Page 47

D redyn’s sleek black sports car purrs to a stop, the faint hum of the engine cutting out as he steps onto the gravel. Even with the skull balaclava mask pulled tight over his face, he is easily identifiable—shoulders squared, stride confident. The mask, with its single wide opening for his eyes, leaves his sharp gaze visible but hides everything else.

No mouth hole. Fitting. Dude needs to shut the fuck up more often, anyway.

“Silas. You’re early. I told you, we’ve got this.”

“Thought you could use an extra set of hands.”

Dredyn tilts his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. Behind him, Talon and Jasper haul a keg out of the trunk of a beat-up SUV, their matching skull masks making them look like some kind of death squad. They move in sync, each knowing exactly what the other needs without a word.

The sight is oddly familiar. They’re like a warped reflection of us—the Four Horsemen.

“I’ve got two of mine coming to help out, too,” I add, watching as Talon and Jasper roll the keg toward the entrance of the catacombs.

Dredyn leans casually against the side of his car, crossing his arms. “Is one of them the killer?”

“Yep.”

Dredyn doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even react beyond a slight tightening of his grip on his forearm. “And the plan?”

I glance toward the dark opening of the catacombs, my jaw tightening. “Once we’re inside, no one gets in or out. You keep it locked down until this is over.”

“Good boy,” Dredyn taunts.

My eyes narrow dangerously. “Don’t fucking call me that.”

“Touchy.”

“Just stick to the plan, and we’ll be fine.”

He mutters something under his breath and pushes off the car, joining Talon and Jasper as they finish positioning the keg.

The crunch of gravel draws my attention, and I turn to see Chad approaching, his mask dangling from one hand. His usual cocky smirk is absent, replaced by a hesitant grimace.

“Hey, Silas,” he says, stopping a few feet away.

“Chad.” My eyes narrow. “Where’s Jeremy?”

He scratches the back of his neck, glancing over his shoulder like he’s expecting someone to jump out of the shadows. “Oh, uh…” He hesitates, his gaze darting around nervously. “He got... caught up with something. Said he’d try to make it later.”

“Caught up with what?” I press.

Chad shrugs, avoiding my eyes. “Work-study stuff, I think. You know how he is.”

“Aye yo, Chad, you can start helping Jasper hang the rope on the branch so we can put the New Year’s Eve ball on it,” Talon says, nodding toward a stack in the corner. “We’ll handle the drinks.”

Chad nods quickly, clearly relieved to have an excuse to escape the conversation. He jogs over to the stack of supplies in the corner.

“How’s Kai?” Dredyn’s voice comes from just behind me, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Jesus—fuck,” I snap, clutching my chest like I might actually keel over. “He’s fine. Stable. Me, on the other hand? Pretty sure I just had a fucking heart attack.”

Dredyn smirks, his mask dangling from his hand now. “You should really get that checked out. My girl’s a pre-med major. I’m sure she’d give you a professional opinion.”

“Is she really your girl?” I shoot back, raising an eyebrow. “She hangs all over Talon like he’s her damn life raft.” The memory of Mara stepping into Dredyn’s place a few months ago, and not just stepping, being hauled in. The three of them practically carried her in like she was some precious Amazon delivery.

He shrugs, unbothered. “Does yours not do everything in her power to piss you off?”

I let out a dry laugh, but it’s humorless. “Yeah, well, at least with mine, I don’t humiliate Sable in front of damn near everyone.”

“You know, Silas, for someone who acts like they’ve got it all under control, you sure let your emotions get the better of you.”

“Don’t psychoanalyze me, Dredyn. I’ve had enough of your shit for one night.”

“Suit yourself.” He steps away, heading toward Talon and Jasper, who are finishing up with the keg. “But if you need her number for that heart, let me know.”

I flip him off without looking back.

Asshole. My hands clench at my sides, the leather of my gloves creaking faintly. In just a few hours, the killer will be here. They’ll step into these catacombs, surrounded by the stench of stale beer and damp stone, thinking they’re untouchable. Thinking they’re safe.

And then we’ll have them.

The plan is airtight. We’ve gone over it a dozen times, each detail locked into place. Dredyn and his goons will hold the perimeter, and inside, it’ll just be us—the Four Horsemen. When it happens, it’ll happen fast.

And then Kai will get to come home.

He’ll be okay. He’s stable now, and once this is done, he won’t have to look over his shoulder anymore. None of us will. It feels too good to be true, like something could still go wrong. It’s hard to believe that after everything, there might actually be an end in sight.

But there has to be.

I can’t let myself think otherwise.

Pulling my coat tighter around me, I step toward the others, my gaze scanning the group. Talon is laughing about something. His mask folded back on their heads as they lean against a tree. Dredyn’s off to the side, messing with his phone, his usual cocky smirk in place. They’re all acting like this is just another party, another night of games and booze.

But for me, there’s no forgetting what’s coming.

In a few hours, we’ll face the person who nearly destroyed us.

That’s all I care about.

This ends tonight.