Paws off the Boss - Casey Griffin (best books under 200 pages .TXT) 📗

want to dwell on just what that meant. She already knew what the company was willing to do to protect their assets. She didn’t want to find out how far their limits went.

But no doors flew open; no one caught up to her; no one tackled her from behind. It wasn’t like this was Alcatraz, but the panic coursing through her veins could have fooled her.

Piper wasn’t sure why she was running; she hadn’t done anything wrong. What did she think? That they were going to “off” her when they caught up? Then again, when she’d snuck into Aiden’s office, she hadn’t expected to discover a hideous truth or to be chased through the building by half of his employees. So, actually, she didn’t know what to expect anymore.

The unknown kept her moving on sheer animal instinct, the instinct to survive. The only thoughts that raced through her brain were of Larry’s threats and those frantic footfalls behind her.

Piper just needed to get out, to clear her mind, to figure out all of this. But first, she had to get away. She focused on the rhythm of her legs, of increasing her speed. One, two, one, two.

Finally, she reached the door labeled P2 in big, bold letters. Holding Colin in one arm, she turned the handle and thrust her body against the metal door.

She stumbled into the parking garage. It took her only a moment to scan the level for a Caribbean Aqua-colored convertible before she realized Addison’s car wasn’t there.

Had they left? Had she exited on the wrong floor?

The muffled sounds of the angry mob thundering down the stairwell came from behind her. She could follow the slope either up to the street or down, farther underground. Trying to remember how many levels they’d driven down when they’d arrived, she settled on up. If she didn’t find the car, at least she would have a chance of reaching street level.

Piper urged her legs forward. The muscles tightened in protest, aching from the long descent. Her shiny Supergirl boots—which were not meant for a quick getaway—pinched her feet. She stumbled halfway up to the next level and saw the blue uniforms of two security guards jogging around the bend.

“Down here!” one called. “She’s here!”

The other ducked his head toward the microphone clipped to his shoulder. “She’s on level P Two.”

Shifting her weight, Piper ran back the way she came and slipped past the stairwell door. From the corner of her eye, she saw it crack open.

An arm reached out as she whipped past. It clamped down on her cape, dragging her back and choking her. She caught a glimpse over her shoulder: dark hair, wild eyes.

Tamara.

Colin shifted in Piper’s arms. Snarling, he snapped at Tamara’s hand. A yelp of pain, and Piper was released.

She lurched forward, not wasting a second to look back. Sharp clicking noises on the pavement followed her. Tamara was in hot pursuit—no surprise there—but her high heels slowed her down.

“Thanks,” Piper said to Colin, and he nestled back into her arms.

Sprinting past Land Rovers never taken out of the city and sports cars used for driving to Starbucks, she followed the slope down and around and around until she ran out of parking garage to run through. There was no more down to go. No doors, no hiding spots, no exits.

Her head whipped back and forth, breaths coming in panicked gasps. Footsteps approached, pounding on the pavement, closing in on her. Backing toward the farthermost, darkest corner, she did the only thing she could do: hide. She inched back until she hit the wall and squeezed in front of a car bumper.

Remembering the phone in her bra, she pulled it out to call the cops. But there was no reception; she was too far underground. She held the phone in the air, angling it this way and that, but it was no good. Sighing, she tucked it back into her bra.

Piper closed her eyes, willing her heartbeat to slow. It banged in her ears like a drum, and she wondered if her pursuers could hear it too. Exhausted, she let her head fall against the wall with a thump. She waited, unable to do anything but cower there until they found her. Some Supergirl she was.

For once, Colin remained quiet and cooperative in her arms, as if he understood the urgency of the situation and could sense the anxiety leaking from Piper. He gave her an encouraging lick on her hand as they waited in silence. She scratched him behind the ears, needing the comfort and contact. They were in this together.

Voices were getting closer, clearer. The hollow responses chiming in on the two-way radios echoed off concrete walls. Piper opened her eyes, preparing herself for flight or fight, and stared at the car in front of her.

Half of the bumper was missing, and scratches marred the length of the driver’s side. One headlight dangled from wires. She frowned at it. It was a Prius.

The sight nudged her brain with a mental foot, trying to wake it up. Her poor, frightened brain struggled to put the pieces together. She wanted to smack her head against the pavement to see if that would help.

The date at the Dog and Bone came rushing back to her, that night when she’d been inches away from kissing the grill of a car. An electric car, she realized, remembering the high-pitched whine of the engine as it had sped toward her. A Prius was a hybrid.

Piper scrambled away from the car as though it would come to life and squish her against the concrete wall. A wave of Piper panino flashbacks flitted through her mind.

The day after the fire, Tamara had shown up at the center in Aiden’s BMW. He’d said he’d loaned it to her because her car needed to go into the shop. She drove a Prius. This was her car.

Officer Tucker said Tamara was held up at work the night of their date. That must have meant Aiden had helped her cover it up. But why? And did he know she was dangerous? Maybe he was just as diabolical as she was.

Piper hit the ground with her fist, pebbles biting into her hand. Was the whole company out to get her?

She peeked over the dented hood of the car and saw blue guard uniforms approach, followed by a lot of people in ties and white dress shirts. She shrank behind the car and cradled Colin close, thinking this was what badgers must have felt like in their holes when hunted by dachshunds.

Somewhere nearby, tires squealed, the echo carrying through the parking garage. An engine revved angrily, growling like a lion inside a cave.

“Stop!” someone yelled.

But the engine grew louder. There was yelling and more screeching tires. Piper dared to crawl around the side of the car and peer out.

Addison’s convertible power-slid around the tight bend. The suits and security guards dove out of the way, rolling toward the safety of parked cars on either side. That’s when Addison saw the dead end ahead.

Her eyes widened.

“Look out!” Zoe screamed.

Addison slammed on the brakes. Rubber skidded. She looked back over her shoulder and threw the car in reverse, pulling into a space to turn it around.

Scrambling to her feet, Piper popped out and chased after her friends. Zoe noticed her first and told Addison to stop.

“Get in!” Zoe yelled.

Piper plunked Colin onto the backseat. She dove into the back of the car in a way that would make Supergirl proud. The moment Piper’s butt hit the leather, Addison stomped on the gas, peeling out of the space.

By this time, the security guards had collected themselves and converged. But as the car blew by, they leapt out of the way again. The three friends drove ’round and around the parking garage, climbing closer to safety.

Around the next bend, they passed Tamara. She hissed and dove for the car.

Addison swerved. The PA’s hand grazed the door handle, but her nails scraped along the paint, unable to find a grip. There was an oof as she landed hard on the pavement behind them.

When they reached the ground floor, the exit came into view. A plastic arm blocked their way out. Addison let off the gas. The attendant stepped out of his booth, looking curiously at the three of them, pausing on Piper’s Supergirl costume.

“Do you think they’ll validate our parking?” Zoe asked dryly.

“I bet Charlie’s Angels never had to pay for parking,” Addison said.

Piper heard the click of oxfords on concrete behind the car. She turned to find Aiden closing in on them.

“Piper!” Aiden called between panted breaths. “Please, can’t we just talk about this?”

At the sound of his voice, Colin jumped up and leaned his front paws against the backrest to say hello. For once, his danger radar was way off. How could he not realize that Aiden was the biggest monster of them all?

“Why?” Piper said. “So you can pay me off? Shut me up? Maybe try to run me over with another car?” She heard her voice crack, and she clenched her teeth against the tears threatening to spill down her face.

He threw his hands up. “What are you talking about?”

“Save it. I’ve already seen Tamara’s car.”

He looked honestly confused, but there was too much evidence stacked against him. She wasn’t about to listen to his excuses.

Addison argued with the parking attendant to let them through, throwing him every coin she had jingling in the bottom of her purse. But he kept insisting she return to a pay station.

Finally catching up to them, Aiden moved around the side of the car. “Piper, please …”