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And I’m not happy.

Max is going to stay here tonight, but that’s only a short-term solution. I don’t know what we’re going to do.

“Just know if I get kidnapped, it’s on you,” I mutter into the phone, unable to help myself.

“I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

“Nothing. I gotta go. The doorbell just rang.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow, all right?”

“Yep.” I hang up the phone and meet Cassian just before he answers the door. “It’s late. Are you expecting someone?”

“Your new roommate.”

“Cassian!” I hiss, trying to keep my voice quiet so whoever is on the other side won’t hear me through the door. “That’s the sort of thing you need to run by mefirst.”

He brushes my concern away like it’s a stray piece of lint. “It’s fine.”

And then he opens the door.

Sophia stands on the welcome mat like a petite prom queen in white shorts and a cotton candy blouse, the handle to a pink-wheeled suitcase in her hand. She grins, and in her soft southern accent, she says, “I heard you need a bodyguard?”

22

I give Cassian an incredulous look.Sophiais his top choice?

Seriously?

“Uh, hi, Sophia,” I say while Cassian smiles like he’s brilliant. “Come on in?”

She rolls the suitcase inside. “This is so cute—kind of farmhouse chic. Did you ever watch that couple from Texas who had that remodel show? I can’t remember their names. Do they still do all that? Oh, look at that cute hall tree! And I love your floors. Are they original?”

She continues into the living room, and I turn on Cassian and whisper, “Have you lost your mind? She’s five-foot-one and probably weighs a hundred ten pounds soaking wet.”

“Sophia isn’t your bodyguard.” He looks amused at the idea, pondering the ridiculousness ofthatfor several seconds before he gestures through the open door.

Somehow, I missed that Sophia came in Larissa’s car. The posh vampire assistant walks up the steps, pulling her own suitcase.

“Good evening,” she says when she meets us. Whatever her opinions are on the situation, they’re locked behind her dark eyes.

“Welcome,” Cassian says, doing that pesky thing again where he acts like this is his house. Then he turns to me. “Piper,Larissawill be your bodyguard.”

My mouth opens because I know I’m supposed to respond, but I have nothing.

“She’s more than qualified,” he adds.

“I worked as an assassin for Archduke Nicolau for sixty-seven years,” she explains, her scarlet lips tipping in a smile like my surprise is humorous. “Until Duncan took the throne.”

“You were a…what now?”

“A hunter,” Cassian clarifies. “We don’t call them assassins anymore—has a negative connotation, don’t you think?” He turns his smile on Larissa. “Perhaps you missed the memo?”

She shrugs like she couldn’t care less what Cassian wants to call her.

“Okay, well. That’s cool.” I step out of the doorway so she can come into the house, even though I don’t like this one little bit. “How did you meet Sophia?”

“We have a mutual acquaintance.”