Page 49 of Buried Beneath Sin

I shrug. “It's none of my business.”

At this, Knox throws his head back and laughs. I flinch at the sudden sound, so loud in the otherwise quiet house.

“Wow, you’re a fun surprise. I was sure when I opened up that line of conversation it was going to earn me a mini interrogation.” He regards me with a curious smile. “You’re not like a lot of the small-town people I know.”

His bright blue eyes are strangely speculative. I don’t like it.

“I think the people of Chasm would agree with you,” I mutter before pushing away from the island. I take a sip of my wine and then place the glass on the kitchen table before approaching the window. Just as I come to a stop, someone steps directly in front of it.

I yelp in surprise as Trevor stares through the glass, straight at me.

“Hey, Trix or Treat,” he says loud enough for me to hear.

“Shit, is that the guy from earlier?” Knox asks.

I don’t answer him as I stare back at Trevor. My heart hammers in my chest.

I can feel the blood rush from my face as he sneers down at me. This can’t be happening. Not right now. Ijustgot rid ofPatrick and my mother. I don’t need another challenge to face. I just want some peace. Is that too much to ask for? Tears blur my vision. This isn’t fair. Is he going to take Patrick’s place and be a constant terror in my life? Why?Whyis this happening to me? My bottom lip trembles as we stare at one another.

Trevor’s hand comes up and his knuckles rap against the window, causing the glass to rattle. The sound stirs me out of my spiraling. I blink rapidly and my tears disappear. My spine straightens, and I force myself to take a deep breath. Then I flip him the bird.

Rather than be put out, Trevor laughs loudly.

“Call the cops,” Knox drawls, his tone bored. “I’m pretty sure this is, like, harassment, or something.”

I swallow hard. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Trevor smirks and slinks away from the window toward the front door. Oh no… Alert bells go off in my head as I realize I didn’t lock it when we came inside. I don’t answer Knox as I turn and race for the front door.

Just as I get there, the knob turns, and the door begins to crack open. I fling my arms out, ready to shove it closed, but suddenly it pulls back, slamming shut on its own. I freeze with my arms outstretched. For a second, I stare at the door, stunned. What… what just happened? With a trembling hand, I reach up and lock the deadbolt.

“Hey, Trix or Treat!” a voice calls out from the other end of the house.

Oh no, Sebastian!

They must’ve split up—one taking the front door while the other took the back. My lungs seize as I try not to panic. Of course they would try something the minute I’m alone. Why wouldn’t they? I race down the hallway, passing the kitchen in an attempt to fight Sebastian off before he gets too far into thehouse. I get halfway toward the mudroom when I hear the back door slam shut. My heart jumps up in my throat. As I approach, I’m sure the mudroom door is about to fling open.

But it doesn’t.

I make it to the cracked mudroom door and throw it open the rest of the way, ready to face Sebastian head on. Except he’s not here. I frown. Did he leave? Just like that? Unease knots my stomach, and I can’t work my heart back into place. Where did these two just go? I lock the back door in case he or Trevor try to enter this way again, then head back toward the front of the house.

As I approach the entrance to the kitchen, Knox saunters out of the room. He glances at me then down the hallway as if half expecting someone to pop out of the shadows. The silence that follows isn’t comforting.

“Well, I thought I was going to have to step in to help, but I’m glad everything’s been taken care of,” he says happily. “I just painted my nails and getting them chipped the first day wasn’t in the cards for me.”

He lifts up his hands with a wide grin to show off the iridescent color on his fingernails as if we weren’t just under attack by two of the worst people alive.

“I’m sorry, Knox,” I say breathlessly. “I shouldn’t have invited you up here. I didn’t realize they’d come back… At least not so soon.”

Knox shrugs. “This was way more interesting than sitting in my car playing on my phone, so it’s whatever.”

Interesting? It’s whatever?How is he not terrified right now? I must not have hidden my confusion well because Knox laughs. His slim shoulders shake and his bright white teeth flash.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like an adrenaline rush?”

I hesitate, stopping beside him as I consider his question.

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