Page 59 of Vampires and Violas

“You’ll have to wait for later this week.” Noah presses a hand to my back and guides me up the stairs. “Call me in the morning, and we’ll reschedule.”

“Mr. York, forgive me, but it’s a pressing matter.” When she realizes Noah has no intention of talking to her tonight, she adds, “You’ve been looking for us for a good month. Now we’re trying to set up a meeting with you, and you walk away?”

Noah stops abruptly, nearly missing the next step. He turns back. “Are you saying your boss was working with Reid?”

“Working with?” She laughs softly, and even it matches the rest of her—feminine, cultured. “That’s one way to put it. I’ll be happy to go over it in detail…if you join us tonight.”

I feel Noah’s indecision, but finally, he says, “All right.”

“Noah!” I exclaim.

He turns to look at me. “Go inside, lock the doors. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Larissa turns her attention to me, frowning slightly. “Just between you and me, Miss Edwards might be safer with us.”

“What does that mean?” Noah demands.

The woman shrugs, possibly bluffing. But it’s impossible to know.

“Tell me, or we’re not leaving,” Noah presses.

She sighs. “You’re asking me a question I cannot answer. All I know is I saw someone watching the house earlier. They ran off when I pulled in.”

Well, great. Now what?

“I’d rather come with you anyway,” I whisper to Noah.

He looks down at me, his jaw tight. After several long seconds of indecision, he jerks his head in a nod. “All right. Let’s go.”

13

Larissa opensthe back door of her car, gesturing for us to get in.

But that’s one of the first things you learn as a kid—don’t get in a car with strangers. And Noah isn’t having it.

“We’ll follow you,” he says.

The elegant vampire looks like she wants to roll her eyes, but she shuts the door with a curt nod.

As soon as we’re following her out of the drive, Noah calls Cassian. When the vampire answers, he says, “Piper and I are going with Larissa to meet her boss.”

“Piper’s with you?” Cassian asks through the vehicle’s speakers, startled.

“Larissa said someone’s been watching the house. I didn’t know how far away you were, and I wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone.”

“I’m home. I didn’t have business in Glenwood today.”

“Piper will send you an invitation to join our circle so you can track us. As soon as we stop, call Daniel and give him our location.”

I do as Noah instructs, pulling up the family location app so I can add Cassian to our circle.

“I just got the notification,” Cassian tells us. “Are you armed?”

“Yeah, but they might search me when we get there.”

“You know there’s a good chance you’re walking into a trap,” Cassian points out.

“That’s why I’m calling you. I need to go. You downloaded the app and all that?”

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