“W-where are we going?” Of course, I knew, but even with my brother on the run and posing a real threat, I couldn’t stem the panic at the thought of leaving. “I can’t do this.”

“No choice. I’m getting you off this island.”

I pulled against his hold, my heart pounding so hard, I thought my chest would rip open. “No! Please. Let’s just call the cops.” Even as the words left my mouth, I realized why he couldn’t. The cops would come, and the island and cabin would become a crime scene. They’d find the prison down in the cellar and they’d start asking questions, namely why someone who was supposed to be dead was still very much alive. I struggled as he forced me from the house, down the porch, a few steps closer to the water.

“I need you safe,” he said, “because I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

I dug in my heels, bare feet sliding over dirt and rock. “You can’t! You’re not a murderer, Rafe!” He was too prone to guilt. I’d seen it firsthand. “It’ll destroy you.”

He picked me up and flung me over his shoulder, and I kicked, clawed, screamed, hit…all of it seemed to bounce off him as he strode toward the water.

“I’m doing this for you.”

I screamed, coming unglued as he tossed me into a boat. The water terrified me, but as he unwound the rope anchoring me to the dock, that almost split me in two. “Come with me! Please, Rafe! Please—” I broke into unintelligible sobs, left with nothing to do but drift away from the island. From him.

“Alex!” he called as he let loose another boat—Zach’s I guessed. It floated in the direction mine had. “You’ll hit land a little ways upstream. Stay calm. I’ll find you.”

I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t speak.

“He won’t hurt you anymore. Not when I’m through with—” A loud grunt tore through the night, and my lids popped open.

I scrambled to my knees as he battled with Zach for the gun. Holding both hands over my racing heart, I screamed Rafe’s name. And I screamed and screamed some more when they fell to the ground and Zach beat him over the head with a rock. Rafe stopped struggling.

He wasn’t fucking moving. The scene before my eyes crawled in slow motion as Zach pushed to his knees, then to his feet. He stepped back, body swaying, and aimed the barrel at Rafe’s unmoving form.

OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod…

I screamed at him to stop, but my voice cut out when the blast echoed off the mountains. I almost fell into the water, reaching, pleading, praying for Rafe to get up, but Zach kicked his body into the river.