Page 103 of Camera Stays On

“He promised me money. I’ve got a sick mom. She needs me.”

“Did he already give you the money?” I asked, setting off another trap. She gave me a pointed look.

“I don’t think he had any to start with. Look, I’m really sorry I agreed to any of this, but I can’t stay here.”

Finally, I reached her. She’d dropped down to sit on a log. Her foot was propped up, swollen and bleeding.

“Hey,” I said softly, trying not to make her scream. She startled nonetheless and tried to stand, but I put my hands up and backed away. “I’m not going to hurt you. I want you to escape too.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“If you get out, you can tell someone to come get us. Darius and Gavin are both dead. We don’t have much time left.”

She paled. “They’re dead too?”

I nodded solemnly. “Please, go get help.”

“Why should I do that? Maybe you all deserve to die here. I might not even make it far.”

“You will make it,” I said, needing hope.

“What happened to Lux was horrific.”

I nodded, deciding not to give details on Gavin or Darius. “I agree. I can’t defend helping him dispose of the body. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself,” I admitted. I dropped down and sat on the ground, hanging my head between my shoulders.

“Sawyer has gotten away with stuff like this his whole life, hasn’t he?” she asked.

I looked up, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Has anyone ever told him no before? Like, really, no?”

I thought about it. I was sure he’d heard it before, technically—when our ma scolded us or the local restaurant was out of his favorite beer. But truly denied something he wanted?

No, I don’t think he had.

Wait…

“Andi did.” I swallowed.

Silence fell between us. Andi telling him no was the root of why we were here, and why this was all happening.

“Well, maybe if some of you had some fucking backbone before she did, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I’m going to lose my fucking foot.” She moaned. My gaze darted to it. It was twice its normal size.

“I’m sorry,” I said, truly feeling it. She was right. Everyone let him be an asshole for so long, nobody ever bothered to argue against him. Maybe if we had, things would have turned out differently. Lux, Gavin, and Darius would still be alive.

“Whatever,” she sighed. “I’m going to try to make it out. If I do, I’ll send help.”

“Bea...” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to ask. “Is there anything I can do to get out of this alive? With Andi?” I added.

She shrugged, swinging her leg back to the ground and standing. “I heard you setting off traps before you caught up with me. Keep doing that. I’ll do the same as I go. Sawyer won’t stop until he thinks he has Andi all to himself, and I’m not sure he’ll stop even then. He probably knows you’re here, by the way.” She pointed upward, and I caught sight of a camera. “So, if you’re still trying to keep Andi from him, you might want to run.”

I shook my head. “I hid her in the basement. He doesn’t even know where that is.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Yes, he does. I was right there next to him when he found out it was locked. It pissed him off so bad, he went out and got the tools to unscrew the door. I didn’t go in, after he opened it.” She shuddered. “It looked too creepy. But when he came back up, he screwed the door back on so you wouldn’t know he’d been in there. You underestimate the scope of how much work your brother put into this. If I’d known just why he was doing it, I wouldn’t have helped, but still, even I can admit it’s impressive.”

My blood ran from my face as I stood.

“What do you mean? He was in the basement?”