Page 51 of Kill Me Sweetly

He rolled his eyes. “Actually, we have plenty of time. The brothers are being followed. No one knows we’re here, therefore leaving us time to make sure we get everything we need before we go.”

“Whatever. Okay, I’ll go in all of the rooms and grab everyone’s go bags. Nick and Noel have computers and things at the other place, and they stored equipment in the van.”

Max saw me rush by and he shouted, “Where’s the fire ?”

“We have to leave. No, they haven’t found us, but they will if the guys lead them here. They’re being followed. Everything will be explained later but whatever you have, clothes, anything wegot for you, throw in the duffel under your bed and meet us in the living room in fifteen.”

Thankfully, Max didn’t argue. He ran off to do what I ordered. I started tossing bags down the stairs. We were always prepared for the what-ifs, and I was glad we were.

I moved to Four’s room, grabbed all the clothes we had for him—toiletries, all of it—and was just zipping up the bag when I looked up and saw Four standing in the doorway.

“Oh, hey.”

His eyes shifted from me to the bag and back. “Leaving?”

“We all are.”

“They come?”

I shook my head. “Nope. We’re getting one step ahead of them. Shep realized they were probably following them as they left their meeting so before they get the chance, we’re going to a different location while they lose them.”

He didn’t say anything, just watched as I lifted the duffel.

“Come on, Four. The other house is really nice too.”

He followed without commenting. He never left my side as Mason, Max, and I carried things into the van. He didn’t help, but I imagined it was because he wasn’t asked to. Four likely didn’t understand the concept of just doing something.

“Four, can you grab the cooler on the table in the kitchen?”

He nodded and followed directions. Once everything else was packed up, we slid the cooler in, and the four of us got into the van.

“Is there a secret tunnel or something?” Max wondered aloud, and Mason and I turned to look at him as if he were crazy.

“No, we’re not Batman.” Mason snorted and started the engine.

“We’re just going to drive away?” Max was clearly flabbergasted.

“Yup.” I smiled. “They don’t know where we are yet. Calm down.”

Mason turned on the radio, and Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” filtered through the speakers.

“Know what’s weird?” Mason spoke softly.

“What?”

“We practiced getting off the property undetected like a hundred times, and honestly, did we ever have to? The twins had everything rigged.”

I’d thought about that. “But it’s still good to be discreet, even if the place is sealed up and bouncing signals off.”

He shrugged and drove. I stared out the window watching the trees, houses, and world speed by.

We’d call the brothers as soon as we were settled. Before then, they weren’t moving. It would be up to them to make sure they weren’t followed to the safe house, and I really hoped they weren’t. We only had one plan B.

I made a mental note to call Lizzy and let her know we’d need to close the store for a few days…at least until we figured out what we were doing.

“Are we still going to the charity ball?” I glanced over at Mason, who was driving.

“I don’t know what we’re doing now. Plans changed, and once we’re all together again we can strategize.”

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