She’s capable of that, and I can’t wait until she realizes it. There is nothing more exciting than watching someone reach their potential, but everything is so much different with Piper. It’s not like watching Caleb, Owen, and Matt realize they wanted to do this, too. They don’t mean to me what she does.

But I can’t give her this. I can’t let her friends go because as soon as Hazel and Priya go, they will talk. We’ll be hunted like foxes. I won’t ever be on the wrong side of the food chain.

“Piper,” I say. “You know I can’t do that. Your friends are going to go straight to the police.”

She turns to face them, her eyes wide and pleading. “They won’t. They’ll make something up; they’ll stagger their returns and tell everyone they couldn’t cut it on their own. No one has to know about this.”

Hazel nods her head fiercely, tears running down her cowardly face. She wouldn’t say anything, either, because she only thinks of herself. Priya is different; she would do the right thing, bound by morals and sticking to laws. Dull. Safe. Hideous.

My money is on Priya to squeal in the first five minutes. She’ll be straight down at the station before I’ve even had time to skip town. I’m not risking everything for these people. I don’t care if they live or die. I only care that I start again with Piper and Caleb.

“Babe, you don’t believe that,” I tell her. “I don’t want you to lie to me ever again.”

She lowers her hands from my face and turns her head back to me. “Evan, I need this from you. Please just give me this.”

“Don’t you see? This is the last thing before we can all get out of here.”

“Who is we?” she asks.

“Me, you, and Caleb.” Who does she think it is? “Piper, the world is ours.”

“I… Evan, no, this isn’t right.”

“Hush. I can see it in you, screaming to escape. Don’t worry and don’t think. I’ll show you. I’ll show you everything.”

Blinking through tears in her eyes, she drops her shoulders. “I’m not a killer. I could never hurt anyone.”

Caleb laughs. “I told you we should have sent her to room zero before you decided to bring her in on this, man.”

“Shut up, Caleb!” I snap.

“I’m just saying, Evan. It would have been nice to know what she’s capable of beforehand.”

“I know what she’s capable of. She just doesn’t yet. Trust me, I’m right about this.”