Naomi:
Hi Ry-guy, change of plans. I think I’m coming over earlier than I expected.
Ryan:
No problem. What time should I expect you? Do you still need a ride?
Naomi:
Not exactly…
There was a soft knock on my office door, and I glanced up to see Naomi, Cassandra, and Cal’s friend Vox standing in the hallway.
My eyebrows raised in surprise.
“What—What’s going on?”
The look on Vox’s face made my heart skip a beat in my chest. I leapt up from my seat.
“Where’s Cal?” I asked the bleach-blond mercenary.
He poked Naomi in the side, and she glared at him but turned back to face me.
“Vox says Cal’s in trouble. I think he wants Cass and me to stay here with you guys so we’re all in one place while he figures out how to help him.”
I glanced at Cass, who was looking predictably pissed off and annoyed. She had a massive Louis Vuitton suitcase with her and the Chanel bag she had been carrying the last time I saw her.
“You better have decent wi-fi in this place if I’m expected to stay here,” she snipped, looking around like she was inspecting the building for mold. “I have a conference call in an hour.”
Ignoring Cass, I turned back to Vox, who was looking increasingly agitated and impatient.
I couldn’t get past the part where Cal might be in danger.
Having communicated with spirits that had their mouths or vocal cords removed from whatever trauma had brought about their deaths, I knew how to speak to Vox in a way that would get me answers. The trick was to ask questions that only had yes or no responses.
“Is what Naomi just said true?” I asked, meeting Vox’s silver gaze.
He raised an eyebrow but nodded.
“Has whoever you two were hunting hurt him?”
Vox shook his head, and my gut soured.
“Is it that Damian guy?”
Vox nodded, and rage ignited through me at the thought of that fucking man hurting Cal more than I suspected he already had.
“Do you need help?” I asked immediately. I didn’t know what I could do, but I knew I wasn’t about to just sit around and do nothing. My entire body was humming with anxiety, and I felt sick to my stomach.
What was that man doing to Cal? This is why he told me he couldn’t text me; he was in trouble with this man. I was suddenly so angry and scared for him. Nothing about this felt fair.
Vox rocked his head back and forth before beckoning for me to follow him. I didn’t hesitate.
“Go put your suitcase upstairs, Gnomes. Iris is in the kitchen,” I muttered to Naomi on my way by, but she shook her head stubbornly.
“Nuh-uh. I want to help, too!”
Vox scoffed, and I shook my head just as Cass exclaimed, “Absolutely not!”
