Page 57 of Hunters and Hydrangeas

I look down and realize it’s been twenty minutes since he left.

She leaves the table and tries to call him. After several seconds, she says, “He’s not answering.”

“Should you check on him?”

“I can’t leave you alone.” She frowns, looking worried. “I’ll ask one of the night guards to look for him.”

I almost point out that there are guards at all the entrances, so I’m probably safe even without a personal babysitter, but she looks stressed, so I keep my mouth shut.

Several minutes later, a man in a uniform enters the room. He’s middle-aged. Since he has a bit of a belly, he’s probably not a final-stage vampire—though you’d think they’d put him on day duty since they most likely have plenty of candidates for the night watch. “I didn’t see any sign of him, Erin.”

The hunter swears under her breath and glances out the door.

“Go ahead,” I say. “I’ll stay here.”

“Do you mind hanging out with Piper for a few minutes, Jerod?” Erin asks the guard.

“That’s fine,” he assures her.

As soon as she’s gone, he turns to me, looking mildly uncomfortable. “Hi.”

“Hey,” I say.

He clears his throat and turns toward the door, a man of few words.

About the time I start thinking Erin has been gone too long, I hear voices in the hall.

“Stay here,” Jerod commands, lifting his gun and leaving the room.

A few seconds later, he hollers, and a gunshot echoes through the hall. I yelp, stumbling back, but there’s nowhere to run.

While I’m looking for an escape, there’s a muffled thud that sounds a lot like a body hitting the carpeted floor. And then…

Ethan enters the room.

He’s not alone—Sam is with him. The assassin’s face is void of emotion as he follows his boss.

“Piper,” Ethan exclaims, looking relieved. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”

I blink at the crazy vampire. “What?”

“I know they were using you to track me. I discovered they were holding you, so after I lost the hunters, I hurried over here.”

I glance at Sam, unsure how to respond. He, too, has spent time in prison since we last met. With his full sleeves of tattoos and street-fighter build, I imagine he fit right in. He probably took control of the place and reigned over the other inmates like a king—you know, until he decided to ditch the place and head to the Sunshine State.

Sam acknowledges me with a nod of his head, looking tired. Like maybe this assassin thing is starting to wear on him.

“We’ve come to get you,” Ethan continues, sounding like he legitimately thinks he’s some kind of hero. “I won’t continue to let them use you in an attempt to get to me.”

“What did you do to Adam and Erin?” I demand. “And the guard?”

“I took care of them,” Sam answers.

“Took care of them? Does that mean youkilledthem?”

He gives me a smile—the type that looks genuinely friendly but is obviously not, considering his profession and boss. “I knocked them unconscious. They’ll be fine.”

“Let’s go, Piper,” Ethan says. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste.”

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