Chapter 28

28

Chloe

I woke with the bitter tang of fear coating my tongue. My hands were bound behind me, the coarse rope biting into my wrists. I was in a dimly lit cabin, most of the windows boarded up, shadows stretching across the walls like grasping fingers. I tried to swallow, but my throat was a desert.

Probably from all the screaming.

“Katie, you’re awake,” a voice sliced through the silence—familiar and yet so chillingly alien.

My brother stood in the doorway, his frame outlined by the weak light from the hall. His eyes held a look I’d never seen before—a cold resolve that turned my blood to ice.

“Jamie?” My voice sounded small, even to myself. “Why?”

My heart pounded a staccato rhythm against my ribcage as he stepped closer. The creak of the floorboards beneath his weight seemed deafening.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Tyler’s lips twisted into a cruel parody of a smile. “It’s time to end this.”

“End what?” I demanded, trying to infuse some strength into my voice .

“Our bloodline.” He said it so casually, as though discussing the weather. “Dad’s being executed soon. I know you haven’t followed the case, but I started to again. It took a while, but I realized it was necessary.

“You abandoned me. Why come back after all this time? Why not just leave me be after all you know I went through?”

He sighed, and I almost believed it was out of regret. Or sadness. “Because we need to end this. Dad’s execution date set things in motion. He’ll be dead soon. I have to finish what he started.”

“Finish . . . ?” The room spun as the implications of his words sank in. Dad had killed our family, tried to kill me. And now Jamie . . .

“Jamie, please.” I shook my head, struggling against the ropes. “This isn’t you.”

“It is. And it’ll be you one day too, unless I end this now.”

“What?” Confusion clouded my voice.

“Our blood . . . it’s evil, Katie. We need to do the right thing, and extinguish the line. Snuff it out before any more of us are born.”

“You’re crazy. This is crazy. Please . . .”

As he walked towards me, the grim determination in his gait told me that my sweet, protective older brother was gone. In his place stood a man I no longer recognized—one driven by a twisted sense of duty, ready to extinguish the last ember of our family line.

“Sorry, sis,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “It’s for the best.”

All I knew to do was distract him. Talk to him. Do anything to prevent him from fulfilling this sick mission. Or at least delay him long enough to come up with some other plan.

I thought of Mason. Abby. Their sweet smiles, so similar. How they’d become my family. How they’d made me feel welcome and safe and finally at peace. Only for it all to be ripped away from us.

I couldn’t give up.

“Remember the summers at Lake Henley?” My voice quivered, but I forced it steady, seeking a crack in his resolve. “We’d catch fireflies and make wishes on stars, Jamie. We were happy once.”

He paused, a flicker of something crossing his face, but it was gone as swiftly as it had appeared. “Childhood games. That’s all they were. We’re not kids anymore.”

“Please think about what you’re doing!” Desperation clawed up my throat. “This isn’t the answer. You don’t have to follow in his footsteps. Our past doesn’t define us. He doesn’t define us.”

“Doesn’t it? Doesn’t he?” He circled me like a predator, a sneer curling his lip. “You really believe that? After everything we’ve been through?”

“Because of it,” I insisted, feeling the sting of tears. “We can choose to be better—to break the cycle. Please.”

“Break the cycle?” His laugh was sharp and humorless. “There’s no breaking this cycle. It’s etched in our DNA. Dad showed us that much.”

“Stop it!” I shouted, the sound echoing off the cabin walls. “You’re not him!”

“Maybe not,” he conceded, leaning down until his breath ghosted my ear. “But I’m the one holding the cards now. And I say it’s time to fold.”

The menace in his voice chilled me to the core. For a fleeting second, I glimpsed the brother I once knew—a boy who laughed freely and dreamed big. Now, those dreams were smothered by darkness, and I knew if I didn’t act fast, he’d snuff out mine too.

Jamie’s patience was unraveling, thread by thinning thread, as he paced back and forth in front of me. I kept my face as impassive as possible, but beneath the surface, panic was a wild, thrashing thing. Each creak of the floorboards under his weight was a ticking clock in my head, reminding me that time was running out.

Frantic breaths puffed from my lips as I squirmed, the timber scratching at my ankles. There it was—a glint of metal amidst the dust. A loose nail lay tauntingly close, just a few desperate inches from my reach.

“Hey,” I said, voice barely above a whisper, “remember when we built that fort in the backyard?” Distraction, Chloe. Buy some time.

He paused, his back to me, shoulders tense. “What about it?”

“Mom . . . she brought out lemonade, and Dad . . .” Saying that word left a bitter taste. “ . . . he actually smiled that day.” I edged closer, the nail a beacon of hope in this grim sea.

“Stop it with the nostalgia.” His voice cracked like thin ice. “That world’s gone.”

“Please, Jamie?—“

“Enough!” He spun, but not quite all the way, eyes drilling into the far corner of the room where shadows danced like mocking specters.

Now. It had to be now. My fingers brushed against the cold steel, heart thundering a riotous beat. Pinching the nail between thumb and forefinger, I began to work on the knots, willing them to give way beneath the sharp edge.

“Those were the days, huh?” I kept up the chatter, the nail biting into the hemp. “You, me, not a care in the world.”

“Shut up!” he snapped, but he was looking elsewhere, lost in a storm of memories or madness—I couldn’t tell which.

“Sorry,” I murmured, not sorry at all as I felt the first loop loosen. Keep talking, keep him turned away. “It’s just . . . you were my hero back then. “

“Hero?” A scoff. “I wasn’t a hero then, I was just a stupid kid. I’m the hero now, Katie. I’m ending the curse. Our father’s blood runs through us?—“

“Stop!” I hissed, focusing on the fraying rope. The nail was freedom, it was life. I prayed to the silence, to the creaking cabin, to anything listening, for just a few more seconds.

“Blood,” he muttered, more to himself than to me, “always comes down to blood.”

“Doesn’t have to,” I whispered, as much to urge myself on as to reason with him.

The knot slackened completely, the ropes loosening as if sighing in relief. My hands were nearly free, tingling with anticipation and newfound courage. Just a little more . . .

My fingers brushed against the last strand, a coarse whisper against my skin. There—a flick, a twist, and sweet release. My hands sprang apart, the ropes falling away like shed snakeskin. I inhaled sharply, the cool air biting at my chafed wrists. Gratitude surged through me, laced with adrenaline.

“Thank you,” I whispered to no one, my voice barely a breath. To myself, to the nail, to whatever fates had granted me this sliver of hope.

“Katie?” Tyler’s voice was a low growl.

“Quiet, Tyler,” I answered, trying to mirror his tone, but it quivered despite my bravado. I eased up to stand, my legs unsteady and my heart pounding a fierce rhythm against my ribcage.

“Wha—“

His eyes locked on mine, understanding dawning too late—or so I hoped.

I tensed as Jamie turned, mouth agape as he registered my freed hands. His shock lasted only a heartbeat before his expression darkened, eyes narrowing.

“You little?—“

He lunged and I darted left, adrenaline fueling my weary limbs. My shoulder slammed into the cabin wall as I scrambled to keep my balance. Jamie’s fingers grazed my shirt but found no purchase.

I ran along the perimeter, putting the dilapidated couch between us. His longer legs carried him over it easily but I had already reached the door, my palm slapping the rusted doorknob. I wrenched it open, October air rushing in, carrying the promise of freedom.

The darkening forest beckoned. I didn’t look back, didn’t dare hesitate. My feet pounded down the cabin’s creaking steps, Jamie’s enraged shouts at my back.

I ran.

Branches clawed at my clothes and hair as I plunged into the forest, my breaths coming in panicked gasps. The ground was uneven and roots grabbed at my feet, threatening to send me sprawling. Behind me, I heard Jamie crashing through the underbrush in pursuit.

“You can’t run from this, Chloe!” His voice rang out, closer than I expected. “It has to end here!”

I didn’t waste my breath responding. All my focus was on the path ahead, dimly illuminated by the fading evening light that filtered through the canopy of yellowing leaves. My lungs burned with exertion but I pushed harder, darting between trees and leaping over fallen logs. I couldn’t let him catch me. My life depended on escape.

In my haste, I didn’t see the dip in the forest floor. My foot caught and I pitched forward with a cry, hands shooting out to break my fall. I

I grimaced as my palms scraped against the rough forest floor, but adrenaline drowned out the pain. Scrambling to my feet, I risked a glance behind me. Jamie hadn’t gained much ground—I still had a chance.

My legs pumped furiously as I weaved between the trees, the glow of dusk guiding me forward. I didn’t know where I was going, only that I had to get as far away from that cabin, and my brother, as possible.

A root snagged my foot and I stumbled again, barely catching myself against a tree trunk. Gasping, I pushed off and continued on. My lungs screamed for air but I didn’t dare slow down. I could hear Jamie cursing as he struggled to keep up, his footfalls crunching on the underbrush not far behind.

Up ahead, the trees thinned out and I could see a dirt road cutting through the forest. If I could just make it that far . . .

I broke through the tree line and my feet hit the hard packed dirt of the road. The jolt reverberated through my legs but I didn’t slow down. I raced down the center of the road, my breath sawing in and out of my lungs. Behind me, the underbrush rustled as Jamie burst from the woods in pursuit.

“You can’t escape!” he yelled. “This has to end now!”

I blocked out his voice and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I didn’t know where I was or where this road led, I only knew I had to follow it away from here. Away from the brother who wanted us both dead.

Suddenly, I heard another voice. One that made my heart sing.

Mason.

He was calling my name. I thought I might have been imagining it, but no, it was too real, too close. I ran toward the curve in the road ahead, rounded the bend, and there he was—Mason, barreling down the road in his truck. The headlights cut through the growing darkness as he skidded to a stop in front of me. Before the truck fully halted, the driver’s side door flew open.

“Chloe!” Mason leapt from the cab, his face etched with concern. In an instant his strong arms were around me, enveloping me in warmth and comfort. I sank into him, the adrenaline draining from my body.

Over my shoulder, I saw Jamie emerge from the woods. He staggered to a stop, confusion and anger warring across his features.

“Get in the truck, now!” Mason said urgently. Keeping himself between me and my brother, he helped me into it through the open door. I scrambled over the gearshift just as Jamie let out a guttural yell and charged toward us.

Mason slammed the door shut. “Stay down,” he commanded as he faced my brother. More trucks arrived, and police cars, but before anything else could happen, a shot rang out.

“Mason!” I screamed, lifting my head up.

I peeked over the dashboard, my heart in my throat. Mason stood motionless, facing my brother. Jamie had stopped short, the gun trembling in his grip.

“Don’t do this, man,” Mason said, his voice steady.

My brother’s face contorted in anguish. “I have to. It’s the only way to end this curse.”

Mason took a slow step forward. “The only curse here is the one in your mind. You don’t have to go through with this.”

Jamie wavered, the gun dipping slightly. Behind him, I could see Walker and the sheriff edging closer, their own weapons drawn.

Mason moved toward my brother, hands raised. “Walk away now and we’ll get you help. No one else needs to get hurt today.”

Jamie stared at him, emotions warring across his face. For a moment, it seemed he would surrender. Then his face hardened, his grip tightening on the gun.

“No. It has to end here. I won’t let this curse continue,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

Before anyone could react, Jamie swung the gun up and pressed it under his own chin.

“No!” Mason and I both shouted. Mason lunged toward him, but it was too late. Jamie’s finger squeezed the trigger. The sound of the gunshot cracked through the forest.

I screamed, covering my mouth in horror as my brother’s body collapsed to the ground. Mason was frozen in place, staring down at Jamie’s lifeless form.

Everything after that was a blur. The police swarmed in, Walker pulled me from the truck and wrapped me in his strong embrace, forcing my eyes away from the scene.

A moment later, Mason shifted me into his own arms.

“I’m so sorry, baby.”

I clung to him, sobbing into his chest as the reality sank in. I felt him kiss my head, over and over, muttering words of apologies, of thanks, of love. I didn’t know how to handle the adrenaline that still coursed through my veins, but I knew more than anything, I needed Mason. I held on tight and refused to let go. He didn’t make me.

After a while, he carried me back to his truck and set me down on the soft leather seat, kissing my forehead.

“You’re okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

And I knew I would be. But first, I had to face what happened.

My brother tried to kill me.

But now he was dead by his own hand.

It was over.