Page 122 of Blood and Buttercups

“Thanks for rescuing us,” I say.

“Which hospital are we going to?” Olivia asks.

“We’re going to Cassian’s vacation home in Aspen.”

“Fancy,” Olivia mutters.

“So, you work for Cassian?” I ask Carlos.

“Nah, but I work with NIHA often, and he called in a favor. Wanted someone on site in case you two needed medical attention.”

“A considerate arsonist,” I breathe out a laugh, overwhelmed.

Olivia makes a strange noise. When I glance over, I see she’s turned her head and is looking at the wall behind us. But she wipes her eyes with her hands, telling me she’s not interested in the strange medical instruments.

“Hey,” I say softly, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. “You okay?”

Carlos decides it’s a good time to leave, and he escapes to the empty passenger seat.

She looks back, her face red and her eyes wet. “I’m fine. It was just…”

“Scary?”

She nods, and a fresh wave of tears makes her duck her face into her hands. “The hot stone massage was really nice though.”

I laugh even as my eyes grow misty. “We’ll get real massages after this is all over. You can book with Alessio.”

“Poor Alessio,” she says with a sigh, lowering her hands. “He used to be the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on.”

I frown. “He’s not anymore?”

She lifts a brow, giving me a look. I’ve known her long enough to decipher it.

“No.” I shake my head. “You’re not having those thoughts about a vampire. Especially not a vampire asvampireyas Cassian.”

“That’s not a word.”

“I don’t care.”

She lowers her voice and leans in. “I didn’t say I want to marry him and have his vampire babies. I just think he’s hot.”

“Vampires can’t have babies.”

“Small detail.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

“Thank you for facing Ethan for me,” she whispers, changing the subject. “I know that had to have been really hard.”

I exhale my lingering tension, reminding my body I’m now safe when it tries to go into panic mode again. “It’s okay. It was the only way to figure out where he was keeping you.”

“Do you think Cassian and Noah will be okay?” she whispers, her voice small.

“It sounds like they do this sort of thing all the time,” I say, reassuring her and myself. “They’ll be fine.”

She nods, and I turn my eyes toward the back window, fervently hoping my words will prove true.

Cassian’s homemakes Ethan’s place look like the help’s bunkhouse.

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