Page 43 of The Engagement Party

Freedom loomed just out of her grasp. A sense of failure crept in. Rain pounded on her head and all around her. Desperate for relief, she buried her face in the folds of his wet shirt and cried as his arms closed around her.

“I can’t . . .” She didn’t even know how to finish the sentence.

“I’m so sorry.”

“I should have listened to you.” Stayed away. Never met these people or walked down the road to their shared and sordid past. She sensed Ruthie and Will huddled behind them. Sierra said the truth anyway. “We’re going to die out here.”

Mitch rocked her in his arms, as if oblivious to the downpour. “We’re leaving as soon as the storm breaks and the sun comes up. We’ll swim if we have to.”

She didn’t believe him. “Please don’t let them kill me.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ruthie

Watching something as painful and intimate as Sierra’s unraveling and Mitch’s gentle coaxing started an ache thumping inside Ruthie. Seeing practical and determined Sierra brought to her knees, willing to risk drowning rather than be hunted, ripped the last of Ruthie’s control away. Screw her plans and all that time spent dissecting them, crawling through their histories, and stepping through their collected lies. Survival was the ultimate goal now.

The way the head dropped. It had been unreal and horrifying, and every time she thought about it her mind blanked. Probably a protective mechanism her brain created to help her survive, and she was thankful for the brief reprieve from reality.

Will and Mitch lifted Sierra to her feet. She didn’t fight them. She didn’t say anything as she limped her first few steps.

The wind had died down to a normal storm-like heavy breeze. Annoying but it no longer knocked Ruthie sideways or held her in its grip. The rain continued to fall but they were already drenched so trying to outrun the drops seemed futile. They needed to keep Sierra up and moving. Between the limpand unruly wind-tossed hair, the clothes caked with mud and patches of blood, she looked feral. Eyes wild and searching the area with every step.

Ruthie fought to find normal. Her muscles shook and her dry throat made it tough to swallow. Danger lurked all around them. She didn’t know where or when it would strike, but she understood the inevitability of another round. The faceless attacker was on a killing streak. He wouldn’t just slink away. Not until he had what he wanted.

“We’ll go inside and dry off. Check on Alex.” She’d almost forgotten about his injuries while they were out collecting new ones. Every time they ventured away from the relative safety of the kitchen something huge happened. They’d been stumbling over dead bodies and strained explanations all day. Trying to make the inexplicable, the horrifying, understandable.

Will joined her at the head of the pack, constantly scanning the landscape for trouble. “Are you okay?”

He didn’t sound shocked or scared.How was that possible?She wondered if he schooled his emotions or if he didn’t have any at all. “No.”

He continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “We should look for the electrical panel. We assumed the worst when the power went out but maybe the storm tripped the breaker.”

Ruthie didn’t believe that. She still blamed intentional human interference. A deliberate attempt to shake them up and keep them off-balance.

“If it’s innocent then explain the body,” Mitch said from right behind her. “Actually, bodies. Plural.”

“I don’t understand who would want to kill Jake. And likethat . . . it was brutal.” Will made the comment in a faraway voice, as if his mental wanderings had slipped out.

He and Mitch hadn’t had a second to mourn for their friend or reason out thewhybehind his violent death, but now was not the time for this discussion. Not while they were out in the open.

Ruthie was about to make that declaration when Mitch answered. “The real question is who wants to kill all of us?”

“I can’t believe our engagement party weekend turned into this.” Will tangled his fingers in hers. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t want comfort from him. The voice in her head whispered to keep her hands freejust in case,so she let go of his hand. “Inside.”

The distance between the couples grew. No one lingered, but Sierra’s listlessness slowed Mitch down.

Will glanced back at Sierra. “Is she okay?”

Such a ridiculous question. None of them were okay. Ruthie couldn’t believe he was trying to hold a rational,normalconversation under the circumstances. “Trying to leave might make her the most sensible one here.”

“Will.”

Mitch’s voice made Ruthie jump.

Will slowed down. “What is it?”

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