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“Am I allowed to help with that?” Cassian asks Noah as we walk down the hall. “I wouldn’t want to accidentally turn you into a vampire again.”

Noah rolls his eyes and then looks at me. “Did you call your parents yet?”

“No.”

At first, this seemed like the perfect solution, but I realized as Noah set up the bedframes that my parents probably won’t be excited that I invited two more vampires into my house, even if they are women.

But it’s too late now. What’s done is done.

“How long do you think we’ll have to make this arrangement work?” I ask.

“Only until we figure out who’s been watching the house and take care of them,” Noah answers.

“Larissa went out before they left and patrolled the area,” Cassian tells us. “She didn’t see anyone.”

“We’ll keep watching,” Noah says. “Eventually, we’ll catch them.”

My mind wanders to the night we found Ethan’s thugs waiting for us. I shiver at the memory, not eager to scrub any more blood off the porch.

Cassian gets a text. After he reads it, he sighs. “Piper, may I borrow your truck? Sophia says she bought too much, and they can’t fit it all in Larissa’s car.”

“I thought they were getting sheets?”

“Apparently, she decided the room was a little sparse and bought some furniture as well.” He pockets his phone. “I don’t know.”

There’s only one store open this time of night, and I can’t imagine it’s up to Sophia’s standards. But whatever.

“Yeah, let me get the keys,” I say. “Do you know how to drive a stick shift?”

“I was alive when they invented the stick shift.”

“Ah…right.” I grab the keys off the side table. “I’ll walk out with you. I need to get the mail.”

“The check still hasn’t shown up?” Noah asks.

I shake my head. “I’m afraid someone swiped it, but Beth claims no one has tried to cash it yet.”

“You should get one of the mailboxes with a lock. The carrier can slide the mail in, but you can’t access it without a key.”

“That’s a good idea. Maybe we can look for one this weekend?”

“Sure.” Noah steps outside with Cassian and me. “I’ll walk down with you since it’s dark.”

When I reach inside to flip on the porch light, nothing happens.

“I just changed that lightbulb.” Noah frowns at the fixture.

“Weird,” I say. “So much for them lasting two years.”

“Why don’t you wait here? I’ll grab the mail and be back. Lock the door, okay?”

“All right.” A little spooked because Noah’s tone is off, I close the door behind him and Cassian. A few minutes later, I hear the truck rumble out of the drive.

Just when I start to worry Noah is taking longer than he should be, he texts me.

Noah: Can you get the door? I forgot my keys.

I hurry to open it. “Did you see anyone?—”