Page 43 of White Noise

I leave it dark.

After a few seconds, her shoulders stay tense but her expression hardens, irritation starting to edge out the fear.

“Asshole,” she mutters.

My smile deepens.

Fuck. Yeah, that’s so much better.

She wants me gone, but she’s listening for me now. Every speaker hiss gets her attention. Every dark screen holds her stare half a second too long. She created that herself the moment she started expecting me to answer.

Then her phone vibrates on the counter.

Saga flinches before catching herself, and the reaction disappears the second she looks at the screen.

That change catches my attention.

The username is familiar.

VOIDKING88.

I’ve seen it enough since finding Saga to know he’s one of her regulars. Older account. Plenty of private sessions. Enough money spent that most men would have convinced themselves they earned a piece of her by now.

Saga unlocks the phone.

VOIDKING88: You alive?

Her mouth curves.

Barely, but it does.

She types back.

VioletHex: Debatable.

His answer comes almost immediately.

VOIDKING88: That bad?

Saga sinks onto one of the stools and looks around the kitchen before replying.

VioletHex: Weird night. Security system shit itself. Might need to replace half my setup.

He doesn’t ask what happened.

Doesn’t flirt.

Doesn’t offer to come over and play hero.

VOIDKING88: Need anything?

Saga lets out a small laugh.

“Normal fucking people.”

I stop smiling.

Normal.