Page 21

“You could hide anywhere in the world, Alfred.” Noah’s voice is deceptively calm as he pulls me to a stop at a safe distance from the vampire. “Why did you choose Miami of all places?”

“I’m not hiding.” Alfred pushes away from the door, frowning slightly as he runs his eyes over me. “I’m buying a hotel.”

“We’re looking for Sophia Barrington,” Noah says, cutting to the chase. “Word has it you’re dating the woman she was last seen with.”

Alfred smiles like he thinks the entire world is beneath him. “A woman I’m dating? You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Wow, way to live up to your stereotype.

Noah cocks his head slightly to the side, his eyes narrowing in a way that makes me want to call Cassian and warn him there’s going to be trouble. “Larissa Valentine.”

“Ah, Larissa,” Alfred answers. “Nice girl—though a bit stabby.”

“And yet you’re still alive.”

“A miracle,” he says dryly.

“Any idea where she is?”

“Larissa?” Alfred says, like he’s already forgotten we were talking about her. “I can’t say. I haven’t seen her in ages.”

“Do you know how to get ahold of her?”

“I probably have her phone number somewhere.”

“Mind calling her for me? I’d love to get in touch.”

Alfred laughs. “Sure, Montgomery. Anything to help a NIHA official. Congrats on the promotion, by the way. Last I heard, you were knocked down to the nursery, and now here you are, rubbing elbows at the top of the department.” He winks. “Must be nice to have a prince as a bestie, am I right?”

This man is so smarmy; I feel like I need to take another shower.

Noah rolls his eyes. “Cut the crap and make the call.”

Alfred shrugs and opens his phone. He scrolls for a few seconds, and then he gives us an exaggerated sad face. “I’d love to help you, but it looks like I deleted her number. Broken heart and all.”

Noah isn’t amused. “You’re not being very helpful, Alfred.”

“Yeah, shucks. Looks like you hit another dead end. Must be frustrating to be so bad at your job—but I guess that’s what happens when you ride someone’s coattails to the top.

” Pocketing his phone, he makes to pass us.

“Best of luck finding Sophia. You’ll need it, seeing as how the nominations are in just a few days. ”

Before he passes, Noah releases my hand. One minute, Alfred is wearing a cocky smile and walking away with a swagger. The next, he’s pinned against the wall between a cheerful light sconce and a table holding a vase that probably came from a discount warehouse in China.

“I didn’t mention the nominations,” Noah says coolly, pressing the tip of a stake to the vampire’s chest.

I don’t even know where he was hiding the weapon.

The humor has leeched from Alfred’s face. “Do you have any idea how short your life will be if you kill a son of the Staulington line?”

“Do you have any idea how much I don’t give a crap? Where’s Sophia?”

“No? Well, maybe you give a crap about your girl. She’s the pre-vamp Ethan was so enamored with, isn’t she?

Although she’s not a pre-vamp anymore. Gerald will be very interested once he finds out Cassian’s pet is one of his.

” He smiles like a snake. “Get off me, and I might do you a favor and not tell him.”

“Piper is Cassian’s.” Noah shoves the stake closer, making the vampire wince.

Alfred’s gaze cuts over to me again, confused by Noah’s confident answer. “Not from where I’m standing.”

It occurs to me that Alfred is old enough to read my line, which isn’t terribly helpful right now.

“Sam is from the Sorin line,” I quietly admit to Noah. “He’s not one of Sophia’s. Cassian told me last night.”

Still holding Alfred against the wall, Noah half turns his head to look at me. “Sorin?”

“That’s right,” Alfred answers for me. “Gerald’s line.”

“What would Gerald want with her?” Noah demands.

Alfred’s eyebrows fly up, and then he laughs, abundantly amused that we’re missing something.

Noah yanks him forward and then slams him against the wall. “Tell me.”

Someone is going to call the front desk any minute.

Alfred grins. “You really are bad at your job.”

“Sophia was working for Gerald, wasn’t she?” Noah snarls. “He hired her, and he’s the one trying to keep Cassian off the throne.”

“Congratulations,” Alfred says condescendingly. “You almost figured it out on your own.”

“How are you involved?”

“I merely have bad taste in women. What can I say? I like them deadly and emotionally unavailable. Larissa fit the bill.”

“How is Larissa involved? Isn’t she estranged from her house?”

“Listen, I’d love to continue this conversation, but I’m finding it difficult to breathe with that stake pressing into my ribs.

How about we meet tonight? I’ll give you a tour of my yacht—it’s new, you know.

I worked with Traejen personally for a custom build.

It cost a fortune, and it took a full year of negotiations, but I secured everything I wanted. ”

“Good for you,” Noah says dryly.

“So, what do you say? Eight o’clock? I’ll have my people send your people the address.”

“What’s going to keep you from skipping town?”

“We both know you’ll have someone tailing me the second I leave the hotel. In fact, you probably have them on the line now.” He gestures toward Noah’s pocket. “Hello, Cassian.”

“Alfred,” Cassian says from Noah’s pocket, making me jump. Sure enough, Noah had him on speakerphone, just as he did when Sam ambushed us. It’s a handy trick.

“Eight o’clock,” Noah confirms, lowering the stake and stepping back, partially blocking me.

“Be sure to bring your girl.” Alfred nods my way as he passes me, heading for the elevators. “Let’s keep NIHA out of it, though, all right? The fewer people who know what line she belongs to, the better. News travels so fast after all—I swear vampires are the biggest gossips.”

Unsettled, I watch him walk down the hall and eventually disappear into an elevator.

As soon as he’s gone, Noah turns his attention to his phone. “When, exactly, were you going to tell me Piper belongs to House Sorin?”

“About the time I successfully transferred her into my house,” Cassian answers, unrepentant.

“Where are you?” Noah growls.

“Main level, near the elevators.”

“Don’t let him disappear.”

“I don’t intend to.”

Noah ends the call with a little more force than necessary, and then he turns to me, scowling.

“So, how bad is it that I belong to House Sorin? Cassian wouldn’t tell me.”

“It’s bad.”

“You’re being evasive too. How bad is bad?”

“Gerald holds your life in his hands. He can kill you on a whim, and all he has to say is you went rogue. There’s not a single thing Cassian or anyone else could do about it, besides start a small-scale house war.”

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. “I mean, you’re right. That sounds bad.”

“If Alfred wasn’t bluffing, and Gerald is truly the one who’s been trying to keep Cassian off the throne, this is about the worst news we could receive.”

“Because they can manipulate him with me?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“You know, this might be the reason Cassian wanted me to stay home.”

Noah closes his eyes, looking like he wants to murder someone—and I’m not sure he’s particular about whom. After several seconds, he exhales a controlled breath. “There’s also a chance you’re the reason Cassian suddenly decided he wants to be archduke.”

“Me?” I ask, startled. “Why?”

“Because if he’s crowned, he would have the power to legally adopt you into his line.”

And just like that, everything clicks into place.

I feel the blood rush from my cheeks. “Are you serious? Cassian suddenly decided to become archduke because of me ?”

“He’s a loyal vampire.”

“But that means that this thing with Sophia is my fault.”

“None of this is your fault.”

“Is it even safe to join Alfred on his very expensive, custom-built yacht tonight?”

“No. But we don’t have a choice, and he knows it. He took one look at you and realized he has leverage.”

“What if he dumps us into the ocean?”

“Can you swim?”

“Not that well!”

“It’ll be fine. Alfred is an opportunist—he cozies up to whoever he thinks is the most powerful. It’s possible he’s about to change sides.”

“To Cassian, you mean?”

Noah nods.

“Or it’s a trap, and he’s going to kill us all.”

“Or that.”

I groan, rubbing my neck. “Now what?”

“Now we’re going to drive down to NIHA and make use of their training room. You need a self-defense refresher course.”

“No, thanks.” I pull a face. “Come to think of it, I have an impressive backstroke. I’ll take my chances with the sharks.”

Noah laughs, shaking his head like I’m ridiculous. “It won’t be that bad. This time, I’m going to show you how to use a special tool.”

I’m not sure I like the sound of that.

“What kind of special tool?” I ask.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Will you stop saying that?”

He drops his arm around my shoulders. “You’ll be fine.”

My special tool is a set of slim, needle-like hair pins laced with a sedative that’s strong enough to take out a fully grown African elephant…

or one average-sized vampire. I have four, and thanks to Noah, I know how to use them.

The tricky part will be pulling them out of my hair without stabbing myself.

Noah stands in front of me in NIHA’s padded training room. “What do you do if someone tries to abduct you?”

“I stab them,” I parrot obediently.

We’ve been over this a dozen times already.

“And if someone tries to hurt you?”

“I stab them.”

“What if someone tries to bite you again?”

“I stab them really hard. Maybe with more than one hair pin.”

He smiles. “You got it.”

I slowly exhale, looking around the room, my eyes landing on a stand of practice stakes. I wonder if they’re hiding a dead pig around here somewhere. “Now what?”

“Now, we need to buy you something to wear tonight.”

“It’s my first yacht party.” I pull out my phone, looking for local discount stores. “What do you think I should get?”

Glancing at my screen over my shoulder, Noah chuckles. “How about you let me choose the store?”

I narrow my eyes and turn my head to look at him. “And by you, you mean Cassian, right?”

He smiles. “Obviously.”