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SAGE
Icouldn’t remember if Lacey’s bedroom was the fourth or fifth room on the left. By the time I passed the third door, I was cast in darkness. The bathroom light wasn’t helping anymore. With one hand on the wall, I stepped carefully and froze every time the old wood floor creaked under me. I finally felt the fourth door and reached for the door handle.
I pushed the door open an inch and then waited to hear if anyone was inside. There was nothing but silence. Pushing it open a little wider, I poked my head in. More darkness waited for me in the room. I slipped inside and shut the door behind me.
Blinded by the sudden change when I flicked the light on, I blinked a few times before realizing this was my room. Everything was just as I’d left it. My bag at the foot of the bed. The clothes I had changed out of were still strewn on the floor. I gazed at the disheveled blankets on the bed where Alex’s clothes were lying.
Tears threatened to escape when I thought about how simple life had been just a short time ago. How could any of this have actually happened? It still felt like I was stuck in a bad dream. My phone was still charging on the nightstand, and I quickly grabbed it. The screen lit up and showed it was just after midnight. It had only been ten hours since we’d entered this hell house. I shook my head in disbelief. Life would never be the same—if I even survived tonight. The phone still showed no signal, but I slipped it into my back pocket before heading toward the door.
I stepped back into the dark hallway. With my hands guiding the way, I reached the next door and felt around until I grasped the cold metal of the door handle. Again, I slowly opened it and listened for any sound coming from inside. I went inside and felt for the light switch and turned it on. The room was just as it was earlier. Trashed. Something shiny caught my eye on the floor next to the bed. It was a needle. But this one was empty, unlike the one Jamie’d had in his hand.
My stomach knotted even more when it dawned on me that this must have been where they attacked Lacey. Still crouched over the needle, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my thoughts. I had to push the image of my sister taking her last breaths out of my head. If I didn’t, I would never think straight enough to get out of here. I needed to get free. To go to the police. So all the families of the women who were killed could get closure and to keep this from happening to others. With a shaky breath, I opened my eyes and stood back up.
I glanced at the nightstand, and my eyes landed on the truck keys. I just stared at them. The room had been ransacked, and yet the keys just sat there, completely undisturbed. It couldn’t be that easy. It could be a trap. Why leave a possible escape plan just out in the open? Then again, maybe they’d overlooked it. Either way, I wasn’t going back downstairs without those keys.
I swept the keys up and held on to them tightly as I scanned the room. A small noise made me freeze, and my eyes shot to the door. If someone was out there, they’d definitely see the light coming from under the door. I stayed glued next to the nightstand, unable to move as fear claimed me. My ears strained for any sort of noise, but once again, it was silent.
Turning back around, I slid open the nightstand drawer, hoping to find anything I could use as a weapon. But it was empty. As I pushed the drawer back in, I heard a click. I whirled around to see a man turning from the door to face me. I sucked in a breath and backed up until my calves slammed into the nightstand.
“Hey, future sis.”
One of the twins stood calmly in front of me, and my eyes shot to his arm. When they were together, it was easier to tell them apart. He folded his arms, and I caught sight of the small, oval birthmark on his wrist. That birthmark was the only way to differentiate them because Geo didn’t have one.
“Niko,” I muttered under my breath. Alex had said he’d grown up here, so it only made sense his brothers had too. I wondered if he knew I had been in the basement. Alex had said I was supposed to be at the beach when it happened. Maybe Niko had no idea I knew their secret. If he didn’t know, maybe I could play this off. Letting confusion sweep across my face, I raised my voice. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t pass up the chance to hang out up north. I’m surprised Alex brought you to our favorite place to stay when we hunt,” Niko replied as he glanced around the room. “So, where’s my baby brother at? I can’t find him, and he’s usually with you.”
I narrowed my eyes, not sure if he was serious or messing with me. He was lying, but I still wasn’t sure if he knew that I had found out everything.
“I don’t know. I was up here getting my phone and stopped to look at the pictures I took today. He’s probably downstairs. Let’s go find him,” I answered, trying to keep my voice steady. I took a small step forward but stopped when he didn’t move.
“How about we talk a little first, just you and me?” He stared at me while he leaned back against the door. “You know, my brother loves you more than anything. He made waves in the family when he decided he wanted to marry you. My family is very traditional, and you definitely weren’t my parents’ first choice. But he didn’t budge, and now my parents are welcoming you with open arms. Well, mostly anyway. They really wanted him to find someone who shared in our…beliefs.” He stole a look at my hair before meeting my eyes again.
“I’m glad they came around. Your family is great,” I sputtered the words out. I was almost positive he was messing with me, but I wasn’t going to give up the innocent act until I had to. My face started to get hot, and I looked down at the floor next to him. I was such a terrible liar. Luckily, he didn’t know my tells as well as Alex did.
“Sage, I think there’s something you should know. There are people all over this country, all over this world, who share our beliefs. There’s nowhere you can go where this belief isn’t practiced.” His voice picked up an icy edge, and my gaze darted back to him. A small speck of remorse passed through his eyes before it was gone.
What was he doing? Warning me that there were people everywhere who would kill me because of my hair color? A chill raced down my spine. He fucking knew that I’d found out about their society. Panic engulfed me, but I attempted to keep my face blank. He continued talking. “The best place to be is with my brother and my family. They would never let anything happen to you.”
“Niko, I—”
“I’m not finished,” he coldly interrupted me. “People from all professions share in our beliefs. Teachers, bankers, police officers. And we’re all connected by this. They are always willing to help, no matter how far away. You’ve been to this house, our home away from home. I heard about Alex’s proposal. You said yes. You’re already part of this family.” He looked like he didn’t agree with the last part. Apparently, he wasn’t happy with Alex’s choice either.
“Thanks, Niko. I’m glad you think I’m a part of your family.” I forced a small smile, refusing to admit anything. I slowly started walking forward to see if he’d move. But he stayed just how he was, watching my every move until he was pushed forward when the door slammed open.
“There you are. Have you seen—”
My heart dropped when Geo popped up behind Niko. I should have known I’d see him too. The twins were never far from each other. Geo had stopped talking when his eyes landed on me.
“Sage. Alex has been looking for you,” Geo murmured as the tension grew. Niko moved over when Geo elbowed his way into the room.
“I was about to go look for him,” I replied, swallowing hard.
“Where’s Lacey and that boy toy she came up here with?” Geo said casually, but the look in his eyes told a different story. I stilled as Niko shot his brother an annoyed glance. Geo’s stare left me, and I followed his gaze to the needle that was still on the floor. I squeezed the keys tighter when they both looked at my hand.
“Going somewhere, Sage?” Geo asked, his face going cold.
