CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

O liver watched Piper crumple to the ground.

He saw her walk out of the hotel just minutes before and ground his teeth. He had expected her to return to her room after dinner. Yes, he had been watching, but not engaging with her.

He had to keep his distance, although it had been difficult.

“We have to go,” Ben had said when Oliver’s eyes had tracked her as she left the hotel. He was about to ask them to wait while he brought her back inside and used his mind manipulation. A night in front of Netflix was exactly what she desired. It was a simple technique. Even he couldn’t fuck that up.

He had opened his mouth to speak, when all three of them saw the same thing simultaneously. Two men, clearly from some agency, or private outfit, walked past them layered in weapons. In the same direction as Piper had just gone.

“Well, that’s very fucking interesting.” Kurt crossed his arms.

As they disappeared out the front entrance, Oliver shoved his bag into Ben’s chest. “Ya’ll carry on. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m on your six,” Kurt said from behind him.

“I’ll get a cup of tea then,” Ben called.

Oliver couldn’t help his grin.

Until he saw Piper falling to the ground.

“Piper!” he yelled as one of the men whipped her up into his arms.

Nope.

No fucking way.

His body tensed and his blood began to boil. The human needed to get his hands off his girl, or he’d skin the fucker alive.

He took a few steps toward them, his fists clenched and power rolling off him, when the man turned. Both the men froze. They were large for humans. AKA not as big as him and definitely smaller than Kurt. But they had skills and weapons. The one not carrying Piper had a scar on his forehead that was clearly a battle wound.

Kurt stepped up beside him. “Well, fuck.”

He knew both the men were assessing the situation, studying him and Kurt. They were surrounded by tourists and humans. The two men had no idea they were facing vampires. Presumably.

“Clear the way please, gentlemen, we have to get this woman some medical care,” Scar Face said, shifting his black jacket so Oliver could see his metal.

“Amateurs,” Kurt mumbled, but they both knew they weren’t. “Hand her over and we’ll get her the care she needs.”

“She’s with us,” Oliver said, his eyes taking in every single movement they made.

The two men raised their brows and glanced at one another.

“Is that woman okay?” a passerby asked.

“Yes.” All four of them replied at once, not glancing at her, and she scurried off.

“You need to leave.” The man carrying Piper’s lifeless body made to take a few steps forward.

Oliver had to force his fangs to stay where they were, but he felt the moment his eyes vamped out and knew they were seeing red.

“What the fuck?” Scar Face went for his gun, but Kurt moved faster, gripping his hand on the human’s weapon. He shook his head.

“Wrong move,” Kurt growled.

“Ahh, fuck man,” the man groaned as Oliver heard finger bones being crushed.

So sad. Never mind.

“Who the hell are you?” the other man asked.

“Your worst nightmare. Hand her to me. Now.” Oliver growled, taking a step closer. “None of us want to draw attention and I get the feeling you’d like to live another day.”

Which Oliver would allow, but only because snapping the guy’s neck or stabbing him in public was frowned upon by the police.

“You need to leave. You have no idea what you are getting involved with.” The man hiked Piper up into his arms as if she was nothing but a bag of potatoes.

And that was not okay.

“Three seconds,” Oliver growled.

“Go find another girl. This one isn’t yours,” the man said.

Oliver grinned like a mad hatter. That’s where you’re wrong, asshole.

Oh good, the human had pissed him off enough that he now didn’t give a fuck about consequences.

“You got that one?” Oliver asked Kurt.

“Go for gold, my man. Make it worth it.” Kurt laughed.

Oliver quickly stepped forward, shot a punch under the man’s jaw causing him to drop Piper. Oliver caught her as he kicked the man’s legs out and watched him drop to his ass. Then he slammed his foot down onto his stomach, pushing him flat on his back. The man gripped his throat.

People around them gasped and scattered.

“Leave,” Kurt ordered the two guys. “I don’t give a fuck who you work for. Tell them they need to understand we are bigger and badder, and our tolerance has come to an end. So go home, fuck your girlfriends, and get a new job.”

Oliver stood staring down at the lifeless body in his arms while Kurt implanted a few memories into the men’s heads, and those who were still standing around. It was a hell of a cleanup job, and not perfect, but it would do.

Piper was pale, but he could hear her pulse beating gently. It was likely they’d injected her with Propofol to knock her out, so she’d wake in an hour or two.

“Keep your weapons holstered, asshole. I’m happy to let you remember this part so you can make better life decisions.” Kurt gave Scar Face a fierce right-hand jab in his gut and the man bent over.

“Let’s go.” Oliver turned, knowing those men would follow Kurt’s instructions and head home.

“She okay?” Kurt asked, glancing down as they walked back inside the hotel.

“Drugged. I’ll take her to my room.” Oliver saw Ben’s eyes widen as they walked through the lobby.

“The fuck?” Ben asked as he joined them.

Oliver nodded, and they all stepped into the elevator. Kurt pressed the button.

“Jesus,” Ben said. “Who were they?”

“I’d say they’re part of Tomassi’s security team,” Kurt replied. “Same company we came across in Italy and here protecting Dr. Phillips. They have the same tattoo on their neck.”

They did? Oli hadn’t noticed that.

“I fucking warned her about this. I should’ve sent her home. Imagine if we hadn’t been here?” He growled as his brain began to imagine all kinds of horrific scenarios. His fangs inched out.

“Okay big guy, go look after her,” Kurt said as the elevator doors opened. “We’ll head to BioZen and see what we find. We’ll update you when we return.”

Oliver glanced down at Piper’s sleeping body, and shared a look with Ben. Right at this minute, he didn’t give a fuck about BioZen or doing his job. Or anything. Nothing but getting her into his bed and knowing she was safe and alive.

“Oliver,” Kurt said pointedly, holding his gaze for a moment. “Tell Ari.”

He stepped out of the elevator, with Piper still in his arms. He nodded at Ben and Kurt as the doors closed.

OLIVER LAY PIPER DOWN on his hotel bed.

He examined every inch of her body. Well, except the fun bits. At least he’d seen the entire thing take place and didn’t have to imagine or worry they’d harmed her in other ways.

There was no way they’d be breathing if they had. It was clear they weren’t there to do anything but kidnap her, but what they intended after that was anyone’s guess.

Fortunately, he had fucked up their plans.

Jesus, what if he hadn’t been there?

The assassin in him knew they’d missed an opportunity to let them take her and follow them, but for Oli it had not been an option. Yes, it had crossed his mind and he knew Kurt would have thought the exact same thing.

He was grateful the senior Moretti warrior hadn’t mentioned it.

It really hadn’t been an option. His first and last instinct had been to rip her out of the human’s arms and get her to safety.

With everyone wondering if Piper was his mate, he figured his decision to put her first was a sign it was possible.

It didn’t matter.

It was unlikely the muscle was going to take Piper to the heart of the BioZen operation where they could bust it all open. She was just being removed because she was a nuisance.

Who knows, she could have been a dead body in the trunk of a car or thrown off the side of a boat by the end of the night.

Fuckers.

Oliver got a warm facecloth and wiped it over her forehead and face. It felt like the right thing to do. Then he took a look at the entry site of the drug. It was red. He wanted to lick it and heal it but knew that would raise questions when she couldn’t find it.

Oliver paced the room for an hour, knowing he should ring Ari, but he wasn’t ready. In the end he lay down on the bed and pulled Piper against his chest. Feeling her slow, steady heart calmed him.

He knew he shouldn’t feel anything, but he did, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Every time he saw her, touched her, or was on the receiving end of one of her sassy smiles his emotions burst out of his chest. Yet, she was capable of throwing him off and destroying the most important thing in his life.

His job.

Ari’s approval.

He pulled out his phone and called through to the mansion.

“Hey motherfucker, what’s up?” Travis said in answer.

He closed his eyes. “Trav, I need you to organize the jet. Wheels up at five a.m.”

There was a moment’s silence.

“What happened? Did you not find anything out there? Shit, what time is it? It’s still early.”

“I’ve got Piper. She was drugged. I need to get her home. Kurt and Ben may or may not return with us.”

“On it. Does Ari—”

“No. I’ll call him in a minute. I wanted to get the jet booked.”

“Got it. I’ll have a car downstairs for you.”

“Thanks, man.”

He hung up and stared down at Piper. God, she was so peaceful and innocent-looking when she was asleep.

And drugged.

He groaned, shaking his head. How could he have let this happen to her? He moved her body and slid off the bed, throwing a blanket over her. Then stepped out onto the balcony, the noise of Los Angeles filling the air. Sirens, cars, people.

He hated it.

He lifted his phone to his ear and dialed the director.

“Oliver. Problem?”

Oh right . Calling while an assignment was underway was always a red flag.

“No. Kurt and Ben are at BioZen right now, scoping it out. I am at the hotel with Piper.”

Silence.

“She was drugged by a couple of former military guys. Tomassi’s security. We intercepted, and she’s sleeping it off.”

“Good work,” Ari said darkly.

“Sounds like she’s pissed off the wrong people at BioZen, finally. Fuck knows what they were planning to do if they’d taken her.”

He heard the low growl.

“These fuckers need to be stopped.”

Oliver nodded slowly, even though Ari couldn’t see him. “I’m bringing her back to Seattle. It’s too dangerous for her here.”

“You have a job to do, Oliver,” Ari said. “Alter her memories and stick her on the jet.”

“No,” he said firmly, surprising himself. “She’s in too deep. I think she’s being watched. Today she went to an address and met with some people. Could be related, I don’t know, but it’s not just about her memories now. And... I need to make sure she gets home safely.”

There was a long silence, and he stood staring out into the night, knowing right in this moment he’d put a line in the sand.

Piper was on his side of it. His job on the other.

When the fuck had that happened?

He didn’t remember making that decision.

“Bring her to the mansion and we will work out what to do. I need to speak with Sage.”

Right.

Oliver pressed his lips together. Piper wasn’t his. She was Sage’s sister and Ari’s sister-in-law. Those things might be true, but Piper was his responsibility. His to protect.

Where had these damn thoughts come from?

He wasn’t going to fight the director on this. At the mansion, she would at least be under the same roof as him.

“Oli?”

“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Alex is on his way to Los Angeles. He can stay with Ben and Kurt to continue the job,” Ari said. “Obviously it’s not my job to instruct Ben or Kurt, so just update them that Alex is replacing you.”

“Got it.”

“Was she hurt?” Ari asked after a moment.

Oliver walked back into the hotel room, closing the door behind him. He took in the female lying on his bed.

“No,” he answered. “Aside from being drugged, they only took a few steps with her before we stopped them. There might be a little bit of fallout, from onlookers or the police, but it’ll probably look like a bunch of jealous lovers.”

Ari let out a dry laugh.

“That’s fine. Get her home, Oli, and then we can talk.”

He frowned.

Oliver wasn’t ready to talk to anyone about his feelings for Piper. He didn’t understand why he was so protective of her. Perhaps it had to do with Sage, but that excuse was fast becoming pretty weak.

Somehow, Piper had gotten under his skin.

Her sass, her complete disregard for her safety and her determination to gain acceptance from her father had resonated with him.

He understood her.

He wanted to help her.

But she’d chosen the one damn possible story that would hurt him, his race, and unbeknownst to her, Sage.