Page 114 of Vampires and Violas

“Go ahead and take it,” I say wryly, leaning close to see the phone.

“I need to call Cassian back.” Noah closes the location app and pulls up my contacts. A few seconds later, he says to the vampire, “Are you in the mood for a car chase?”

The law authoritieshave arrived by the time Cassian shows up at the house. It’s probably not a good sign the vampire is already back.

Noah talks to Officer Kerrington, a policeman I’m getting to know well thanks to Ethan and his thugs. Sheriff Thompson and a few others are out near the mailbox where Noah was attacked,looking through the shrubs with their flashlights and probably trampling my flowers.

A paramedic examines my arm, nodding to herself. “He barely got you, but the skin is broken. I agree with Mr. York. You might have been reinfected.”

“Great.” I sigh, not happy—but not quite as shaken about becoming a second-stage vampire as I was a first.

Cassian comes over when she’s finished. “How are you holding up?”

“Okay, I guess. Noah says it was the guy who locked Colin in the closet.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“I thought we’d be done with this now that Ethan’s in prison.”

“He has a lot of men.”

“What’s the point of infecting me now, though?”

“If I were to take a guess? So, you’ll still be alive when Ethan gets out of prison, and you two can live your happy vampire lives together.”

I groan, settling my face into my hands.

Noah joins us. “Did Cassian tell you he found my phone?”

“Where was it?” I ask.

“They tossed it in the weeds off the side of the road about fifteen minutes from here,” Cassian answers.

“They must have figured out we could track it.”

Noah nods, returning my phone to me. “You got a call from your mom.”

I glance at the screen. “Just now? It’s after midnight.”

“Yeah, a few minutes ago.”

“Great. I had better?—”

The phone rings again, cutting me off. And yep—it’s Mom.

“What is going on over there?” she demands the second I answer the call. “Piper, are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?” I say, not wanting to go into all this with her tonight.

“Because my friend Alisha just called. Her husband was driving home late from work and went by your house, and there are a bunch of cops there.”

“Oh, that,” I hedge. “It’s not a bunch. Probably four, maybe five cars.”

“Piper!”

“Okay, listen. A group of guys attacked Noah when he went out to check the mail for me, and one broke into the house. Noah took care of it.” The line goes completely silent, and I’m a little worried she passed out. “Are you still there?”

“Are you okay?”

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