Page 83 of Hunters and Hydrangeas

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When we enterthe NIHA building, I almost expect to return to the break room again. But the hunter who meets us at the front door takes us through security and leads us down a hall to the left instead of the right.

Just like before, we have people working after hours.

Harold waits for us. He’s on the phone, but when he sees us coming, he ends the call and turns toward Noah. “She won’t talk.”

“Sophia won’t tell you who kidnapped her?” Noah holds Cassian back with his arm when the prince tries to barge into the room.

“All we’ve gotten out of her is that the whole ordeal was traumatic, and she won’t talk about it until the head of her house is present.”

Cassian shoves Noah away. “I’m going in.”

And because no one is paying attention to me right now, I follow Cassian into the room like I belong there.

Sophia is seated at a long table. Several official tie-and-suit types mill around the room, and two sit across from her with a couple of laptops.

There’s an untouched cup of water in front of her and a handkerchief in her lap.

Maybe Alfred was holding her hostage, but he didn’t deprive her of toiletries. The pretty, petite vampire’s blonde hair is perfectly curled and pinned up in an effortless style that makes my chignon look basic. She’s in a butter-yellow sundress that screams old money and is wearing pearls.

Her eyes fly to Cassian as he walks in the door, and she promptly bursts into tears.

She dabs her eyes, murmuring something about mascara, and rises from the table. No one stops her as she crosses the room, graceful as a deer in her three-inch, closed-toe stiletto heels. Like me, they probably think she’s going to throw herself in Cassian’s arms.

Also like me, they might have read the room wrong.

“What took you so long!” she demands, her voice quivering. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?! They withheld blood, Cas! BLOOD.” She hiccups. “I almost ate Larissa’s corgi.”

The room falls silent as people wait to see how Cassian, the high and mighty prince of the Chevalier line, is going to react.

Cassian’s expression isfierce. But…he kind of looks like he’s trying not to smile. When he controls himself, he raises an eyebrow. “A corgi?”

“Shut up,” she laughs, sobbing.

“Has anyone given you blood?”

Sophia makes a face as she dabs the handkerchief to her eyes. “I had a dose of that awful synthetic concoction you funded. A waste of time and money, if you ask me.”

“No one asked you. Let’s sit down and answer some questions, and then we’ll get you some animal blood.”

She draws in a deep breath, preparing herself, and returns to her seat. Cassian takes the chair next to her.

I find a spot near the wall, hoping no one will kick me out.

“Let’s try this again,” one of the men with the laptops says. “Miss Barrington, were you being held against your will?”

“I can’t say.”

There’s a quiet, collective groan, which makes me think they’ve been through this before.

“It’s not a difficult question. Were you there willingly? Yes or no.”

“Next question, please,” she says.

The interrogator sits back in his chair. “Okay. How about you tell us who you shared the apartment with while you were there.”

She shakes her head.

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