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“What do you want?” Noah asks.

“I need to bite her—quick and easy. I’ll make it as painless as possible.”

“You already bit me.” I hold up my arm so he can see the scratch. It’s not very impressive, granted. But it did its job.

“Why?” Noah demands, not waiting to hear Sam’s answer. “Ethan is in jail. Why are you still after Piper?”

“Ethan’s in jail for a hundred years,” Sam explains. “If Piper remains a pre-vamp, she’ll pass away before he gets out. So, this was the backup—what he told me to do if anything should ever go wrong. Reinfect Piper, make sure she enters the final stage, and get rid of her annoying hunter friend.”

Holy crow—Cassian wasright.

“So they can be together when he gets out,” Hilo adds like we didn’t connect those dots on our own, his eyes softening like it’s romantic.

And it’s not. It’s really not.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” I say, my fear gradually giving way to irritation. “Ethan and I aren’t together—we were never together.We’re never going to be together.Why is this so hard for him—and you—to figure out?”

“Let me bite you, Piper,” Sam says calmly, ignoring everything I just said. “And agree to meet again in a couple months for another bite, and then I will leave you in peace. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like you’re not listening.”

“I’ll even keep my subscription—my grandmother loves the bouquets you’ve been putting together for me. I’ll even make sure all the guys sign up. Flowers foreveryone.”

That’s probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard a thug say. And I’ve been around a few now.

“Just one little bite,” he coaxes, like a dad trying to get his toddler to eat her dinner.

I point to my arm. “You already bit me.”

“I’m not convinced that was enough to spread the virus.”

“The sun is saying otherwise,” I snap, realizing I’m sweating—and not just because I’m scared to death.

Sam frowns at me. “You are looking a little sunburned.”

“You’re not touching her,” Noah says, tired of the conversation. “We’re leaving now. If you try to stop us, I’ll kill you.”

“You’re good.” Sam smiles like Noah was joking. “I will give you that. But you’re not one-to-eight good. Come on, Piper. Be reasonable.”

“Why would I cooperate when you said you’re going to kill Noah?” I demand.

Sam’s dark eyes lock on mine, and his eyebrow twitches. “Good point.”

Then he jerks his head, giving a silent signal, and his men attack.

26

One of thethugs grabs me from behind, and another goes after Noah. I try to remember what Noah taught me, but adrenaline makes me hazy, and mostly, I flail.

Noah grabs his assailant by the collar of his T-shirt and punches him hard enough the man’s head snaps back. Another thug comes at him as I’m being dragged away, and I scream, “Behind you!”

I jab my elbow into my attacker’s gut. He groans, doubling over, temporarily incapacitated. I jerk around, grab his shoulders for leverage, and kick him in the knee as hard as I can.

And he goes down.

“It worked!” I breathe, so startled I stand here gaping at him.

Which ends up being a mistake.