Page 87 of Redline Communion

Somehow I can hear his tone through text, controlled enough to mean the control is costing him.

I leave it unanswered.

There was a time when I thought keeping information out of the reports meant keeping it away from the house.

That was stupid.

The house has never depended on one pair of eyes. It has Ash, Helena, Alistair, Dominic, cameras, drivers, staff, and people I don’t know are reporting because apparently nobody in this family believes surveillance counts unless everyone gets a turn.

Maybe somebody at the villa recognized Lorelei. Maybe Talia told Ash. Maybe Ash went to Alistair because trying to fix things without asking is practically his love language.

I don’t know.

That’s the problem.

None of us tells the truth to the right people anymore. We hand pieces to whoever we think will do the least damage, then the pieces meet somewhere without us and we act surprised by the shape they make.

My phone buzzes again.

This time it is Lorelei.

Lo: awake?

I stare at her name, then at the time.

2:19.

Me: yeah

Three dots appear.

Lo: i left

My whole body goes alert.

Me: left where

Lo: the house

I’m already reaching for my keys when another message comes through.

Lo: do not come get me

My hand stops.

Fuck.

Every part of me wants to ask where she is, who she’s with, whether she has money, whether she’s safe, whether she’s alone, whether she’s high.

I type the first question.

Me: where are you

Delete.

Me: are you alone

Delete.