Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Romeo and Atlas had broken away to go in through the sunroom, setting themselves up to cut off any retreat. Hunter had been inside since the night before. For as many times as they went through this house, I couldn’t believe they hadn’t found him. He wasn’t exactly subtle about it either, he’d moved around just enough to stay in plain sight while staying under their radar. Jason, the fucking fool, clearly didn’t know what situational awareness meant.
Hunter had been right beside him at one point. Every floor was accounted for; we’d been meticulous.
Naija ran up the stairs with Gabe right behind her.
“What are you doing?” Autumn yelled after them. They were gone without a reply and she was left with Cherish and Daniella, moving down the hallway that connected all the lower rooms. Daniella turned towards the kitchen, more than likely thinking they could make it out of the rear exit, but Rome and Atlas had got inside by this point.
“Fuck.” She backtracked and shoved Cherish and my girl further down the hall.
“Lower level,” Cherish yelled.
She must have meant the basement. That was smart in a limited, narrow-minded way. That would keep them away from us for a while, sure, but it was also a death trap. No exits. No chance of escape. She was about to box my girl in for us.
Lucian caught sight of them too, his laughter softening into a hum of interest. “Desperation always makes for good entertainment.”
“Mint,” I called, my voice clear even through the distortion of the mask.
She and her sister both turned to look at me. Autumn’s eyes swept over me, her fear and fury rolling off her in waves. She was trying so hard to stay strong, but I could see the cracks beneath the surface. Fuck, she was so beautiful like this. It made my blood sing.
“If you come to me now, this will go a lot easier.”
Cherish held her arm up like a barricade. “She’s not going anywhere with you, Carson so why don’t you go fuck yourself?”
My grin grew beneath the mask. Atlas moved into the hall; Amber’s head cradled under his arm. Apparently, he wasn’t done playing with it. “We’ve already come all this way. Why would he leave to do that now?”
Autumn’s chest heaved, and for a second, I thought she might cry. Instead, she lifted her chin and looked right at me. “Go to hell, Wilder. You twisted fuck.”
God, I loved her.
Romeo circled around Atlas and reached them quicker than they could blink.
Autumn dragged her sister back and reached for Daniella at the same time he did. He took hold of her hair and wrenched her away from them. Her panicked rage echoed through the foyer as she fought against him.
Cherish gave up a little too quickly for someone meant to be that girl’s best friend, now damn near shoving my girl through the basement door as she tried to get to Daniella. They vanished, the door slamming shut behind them.
Thorne tossed Liza like the trash she was. Her head smacked against the hardwood, and she whimpered.
She scrambled to her feet, and he grabbed her again, this time not letting go, lifting her back off the floor.
“Leave her alone!” Daniella let out a guttural scream. Romeo shut her up by covering her mouth with his gloved hand. Jason moved forward like he was finally going to do something about us, a fire poker in his hand.
He looked fucking stupid with marker all over his damn face and only wearing one sock.
Lucian slowly looked at him and tilted his head, a sure sign he was amused. “I think, you think you’ve got guts,” he said taunted.
Jason hesitated, his grip faltering as he looked between Lucian and the rest of us.
Smart boy.
Or maybe just scared shitless.
Either way, I ignored him. He wasn’t my concern. KJ, ever the picture of twisted delight, skipped into the house behind us, her dark hair swinging as she kicked the door shut.
She had been playing her part perfectly, staying one step ahead of them the entire time. She lived for this as much as we did, the chaos, the fear, the game. It wasn’t just fun for her; it was art.
The sound of people running, followed by a door slamming shut carried from upstairs, but we didn’t need to concern ourselves with that. Hunter was up there, waiting for just this moment, his patience finally paying off.
Jason took a few steps back, his eyes darting toward the front door as if escape was still an option. It obviously wasn’t. Ryan stood his ground, chest rising and falling as he tried to keep his cool. I could see the tension in his jaw and the way his hands clenched into fists.
He wasn’t stupid.
He knew exactly who I was under the mask, and he knew why I was looking at him. Fortunately for him, knowing our identities didn’t matter since he wouldn’t be leaving this house alive.