Page 168 of Wanna Play A Game?

As time drags on, I start to look at my phone. They’ve been gone awhile. Where the hell did they go? I know Ryder and Sawyer will take care of her, and she’ll take care of herself, but something starts to feel off.

Finally, I hear the truck rumbling up to the house. I grin, meeting them at the front door.

But it’s only Ryder. And the look on his face instantly sobers me.

“What’s wrong?” I bark, immediately focused. Ryder has dark circles under his eyes, and he looks stressed.

He waves me inside, shutting the door carefully behind him. “Sit.”

“What the hell? Where’s Cali and Sawyer?”

“Sit,” he barks.

My stomach tightens. Something bad happened.

“I don’t fucking want to sit. Tell me!”

Ryder glares at me.

“Jesus Christ.” I throw my hands in the air when Ryder uses his big body to herd me back toward the couch. He moves my guitar before pushing me to sit.

Oh my god. Something horrible happened.

Ryder runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how to say this.”

“Where are they? Are they safe?”

He throws me a tired look. “They’re safe. For now.”

“What does that mean?”

“Would you let me explain?” he snaps. “My attorney called. There’s new evidence against you, Miles. And Sawyer. Some hotshot detective is starting to put our kills together.”

My stomach sinks all the way. Fuck. That’s bad. But what does that have to do with Sawyer and Cali?

“And what we offered them to look the other way isn’t enough.” Ryder drops his head, raking his fingers through his hair. “We have to leave the country for a bit, Miles.”

My stomach is in knots. “Okay? Where are the others?”

He looks up slightly. “Sawyer is safe. I had to…he didn’t agree with my methods to keep all of us safe. So I had to make him safe.”

Adrenaline fills me. “What the hell does that mean? And Cali?”

“Also safe.” Ryder glances at his phone. As he does, the sound of a low-flying plane moves over the house. It’s so low that I jerk my head up.

“Good. Our ride is here.” Ryder stands.

“What do you mean?” I’m so confused. “Please, Ryder, where are they?”

Ryder sighs. “Sawyer is in the basement.”

I give him a weird look and snap, “No, he isn’t. I’ve been here by myself for the past few hours.”

“He is. He’s in the cell.”

I dart to my feet. Okay, something is definitely wrong. Ryder put Sawyer in the cell? Why in the world would he do that?

The world slows to a stop. Ryder did something to Cali. Fuck, he did something to her.