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He’s big, as a thug should be, with a thick neck that I’m sure makes him the envy of his thug friends. The other is almost as stout, but not as tall. His neck isn’t as wide, either, which makes me think he probably has inferiority issues.

“What do you want?” Noah asks coolly.

“Our boss sent us to pick up the girl. He’s aware you’re holding her hostage. He’d hoped you’d be reasonable and back off as soon as he had you moved to a different pre-vamp, but it seems you’re persistent.”

The guy with the thick neck is the one who gets to talk, proving my theory about thugs and their power dynamics.

“I’m not holding her hostage,” Noah says. “Piper is renting me a room, so I live here now. And if you attempt to remove her from this residence,Iwill removeyou.”

Noah sounds so calm, so authoritative.

So hot.

Get a grip, Piper.Now isn’t the time to drool all over the hunter.

“The boss said you’d resist, and that’s why he’s prepared to make you an offer,” Big Neck says.

“There’s nothing he can offer that I want.”

The silent thug lifts a briefcase, flipping open the latches and revealing a whole lot of cash.

I gasp a little, realizing I’ve landed back in the mobster movie. How much money is in the briefcase?

“Two hundred thousand,” the head thug says, as if answering me. “Or the car. The boss said you could have either.”

Oh. My. Goodness.

“Both are an insult, and you know it,” Noah responds. “I’m not handing over Piper, and I certainly wouldn’t do it for that.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. York,” the man says. “How about you take the cashandthe car?”

I almost expect him to be talking in a Jersey accent, but we’re in Colorado, so he has no accent whatsoever. Which is disappointing, frankly.

“No deal,” Noah says. “Please leave.”

“Our boss doesn’t want us to resort to violence,” the lead thug says. “So, I’d like you to reconsider our offer.”

“Piper,” a voice urgently whispers from the window.

I jump in my seat, barely holding back a scream. My heart hammering against my ribs, I twist under the seatbelt and findmy brother crouched just outside my door, blocked from the porch’s view by the thick shadows.

“What theheckis going on?” Max demands.

Except, you know, he doesn’t say heck.

“My vampire stalker sent those two guys to collect me,” I hiss quietly. “They’re trying to pay Noah off with two hundred thousand dollars and Ethan’s Lamborghini.”

He stares at me blankly, incredulous, and then the briefest flicker of humor passes over his face. “Can I turn you in instead?”

“Max!”

“I’mjoking. Come on, get out,” he says urgently. “I’m parked around the side, and I don’t think they know I’m here.”

“What about Noah?”

The words are barely out of my mouth before I hear a muffled yell and then agunshot.

“Piper,now,” Max hisses. “You have to get out of here!”