Page 144

Three days away from the issues with the twins. Three days away from Dylan. Three days not having to worry about the other issue I have going on that will reach critical mass eventually.
Three days.
And then the news article came out claiming Ivy and Gabe broke up.
My good times and mini-vacation are over.
“You both need to get out of there. Mason just called me and said they’re leaving town. As inallof them, Emily. That never means anything good.”
Panic races down my spine as I pace the dining room of my parents’ cabin. How the Inferno managed to find us is anybody’s guess, but we certainly can’t stay here and wait for them.
“Okay. I’ll let Ivy know. Thanks for calling.”
My thumb hits the screen to hang up, and I practically jog into the living room where Ivy is talking to Gabe.
“Get off the phone, Ivy. I need to talk to you.”
She hangs up just as I round the corner, my voice shaking a bit too much when I tell her, “They found us. Ava just called and warned that the guys are leaving town.”
I’m not surprised that her panic isn’t as immediately obvious as mine. But that’s Ivy. Even if she’s screaming in her head right now, she can hide it behind a sweet smile and a steady voice.
“Okay. This is fine. We have two hours at least. Gabriel was still at his office when I called him, so they haven’t left yet.”
Or they just left within seconds of Ivy’s call with Gabriel and mine with Ava.
After a quick discussion about where to go, which only ends with the decision to just get the hell out of here and make it up as we drive, Ivy and I run upstairs to collect our things, both our hands full as we run through the house shutting off lights on our way outside.
By the time my feet hit the porch, Ivy’s already frozen in place, her bags hanging limply from her fingers.
“Where’s the car?”
Panic floods my body as I stare out at an empty parking area which should have the Jaguar Ivy stole from Gabriel.
“Ivy,” I turn to see she’s still motionless, “where’s the car?”
Her eyes don’t blink, the bags in her hands slowly slipping free from her fingers.
“I have no idea.”
Wrong answer, because...nope.
That can’t be her answer.
Unfortunately it’s the only one she can give me before a spark to our right catches our attention, the head of a torch lighting up as we both slowly twist around to face it.
Shane steps into the circle of soupy yellow light pouring over the parking area. His tattoos jump out immediately to identify who he is, not that I can see his face with the devil mask he wears.
“Oh, my God,” I mumble, this scene instantly familiar because I’d attended several gauntlet parties in high school. I knowexactlywhat I’m looking at.
Grabbing Ivy’s hand, I stammer, “I thought we had two hours.”
Another torch lights up, and Damon steps into the circle of light. He doesn’t terrify me as much as his brother, doesn’t send a cold shiver down my spine. But if one is here...
My eyes shoot out to study the darkness beyond the light, as if, just by the ache of my heart alone, I’ll know where Ezra is standing.
“Apparently not,” Ivy whispers. “We’re fucked.”
One after another, the Inferno light their torches and step into view, each one bare-chested, each one with a mask. But it isn’t until Ezra moves into sight that my heart drops into my feet, and my knees tremble.