I glanced at Ciel, but he rested his head in his hands. “If someone asks me if we were hacked, I’m going to lose my goddamn mind.”
I reached beside Wynn to grab his hand, but Ciel pulled away.
Obi cleared his throat. “Ciel, I apologize, but is there any indication Leona’s phone has been compromised?”
I rolled my eyes. “Obi, come on.”
Ciel lifted his head. “There is no evidence of hacking on that phone. Nor in my systems. I’d need to look at everyone’s devices to be sure, though.”
“It must be done.” Obi pulled his phone from his pocket and set it on the counter. Then he gestured for everyone to do the same.
Another chime had our heads snapping toward my phone. I leaned down to read it aloud.
“‘Are you there? I thought you were dead. I’ve missed you so much.’”
I sucked in a breath as my heart constricted. Wynn looped his arm around my shoulders. How had I notoncereached out to her to let her know I was alive? I should have known she’d get dragged into this. I should have tried to warn her before Max bunkered down at the Tommasos.
“Should I respond?” I asked.
“No,” Cas said immediately. “Look, princess, I know how much she means to you, but we can’t trust it.”
“What if she needs me?” What if she was in trouble? What if she was trying to warn me? What if she just wanted to talk to me as much as I wanted to talk to her?
“Then we better kill Volpe as soon as fucking possible,” Ryuji said with a shrug. “Problem solved.”
Another message chimed. This time Wynn read it out loud.“‘You’ll always be my sister. Nothing will change that.’”
“Fuck.” I bit my lip and crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s like a dagger to my heart. Shewantsme to respond.”
“Which is why it is prudent you do not,” Obi said. His eyes softened. “We do not know whether Volpe has leverage over her.”
Leverage.Fuck. He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?
“And though I don’t currently see any evidence of hacking,” Ciel added, “it could be a ploy to get a lock on your location. It’s better to not engage.”
“We have to kill him,” I said through gritted teeth. “Soon.”
“Didn’t I just say that same thing?” Ryuji muttered.
My skin crawled. Ihatedthe fact that they all agreed I shouldn’t go with them on this mission, especially now that Chiara might be in danger. But what was I supposed to do? Just charge in there after them?
That was even more stupid.
This was so goddamn hard. I doubted I’d be able to sleep tonight. I went to reach for the phone, to tuck it away in my back pocket like I normally did, but my fingers paused mid-air. If I took it with me, and she kept texting me, I’d crack, I knew it.
I had to prove that I was smarter than that.
I nudged the phone in Ciel’s direction. “Hold on to it for me.”
He nodded, hair falling over his eyes.
Obi’s chin lifted in approval and my back straightened.
“Princess.” Cas jerked his head. I stepped out of Wynn’s arms and walked around the island into his waiting ones, pressing my face against his chest. He kissed the top of my head, and I closed my eyes. “She’s going to be fine. But we have to be smart.”
Of course, I knew he was right. But if anything happened to my best friend, and I had a chance to stop it but didn’t…I didn’t know.
We needed to end this.
