Page 71 of Twisted Truths

By the time I’m halfway through my beer, worry sets in. He’s never been late before. Maybe there was an issue with his flight? The weather is fine here, but maybe there are storms on the West Coast.

I didn’t have time to go to my room and check the phone I use to communicate with him. Maybe he sent me a message to say that he couldn’t come.

Once I’m finished with my beer, I decide to wait another half hour before I text the driver to pick me up. But a half hour later, he still hasn’t shown.

Before I leave, I go back up to the bar to speak with the bartender. “Hey, you didn’t see my brother at all tonight, did you?”

She smiles at me. “That handsome guy who always flirts?”

I return her smile, though it’s forced. “That’s the one.”

She shakes her head. “No, he hasn’t been in here.”

My muscles grow a little more tense. “If he does come in, can you please tell him to text me?”

“Sure thing. Everything okay?” She tilts her head.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” I give her my thanks and walk outside to meet the driver.

As soon as I get back to Midnight Manor, rather than going straight to Obsidian’s room, I head to my bedroom to pull out the phone I hide there. When I pull it out from under the mattress, I see that there’s no message from Bastion, so I type one out to him.

Everything all right? Where were you tonight?

I wait a few minutes and don’t receive a reply, so I slide it back under the mattress, tension lacing my body.

Where the hell is my brother?

By Monday morning, Bastion still hasn’t returned my text, and I’m so worried that I make an excuse to leave Obsidian’s office and sneak off to call my father, even though I’m still pissed at him. My heart goes into full panic when he doesn’t answer either.

I return to Obsidian’s office, not wanting to give him any cause for alarm. I stop in his doorway, seeing someone sitting across from him at his desk.

In the months I’ve worked here, I’ve never seen anyone else from the outside at the manor, let alone in Obsidian’s office. She must be someone high up in Voss Enterprises, but Obsidian never said anything to me about a visitor today.

Obsidian looks away from the person and smiles, but there’s a tension to his face I haven’t seen in weeks. “Ariana, I’d like you to meet someone. This is Leah.”

With a smile, I walk around to the side of the desk and turn to greet the woman but freeze when I see who sits in the chair.

Uma.

Air whooshes from my lungs in a rush, and my right hand falls to the edge of the desk to stay upright. She grins at me as though she gets pleasure from my reaction.

“Are you okay?” Obsidian says, rolling his chair closer to me.

I place my hand over my stomach because bile runs up my throat. I have no idea what’s going on here, why she’s here and calling herself Leah, but I know for certain it is not good. My heart pounds, and my pulse sounds like a freight train in my ears.

“Yes, sorry. I didn’t eat enough at breakfast.” Recovering enough to give her a smile, I say, “It’s good to meet you, Leah.”

Her hand rises, and I follow the movement to see her rub my necklace just as I always did. My mother’s necklace, the one Uma made me give her for collateral, is snug on her neck and the bile sours, making me cough.

“Leah, this is my assistant, Ariana.”

“Wonderful to meet you, Ariana. I’m sure you must count yourself lucky to be working for a man like Mr. Voss.”

She knows.

My hands form fists at my sides, but I attempt to keep my voice casual. “I’m very lucky indeed.”

Is that why she’s here? To blow my cover and rat me out to Obsidian? Or just to make me sweat?

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