(Virginia’s POV)
My hands won't stop shaking as I pace around my bedroom, phone pressed so hard against my ear it hurts. Three rings. Four. Five.
"Pick up," I whisper into the darkness. "Pick up the phone, damn it!"
Finally, a gravelly voice answers. "This better be important."
"It's me." I don't need to say my name. He knows.
A pause. Then a low chuckle that makes my skin crawl. "Well, well. Virginia Stone. Haven't heard from you in what, three days?"
"I need the job done faster." The words tumble out of me in a rush. "I’ll double the original price. Just make sure you make it happen within the week."
Silence stretches between us, so long I start to wonder if the line went dead. When he finally speaks, there's something different in his voice. Curious. Almost... amused.
"Why are y
