Page 97 of Magic and Muffins

“It’s okay. I’ll be okay. I’m just a little nervous.”

Shepard nodded and kissed my forehead. When he was done, Cross turned me to do the same.

“We’ll be right here when you’re done.”

I nodded and left with the production assistant while Hugh quietly talked to them about the next segment he thought they should do.

After leading me down a hallway off of the studio, she stopped at a door labeled Guest Dressing Room.

“You can take the call here. It’s soundproofed so the mics don’t pick up noise.”

“Thank you.”

As I opened the door, I looked down at my phone and stepped inside.

Five missed calls.

It started ringing again as I closed the door.

“It would be better if you didn’t answer that.”

The sound of a familiar man’s voice sent a shiver of fear through me.

Swallowing hard, I looked up from my phone and met Vivian’s amused gaze.

CHAPTERTWENTY

I staredinto the black eyes of the vampire who’d tried to bite me on multiple occasions and felt my airway squeeze close in panic.

He inhaled deeply from his place on the room’s single sofa, keeping his ankle balanced on his knee in a relaxed pose.

“Mmm. Your fear tempts me to play. I haven’t since?—”

The dark veining around his eyes spread briefly, then retreated completely, showing how smudged his dark makeup was. In fact, he looked very un-Vivian compared to the video he’d released, with his long black hair greasy and tangled.

I struggled to breathe and tried to think, but it was like trying to hold fine sand through outstretched fingers. Thoughts kept slipping away in my terror.

Run? No. It would probably just make him mad and me hurt. Keep him on the couch with that puddle of black material next to him. Distance was good. That wasn’t a sack to put over my head, was it?

His hand rested on his leg, and he started tapping his thumb idly. Shepard’s ring caught the overhead lights and glinted prettily, catching my attention and breaking through my chaotic thoughts.

“You want to use me to get Cross’ ring, don’t you?” I asked.

“You’re an interesting one, Everly. I’ve heard a lot about Cross from Orphia over the decades. How unpredictable he was. How dangerous. Yet, for you, he’s as gentle as a kitten. He even made nice with the werewolves.Sharinghis favorite meal.”

He inhaled again and stood fluidly in a way that conveyed how dangerous he was.

“After that interview and seeing you now, so full of fear but not backing away or puffing up with false bravado, I’m beginning to understand why.”

His gaze swept over me from head to toe.

“That’s a nice suit. Pretty. Light colors stain easily, though. That’s why I go with black.”

My phone continued to ring in my hand, and he flicked an annoyed glance at it.

“Power it off and leave it on the coffee table. It won’t work where you’re going.”

Swallowing hard, I finally looked away from him and held the button to start powering down the phone. My parents were going to have a heart attack if they couldn’t reach me soon.

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