“If Rudy knows I’m here, that might not be safe for Emma.”

“Another good point.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Max’s number. “Hey, Max? I need you to bring Emma with you. Sheri needs some clothes from her hotel room.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Max replied. “If he’s already been to your place odds are he knows where she’s staying. He might have the place staked out.”

“Yeah, she mentioned that. I was going to ask you to go with her. If Parker can take on both of you we’re in more trouble than I thought.” He tried to ignore the nagging thought that he should be there, as well. His place was beside his mate, protecting her, not his Alpha. That was Gabe’s job.

“I can pick out stuff for her. I think I know what to grab. Shirt, pants, underwear, right?”

“And makeup,” Sheri said, knowing Max would hear her.

“Makeup?”

“And Jerry’s dog food, and his bowls,” she added.

“Anything else she needs?”

“Probably, that’s why I said to take Emma.” He put his hand over the receiver, knowing Max would hear him anyway. “Emma’s the smart one in that relationship.”

“Asshole,” Max grumbled.

Adrian could hear Emma in the background. “Give me the phone, Lion-O. Hi, Adrian. Everyone okay over there?”

“Other than my poor Mustang, everyone’s fine.”

“Ouch. Did he scratch the paint?”

“If he did, it just ups the level of hurt he’s gonna feel.”

Emma snickered. “We’re on our way. I’ll find out what Sheri needs once I get there, okay?”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He hung up the phone and tugged her into his arms, then rubbed his hands soothingly down her back.

“See? All taken care of.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before stepping back. “Go grab that robe, sweetheart. Gabe should be here any minute, and he doesn’t need to see you looking so damn sexy.”

He could see the worry was back in her eyes just before she turned away and headed back into the bedroom.

Oh, yeah. Parker was in for a world of hurt.

“So are you and Adrian mated?” Belinda asked as they walked to Wallflowers the next morning.

Sheri tried not to grin smugly. Leaving him, denying the mating, no longer seemed to be an option. He’d made it clear, after everyone had gone the night before, that if she left he’d just follow her, muttering something about handcuffs and bedposts as he’d carried her back to bed. “He bit me right through my shirt.”

Belinda whistled. “Rumor has it he carted you right out of the store, threw you in his car and took off into the sunset.”

“Pretty much. The dork.”

Belinda laughed. “What?”

“It’s freezing out, and he left my coat and my purse behind.”

“He left your purse?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Men are idiots.”

“You said it.”

“So whose coat are you wearing?” The laughing, knowing look on Belinda’s face said she already knew the answer.

Sheri stroked the dark leather jacket Adrian had draped over her before kissing her goodbye, the smug smile she’d been fighting firmly fixed to her face. “His.”

“It’s his favorite.”

“I know. He threatened me with severe bodily harm if I let anything happen to his jacket.”

Belinda put her hand under her elbow as they approached the intersection. Just as the two women began crossing the street a black car screeched around the corner and barreled towards them at top speed.

Belinda gasped, pushing Sheri back to the sidewalk just as Jerry began backing up, the signal for an oncoming car. She lost her balance and fell, banging her head on the pavement as the car clipped Belinda, throwing her a good ten feet.

Sheri’s glasses flew off her face, blinding her in the harsh sunlight. Jerry was whining and licking her hand as the car, a dark sedan, hurtled down the street, narrowly missing another car before it turned another corner and was lost to sight.

“Belle?” she slurred. She was surprised at how hard it was to speak.

No answer. Or if there was one, she didn’t hear it. The pain in her head blossomed as she tried to lift her head to find the other woman, and the world went black.

Adrian stared down at his mate and felt a depth of rage he’d never before experienced. He literally trembled with it. He had no doubt who was responsible for his mate’s condition.

Rudy Parker was a dead man.

“Belinda’s going to be okay. They’ve had to operate on her broken hip, and she has a broken arm and a concussion. The docs say she’s lucky, it could have been a lot worse. But she’ll be okay,” Simon said quietly as he entered hospital room. He sounded both shaken and furious. “Gabe interviewed the eyewitnesses, and he’ll be in to talk to Sheri as soon as she wakes up.”

“I’m going to kill him.” The lethal softness of his voice echoed oddly in the darkened room.

Simon looked at him strangely but nodded. “Max and I will be there.”

Meaning that, if for some reason or another Adrian couldn’t finish off Parker, one of them would do it for him. He already knew there wouldn’t be a need for that.

Adrian could feel his Puma growling and pacing underneath his skin. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from his mate. “I want protection here twenty-four seven until I get her home.” The command in his voice was unmistakable.

Simon frowned. “Already taken care of, but you might want to watch your tone.”

Adrian looked at his Beta and knew his eyes were gold with rage. He could feel himself straining against an unseen barrier as he and Simon stared each other down.

He’d never pushed the boundaries, never once tried to see which of them was the stronger Puma. He’d been perfectly happy with the status quo. He’d never felt the desire to lead, only to protect. But if the only way to ensure his mate’s protection was to face down Simon, possibly losing his best friends in the process…

No contest.

“Stand down. Both of you.” Max’s voice was filled with quiet authority. Adrian and Simon both turned to find the Alpha standing in the doorway, the light from the hallway filtering through that strange mist that enveloped him whenever he needed to enforce his will.