Reaper (Dark in You 8)

She believed he would make an effort to be a strong presence in her life and that she would be his priority. But she couldn’t see how his responsibilities wouldn’t get in the way of him acting on that. If Piper ever asked for his help, she’d no doubt get it. But he might not always be able to break away from his commitments, so she might find that he’d send others in his place. Particularly since he often traveled with Knox.

It wouldn’t mean that she and Levi would have a bad anchor relationship. It simply meant that it would resemble a long-distance one. He might not live far away, but he wouldn’t always be close or available.

Piper wouldn’t blame or resent Levi for that. She respected how devoted he was to his positions within the lair. And really, them spending so much time apart wouldn’t be a negative thing. It wasn’t always good for anchors to be in each other’s pockets. Especially since jealousy and possessiveness often came into play and made it difficult for the pair to have relationships with others.

It hadn’t escaped her attention last night that Levi hadn’t seemed to like the thought of her with Kelvin. She hadn’t read anything into it. Levi wouldn’t want to feel that way. It would be instinctive. Piper could have been anyone and he’d have still felt that way if they were his anchor.

Similarly, she’d find it difficult to see him with others. Even when she managed to stick him in a ‘friend’ box, her anchor instincts would be an issue. As such, it would be better for them to have space from each other and be able to keep some aspects of their personal lives private.

Levi came to a stop outside a glass door and looked her way. “Ready?”

She peered up at the huge sign above it that read, Urban Ink. Ah, they’d arrived. And the sign was seriously cool. The font was a sort of graffitied calligraphy.

Piper straightened her shoulders. “Ready.”

He pushed open the door and waved her inside, surprising her by sticking very close as they both entered. The front of his body was almost literally plastered against her back. He probably thought she’d find the contact reassuring. Well, he was mistaken.

Piper glanced around, taking it all in. Nice. And very spacious. The white walls and ceiling boasted tattoo flash and gorgeous metal art such as Chinese dragons and tribal swirls.

Four stations were situated behind the reception area, which was uber tidy. The cushions on the sofa were perfectly placed, the portfolios on the super clean coffee table were neatly stacked, and everything on the chrome reception desk that doubled as a jewelry display cabinet seemed to have its very own place.

Behind the desk stood Khloë, a bright yet mischievous smile on her face. The small, olive-skinned imp was mated to another of Knox’s sentinels, Keenan, and also happened to be Harper’s cousin.

“Hey, Piper,” Khloë greeted. “Why are you all but wearing Levi?” She looked at him. “Dude, do you have no concept of personal space?”

“Could you tell Harper that Piper’s arrived for her interview?” Levi asked.

“Sure,” replied Khloë. “Harper!” she yelled without turning. “Piper’s here!”

Leaning over a woman sprawled on a chair, the female Prime lifted her head and met Piper’s gaze. “Two minutes,” she mouthed.

Piper nodded and took a seat on the sofa. Levi sat beside her, the side of his body pressed to hers. She thought about scooting over, but that might reveal just how uncomfortable she found it to be so close to him. He might realize that—

And there she was, second-guessing her behavior around him again. Ugh.

Piper cast him a quick look, noticing that his eyes were on the nearby wall-mounted TV. “I appreciate you coming with me. You don’t have to stay, though. I know you must be busy.”

He met her gaze. “Not too busy to be here when you need me.”

“But you’re Knox’s bodyguard.”

“I’m taking some time off.”

“Oh.” That surprised her, given how seriously he took his roles—she wouldn’t have thought he’d be comfortable with temporarily setting his responsibilities aside. “Still, you don’t have to stay and—Wait, I get it. You’re here to make sure I get the job. You’re gonna freak if I don’t, and you’ll push Harper to change her mind.”

He frowned. “I don’t ‘freak.’ But will I be pissed if Harper doesn’t employ you? Absolutely. And she’d be a fool not to hire you. I’ve seen your work. The back tattoo you did for Larkin is seriously impressive.”

“Uh, thanks. But I wouldn’t want a job because my anchor intimidated someone into giving it to me.”

“Would I do that?”

“Yes. Yes, you absolutely would.”

His mouth quirking, he gave an unapologetic shrug. “I’m very protective of who matters to me. I like to make sure their life is running smoothly and that they have what they need. And what you currently need is a job.”