Dez nodded. “Totally trustworthy, Nat. He’s the one who guarded Beatrice for years, and he guarded her grandparents. He’s one of the good guys. If he promised to keep you safe, he’ll keep you safe.”

“As much as he can,” Matt muttered.

“Hey!”

“Dez, you’re used to hanging around Gio and Beatrice, both of whom are immortals answerable only to themselves. Baojia is not his own man. He’s under Ernesto’s aegis. If Ernesto wanted N nHmmel">

“Hand me over for what?” She lowered the mug she’d been about to drink from.

“Have your memory erased, most likely.” Dez reached over and took her hand. “Ernesto is a very civilized guy.” She shot her husband a glare when Matt snorted.

“Baojia said he wouldn’t erase my memory again,” Natalie said. “I don’t want—”

“It wouldn’t matter what you wanted,” Matt said quietly. “Ernesto’s a decent enough vampire, but he has one priority: Ernesto. If it doesn’t serve his interest to protect you, then you’ll be on your own.”

“No, you won’t,” Dez said firmly. “Because you have friends.”

“Dez…” Matt’s voice was a warning.

“I know what you and Baojia talked about, but it’s ridiculous for her to be staying here and not tell Gio and Beatrice.”

“Wait, Beatrice?” Natalie put two and two together. “B? That’s… Gio and Beatrice?” She felt the curl of panic in her stomach. “Who’s Gio? And are you telling me?” Her voice was getting louder by the minute. Her heart was racing, and the room started to close in on her. Natalie tried to quiet down when she heard the baby start to whine, but Matt and Dez’s comments from before suddenly hit her.

He’s the one who guarded Beatrice for years…

Gio and Beatrice, both of whom are immortals…

Natalie whispered, “Are you telling me Beatrice De Novo is a vampire?”

She took Dez and Matt’s silence as an affirmative.

Dez was pale. “Um… yeah, about that—”

“A vampire?” Natalie scooted back, looking around a kitchen that suddenly didn’t seem so familiar, owned by people she thought she knew. Only those people didn’t work for vampires or have best friends who turned into vampires. “She’s a vampire?”

Matt said, “Dez, give me the baby. She’s freaking out.”

“She didn’t used to be a vampire!”

Matt took the baby and Dez walked over to Natalie, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Natalie, breathe.” Dez’s voice sounded like it was underwater, and Natalie jerked away from her touch.

Not real. Not real. Not real.

Every time she thought she had a handle on this crazy new reality, something else slapped her. She thought she knew these people, but she didn’t know anything. Suddenly, she was desperate to see the one person in this weird new world who seemed normal despite everything. But he was gone. He’d left her. Was he coming back?

“Baojia…” She took deep breaths. “Where—?”

“He had to go to Ernesto’s, Nat.”

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. He wouldn’t abandon her. He’d be back. He promised. And for some crazy reason, she believed him. When he was there, she felt like herself. Even when the crazy happened, he made her feel like everything was going to be okay. He had to come back.

“Don’t panic. You’re going to be fine. It’s all going to be fine.”

“It’s not going to be fine!” she screamed. “I don’t want to know all this. I want to go home!”

The baby woke and started to cry. Matt took her out of the room while Dez put her arms around Natalie and made soothing noises in her ear.

s.
“It’s okay, Natalie. It’s going to be okay.”

“He needs to come back right now and take me home. And… and he needs to tell me what happened that first night.”

Dez blinked in confusion and pulled back. “What are you talking about?”

“The one I can’t remember. Every time I bring it up, he changes the subject. And I don’t… I need to trust him.” She was shaking, but at least the tightness in her chest had eased. “I feel like I’m losing my mind, Dez. I feel like this is a really bad dream I’ve been having for days, and I need… I just need to know I can trust him, because—”

She broke off. Why was it so important that she trust him? She was here, with her friends, but she wanted him. His silent, steady presence that made the impossible real.

Natalie remembered the feel of his hands teasing her hair on the couch at Tulio’s. The dry, amused laughter when she made a joke. His fierce protectiveness. The sensual promise in his kiss. Running through it all was the current of desire that had caught her. If she was honest with herself, it had swept her up days ago when she’d bumped into him at the bar. How much was a lie? How much was the truth?

I never lied.

“I’m falling for him,” she whispered, sitting down in the chair again. “And I can’t.”

Dez sat across from her. “For Baojia?”

“I can’t. I can’t. I’m so stupid. Of all the… He’s not even human. I don’t—”

“Just stop. One thing at a time.” Dez pulled her into another hug. “I don’t know what to say. I wish I knew what to say. Beatrice knows him better, but he and Gio don’t get along, so—”