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My throat looks suspiciously like I lost a fight with a very emotionally unstable vampire.

Noir notices me checking.

“That one’s my favorite,” he mutters casually from the balcony doorway.

Dagger’s expression immediately darkens.

“You two are fucking unbearable.” Dagger points toward the hallway. “Go shower before Mina gets here.”

I narrow my eyes suspiciously.

“You’re bullying me because I had sex on your couch.”

“You had sex on my couch while I was gone for like two fucking hours.”

“Correction,” Noir says calmly from the balcony doorway, cigarette glowing between his fingers. “We had sex on your couch.”

A beat passes.

Then.

“It was really hot sex too.”

The look Dagger gives him after that nearly makes me laugh myself unconscious.

Dagger points at him flatly with a coffee cup. “You’re one sentence away from sleeping outside.”

“That’s okay,” Noir says calmly from the balcony doorway around his cigarette. “I’m pretty open-minded about locations.”

Dagger already looks irritated.

Then Noir keeps going.

“Next time maybe I’ll pin her against the glass doors instead.” His eyes flick lazily toward me. “Give you a better view.”

I nearly choke on my own laugh.

Dagger stares at him flatly.

“Noir.”

“What?” He shrugs one shoulder. “Might as well let him watch how pretty you sound when you fall apart for me, little addict.”

“Oh my god,” I wheeze, clutching my chest dramatically. “You two sound like divorced parents arguing over furniture custody.”

Dagger ignores me completely while crossing toward the kitchen counter again.

Then he grabs a black duffle bag off the stool beside it and tosses it toward me.

I barely catch it.

“Brought your stuff,” he answers.

That immediately pulls my attention fully toward him.

Something in my chest tightens slightly.

“Did you find anything?” Noir asks from the balcony door.