Page 98 of Burned

“You sound surprised.”

“I am.”

Despite everything, a laugh almost escapes me. Almost. I walk to her and cup her face. Her skin is warm now. I like knowing she’s warm.

And mine because she chooses it. The distinction still feels unnatural in my head, but I am learning to respect it.

“Tell me what it’s time for,” she demands. Her eyes narrow.

She’s not going to like it.

I take a breath. “I need to speak with Isobel. I need to know what she knows. And I need to go alone.”

The room goes deathly quiet.

“You need to trust me, Erin.”

“Lucian.”

I inhale through my nose. “I need ten minutes to hear it without worrying about how every word lands on you.”

She stares at me. “What does that mean?”

“It means when you are in the room, I can’t think clearly because I’m only thinking about wanting to kill anyone who has hurt you or threatens your safety.”

Her eyes search mine. “That sounds almost reasonable.”

“I am suffering through significant personal growth,” I say. “How am I doing?”

“Better.” She smiles. “Ten minutes.”

“Fifteen.”

“Ten.”

I lean down and kiss her. Long enough to remind myself she is here. Alive. And choosing me.

When I leave the room, Rafe is waiting in the hallway with the expression of a man who thinks I’m wasting too much time.

Maybe I am.

But I have to make sure Erin is okay every step of the way.

Rafe hands me a tablet. “The Caleb message that Carlos sent was wiped moments after we viewed it. Our people pulled a hidden packet from the audio metadata. It wasn’t meant to be difficult to find.”

My fingers curl around the edge of the tablet.

“It references a route marker tied to Marina Vale. Old Bachman communication format,” Rafe says. “Pre-fire.”

The old codes again. Never thought we’d see the day that tradition could protect secrets better than technology. The Morettis used invisible weapons to attack us.

“What route?” I ask.

“Still decoding. But Isobel recognized part of it when I showed her. She claims Marina used similar markers whenmoving messages between Carlos and someone inside Bachman Village.”

“Someone.”

Rafe’s expression remains neutral.