Page 58

CHAPTER 58

A ndi charged toward the HomePod and yanked the cord from the wall.

Hadn’t she read an article once about how people or companies could eavesdrop using these things? She was pretty sure she had.

Either way, they couldn’t take any chances right now. The stakes were too high.

She’d been on the verge of dismissing the power outage as being a fluke.

Until this.

Someone was playing with them, wasn’t he?

Now they were trapped here and at this guy’s mercy.

“What’s this guy’s next move?” Andi allowed herself to ask the question aloud even though she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to acknowledge the truth in the words.

But they’d be wise to think this through.

“Wait . . . did you say Gibson was on his way?” Mariella tucked her legs beneath her and pulled her blanket closer.

“Yes, he’s on his way,” Duke said. “I hope he gets here in time.”

Andi swallowed hard. She thought the same thing.

“As long as we stay together and we stay here, we should be okay.” Ranger’s voice rang through the air, the assuredness of his words grounding them.

Juniper leaned into Simmy, and Simmy gave her a hug.

They all felt like prisoners here. No one had to say it aloud for Andi to know it was true.

They were trapped.

Andi paused near the Christmas tree and sniffed. “Does anyone smell that?”

“The smoke?” Simmy asked. “It’s coming from the fireplace, right?”

“I’m not sure,” Andi said. “This smells different somehow.”

At her words, Duke rose. Without saying anything, he walked to the other side of the cabin and started opening doors.

That was when she saw it.

Smoke beginning to gather at the ceiling.

She prayed that her worst fears wouldn’t be confirmed.

As soon as Duke opened the door to the bedroom where Mariella and Andi had been staying, he knew exactly what was wrong.

Someone had set this place on fire.

He quickly closed the door, praying it would contain the flames.

But they couldn’t stay here any longer.

He charged back toward the gang. “Grab whatever you can. We’ve got to get out of here.”

Juniper gasped. “Is that what I think it is?”

He didn’t mince his words. “The cabin is on fire.”

Just as the statement left his lips, flames began to lick from beneath the bedroom door. The fire was spreading entirely faster than Duke had thought it would. With the wind outside, maybe it shouldn’t be surprising.

“We have to leave !” Duke motioned toward the front door. “Now!”

Wasting no more time, they grabbed their things and hurried outside.

They could get in their SUVs and drive to the lodge. Head away from the flames that threatened to destroy them.

But as soon as they stepped onto the porch, Duke’s gaze went to the two SUVs parked out front.

All four tires on each vehicle had been slashed.

A lump formed in his throat.

They wouldn’t be driving anywhere—just as the killer had intended.