Sunset Rising (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 5) by Jaz Primo

combat training began.
    “ Pain encourages
proficiency,” he had said to me on more than one
occasion.
    All teasing aside, I admired that the guy
really knew his stuff and he was a good mentor. Alton and Kat had
chosen well.
    Then I received another text from him.
    Belay that. Paige is en route.
    I sent: Thx.
    Another twenty minutes
later, he texted: Clocking out. See you
tomorrow.
    I looked across the room to see him
gathering up his notebook computer into a backpack and he
nonchalantly left the room.
    Seconds later, Paige appeared in the
entryway with her arms crossed before her. Ethan stood behind her
with a grin on his face.
    She rolled her eyes at me as they walked
over to where I sat.
    “ Pack it up, nerdo,” she
said, nudging at my shoe with the tip of hers. “Ethan’s leaving
tonight and we’re not spending his remaining hours hanging out in a
study hall.”
    I gestured around the nearly empty room.
“It’s a lounge.”
    “ No,” she said.
“ It’s-a-lame. ”
    “ Fine,” I said.
“Home?”
    “ Nope,” she said.
“Club.”
    “ Kat’s gonna love that,” I
said.
    “ Red’s not here to care,”
she said.
    “ What?”
    “ Yeah, she and Alton left
after sundown to check on some leads,” she said.
    I wondered why Kat hadn’t mentioned that to
me. Hell, she had never even bothered to send me a text
message.
    “ Oh, don’t look all
forlorn,” she said. “She’ll be back later tonight after she drops
Alton off at the airport.”
    I’d nearly forgotten that he was returning
to London already. For some reason, things felt like they were
happening so fast around me since last Friday night.
    She repeatedly snapped her fingers. “Hey,
back to reality, kiddo. My last wager was ‘club’ as I recall.”
    “ Restaurant,” I
countered.
    “ Bar,” she
said.
    “ Witches Brew?” I
asked.
    “ Hm. Catchy name. Close
by?”
    “ Walking distance,” I
said.
    She gave me a suspicious look. “Okay. I’m
sort of surprised I haven’t been there already. I thought I’d
already scoped out all the dives with potential.”
    “ Well, we won’t know for
sure until we go there,” Ethan said.
    “ Follow me,” I
said.
    I quickly packed away my book and iPad and
led the way outside and across campus.
    “ You’re gonna love this
place, Ethan,” I said, slipping one strap of my backpack over my
shoulder.
    “ I’m intrigued,” he
said.
    He draped his arm across Paige’s shoulders
as we briskly walked the couple of blocks over to Grove Street, not
far from campus.
    We rounded a corner and nearly ran into
it.
    Paige scanned the front of the building and
groaned. “No fair! Aw, crap.”
    Ethan laughed.
    Witches Brew was a popular coffee and tea
cafe that served some of the freshest bagels and rolls in the
city.
    I held the glass doors open for them.
    Paige glared at me as she entered.
    I pointed over to the counter. “I distinctly
recall you saying ‘bar.’ This has the best coffee and bagel bar in
town.”
    “ You’re such a lame-butt,”
she said, plopping onto the seat of a nearby booth. “Just you wait.
I’ll have my revenge.”
    “ Promises, promises,” I
said.
    “ Nice place,” Ethan
said.
    “ Oh, don’t encourage him,”
she said, propping her chin on one upturned palm with a dejected
expression.
    “ Drinks are on me,” I
said.
    “ Yep,” she said. “Just as
quickly as I can pour one over your head.”
    I purchased French vanilla cappuccinos for
Paige and Ethan and Earl Grey tea and a chicken salad sandwich for
me.
    “ That’s all you’re
eating?” Paige asked.
    “ I’m not that
hungry.”
    She stared at me. “You’re normally a stomach
with legs.”
    I ignored her.
    “ Sorry you have to leave
tonight, Ethan,” I said. “You’ll be missed.”
    Paige leaned against him as he wrapped his
arm around her. “Ditto,” she said.
    “ Paige is going to need a
fresh supply of batteries after you leave,” I said, trying to keep
a straight face.
    Paige stabbed the end of her