Page 100 of Blood and Buttercups

He makes a face, and then he shrugs. “All things considered, it could be worse.”

“You want something?” I ask him.

“Yeah, but I’ll grab it.”

Nodding, I take Noah’s sparkling water and Cassian’s iced broth into the living room.

“There’s no way Reid is involved,” Noah argues, already in a heated conversation with Cassian. “He started working for NIHA long before I became a hunter.”

“I’ve been watching him since they sent you here, and I tell you—he’s behind this. He even signed the paperwork for your demotion.”

“He might have signed off on it, but those orders came from higher up.”

“Theydidn’t, Noah,” Cassian says forcefully. “I’ve talked to people.”

“No one is going to admit they’re involved with something unsavory. You said Reid is using me as a scapegoat, but for all we know, whoever is actually behind this might be usingReid.”

Cassian’s eyes move to me when I offer him his iced broth. “Thank you.”

“Would you like a straw?”

“This is fine.”

“I didn’t know if your fangs would…” I gesture to my mouth. “Bump the glass or something.”

His lips twitch. “I’ll be careful.”

I turn to Noah, widening my eyes as I offer him the water, letting him know how incredibly awkward this situation is. He’s tense, but a smile ghosts across his face.

Our fingers brush when he takes the glass, and I remember what we were doing before a couple of vampire thugs showed up on my front porch. It seems like forever ago we stood in the movie theater parking lot, not kissing.

“Thank you, Piper,” Noah says, his honeyed eyes on mine.

His eyes really are incredible, and when he says my name, a pleasant thrill travels down my spine. I don’t care what Reid said. I’m not stupid enough to fall for a bad guy.

I mean…I’m not stupid enough to fall for a bad guyagain.

I sit on the couch next to Noah, bouncing my leg as I wait for Olivia.

“Hey, Pip,” Max calls. “Can you have coffee? You want me to make a pot?”

“Pip?” Noah asks, hiding a smile.

“Adopt it and die.”

“You think you can take me?” Noah grins now, turning his attention to me.

“Piper?” Max says impatiently.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Make it decaf.”

The caffeine addict grumbles, but I hear him filling the pot with water from the fridge filter.

“I did a little research on Piper’s case,” Cassian says, directing the conversation back. “From what I’ve gathered, she was turned by Ethan Brennan, a local real estate mogul who’s romantically interested and is now stalking her. But so far, he’s keeping his distance because he doesn’t want to draw NIHA's attention since he’s not in the system.”

“Researched? Or snooped through Reid’s notes after we left?” Noah asks.

“Does it matter?” Cassian looks highly unrepentant. He sits in the armchair, sipping his iced beef broth, at ease, one ankle resting over his knee. He reminds me of a cat—aloof, beautiful, with sharp eyes. Though he looks soft enough to pet, he’s definitely hiding claws.

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