CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

P iper dropped her bag on her bed.

“Oh, my God.” She spoke out loud in the empty room.

BioZen had called her.

George had stared at her while she was on the phone, her face clearly paling during the conversation. The man had sounded threatening while chatting away in a professional but friendly tone.

She wasn’t fooled.

Especially now she knew what they were doing.

She’d mouthed who the caller was to George, and he’d done all kinds of sign language that made zero sense. In the end she’d turned away so she could focus on the call.

Xander Tomassi.

A bigwig at BioZen Pharmaceuticals.

He had invited her to one of their new plants to view what they were doing. Not that she had told George that. She had to await his call in the morning, and someone would pick her up. She’d accepted the invite, but Piper was unsure if it was the best decision.

It could be dangerous.

She’d think on it overnight and decide before the call came through.

She spent the rest of the late afternoon typing up notes and sending an email off to Roger, her editor, to update him on where she was at. Loosely.

There was no way she was putting anything she’d found in an email.

AFTER HOURS ON THE computer trying to find out more about BioZen and Xander Tomassi, Piper locked her laptop away in the hotel safe. She had a quick shower and changed into a short black dress and a pair of pumps, then headed downstairs for dinner in the hotel.

She sat at a table and ordered a drink.

Was she hoping to see Oliver?

Maybe.

She shouldn’t be. After what she’d learned today, she should be moving hotels and keeping away from him, and yet all afternoon her mind drifted back to him.

What was he doing?

Was he thinking about her?

Did he want her again?

She was beginning to get a little addicted to his body and the way he made her feel. Not just horny, but... cared for. She had seen the way his eyes blazed with need, but when they held hers, there was more.

And if she was being honest, she thought her own gaze would reflect the same back.

The growing proof that he was involved with this vampire world and may not be who he said he was made things complicated.

Piper snorted into her vodka and soda. He hadn’t said who he was. He never told her any damn thing.

“Can I take your order?” a waitress asked.

“Fish taco’s please,” Piper replied, and handed her the menu.

An hour later, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and dropped it on her plate.

No Oliver.

Fuck him. Not that he had promised her anything, but she felt disappointed and hated herself for being so needy of a man’s attention.

Damn him.

Well, if he thought he could show up at her door tonight and have his way with her, he was out of luck. This was for the best. Until she learned who he really was, she needed to stop sleeping with him. And stop romanticizing that it was something it wasn’t.

She glanced over at the bar where a well-built man had been subtly watching her.

Creep.

He winked at her.

She raised her brows at him, and he smirked and looked away.

Jesus, what a douchebag.

She took in his dark jeans and leather jacket and rolled her eyes. It wasn’t that he was bad looking, but Piper was all out of patience with the entire universe of bad boys right now.

Standing, she decided to go for a walk and burn off the calories before having an early night. Tomorrow was likely to be a big day at BioZen if she went, and then she would head home the next day. She’d promised Sage she would be home for the family dinner, and she would be.

She stepped out of the hotel, turned right and began walking past the stores and hotels, taking in the night action of Los Angeles. It was busy at all hours of the day and night but being street smart she planned to keep to the main street and head back quickly.

She spotted a designer store across the road with a stunning window display and decided to check it out. Piper hit the crossing button and stood amongst a group of people waiting to cross.

“Hey gorgeous.” A voice she didn’t recognize spoke behind her. As she turned, she felt a hand on her lower arm and then a sharp prick.

The hell?

She looked up into the face of Mr. Bad Boy from the bar.

Oh fuck.

The world began to go fuzzy, and her legs turned to jelly as she crumpled to the ground.

“Honey, oh my God,” Mr. Bad Boy said, and she tried to frown. “I’ve got you.”

Liar.

Let me go.

She couldn’t speak. Faces were watching her, and she felt the man grab her, but the world was fading in and out.

“Piper!” She heard a different voice call her name. A voice she recognized.

Oliver?

The last thing she thought as the world turned black was that she was imagining him. Oliver wasn’t coming to save her. He’d warned her it wasn’t safe, and she hadn’t listened.

He was going to be so pissed.