approached Brandi.
“Hi, I’m Josh Teagan,” he said, keeping an eye on Slade as he talked. “I run a local news blog—maybe you’ve heard of it? The Bay in Review?”
“Oh…” Brandi looked at him in surprise. The blog he mentioned had gained national fame when it broke the story of local corruption that went all the way up to the state level in Tallahassee. “Oh yeah, actually I have,” she said.
“Great! Look, it sounds like you’ve got a story you need to tell.” Josh leaned closer until Slade growled and then he backed up a step hastily. “I just want to offer to help you tell it,” he said quickly. Reaching in his wallet, he fumbled out a card and gave it to her. “Here are all my contacts. Get in touch with me soon.”
“Thank you.” Brandi took the card numbly as he melted into the crowd. She was distantly aware that the paramedics were loading Mr. Grabbar, who was apparently still alive—though just barely—onto a stretcher and a knot of female bank employees were still talking animatedly and gesturing to the fallen bank manager. Toby the HR guy, looking distinctly uncomfortable, was edging away from them. Gus had re-holstered his gun and he was just standing there, still with a confused look on his face. It appeared that he wasn’t sure who was the bad guy now.
“Come on,” she heard Slade growl in her ear. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“I can’t…I shouldn’t,” Brandi began but the big Kindred swung her into his arms as though she weighed no more than a doll and carried her through the bank.
“Hey, are you gonna just let him go?” one of the male employees asked Gus. “He attacked Mr. Grabbar, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, but he’s a Kindred defending his mate,” someone else pointed out. “You know he can’t be prosecuted for that. The World Court ruled on it when they re-instated the Kindred Bride Draft. Anyone harming or attempting to harm the mate of a Kindred warrior does so at their own risk—the Kindred has every right to come after him.”
“That’s right,” Brandi heard someone else say. “Kindred can’t help themselves—they go crazy when they think their mate is threatened.”
“But who knew Brandi was mated to a Kindred?” It was Genine again, sounding confused. “I thought she was single. How did she end up with a mountain of muscle like that?”
Brandi didn’t hear the answer because by then Slade had carried her past the knot of curious bystanders and out into the main part of the bank, where business was still being conducted, albeit rather slowly. Pushing through the frosted double doors, he took her out of the building and away.
Chapter Ten
Slade could feel the Rage that had overcome him still hovering in the back of his mind but he tried to push it back down.
She wasn’t hurt, he reminded himself. I got there in time—he didn’t get to her.
Except he had—even if her bastard of a boss hadn’t gotten to Brandi’s body, he had gotten to her mind and her heart. Even now Slade could feel her confusion and distress. He wanted to comfort her—wanted to hold her close and let her know everything was going to be okay. But they were still out in public and he needed to be alone with her.
He was still carrying her and she was letting him, a slightly dazed look on her face. Finally she looked up at him.
