Blood and Buttercups (A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening #1)

Chapter 21

21

Noah takes several seconds to process that. Shaking his head, he steps closer to Cassian and lowers his voice. “You think Reid tampered with Piper’s file?”

Cassian glances back toward the police station doors. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere?”

“We can go back to my place.” I pause, frowning at Cassian. “Except, I don’t know if I should invite you in.”

He barks out a laugh. “That’s a myth. I can go wherever I please, invited or not.”

“Right.” I turn to Noah, raising my brows in question.

Though he doesn’t look like he likes it, he confirms it with a nod. “Let’s go.”

Noah and I end up riding with Max, and Cassian follows us. Finally deciding this isn’t some big hoax, Max has questions.

“What about garlic?” he asks when we’re almost back to the house.

“Myth,” Noah says. “All vampires lack the ability to properly digest vegetables, but warding your door with garlic is no more effective than warding it with broccoli.”

“And daylight?”

“Not a myth.”

“But NIHA scientists are working on medicine to counteract that, right?” I ask Noah.

He clears his throat, nodding. “Yeah.”

“Wooden stakes?” Max asks.

“True.”

“What about bullets?” I ask. “You held that thug at gunpoint. Would a bullet kill a vampire?”

“Vampires can regenerate flesh and bone, but the damage inflicted by a bullet to the brain is almost always fatal.”

“Ah,” I say, trying not to think about that too hard.

Max drums his fingers on the steering wheel. “And if you cut off a vampire’s head? Like in the movies?”

Wryly, Noah answers, “Nothing can survive that, save the rare case of a chicken in Fruita.”

“And do vampires only eat blood?”

“No, they need sustenance like other humans. The blood is a supplement, for lack of a better word. Most final-stage vampires need five to six ounces a day at the most.”

“What about water?”

“Yes, like all living creatures, vampires require water.”

“Do they sleep in coffins?” Max asks.

“ Max, ” I exclaim.

“There’s actually a funny story behind that myth,” Noah begins, and then he falls silent when we turn the corner and see several police cars still in front of my house.

Max pulls up to the front and parks. I follow Noah to the taped-off porch as Cassian navigates his sleek silver car around the police cruisers.

“We’re just about finished here,” an officer tells us. “We transported the body, but the tape will have to stay up for a few days.”

“Is it all right to be here?” I ask.

“It’s fine—just don’t cross the tape. I’m assuming you have a backdoor you can use?”

I nod, feeling a little numb. This is surreal.

“We’ll get the security footage from you tomorrow,” he continues. “I hope you have as pleasant an evening as possible.”

We thank him, and he turns away, ready to get home to his family, no doubt.

Max and Cassian join us. Together, we watch the officers finish up and then load into their cars, taking their evidence and chaos with them.

When the last set of red taillights pulls out of the drive, I breathe a heavy sigh of relief and turn toward the backyard. “Let’s go inside.”

Max pulls me aside in the mudroom as Cassian follows Noah down the hall and into the living room. “I think I should call Olivia. She’s gonna freak out if she finds out later.”

I know he’s right…but I’m not sure I want to introduce her to a final-stage vampire. After all, Olivia is adorable. What if Cassian decides she looks tasty?

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I jerk my head toward the main living area.

Max frowns. “Do you think that Cassian guy is dangerous?”

“Noah seems to think so. And, Max, he’s a vampire.”

“Yeah, but…so are you.”

“I’m not though,” I argue. “I’m like…larva stage.”

My brother wrinkles his nose. “That’s a gross analogy.”

“That’s basically what Noah said, too.” I pause, my brain feeling overloaded. I’m like a phone using too much memory, and I need to upload some of it to my cloud. And my cloud is Olivia.

Yeah, okay, my analogies aren’t the best.

“Go ahead and call Olivia,” I say. “She already knows about the vampire thing anyway.”

I leave Max in the mudroom and join Cassian and Noah in the living room. They’re standing, facing each other, talking in lowered whispers. Noah looks agitated, but they cut off abruptly as I enter the room.

“Is anyone thirsty?” I ask, playing hostess. Then I realize I’m entertaining a vampire. “For a beverage from the kitchen . Tea? Coffee? Blood smoothie?”

I laugh nervously.

“Do you have broth?” Cassian asks.

“Um.” My eyes dart to Noah. “Yes, actually. Beef broth okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Would you like it warm?”

What a stupid question. How else would you drink broth? No one is going to down it cold unless they’re a psychopath.

“On ice, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Well, that answers that.

“Noah?”

“Water is fine,” he says.

“Sparkling? Bottled?” I clear my throat. “Tap?”

I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Maybe because there are two stupidly handsome men in my living room—one who hunts vampires for a living and another who eats humans for a living.

Okay, that’s an overreaction. Noah said Cassian supports medical research to help vampires and their pre-vamp cousins live regular lives. He’s not eating people on the weekends.

Probably.

I head for the kitchen and then stop. Bolstering myself with a deep breath, I slowly turn on my heel.

Cassian lifts a brow when my eyes find his, waiting for me to explain my weird behavior.

“I have to ask you something so I can stop freaking out about letting a vampire into my home,” I say.

Cassian sends a questioning glance at Noah, but then he nods for me to continue.

“When was the last time you bit someone? Not an animal. I don’t care if you were hungry when you were walking through a barnyard so you snacked on a cow. But a person?”

“If only I had a dollar for every time I found myself feeling peckish in a barnyard,” Cassian says wryly.

“I’m serious.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be a bit more specific. Bit someone who wasn’t already infected? Or in general?”

I frown. “Does that make a difference?”

He gives me a wolfish smile, making me feel very much like a sheep. “It does.”

“Um.” I rub the side of my nose. “Let’s go with a regular human.”

“Well over a hundred years.”

I sigh a little, deciding Olivia is probably safe. But then I frown. “And someone who was infected?”

Cassian’s smile becomes smug. “For pleasure or for purpose?”

Noah rolls his eyes.

“Never mind.” I shake my head. “Pretend I didn’t ask.”

“I won’t bite you if that’s what you’re worried about.” He lifts his brows. “Even if you ask me nicely.”

“I…” Nope, I’m not responding to that. “I’m going to go get those drinks now.”

Cassian chuckles as I scurry out of the living room.

As I’m adding ice to Cassian’s glass, Max walks into the kitchen. “Olivia is going to be here shortly. I told her to come around the back.”

“Did she freak out?”

“A little.” He frowns. “But mostly, she sounded excited.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” I pull an open carton of beef broth from the fridge and pour it over the ice.

“ What are you doing?” Max asks.

“It’s Cassian’s beverage of choice.”

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.”

“They didn’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 using Reid .”

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 guy again .

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.

I don’t know much about him, but I know I don’t want to cross him. Right now, he’s acting like he’s on our side, but can we trust him?

“I’ve had an associate look up his home residence, but it’s going to be difficult to locate him. He owns over forty-five properties in the area, and he uses his office as his mailing address.” Cassian takes a sip of his iced broth. “I have a man scouting the properties, but until we find him, I’ll be keeping an eye on Piper.”

“Explain to me again how someone who’s not working for NIHA can become Piper’s conservator?” Noah says.

“You never minded when I joined hunts.”

“That was different.”

“Why?”

“Because, at the time, I thought I could trust you.”

Several emotions flicker across Cassian’s face—irritation, regret, maybe even guilt. But the mask returns just as quickly. Dismissing Noah, he turns his attention to me. “I want you to tell me everything you know about Ethan.”

“If you read Reid’s notes, you know everything.” I smile at Max when he brings me a mug of coffee. Then I ask Cassian, “And why do you need it?”

“If Reid keeps burying the case, we’ll have to deal with Ethan ourselves.”

“That doesn’t sound super legal.”

“Neither is spreading the virus.”

I suddenly remember what Noah said about the madness, and I wonder if that’s the source of the gleam in his eyes. Growing nervous, I glance at Noah, expecting him to intervene.

But the hunter leans forward. “You want to take him out ourselves?”

Oh, whoa.

I hold up a hand. “What do you mean, ‘take him out?’”

“Don’t you watch movies?” Max asks, thoroughly invested in the conversation. “They’re going to go Van Helsing on his?—”

“Got it.” I hold up my hand to cut him off. “But that doesn’t sound like a good idea, especially when Noah is already in hot water with NIHA. Not to mention it’s illegal. ”

“We play nice with the humans, but ultimately, we abide by our own governing system,” Cassian says. “If neither the police department nor NIHA will pursue this, due to negligence or corruption, then we must deal with it ourselves. One way or another, Ethan will be brought to justice.”

The way he says it makes goosebumps rise on my arms. Noah has always described vampires as human—just humans with a disease. Cassian makes it sound like they’re a separate race .

“And…what kind of governing system do the vampires adhere to?” I ask.

“In a family line, younger vampires must bend to the will of the eldest.”

I swallow. “And you’re…pretty old, right?”

Cassian smiles again. “Not only am I the eldest vampire living in my line, but I’m also the eldest vampire in the entire US.”

“Oh,” I say softly. “So, you’re basically…”

Noah scowls into his sparkling water. “A freaking prince.”

Cassian chuckles, leaning back in the chair and looking highly satisfied with himself. “That’s right.”