“Even if Brendanwasn’tcapable of hacking into almost any system anywhere in the world, I think I would’ve guessed Gandalf1 was your password in my first three tries. Did you tell Alex about this?”
“No.”
“You know, if you guys went to couple’s therapy, the first rule is always communi—”
“Alex cannot be in danger, Mack. I can’t let anything happen to him.”
“We’re in agreement, then.”
“I don’t understand why you can’t trace—”
“The texts to a specific person, yes, we know,” comes Brendan’s voice. “You’ve said that twelve times. Ophelia, if you were going to send someone anonymous texts, would you do it from your phone?”
“No,” I grumble.
“No. Exactly. You’d buy a burner phone. The issue is not that we can’t hack the phone. It’s that it’s a cheap burner phone with nothing on it. No email address, no bank details, no addresses, nothing. All I can tell you is that the texts are coming from Sorrowsong and that we—”
“Think it would be below Cain to stalk me, yes, I know. You’ve saidthattwelve times.”
Brendan interrupts me with a victorious-sounding laugh. “It’s from the internet, the airport picture. It’s just taken from a plane-spotting website.”
Relief washes over me, but it leaves plenty of unease behind.What are they playing at?“Just because they used an old picture, doesn’t mean he’s not in danger.”
Mack sounds like he wants to block my number. “We are being paid to keep Alex and his family safe, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. As soon as you have any evidence to suggest we’re not doing that well enough, we’ll gladly accept this miserable attitude of yours—”
Alex disappears from my view, lost to the ominous darkness beyond the mansion’s gardens. “I liked Joe’s Pizza better.”
I hear Brendan’s laugh. “You ever been to New York?”
“I’ve never been on a plane.”
“Great pizza.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it. Goodnight.”
They hang up, but I don’t move, stood with my breath held and my phone in my hand until it finally pings with a text.
Alex
Made it to my car in one piece.
Alex
You were beautiful tonight.
Chapter 8
ALEX
[DRAFT]
From:Alex Corbeau-Green
Subject:Breathing (verb)Harder than they’d have you believe
To:Ophelia Winters
Twice in my adult life, I’ve forgotten how to inhale. Both times involved you in a backless dress.
