Page 71 of The Engagement Party

Flames licked up the front door. Flashes of orange and red appeared in the thin window before being overtaken by rolling gray smoke. Wisps seeped under the front door as the smell of burning wood wafted across the room.

Reality pressed down on Alex, forcing him to grab for the kitchen counter to stay upright. “He’s going to kill us.”

“Not by fire.” Sierra looked from one end of the room to the other. “He’s trying to lure us outside. Check out the back door. No visible flames. No smoke.”

Mitch reached for Sierra. “He wants to shuttle us out there to—”

“Pick us off one by one,” Will said.

They all shifted, moving to the middle of the room and farther away from the most pressing danger. The small window next to the front door cracked. The crunching sound had them all on edge. The collective inhale turned to screams as the glass shattered. Shards blew in through the ragged hole and skittered across the floor.

The smoke poured in now, setting off rounds of coughing andgarbled talking. The whistling wind dragged in a cold, damp air but the fire still blazed. They scattered, searching for cloths to cover their noses and mouths. Like frightened animals, they foraged only to meet up again in a panicked huddle by the refrigerator.

Will pulled down the blanket he’d wrapped around his head. “What about the rain? That should put the fire out, right?”

“Some but the rain died down. The storm is more fog and wind now.” Rain wasn’t a firehose or a miracle cure. Depending on the weather was a losing game. Every muscle in Alex’s body slowly shut down, but his brain still worked... for now. “We have to get off the defensive and strike.”

“The windows.” Mitch nodded in the direction of the window on the other side of the room by the fireplace. “I can slip out there and—”

“Die.” The stark delivery had everyone staring at Sierra and her grim expression.

Mitch turned to her as if begging her to understand. “I’ll go out and see where Dylan is. Try to find a path for us to get to the garage or one of the other outbuildings. Our best recourse is to hide until we can find a way off this island that doesn’t result in us drowning.”

Ruthie shouted through the towel covering her mouth. “Don’t you get it? He’s planned all of this. He’s waiting for you.”

“Is he half as smart as he says he is?” Cassie asked.

Ruthie nodded. “Smart and devious. For him, this is a matter of survival. He’s convinced the only answer is for all of you to die.”

“Then he would have contemplated a possible window escape,” Cassie said.

Mitch’s shoulders lifted in question. “I’m open to any other plan.”

Smoke billowed into the room, blanketing it in a heavy gray film. They all crouched and yelled to be heard over the fierce rumble of fire as it ate away at the front of the grand house.

The crackle and bangs drew Alex’s attention. The walls seemed to shift and groan as flames curled into the room and snaked up the walls. “We have to move.”

“I’ll be the diversion.” Ruthie dropped her towel and lifted her gun. “Everyone gets down and out of the way. We’ll open the door to draw his fire. Mitch can escape through the window.”

“I’m going with him.” Sierra held her hand in front of Mitch’s face. “No arguments.”

Mitch nodded before turning to Will. “You need to back up Ruthie. Pull her out of Dylan’s line of sight and slam the door shut if this goes sideways.”

Ruthie winced. “I don’t think—”

“Fine,” Will said.

Alex refused to put any trust in Ruthie. If he had more strength he might wrestle that gun away from her. With that not being an option, he had to hope her will to survive outran her desire for answers. “Do you know how to use that?”

Ruthie’s grim expression didn’t give anything away. “I’ll shoot Dylan if I have to.”

“You two.” Mitch nodded toward Cassie and Alex. “Cas, can you get him out?”

Alex hoped he could walk to the window. Jumping out of it sounded impossible.

Cassie didn’t hesitate. “Yes. We’ll be right behind you.”

They all moved into position. Cassie and Alex stayed close behind Mitch and Sierra, but everything depended on Ruthie... the person who’d dragged them into this hellfire.

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