Page 39 of Sins of Autumn

The basement door slammed shut behind us, the sound ringing in my ears like a death knell. My chest heaved, panic clawing at my insides as I tried to make sense of what the fuck was happening.

Daniella’s scream pierced the air. It wasn’t just a cry for help, it was raw, visceral, and filled with a terror that made my blood run cold. Cherish locked the basement door, her hands shaking as she twisted the pathetic lock in place. “They’ve got her,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “They’ve got fucking everyone.”

From the sound of things, we weren’t far behind. I didn’t say that aloud, knowing it would do us no good. My sister ushered me down the stairs. I took in the room, noting that there wasn’t anything that would help us.

“What do we do?” My voice came out much stronger than I felt at the moment.

Cherish didn’t answer right away. She scanned the dimly lit room, her sharp eyes darting from the pool table in the center, the sofa against the wall, to the small windows barred with iron grates near the ceiling. We were trapped, and we both knew it.

“First, we make a weapon,” she said, moving to the sofa. She grabbed a decorative, ripping the case free with quick, desperate movements. “If they come down here, we’re not going without a fight.”

She turned and began loading pool balls into the pillowcase, her hands working fast despite the fear etched into her features. The clinking of the balls against one another was almost deafening in the suffocating quiet of the basement.

The sound of footsteps above us sent fresh waves of panic through me. The thuds were erratic, moving from one end of the house to the other. Occasionally, something crashed—a chair? A table? I couldn’t tell.

My stomach churned as I pictured what they could be going through.

“I’m so sorry,” I rasped.

My sister looked at me with a glare. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because this is Wilder.” I started to pace. “And Liza was right.”

“You’re not blaming yourself for what this sick,twistedasshole and his friends are doing to us, Autumn.”

I didn’t argue the point, but this was on me and there wasn’t anything she could say to change that. “The masks they’re wearing match the one you shoved in the closet.”

She began to reply, hesitating, her gaze darting to the ceiling as another scream echoed down to us. “So this is some kind of planned revenge? If he’s doing this for you, why not just—” She stopped herself, her expression darkening. “This is fucked.”

I didn’t know what conclusion she’d just come to, and I wasn’t going to ask.

I wasn’t sure what Wilder wanted, not really. Obviously, me. But then what?

Cherish moved to a light switch at the bottom of the stairs and looked over her shoulder. “I’m going to turn this off.”

I swallowed and gave a terse nod, packing all my needless commentary into a box. There was no way in hell we were walking out of this basement with the upper hand, and I had a sinking feeling that whatever the fuck was going on upstairs, this was only the beginning.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

One of them had locked the basement door after realizing Daniella wasn’t going to join them. It was a desperate move and a critical oversight. Most basement doors are locked from the opposite side. We’d made sure this one was backward, just for the hell of it.

I pulled the small key from my pocket, turning it over in my gloved hand. The homeowner’s key. We’d taken it the night we killed him. We had known about this trip since the moment Daniella booked it. They never stood a chance. Sliding the key into the lock, the tumblers click into place. With a faint creak, the door opened, revealing the dark stairwell leading down.

The lights were off. That was smart but also pointless. Our masks were designed to give us perfect vision in the dark. We’d look just as foolish as our quarry did if we were running through darkness half-blind.

I stepped forward first, my shoes heavy on the stairs, the sound deliberate. I wanted them to know we were coming. Let them stew in the terror for just a little longer. As I reached the bottom, I paused, my gaze sweeping the space. The room was wide, housing a pool table, sofa, and a dart area. Just a few feet ahead, was Cherish.

She gripped a pillowcase stuffed with pool balls, the fabric stretched and strained under the weight. I couldn’t help but be impressed. I shouldn’t have been. Cherish always scrapped dirty when she had to.

For someone who’d grown up cushy, she had a surprising knack for survival when the stakes were high. As soon as I stepped off the last stair, she swung. Hard and fast. The pillowcase sliced through the air, aiming right at my head. I dodged, barely avoiding what would’ve been a nasty hit. Lucian and Thorne laughed behind me. Of course, they thought this shit was funny.

Cherish twisted, her movements sharp and fluid, and swung again. This time the pillowcase arced for my ribs. I caught it mid-swing, the force jolting up my arm, but I didn’t let go.

“No!” she snarled, trying to yank it free, but my grip held firm.

Lucian stepped forward, chuckling as he plucked the makeshift weapon from my hands. He examined it, spinning it lazily. “Creative.”

She blindly came swinging at him. Thorne intercepted her, his arms locking around her torso. Cherish bucked against his hold, spitting curses as he began dragging her toward the stairs.

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