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I don’t want my eyes affected by the constant changes, so I close them and listen instead.

“You need to be faster.”

The voice is familiar, but I’m still hoping that I’m wrong. Maybe he means they need to be faster trying to save the animal from whatever happened.

“If Gavin wakes up and catches us, we’re fucked. You didn’t need to be so goddamn dramatic. It would have had the same effect if you did a quick kill.”

Okay.

They’re not trying to save the animal.

They’re the ones who hurt it.

And the ringleader’s voice is forever going to haunt me because howthe fuckcould I have been so stupid?

“Hurry up!”

“We’re trying.”

Another familiar voice. It’s not surprising, of course, in a town this size, and it’s definitely not a drifter who is responsible like I had been hoping.

It wouldn’t be the first time someone passing through town trespassed and caused trouble, but that would have been too coincidental. I was just grasping at straws because I want to trust my guys.

I need to be able to trust the people who have access to my family.

“You could help, you know, instead of playing announcer. Would make things faster.”

“No wet work for me. We had a deal. I’m going back inside.”

“The hell you are. You’re staying until we’re done.”

There’s the horrifying sound again. The animal isn’t dead but is getting weaker.

These sick fucks are torturing it.

And the time for me to reveal my position has come.

Chapter 33

Ashley

HowamIsupposedto stay safe inside the house – well, relatively safe – when Gavin is out there risking his life for meagain?

I need to help him.

Even if I fail, I need to at least try.

He’s alone facing nameless danger and has no one he can trust.

The only thing we know for certain is that these people, whoever they are, have tried to kill us. And not just once.

If they hurt him – or worse – they could come after his parents, and I can’t let anything happen to them after they’ve taken me into their home. How can I just pace through the house and wait to see what happens?

I need to do something.

Anything.

Without wasting another second, I yank my jeans back on and pull one of Gavin’s discarded sweatshirts over my head, hoping that it will give me some of his courage and skill.