Tiger’s blindly grabbed the top steak off the pile, lifted it to his mouth and viciously bit down. The taste of blood filling his mouth helped ease some of his anger and kept him from staring across the room as if he were obsessed with the female.

Slash refused to stop taunting him. “I get to escort her back to building C and at the end of the day I’m taking her to the east gate. That is where we moved her car since it will be easier for her to drive home from there.”

Tiger felt his temper flare. Slash was baiting him by telling him where he could find the female later. Zandy was an odd name for a human but she wasn’t exactly typical in any way. He lost the battle and his gaze searched her out.

Her long red hair was in a ponytail and she was laughing at something one of her two companions had said. She didn’t wear much makeup, hadn’t the night he’d met her either, but she was very attractive without it. He heard her laugher over the din of voices and clenched his teeth. His dick throbbed against his thigh where it was trapped and the urge to go after her gripped him strongly.

He knew he’d regret it if he rose to his feet, stormed across the room and grabbed her. He wanted her back under him, but this time he wouldn’t stop and he didn’t give a damn who saw him share sex with her. It would warn all the males to stay away from her too. They will know she’s mine. That thought shocked him enough to leash his desire and even caused a jolt of fear to strike. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Tiger?”

He jerked his gaze away from Zandy to stare at Snow. “What?”

Snow laughed. “I was talking to you but you were thinking something so deep you didn’t hear me. What is on your mind?”

“I was thinking about something else.” Tiger didn’t go into detail.

Slash laughed. “I bet you were thinking about your next shift on the night duty and how you hope the human sheriff doesn’t call us out on any more emergencies.”

Tiger growled a warning at Slash but he just grinned in response.

Snow frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“The human sheriff is always calling us for stupid things,” Slash explained. “We dread it. That is why Tiger just growled. It is annoying.”

Tiger planned to kick Slash’s ass the first time they were alone. The man definitely baited him by bringing up how he’d met Zandy. He tore another piece of meat off the steak and focused solely on his food. He didn’t dare look her way again.

He forced himself to listen and respond to the conversation at the table. Zandy wasn’t mentioned again but he couldn’t get her out of his thoughts.

* * * * *

“The east gate? But my car…” Zandy said.

“Was moved. At the gate you had to hand over your car keys. This is why. We secure your cars to prevent the protesters from tampering with them. The protesters have been known to spray-paint bad words on visiting cars.”

“Oh.”

“You live closer to the east gate. It is saving you miles to work if you use it. In the morning return to it. Your escort will be waiting there.”

“Will that be you?”

He shrugged. “I do not assign duties.”

She nodded. “Oh.”

“Tiger does.”

Shit.

“Tiger is head of security.”

Double shit. She’d molested the damn head of security of the NSO at Reservation. Just bitchin’. She hated herself. She really did. She sat in the Jeep quietly mulling that information and how uncomfortable Tiger could make her life if he held a grudge. They drove to the gate and Slash parked the Jeep close to the guard shack.

She spotted four NSO officers patrolling. Two were inside the guard shack and two more were on top of the thirty-foot walls that enclosed the entire perimeter of Reservation. They carried guns.

“I don’t see protesters.”

“No. You won’t here. We recently bought the land adjoining this section. We haven’t extended the walls yet but plan to. It’s private property so when they arrive we have them arrested for trespassing. Just show up at this gate in the morning. Your car is parked over there.” He pointed.

She saw a small parking area and her car. “Thanks.”

Slash nodded. “I’ll get your keys. Stay here.”

Zandy climbed out of the Jeep, grabbed her purse and waited. She watched Slash laugh and talk with the two officers inside the guard shack before he accepted her keys from one of them. He returned to her and handed them over.

“In the morning they will let you in. Park your car where it is and leave the keys in the ignition. They need your keys in case it has to be moved at some point. It’s a security measure. They will search your car and go over every inch of it as well so no one messes with your car by planting a bomb.”

Zandy just stared at him, too stunned to speak.

Slash smiled. “Have a nice night.” He climbed into the Jeep and backed it up. He waved and then was gone.

Bomb? Shit. No wonder the pay is so good. I’m getting hazard pay. She walked toward her car and noticed the two men on the wall watched her closely. She climbed in and tossed her purse on the passenger seat. She started the car and backed up. The gate was opened when she drove toward it slowly. One of the officers nodded at her and she left Reservation.

She drove about a mile through the twisting, forest-surrounded road before she spotted the black NSO Jeep parked across both lanes. She hit her brakes, frowning, wondering where the driver was and why they’d blocked the road. Her gaze darted around the woods but didn’t she see anyone. She turned off the car, waited, and hoped the driver would return soon since trees prevented her from driving around the abandoned vehicle. Long minutes passed and she decided to call out to see if the driver would hear her.