Page 53 of The Engagement Party

To Sierra, the rules seemed simple: there were none. Anything they could swing, throw, or stab with needed to be collected. They had to be ready to unleash them all.

“Hey.” Mitch’s whispered voice stopped her from taking another step. “If you hear anything start to go sideways down here, you stay up there and hide. Sneak out on the roof if you have to but then go.”

“I’m not—”

“Listen to me.” He moved to the step right below hers. Since he was a few inches taller that put them even with each other. “Do not try to save anyone, including me. Don’t hang around for low tide to use the golf cart. Wait it out until morning or the storm clears, whichever comes first, so you have light and then swim.”

He was trying to save her. She got it. In his head, he brought her here, but in reality, she’d insisted. Maybe not exactly, but she’d pushed him and landed them both here.

She touched the side of his face. It might be her only chance before their worlds exploded, so she gave in to the need. “We go together. I’m coming right back down.”

“Don’t.” He leaned into her palm. Just for a second, but it was enough. Then he trudged down the steps and shoved Will. “Don’t just stand there. Do something.”

She’d always joked that she’d be the first to die in a horror movie. She’d curl up in a ball in the closet and wait. Go out first and save the heartache of running and watching people die. Now she knew better.

She blocked the panic from seeping in as she jogged up thelast few steps. She walked past the partially closed door to Ruthie and Will’s room. The sound of Ruthie rummaging around floated into the hallway. Nothing unusual under the circumstances, but Sierra doubled back and pushed the door open. Ruthie sat on the floor, half in the closet, with a bag open on her lap. A bag Sierra didn’t remember seeing earlier.

That’s not what caught her attention. “You have a gun?”

Ruthie jumped as she reached for the weapon wedged under her thigh. “Sierra...”

Run.The word flashed in Sierra’s head, and she didn’t ignore it.

Ruthie got to her feet and lunged. She beat Sierra to the door by seconds. Threw her body against it to block Sierra’s exit.

“Sierra, no. Please listen,” Ruthie begged in a harsh whisper.

A gun. They came to talk about wedding plans and this woman brought a gun. Ruthie had been playing a deadly game this whole time, and Sierra still didn’t know what it was.

She inhaled, trying to get her rebelling nerves to relax. She held out her hand, ignoring the small tremor running through it. “Give me the weapon.”

Ruthie’s grip visibly tightened on the gun. “You’re the only person in this house I trust, but no way.”

Sierra heard the tremble in Ruthie’s voice. Not the sort of thing she’d expect from a cold-blooded killer who’d managed to subdue and kill men who outweighed her. Sierra didn’t understand any of it. How did Ruthie manage all of this with five other people milling around? She couldn’t have shot the policeman. Did the shed door open by accident? None of the pieces fit together. Not in a logical way that Sierra could follow.

She stepped back. Tried to use the panic flowing through her as fuel. The only thing that kept her from screaming for help wasthe pleading in Ruthie’s eyes. Probably a ruse, but Sierra let this play this out while she tried to make sense of it.

She nodded at the gun in Ruthie’s hand. “Why would you bring that to your engagement party weekend?”

“Look at what’s happened. It’s good I have it.”

The dodge didn’t build trust. “That depends on which side you’re on.”

Ruthie shook her head. “I’m not the one killing people.”

She acted like her word was good enough. Like she hadn’t lied her way through this weekend. Sierra’s loyalty ran to exactly one person in this house. Ruthie had tried to build camaraderie. Sierra saw it all as bullshit now.

“You’re the one with the secret gun at a celebratory event, which you have to admit is suspect.” The scheme, whatever was happening here, had nothing to do with a wedding. Sierra hoped she didn’t get stuck betting her life on that fact.

“You’re smart, Sierra.” Ruthie’s tone changed. Gone was the panicky bobble in her voice. She sounded firm and genuine. “The smartest one here. Probably the only honest one.”

Such complete bullshit.“There’s nothing subtle about this suck-up job.”

“Fine.” Ruthie visibly changed again. This time back to the same woman who could out-argue Cassie, or at least take a good run at it. “I brought the gun for protection.”

Sierra guessed that was the first honest thing Ruthie had said since coming upstairs. “From what?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

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