Shaking his head, he glances up and smirks. I get the old him back. Who cares if Matt and Owen are dead? They had no major role, merely right-hand men, there to do as they were told. It’s me and Caleb who drives this. We do all the real work, the thinking. We’re responsible for what we’ve created. Without us, Matt and Owen would be bored out of their minds, playing good little citizens and always wanting something more.

They would also still be alive, but what’s the point in living if you’re stuck inside a bubble of what you should do?

Caleb clears his throat. “Matt has always been stupid. I’m surprised by Owen, though. I thought he was more dedicated than that. While I can’t disagree that it would be easier without her, we both know there is no fun in easy.”

He gets it. He’s always been my right-hand man. I can count on him.

“Do you want to chase them or…?”

I swing around. Piper, Hazel, and Priya are running.

Sighing, I shake my head. “My poor Piper hasn’t realized she’s not the lamb anymore.”

“How much more of a head start are you going to give them?”

“Five, four, three, two, one.” I smirk at him and step over Lucie and Theo’s bodies. “Let’s get my girl.”

We take off, sprinting toward the woods where they’re now lost. I know the forest like the back of my hand. They won’t get far.

39

Piper

Dead.

Lucie and Theo are dead. So are Owen and Matt. So much death.

This place is pure poison.

The warm wind whips around my face as we run with everything left inside of us. It’s hot today, so the breeze is welcome. Every step is getting me closer to my parents. The only problem we have is that we’ve run deeper into the woods, rather than toward the road. We had to. If we’d gone the other way, we would have ran past them and that was too risky.

It’s a miracle we got away at all, but as soon as Evan focused on his friends—if they can be called that since he showed no mercy when he shot them—we had to go.

Hazel is holding one of my hands and Priya the other.

“Which way?” Hazel asks, panting.

“We need to circle back and head to the road,” I reply.

Priya gasps and lets go of my hand. She doubles over and holds her chest.

“Priya, we have to keep moving,” I tell her. “I didn’t hear them come after us, but I don’t think they’ll be far behind.”

“Sorry,” she rasps. “I can’t keep going at this pace.”

“Then you’ll die!” Hazel snaps.

I glare at her and turn back to Priya.