“Is that a cabin?” Wilder hunches forward, resting his forearms on the wheel. “I’m going to turn the truck around in that space right there. I don’t want to have to drive fast in reverse.” He executes a three-point turn, then pulls the truck off the path. He cuts the lights and the engine, throwing us into complete darkness.
Shifting in our seats, we face each other, even though it’s ridiculously hard to see anything more than a few feet in front of our faces. We’re in the middle of nowhere.
Royal murmurs, “Okay. Let’s think about what we know.”
“Right,” Wilder grits out. “The last thing we want to do is go in there guns blazing, so to speak, and get caught unaware.”
“There are at least two people in there with Kara, River, and Chase.” Royal lets out a hard breath. He’s gotta be scared shitless with his child in the hands of some deranged sickos. Hell, I’m feeling the same way. If they hurt that innocent little boy…
“Could be more,” I mumble. “The Sin Keeper said that our tormentor has more than one face. Didn’t specifically say two, right?”
In the dark, I can barely see Echo bite down on her lip before she throws out a hand. “But we do know there were at least two in my house. If the second person had been Smith, Davis wouldhave mentioned his cane or a limp at least. But he said no such thing, only that the other guy was dark-haired and tall. Not to mention, I’d think he would remember Smith from the accident. I don’t think it’s him.”
I suck in a breath before I let my concerns rush forward. “The other guy could be Alicia’s brother. And as much as it makes me want to vomit, he’s definitely a link to Megan.”
Wilder peers at me out of the corner of his eye. “Fuck. You could be onto something.”
I shrug, glancing into the back at Royal and Echo again. “If the photos had never appeared, if she were still in prison, I wouldn’t have thought of it. But at this point, this mess has affected every single one of us. Me included.”
With a shake of his head, Royal mutters, “I have a feeling shit’s about to get crazy.”
“How should we handle this?” The determination in Echo’s tone tells me she’s fully prepared to do anything required of her.
Royal glances at me and Wilder before turning his focus back to her to answer. “We should see if we can put eyes on them first. Then figure out what to do from there. Be ready for anything.”
Echo’s like a motherfucking queen as she draws herself up, donning her battle armor. Her expression hardens as she focuses her attention on the cabin. “Let’s go. They’ve had our baby for far too fucking long as it is.”
We exit the truck, doing our best to move quickly and quietly through the woods. Royal is in the lead, followed by Wilder and Echo, and I’m bringing up the rear. I blink, scanning the area around us. It’s so damn dark, I’m surprised Royal can tell where the trail is, but it’s clear he’s working his way toward the cabin.
When we finally get to an opening, we skirt around at the edge of the trees. We’re in luck. The back of the cabin has no windows, so we aren’t in danger of being seen as we approach. I’m anxious as fuck, so I’m glad we don’t hesitate. Crouchinglow, Royal makes a break for the building, leading us through the tall grass. From there, in a single file line, we circle until we find a window. It’s about five and a half feet off the ground. Echo lets out an exasperated breath. She’s too short to see inside. Maybe it’s better that way. Bracing my hands on the wood, I carefully ease over to peek through the window.
The cabin is one large room with a fireplace set off to the side. My breath catches as my gaze lands on Kara and River tied to chairs. They are still conscious, but it’s clear even at this distance that they’ve been smacked around. I suck in air through my teeth.
Echo clutches at my arm, and I briefly look down, then hold a finger up, needing another second to take in the scene before me. I swallow, making another stealthy perusal. There are three men. One I recognize as Brian, one must be Smith because he’s leaning heavily on a cane, and the third… is almost definitely Alicia’s brother, though last I saw him, he was a teenager, and now he’s a full-grown man. My eyes whip to the side at movement. Megan comes into view with Chase in her arms. The bottom of my stomach drops out, and my jaw clenches until I think it will break.Get your dirty hands off him, you psychotic bitch!
I ease back from the window. “It’s Brian, another guy who has his back to the window”—I pause, bile hitting the back of my throat—“and Megan. The girls are tied to chairs. Oh, and in the corner, Smith with his cane.”
Royal meets my eyes, his jaw already twitching. “Chase?”
I really wish I didn’t have to utter these words. “Megan has him.” If she harms him in any way, I know what I’d be capable of, and it’s not pretty.
The anguished sound that rips from Echo is heartbreaking. Royal grabs her, hauling her to him. “See if you can open the fucking window. I want to hear what’s going on in there,so we know when getting to them becomes a motherfucking emergency.”
Wilder nods, pointing at the window from the opposite side as he whispers, “Help me see if we can edge it open.” We each take one side, gingerly nudging it to see if it’ll move. It does, but it’s sticky, and I wince at the creak it makes.
This time, Wilder slowly leans forward so he can see inside. From the hard swallow he forces down his throat, I know he doesn’t like what he sees either.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, make the kid be quiet.” I can’t tell which guy said it, but from the way Wilder stiffens, I assume it might be Brian.
“Aw, the poor little guy is scared, huh?” Megan. My stomach threatens to eject my dinner at the thought of her touching him.
“Kawaaa.” Chase’s cry as he calls out for his aunt is a punch to the gut. I shift, turning to Royal as he nudges a shaking Echo into my arms with clenched teeth before he takes his turn at the window.
In a voice so low we almost can’t hear him, he relays what he’s seeing. “He’s okay, Echo. He just wants Kara. For obvious reasons.”
Against my chest Echo draws in a deep breath, nodding. She’s trying to be strong, and I understand that, but I also wish she had no reason to have to be.
River’s voice is sharp and angry. “Why the hell are you doing this, Brian?”
