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I leave the shower only mildly refreshed, but the annoying itch persists. It’s there, far beneath the surface of my skin. And there’s only one goddamned way to scratch it. I pull out my phone, swipe the screen, and stare at her number.
“Christ. I’ve lost my fucking mind,” I whisper aloud as I give in to the urge and dial.
The phone rings once. Twice. Three times.
“Would you just go get laid already?” Sophie snaps the moment the ringing stops, her voice thick with sleep. “I guarantee it’ll be more satisfying than these late-night prank calls.”
The corners of my lips twitch despite the wretched night. “I would if you’re offering, fiammetta.”
“Nico?” Her voice is suddenly alert. “What the—" She pauses, then huffs. “You know it’s the middle of the night, right? There are limits to a client-therapist relationship—boundaries, they’re called. I think we need to discuss them.”
“Who did you think was calling?”
“Oh, that. I get a few prank calls now and then. They like to tantalize me with their silence.”
I bugged her phone three weeks ago, but that was only for a few days. If someone else is monitoring her calls, she might be getting silent calls or clicks, especially if it’s badly done. “How can you be sure it’s just a prank call?”
“It’s one of the hazards of the job. It’s probably some lonely chap who needs to hear the sound of another human’s voice.”
“No, you don’t get me, Sophie. How do you know it’s a prank call and not a bug?” I ask
She chuckles, “Come on, Nico. My life is not that exciting.”
“I’d say it is now. I’m in it.”
She snaps in irritation, “Oh wow. Your arrogance is boundless. Completely without limits.”
“Well, I’ve once bugged your phones and intercepted all your calls before.”
“What! Nico, that is way out of line. Why would you do that?”
I snort. “Don't get your panties in a twist, fiammetta, it was only for a couple of days, and just as a precaution.” Considering what I’d planned to do to her, bugging her phone seems inconsequential.
“I see. That's why you’re paranoid. You think if you could do it, someone else can. Well, I can’t imagine who’d want to listen in on my conversations.”
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t, and I can’t take that risk.”
“Wow. There really is no rest for the wicked, is there?”
I smile, shaking my head. “No, you little brat. But on a more serious note, you need a secure phone—one that ensures fully encrypted calls.”
“Actually, that doesn’t sound half bad. It might even come in handy for my telephone sessions.”
“It’s settled then, I’ll get you one.”
“Smashing. I’m glad we worked that out. Goodnight, Nico.”
“Sophie!” I call sharply. “Don’t you dare hang up.”
“What? Oh, the reason you woke me up in the middle of the night wasn’t to discuss phone bugs?”
“Very funny. I want to talk to you.”
“I thought my phone wasn’t ‘secure’ enough for you?”
My need for her outweighs my paranoia, and the thought of waiting till later today to see her is laughable in the state I’m in. “He’s dead because of me,” I say without preamble, and I hear her breath catch.
She asks, all traces of humor and sarcasm gone from her voice, “Leo?”
