Chapter Ten

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, penetrating the dense wall of evergreen trees surrounding the lodge. The hazy golden rays inspired contrasting feelings. The worst of the storms may have been behind us, but despite the blue skies outside, I knew we weren't out of danger yet. Every other time I'd allowed hope to rekindle inside me, I'd been disappointed and defeated.

This time, though, something was different. Beside me, Adam stirred, his arms still loosely folded around me. "Good morning," he murmured.

"Morning. I hope I didn't wake you."

"Nah, I've been up for a few minutes." He stroked my shoulder. "I didn't want to let you go yet."

I inhaled, breathing in the scent of his skin. "I wish we could stay here like this all day."

"Me, too." His smile faded. "Unfortunately, I think we'd be pretty easy targets in this state."

"Agreed." Rolling onto my back, I sighed. "I guess I should go get ready, and we can meet up with the others."

Adam stayed in bed and watched me collect my clothing. I pulled on my pajamas and located my sneakers underneath the dresser. When I moved toward the door to the balcony, he sat up, the covers bunched around his waist. "Wait, Veronica. Before you go…"

I stood in front of him, one eyebrow arched.

He leaned forward, staring up at me with those gorgeous gold-flecked eyes. "If something bad does happen today, I just wanted to—"

"No. Don't say it." I shook my head. "I like your other ideas better, the ones where you talk about a future beyond this horrible place."

"Okay, then." The tension in his jaw softened. "I hope last night doesn't turn out to be a one-time thing. Coffee, hiking, chess…all those plans weren't empty talk. Anything and everything you want, we'll do it together." He rubbed at the stubble on his cheek. "Assuming you feel the same way, of course."

I took his face into both of my hands and kissed him. "I do. And thank you for indulging me." Straightening, I stepped back and reached for the doorknob. "I'll see you in a little while."

Back in my own room, I turned on the shower and hopped inside. The warm water running over my skin reminded me of Adam's intimate touch, and I smiled, working the soap into a lather. My sister had been right, for once. Who knew I'd actually meet someone interesting at an event like this? I imagined her laughter ringing in my head when she heard the details, and I hoped she didn't gloat too much.

I joined the rest of the group at the bottom of the stairs. "So, what's the plan for today?" Adam asked. "Do we want to attempt getting down the mountain while the weather's nice, or stay here until we know it's safe?"

Isabel's nose twitched. "Neither option sounds appealing. I don't want to be stuck here any longer, but I don't want to risk one of you shoving me off a cliff or something."

I winced when I remembered the previous morning. "And the last time Paul tried to leave, it didn't end well for him."

"All right." He looked at each of us in turn. "Same ground rules as yesterday, then? Only one person leaves the room at a time, and so on?"

"Sure," Isabel said flatly.

Dylan hadn't said anything since we reconvened.

"Hey, can you get a signal on your phone yet?" I asked him. "I didn't even think to check mine before coming downstairs."

"Nope."

I took no offense at the stilted conversation from the other two. All we needed to do was get through one minute at a time. We'd be cautious, we wouldn't fall for any attempts at distraction again, and we'd be out of here by the end of the day…right?

In the kitchen, Adam scrambled the last of the eggs and divided them onto four plates. I picked at a stale croissant and tossed most of it in the trash. We completed our new ritual of eating in silence and returning to the library for the interminable wait.

Dylan flopped into his usual armchair and took out his phone.

Adam picked up the deck of cards from the coffee table. "Anyone up for a game?"

I joined him at the sofa, and Isabel sat across from us. "What are you playing?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter. Whatever you'd like." He shuffled the deck. "Poker, blackjack, go fish…"

"Funny." She didn't laugh.

"If Dylan joins us, we have a few more options," I said.

He remained transfixed by his screen. "Nah, I'm good."

Adam dealt the cards into three piles. "Back to poker it is, then."

We played hand after hand, only muttering the words necessary to keep the games going. At any moment, I expected someone to burst through the door to tell us the bridge had been repaired, we could leave the lodge, and go back to the safety of our homes to forget about this nightmare of a trip. The minutes on the clock ticked by at the same sluggish pace as the previous day. Part of me wanted to slip into a cozy corner with Adam again to help pass the time, but it didn't seem right to leave the others. I wished the cards did a better job of holding my attention.

After winning a hand with three of a kind, Isabel stood. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I turned toward Adam, tucking my feet beneath me. "Once I master chess, is poker next on your list of projects for me? I don't seem to be very good at cards, either."

He grinned. "Cards are more luck than strategy a lot of the time. I can think of better things for us to do."

Before I could shoot back a witty remark, a blood-curdling scream emanated from somewhere beyond the library door. The three of us looked at each other in alarm, eyes wide.

Ice ran through my veins and terror gripped me. " No ," I whispered. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I shrank into a ball in the corner of the couch. "Not again. I can't do this again."

Neither of the men said anything. I rested my head on my forearms and focused on inhaling and exhaling in a steady rhythm. Adam's hand brushed my shoulder, but I recoiled from his touch. Closing my eyes, I tried to convince myself nothing was wrong, that if we waited a few more minutes…

"Shouldn't we go see what's going on?" Dylan finally said.

I peeked at him over my knees. Adam didn't answer.

Dylan stood and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "This whole weekend, everyone's been treating me like I'm the biggest asshole they've ever met, and now I'm the only one who cares if she's alive or dead? If only they could see us now." Shaking his head, he put his phone away and walked toward the door. "Whatever."

He may have had a point, I thought, though it wasn't enough to get me off the couch. I tucked my head back down and searched for something to cling to. The chances of leaving the lodge alive seemed smaller and smaller with each passing moment, yet not impossible. If I stayed here without moving, maybe I'd be able to dodge whatever gruesome fate the killer had in store for me. It sounded like a stupidly simple plan, but it was the only one within my grasp. Hugging my legs tighter to my chest, I braced myself for the next round of bad news and waited for Dylan to return.

And waited.

And waited.

I didn't know how long he'd been out of the room. The growing pit in my stomach indicated he'd had plenty of time to find the cause of the screaming and come back, or at least call to us for help. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. Realization set in, and panic wrenched the air from my lungs.

There were only two of us left.