Vanni realized how bad things could have been if the other woman had taken the seat next to Smiley that night in the bar. The Woods Church would have made him out to be some ra**st who drugged his victim. They’d spout those lies to anyone who would listen, damaging the NSO, who’d all been nothing but kind to her and didn’t deserve to be slandered.

She debated whether the media would believe her if she told them what had happened when she’d returned the engagement ring to Carl. Gregory Woods and men like that horrible Bruce shouldn’t get away with their evil deeds. It wasn’t right. They could do it again and pull some innocent into it as they’d done with her. No one should ever go through being locked up overnight and threatened with death.

“Vanni?” Smiley reached over and caressed her arm.

She stared up at him. “Yes?”

“Are you okay? Don’t worry. Your safety is my top priority. I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you. This will be fun.”

“I believe you.”

“We’ll buy you clothing. Don’t look at price tags. Money isn’t a concern.”

“All right.” She’d pay them back though, if she ever got her wallet and credit cards returned. She made a mental note to cancel them later. She’d been too disorientated to really think about those things until that moment. The last thing she wanted was the Woods Church charging purchases in her name.

“We’re almost there.” Smiley squeezed her hand.

She glanced out the windshield and realized Flame was driving the SUV into a shopping center. Her musings had left her unaware of how far they’d traveled. It put her at ease when she saw the name of the store they parked in front of. She had worried they’d take her to a fancy dress shop but this was one of the chain stores where she normally bought clothes. There weren’t a lot of cars in the parking lot since it had just opened.

“Are you ready? I will be with you.” Smiley studied her eyes. She knew he looked for any show of emotion and tried to gauge her mood.

She nodded, forcing herself to relax. Smiley opened the door and kept hold of her hand as she slid out behind him. The NSO officers surrounded them, putting her and Smiley in the middle. A car passed, the driver openly gawking at the team. The woman nearly hit another car before slamming on the brakes.

“So it begins,” Jericho sighed. “Expect the cell phones to come out.”

Smiley released her hand and pulled her against his side, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Just smile. They tend to want to take photos with us but we’ll keep them back. I don’t want anyone getting too close to you.”

“Don’t snarl at anyone,” Slash warned, his gaze locked on Smiley. “You smile. I don’t care what your instincts say. Got it?”

“I know.” Smiley complied. “See?”

“You look constipated but trying to look happy about it,” Flame muttered.

Vanni laughed. Smiley actually smiled then. It reached his eyes and transformed his features. He hugged her tightly as the human task force team members opened the doors but stayed outside. They took positions as if they planned to guard the entrance.

Customers and employees turned to gawk at them. Vanni straightened her shoulders and felt gratitude that Smiley was beside her. His arm around her waist was comforting.

Flame strolled over and yanked a cart free from a line of them and chuckled. “I love carts. I always want to jump inside one and be pushed.”

“You’d break the thing. No playing,” Jericho said sternly. “Keep a sharp eye out but look happy about it.”

Vanni noticed one of their group was missing. “Where is Wager?”

“He’s staying with the SUVs. No one will be able to tamper with the vehicles without him knowing.”

Smiley’s explanation killed some of her joy. She tried to hide her distress. Are they paranoid or has it happened before? She didn’t want to ask. They were supposed to be there to have a good time and be seen together in public to prove Gregory Woods a liar. That returned the smile to her face. She really hated him, his son and that church.

“Just toss everything at me,” Flame offered. “I’ll follow behind.”

“You’re having too much fun,” Jericho said and sighed. “You remind me of a hyper child.”

“You remind me of a grumpy father,” Flame shot back.

Slash shook his head. “Humans are watching. Behave!”

Vanni laughed and looked up at Smiley. “Are they always like this?”

“Yes.” He eased his hold on her and lowered his voice. “We have twenty minutes before this could get out of hand. We have to stay for at least ten to make sure enough photos are taken. Relax and buy lots. You’ll need everything from the skin out.”

In less than twenty minutes? She tried to hide her dismay. It was a reminder though, that he was a man, New Species or not. That amused her. He had no clue how long a woman could shop. She nodded. “Power shopping. Got it.” She turned her head to stare at Flame. “You ready? Stay close and I’ll just toss stuff in the cart.”

Flame gripped the cart handle. “You lead and I will follow.”

Vanni swept her gaze around the store, spotting the area where they kept her size. Smiley stayed at her side as she walked purposefully down the aisles. She even managed to make direct eye contact with other customers. They continued to gawk but one woman dug her cell phone out of her purse and lifted it.