His brother? I stare at Quinn and take in his features—the dark hair, the high cheekbones, those same stormy blue eyes. I saw them all on Pierce, too. How can I be this stupid not to put two and two together? No wonder Quinn’s been trying to keep me alive. They must have some sick finale waiting for me.
Quinn stands and takes a step toward me. “Wait, let me explain before you jump to conclusions. I’m just as much a pawn in this game as you are, I swear,” he pleads, inching closer to me.
“How can you stand there and expect me to believe anything that comes out of your mouth?” I reach behind me, grasping for something to defend myself with when he takes another step closer, cursing myself that I left my machete on the floor near the only exit.
My fingers wrap around a metal pan, and I swing it at him without a second thought, colliding with the side of his head. Quinn hits the floor with a loud thunk just as the cottage door bursts open.
Henry and two other men step inside.
“Tsk, tsk, Ms. Teagan. We had higher hopes for you. Mr. Pierce won’t be pleased to know that you broke the rules,” Henry chastises, then snaps his fingers. One of his henchmen lunges forward and grabs me, dragging me out just as Quinn starts to stir.
“No! What are you talking about? I followed his rules!” I yell, fighting against the man holding me. “I followed the rules!”
Henry smiles. “You were supposed to be the only survivor. A true final girl. But would a final girl fall for the villain? I don’t think so, Ms. Teagan.”
“You have to let my friends go! They didn’t do anything wrong!”
Quinn tries to sit up, but his head is bleeding again. “Teagan…” he groans.
Henry strides over to Quinn and kicks him in the face. “Down, you filthy dog. Your master won’t be pleased to know that you broke his rules either. And when she dies, you’ll only have yourself to blame!”
Something sharp pinches the side of my neck as I try to decipher the meaning of Henry’s words.
Then everything fades to black.
Chapter twenty-one
“Lexi!”
“Lexi!”
“LEXI, WAKE UP!!”
My eyes fly open, and the first thing I see is my best friend’s husband standing in a robe. Lee’s terrified expression bores down on me, his hands gripping my shoulders as he shakes me awake.
When I don’t move, he shakes me again. “Lexi! Get up, NOW!”
I struggle to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. I’m in some sort of man cave or hunting cabin. Lifeless, dead animals with black pits for eyes are mounted on every square inch of the place.
“Where the hell am I?” I sit up and face Lee, my eyes still tracing every bit of the room as quickly as I can. My head is spinning. “Where’s Capri? And why are you screaming at me?!”
“I don’t know where she is.” His voice laced with panic as he grabs my arm and pulls me off the leather sofa. My sweat-slicked skin makes a disgustingly unladylike noise as I peel away from the leather. I cringe when I see the moisture buildup on the couch.
Howgross.
I look down at my dress and sigh. I should have changed into my silk pajamas and out of this stupid sequined ensemble. Or at the very least,put some real shoes on. These three-inch heels won’t be very kind on my feet if I need to walk further than ten steps. You’d think whoever kidnapped me would have made sure I had proper getaway gear on before placing me in this stupid mancave.
At least I’m not wearing a robe like Lee is. Why is he wearing a robe anyway?
“Where’s my phone?” I ask, searching the couch cushions. “It has to be here somewhere!” Panic crawls up my throat as I frantically continue my search with no luck.
“Lexi…” Lee’s voice turns stern, like he’s trying to coax a stubborn child into eating their vegetables, knowing damn well those peas are only going to end up on the floor. “We have to run. Now!”
I furrow my brows at him in exasperation. “Why? What’s your deal, dude?” Usually, he’s so calm, collected, and utterly unfazed by the chaos of life going on around him. It’s one of the few things I envy about Capri; she’s got a catch of a husband who takes all her neurosis in stride.
If only the rest of us could get that lucky.
I’m startled by a loud bang behind me. I turn to see an axe—a literal axe—poking through the mahogany wooden door just feet away from us.
