Page 17

Noah hired babysitters to keep an eye on me.

Okay, not really, but there are a couple hunters here at the office with me, along with what appear to be the regular night guards.

Erin is Asian, with long black hair pulled back in a braid. Her skin is flawless, making me think she’s either a vampire or was blessed with amazing genes. She’s not very tall, but there’s a gun on her hip, and she looks like the type who might have a few knives hidden away.

You know those girls in the urban fantasy shows who kick butt? The kind I told Noah I am most definitely not? Erin is that girl. She’s intimidating, but so far, she’s been nice.

My other guard, Adam, is well over six feet tall and approximately three hundred pounds of muscle. He looks like he lifts cars in his spare time, one-handed, while on the phone.

I feel very safe.

And also very bored.

If Noah was going to assign hunter bodyguards, couldn’t we have stayed at the hotel?

Erin sips tea in the break room, scrolling through her phone.

Adam paces, checking the hall every few minutes, looking like he’s hoping for some kind of action.

I’m on a couch that’s not very comfortable, waiting for Olivia to text me back.

I was hoping she was going to entertain me for the next two hours, but Max must be over now because she’s not answering.

“So,” I say to my companions, needing to break the silence. “How’d you end up in Miami?”

Adam looks over. “I grew up just south of Fort Lauderdale.”

“I relocated here after my training,” Erin says. “The city is so hot, they have trouble keeping hunters here. But I’m not a vampire, so I don’t mind it. And the pay is higher than in Minnesota.”

“You’re not a vampire?”

She shakes her head. “Not even a pre-vamp.”

“And she’s been in the business for five years,” Adam says, his voice thick with admiration.

“That’s impressive. Cassian said becoming infected is almost inevitable.” I take a seat next to Erin at the table. “How did you guys end up working for NIHA?”

“I was on a date.” Adam joins us, choosing the chair across from me. “It was going well—a little too well. Next thing I know, I’m a first-stage pre-vamp. I found out I could become a vampire hunter, and here I am.”

“I was also bitten on a first date,” I say.

Erin sets her phone down, giving us her full attention. “It happens a lot.”

“What about you?” I ask her. “How did you become a hunter?”

“My uncle is a NIHA doctor. I thought about joining the police force after high school, but he took me aside and suggested I do this instead.”

“Do you like it?”

“Hunting rogue vampires?” She grins. “Absolutely.”

“Paperwork sucks, though,” Adam says, and Erin agrees.

“How’d you end up with Cassian as your honorary conservator?” Erin asks. “He doesn’t even work for NIHA.”

“Montgomery was assigned to me first,” I answer, using Noah’s first name. “But one thing led to another, and here we are.”

Adam leans back in his chair, balancing on the back two legs. “Word has it he’s going to be nominated.”

“That’s this week, isn’t it?” Erin asks.

Adam nods. “In just a few days.”

They look at me expectantly.

“I don’t know much about it,” I admit when I realize they’re hoping for gossip. “I’m not even sure if I get a vote. I just entered the final stage a few weeks ago.”

“Oh, we don’t get to vote,” Adam laughs. “Only the heads of the houses get a say in the matter.”

“If there’s no duke right now, who’s running all this?”

“Duncan stepped forward and volunteered to head up a committee,” Erin says.

“Duncan, the previous duke before Etienne?”

“That’s right. His wife is on the committee with him. They chose Jorgen of House Hansen and Yvette of House Fontaine to join them.”

Adam stands. “I’m going to check the soda machines down by bookkeeping. You guys want anything?”

“I’m good,” Erin says. “Hurry, though.”

“I won’t be long.”

Erin and I fall into a companionable silence when he leaves, both of us distracted by our devices.

I’m already bored out of my mind, and I’ve only been here for thirty minutes. I hope this doesn’t take all night.

I’m halfway through another episode of a show when Erin says, “Adam should be back by now.”

I look down and realize it’s been twenty minutes since he left.

She leaves the table and tries to call him. After several seconds, she says, “He’s not answering.”

“Should you check on him?”

“I can’t leave you alone.” She frowns, looking worried. “I’ll ask one of the night guards to look for him.”

I almost point out that there are guards at all the entrances, so I’m probably safe even without a personal babysitter, but she looks stressed, so I keep my mouth shut.

Several minutes later, a man in a uniform enters the room.

He’s middle-aged. Since he has a bit of a belly, he’s probably not a final-stage vampire—though you’d think they’d put him on day duty since they most likely have plenty of candidates for the night watch. “I didn’t see any sign of him, Erin.”

The hunter swears under her breath and glances out the door.

“Go ahead,” I say. “I’ll stay here.”

“Do you mind hanging out with Piper for a few minutes, Jerod?” Erin asks the guard.

“That’s fine,” he assures her.

As soon as she’s gone, he turns to me, looking mildly uncomfortable. “Hi.”

“Hey,” I say.

He clears his throat and turns toward the door, a man of few words.

About the time I start thinking Erin has been gone too long, I hear voices in the hall.

“Stay here,” Jerod commands, lifting his gun and leaving the room.

A few seconds later, he hollers, and a gunshot echoes through the hall. I yelp, stumbling back, but there’s nowhere to run.

While I’m looking for an escape, there’s a muffled thud that sounds a lot like a body hitting the carpeted floor. And then…

Ethan enters the room.

He’s not alone—Sam is with him. The assassin’s face is void of emotion as he follows his boss.

“Piper,” Ethan exclaims, looking relieved. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”

I blink at the crazy vampire. “What?”

“I know they were using you to track me. I discovered they were holding you, so after I lost the hunters, I hurried over here.”

I glance at Sam, unsure how to respond. He, too, has spent time in prison since we last met.

With his full sleeves of tattoos and street-fighter build, I imagine he fit right in.

He probably took control of the place and reigned over the other inmates like a king—you know, until he decided to ditch the place and head to the Sunshine State.

Sam acknowledges me with a nod of his head, looking tired. Like maybe this assassin thing is starting to wear on him.

“We’ve come to get you,” Ethan continues, sounding like he legitimately thinks he’s some kind of hero. “I won’t continue to let them use you in an attempt to get to me.”

“What did you do to Adam and Erin?” I demand. “And the guard?”

“I took care of them,” Sam answers.

“Took care of them? Does that mean you killed them?”

He gives me a smile—the type that looks genuinely friendly but is obviously not, considering his profession and boss. “I knocked them unconscious. They’ll be fine.”

“Let’s go, Piper,” Ethan says. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste.”

“How did you even know I was here?” I demand, not budging.

“I put a tracking device in your purse earlier.”

“You did what ?”

Ethan frowns like he can’t understand why I’m not following him out of the building like a good little vampire lamb. “A tracking device. You can put them on keys or electronics—any object you don’t want to lose, really. The only downside is you need to be close to other cell phones in order to?—”

“I’m an object you don’t want to lose?” I interrupt, my voice weirdly calm despite the anger building inside me.

Ethan laughs, unaware of the storm brewing. “My most prized possession.”

I huff out a breath, shaking a little. All my anger, my fear, and my rage bubbles to the surface, escaping from whatever locked box I’ve been keeping them in.

“I’m not a possession, Ethan!” I suddenly yell, startling even myself. “I’m not a thing to collect!”

Startled, Ethan’s eyes fly wide. Quickly, he collects himself and then sighs like I’m being a troublesome female. In a tone that’s both patronizing and too soothing, he says, “I suppose I phrased that badly. Just come with me, and we’ll figure this all out?—”

“I’m not going anywhere with you—not now, not ever. Noah and Cassian didn’t hold me hostage. Tracking you was my idea.”

Ethan works his jaw, and I can see how he’s trying to twist my words to mean something else. He keeps doing that—placing me on a pedestal, pretending I haven’t shown him repeatedly that I don’t want to have anything to do with him.

“Let me make this very clear,” I say. “We are not together, and we will never be together. You stole everything from me—my freedom, my humanity. I can’t even eat a cucumber.

” I clench my fists at my side, tears welling in my eyes.

“And donuts, Ethan! You took donuts from me. What kind of monster does that? I have to drink blood, eat steaks, and I’m freaking teething at twenty-eight years old!

I’ll never be a mom or have a real family of my own. And I miss sunshine. ”

I hiccup past a sob.

“You’ve ruined my life,” I finish in an angry, shaking whisper.

“Piper.” Ethan’s losing his composure. His eye twitches, and he stands a little taller. “I understand you’re upset, but we’re going to get through this adjustment period together, my love?—”

“Don’t call me that,” I snarl. “You have no idea what love is. You don’t love me, and I certainly don’t love you.”

The words hit him just as hard as I intend, and his face contorts into something ugly. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” I swear. “I don’t want to see you again. I don’t want you to call me or show up out of the blue. We’re done. More than done—we never even started.”

“That’s enough ,” he finally snaps. “I understand you’ve had a traumatic day, but once you come to your senses, you will realize how ungrateful you’re acting.”