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Pushing past the devastation, we make our way deeper into the house, following the sound of ragged breathing. There, in a side hallway, we find Edo—bloodied and battered, but still clinging to consciousness.
Nat screams and rushes to Edo’s side. He’s bleeding from a large wound in his stomach, his shirt stained crimson.
“Damian, Nat…” Edo croaks, his voice barely above a whisper. He’s pressing a makeshift tourniquet against the thigh of a fallen soldier, desperate to stem the bleeding.
I fall to my knees beside him, my heart pounding in my ears. “Edo, what the hell happened?” I demand, my voice laced with barely concealed panic.
“The Brotherhood,” Edo gasps, his eyes wild with a mixture of pain and urgency. “They… they hit us hard, came in firing… We never saw it coming.”
I suck in a deep breath, my face draining of color as I grip Edo’s shoulder, my eyes narrowing with urgency. “Alexis,” I breathe. “Where’s Alexis?”
Edo winces, the pain etched into his features. “I don’t know, Damian,” he admits, his voice strained. “When The Brotherhood attacked, I ordered one of the guards to take Alexis to her room and lock the door. I haven’t seen her since.”
We waste no time in rushing to Alexis’s room, my heart pounding with desperation fueled by equal parts fear and fury.
As Nat and I approach the door, my stomach lurches at the sight—it’s nearly off its hinges, the wooden frame splintered and broken. The room beyond is in complete disarray, a testament to the violent struggle that must have taken place.
Biscotti comes bounding out, my usually aloof dog now cowering and trembling in my arms. The sight of my normally bold creature reduced to such a state only serves to heighten my dread.
Nat inhales sharply, her gaze fixed on the door. I follow my sister’s line of sight and feel the blood drain from my face. Bile rises in my throat.
There, painted in a sickening crimson, is a giant smiley face. And beneath it, a message that sends a chill down my spine.
“Got her.”
29
ALEXIS
Islowly blink my eyes open, my head pounding with a searing ache. As my senses gradually return, I realize with growing dread that I’m no longer in my room, but tied to a chair—much like I had been at the Carter house.
But this time, the knots are tied properly. I won’t be able to unknot them. And from the way the rope is digging into my wrists, whoever tied me up did this purposefully to maximize my discomfort.
My heart races as the memories come flooding back—Scarlett bursting through my door, an inhuman grin on her blood-spattered face. A shiver of terror runs down my spine. I have to get out of here.
But how? Not only am I tied up, but this room is stark and barren. The walls are bare, devoid of any decoration or distinguishing features, and there’s only one door leading out. There are no windows in this room, which leads me to believe I’m either in an interior room or in the basement.
Just then, Scarlett saunters into the room, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Well, look who’s finally decided to join us,” she purrs, her tone dripping with false sweetness.
I open my mouth to speak, but my throat feels raw and parched. Scarlett seems to sense my struggle, and her smile only widens.
“Don’t worry, dear,” she coos, producing a knife from her pocket and pressing the blade lightly against the soft skin of my neck. “I want you nice and alert for our little chat.”
I swallow hard, trying in vain to pull away from the sharp edge. “Where am I?” I rasp, hating the fear that laces my words.
Scarlett clicks her tongue disapprovingly. “Now, now, let’s not worry about the details.” She leans in closer, her breath hot against my face. “What’s important is that I finally have you right where I want you.”
My mind races as I desperately search for a way out of this nightmare. But there’s no way out. Not with Scarlett standing before me with her menacing blade.
My baby’s life depends on my getting out of this alive, but I know Scarlett will never let me go willingly. I have to play this carefully, keep my wits about me.
Be the wolf.
Scarlett clicks her tongue disapprovingly. “Tsk, tsk. And here I thought you’d be happy to see me.” She leans in closer, her breath hot against my face. “You’ve done an excellent job hiding, you know. But you just had to go back to the Carter house, didn’t you?”
My blood runs cold. “How did you…?”
“Find you?” Scarlett interrupts, a mocking laugh escaping her lips. “Oh, darling, we’ve had Brotherhood members stationed outside that house since you first slipped out of Mark’s grip.” She pauses, her eyes glinting with malice. “But that's not what I’m really interested in.”
