Page 98 of Savage Scream

“What’s the plan?” Travis asks as Cassie sets to work on freeing him.

“Simple. Kill Bianca.” I shrug, looking around the basement for a weapon before glancing back at Travis. “What’s at the top of the basement?”

He just stares at me and shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine. This is the first time I’ve ever been here.”

Shit. The Kerrs really did keep this part of their life a secret from everyone. They lived in this fancy lake house while their foster kids lived in a dump. Why didn’t they bring their foster kids here? Why didn’t they share their wealth with them?

Because they are cruel fuckers that need to die.

While they lived it up off the money their foster kids made them, their kids slummed it in a shitty house, in a shitty neighbourhood, peddling their shitty drugs.

“Right. Well, you two should stay here until I come back for you,” I state, moving towards the staircase.

The moment Travis is free, he leaps up off the concrete floor towards me.

“No, Ell. Stop. You’re not going up there alone. We don’t even know who’s shooting.”

I grin at my brother. “I do. It’s Griffin Marx and his crew. They aren’t a threat to me, but they might be to you until Griffin knows you’re no longer supporting the Kerr business.”

“Supporting it? We never had a choice.” Cassie cries, her puffy split lip trembling.

“I know that, but I need to make sure Griffin knows that, too,” I state. “Now stay here. I’ll come back for you.”

As I move past Travis and Cassie toward the stairs, he grabs my upper arm, stopping me.

“No. It’s too dangerous for you, Ell.”

I smile. “Maybe for Ell, or even Dee. But it’s not too dangerous for Hush.” I peel his fingers from my arm before giving his hand a squeeze. “Hush has a job to do, and she won’t stop until it’s done.”

“Who’s Hush?” Cassie asks, but Travis doesn’t answer her, his brown eyes locked with mine.

“Fine, but we’re coming. I’m not staying down here for one minute longer.”

I get it. I don’t want to either, so I nod. “Stay behind me and don’t engage in any fights. And if we get separated, find Griffin and tell him you’re no longer associated with the Kerr gang.”

Both Travis and Cassie nod, and I don’t waste another second, beelining for the staircase and taking two at a time.

The door is ajar at the top of the stairs, and I peek through to see the kitchen off to the right, although I can’t see what’s off to the left.

Bianca’s gritty chain smoking voice floats to me from beyond the kitchen, and I latch onto it, making it my focus.

She must die.

Taking a deep breath, I push the basement door open and step out into the short passage. A glance behind me shows the laundry room, so I continue forward into the kitchen, my eyes assessing everything as I move, even honing in on the large knife block on the kitchen bench.

Bingo.

I dart quickly into the space, grabbing three knives and passing Travis and Cassie one each as they creep into the room, huddled together.

It’s more for Cassie’s sake than anything. Her frail body trembling with fear as Travis tries to keep her moving, and I notice she’s now wearing a t-shirt. Maybe they snagged one from the laundry?

“Put the gun down!”

I know that voice. It’s Griffin’s, and I’ve never been happier to hear it.

There’s a mirror on the wall giving me a view around the corner, and I see Bianca in a standoff with Griffin and his men. Why they don’t just shoot the bitch, I don’t know, and I don’t fucking want to wait.

Sucking in a deep calming breath, I round the corner, stepping over Douglas Kerr’s dead body, narrowly avoiding the blood pooling from his chest, as I come into view of Griffin and his men.

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