SATURDAY
8:17 A.M. — CROFT ESTATE
Allison woke up suspicious.
Nothing hurt.
Nobody was missing.
Her phone wasn't ringing.
There were no federal agents downstairs.
No billion-dollar company was actively collapsing.
Nobody had been kidnapped.
Again.
She opened one eye.
Lucian was sitting against the headboard beside her with a laptop.
She stared at him.
He noticed.
"What?"
"What happened?"
"Good morning to you too."
"Lucian."
"Nothing happened."
"That feels unlikely."
He closed the laptop.
"Allison, it is eight seventeen in the morning."
"Exactly."
"And?"
"Historically, terrible time."
His mouth twitched.
She pushed herself upright.
"Any arrests?"
"No."
"Emergency board meetings?"
"No."
"Secret grandfathers?"
"Not since yesterday."
"That's not funny."
"It was a little funny."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Did Rachel email?"
"Yes."
Allison reached immediately for her phone.
Lucian didn't stop her.
That was the first thing she noticed.
