The Island

Harper and I burst outside and, holding hands, dart toward the jetty.

From here it’ll take about ten minutes to get there and I’m just praying that help is waiting for us.

I haven’t heard Robert following, but we’re both breathing hard, and my pulse is loud in my ears. I wouldn’t hear footsteps if they were right behind me.

He will follow us. What choice does he have now?

His game is almost over and there are still too many players left.

“Reeve!” Harper says, yanking me to a stop. “Behind the entrance to the big coaster.”

I look to my right and see him too, crouched down, cradling his head in his hands. My heart squeezes at his anguish.

Oh god, he’s okay.

We turn and I look over my shoulder as we run to him. I drop to my knees and the relief of finding him alive brings tears to my eyes.

He’s startled, but his shoulders loosen when he sees it’s us.

“Gibson,” he mutters.

I don’t see Gibson. “Reeve, are you okay? Where is he?”

Reeve stares ahead as if he’s not heard us. Oh no.

I place my hands on either side of his jaw. “Hey, you’re okay. Reeve, look at me.”

His dark eyes slide to mine. He’s haunted, and I don’t need to ask why he was saying Gibson’s name. His expression is clear. He’s found his best friend dead.

No.

I swallow my horror and blink away tears. “It’s going to be okay.”

Reeve shakes his head. “He was the only one…the only one who…”

“I know. I’m so sorry. You still have me. Okay. We’re getting out of here.”

Now that we’re here, I can’t believe I ever thought I could like Liam more than Reeve.

The only one who had his back.

“He died in my arms. Stabbed. I tried to help, but I couldn’t do anything. Before he died, he mumbled ‘Help her.’ ”

“Help who?” I ask.

“I couldn’t see anyone, but I was focused on trying to help him. I figured he’d seen one of you.”

“It must’ve been Ava. She was wandering around in shock because she had glass in her neck,” I say. “It’s Liam, Reeve. He’s the one doing this.”

“Liam? Our Liam? No way. You can’t be serious.”

Harper and I look at each other. He hasn’t seen what we’ve seen. The cold, callous side of Liam—Robert—who can kill and revel in other people’s pain.

I take a deep breath. “His real name is Robert Liam Jenkins and he’s Camilla’s son. Malcolm’s nephew. We don’t have enough time to explain everything, but I assure you it’s Liam.”

I look around, waiting for Robert to make an appearance. He surely will soon. “We’ve got to get back to the jetty. Reeve, you need to get up.”

It seems so callous to ignore his pain right now, to ignore the fact that Gibson is dead, but we can’t afford time to grieve or process.

“Son of a bitch. I ran after him, I tried to protect him. He killed Gibson! Oh god, what do I tell his parents?” Reeve mutters. I don’t know if he’s asking us or just thinking aloud.

“We need to move, Paisley. Is he coming yet?” Harper asks.

“No, but he will soon,” I say. “Reeve, please. I need you to be you right now.”

His hands cover mine over his cheeks. “I can’t leave Gibson here.”

I don’t know where Gibson is, but it must be nearby.

“You won’t be leaving him. Help will be here any second. The cops. They’ll take Gibson. But right now we need to get out of here. Robert was getting up when we left the restaurant.”

“Getting up?”

“We knocked him over with a shelf. He killed Malcolm. We ran.”

“He also stabbed Ava,” Harper says.

“Maybe he followed Ava after stabbing Gibson and that’s what Gibson was trying to warn you about,” I say.

Reeve blinks. “Ava’s dead and she had glass in her?”

“Seriously, can we move,” Harper says. “We’ve been here for too long already.”

“She’s right. We need you with us if we have a chance at getting out of here.”

He takes a ragged breath. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Reeve, no. Let’s just go to the jetty to wait for help.”

He’ll find us eventually anyway.

“He killed Gibson.”

“I know, and I know it’s killing you but if you don’t help us, we all might die. Reeve, please.”

I heave a reluctant Reeve to his feet. Harper scowls at him the entire time. I think she’s about ready to leave him behind. It’s not at all helpful to sit there and do nothing.

We’re at risk while we’re trying to help him.

But I get it. The death of his friend has left him shattered.

Reeve nods. “I’m with you. When you’re safe, Paisley, I’m going back for him.”

“Okay,” I reply, knowing full well that I’m not going to allow that to happen. But I need Reeve to cooperate.

He takes my hand and we all sprint, not bothering to hide because there isn’t time.

“I see a boat!” Harper cries as we get closer to the park’s main entrance.

Our fire is still burning bright, our smoky SOS billowing up to the sky.

It worked.

In the distance, I see it too. Just a dot at the moment, but it will be here soon.

We’re saved.

I hold on to Reeve as we run, partly because I’m scared and partly because I don’t want him turning back and going on some revenge mission.

He’s unarmed while Robert has a blade and a taste for blood.

We flee through the gate and almost fall over each other as we put the brakes on at the top. Because waiting for us is Robert.

He’s standing tall, shoulders wide, sword by his side.

Reeve bares his teeth.

There are three of us and one of him. With a sword, though, the scale still tilts to his side. The dot sailing toward us takes on more of a boat shape, but Robert is now between us and safety.

He stares at us, waiting to see what our next move will be.

“Put that down, coward,” Reeve says, stepping in front of Harper and me.

“Reeve!”

“I’m doing this, Paisley. That boat is minutes away. I’ll keep him busy, you two go.”

“We’re not leaving you,” Harper replies. “We’ve come this far, and the boat is almost here.”

Robert begins to walk toward us. Each step on the jetty makes my heart accelerate.

“He’s coming closer,” I mutter.

“Good,” Reeve says. He used to be scared, despite not really admitting it. That’s all gone. Robert killing Gibson has changed everything. Hatred replaces fear in Reeve’s eyes. “You two jump and swim to that boat. I’ll deal with him.”

A shudder ripples through my entire body. Reeve looks like he’s about to tear Robert to pieces.

It’s a glimpse of the Reeve the night he was arrested.

I need him to calm down.

“Gibson wouldn’t want this,” I say. “You know he wouldn’t.”

In front of me, I watch Reeve’s shoulder stiffen. He heard me and he knows I’m right. Gibson wouldn’t want Reeve to become a murderer.

It doesn’t look like we’re going to have a choice. Even if Reeve didn’t want to hurt Robert—which he very much does—if Robert comes for us, we’ll have to defend ourselves.

Robert chuckles as he walks along the jetty and steps onto the rock. “Wow, you still don’t see it, do you? How could I have done all this alone?”

“You had the help of your mom,” Reeve replies. “You’re going to die for what you did to Gibson. It’s three against one now, asshole.”

Robert sneers. “Guess again, asshole.”

I’m grabbed from behind. At the same time an arm pins me in place, something sharp pokes against my neck. A knife.

It takes one, two, three, four seconds for my brain to catch up and realize what’s happening.

No.

Harper.

Reeve looks over his shoulder, his face full of shock and fear.

“What the…?”

“Harper,” I whisper. “Why?” I feel my face getting hotter at how stupid I’ve been. “You all along?”

Harper laughs in my ear. “How did I do, baby?”

Robert smiles back, his features softening. “You’re perfect, as always.”

What the hell?

They’re together.

The boat is clearer in the sea, maybe five minutes away now.

Something clicks into place, and it all makes sense.

God, no.

“Gibson wasn’t saying ‘help her,’ ” I say, and Reeve frowns. “He was saying Harper.”

She is the one who killed Gibson.

I gag at the thought of her hands on me after murdering Gibson.

Was he her only victim?

She laughs again. “You don’t know how hard it was to keep a straight face with that one.”

Bile rises in my throat and I gag again.

I thought I could trust her, that we’d get out of here and keep in contact. I thought I’d found a friend.

It was all a lie.

She must’ve been the one to take the boat, sink or anchor it at sea, and then swim back. She’s been to Europe and swam the channel between England and France. This must have been like a warm-up compared to that.

“When did you two meet?” I ask, surprised at how calm my voice is.

“Two years ago. Online. We’ve spoken every day since then, bonded over our messed-up families.”

“You said your parents are strict.”

Reeve’s gaze flits between us like he’s unsure why I’m talking to her. He looks like he wants to murder them both.

Four minutes until the boat arrives, approximately.

“That’s one way to put it. They controlled every aspect of my life. Every minute, every mouthful, every item of clothing I wear, every book I read. Until I met Robert.”

Robert takes another step closer. “Harper was on board with my plan from day one. The real plan, not the bullshit one I fed my mom.”

“We’re going to be a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde,” Harper says.

They’ve both consumed all the Kool-Aid. What are the odds of them finding each other? Both sadistic.

“Why did you have to kill?” I ask. “I don’t believe you want this, Harper. You’re a good person, you don’t have to do this. You can stop.”

“Shut up!” she spits. “Do you know how famous we’re going to be?”

“I don’t know why you’d want to be with someone who chases other girls,” Reeve points out.

“Flirting with Paisley was part of the plan,” she growls. “We had to be one of you, earn your trust. Paisley was the one most likely to figure this whole thing out, so we needed to befriend her.”

I’m drenched in shame over being duped by two killers.

I had a crush on one and thought another was my friend. I actually wanted to keep in touch with Harper after this.

How stupid I’ve been.

“Right, Paisley was planned. But was kissing Ava part of earning our trust?” Reeve asks.

I catch on the second he’s said it.

Harper reacts. I can’t see her, but her body stiffens behind me. Distracted, she lowers the knife a little just so it’s not digging into my skin. Her attention is on Robert, who she now believes cheated on her.

Reeve and I waste no time in acting. I bend my knees and drop. Reeve leaps toward us.

Harper and Robert both shout out, but we’re faster. Reeve barrels into us, and when Harper falls to the ground, I go for her knife.

Robert has to get up the steps. It won’t take him long, but we have a few seconds to take one of them out and give ourselves an advantage.

Harper screams as I take the knife easily. Her surprise at Reeve’s words and losing her grip on me sealed her fate.

This much she didn’t think through.

I take the knife and without a single thought, stick it into her side. The blade meets a second’s resistance but then slides easily. Much easier than I ever imagined. My eyes widen as the blade sinks beneath her flesh like warm butter. I gasp and let go as if the thing has an electrical current.

That was too simple.

I blink, but nothing changes. I did that. The knife that’s buried deep in her body is because of me.

Harper stares at me, jaw slack, hands frozen in midair. “Y-you.”

Yeah, I stopped you.

Reeve jumps to his feet, yanking me up with him. He pulls me out of the way as Robert, screaming, falls beside Harper.

The knife is still embedded in her side, and she hasn’t moved an inch. I don’t know if it’s a fatal wound, but I don’t think she’ll be able to get up.

The boat is almost at the jetty now. “Reeve,” I say, hearing people on board shouting to us. I can’t quite make out what they’re saying. Something like Put the knife down and stop what you’re doing.

It’s as if he didn’t even hear me speak. He launches his fist and cracks Robert on the jaw.

Shouting expletives, Robert tries to get up, but Reeve is too fast. He punches him again. Over and over, he delivers blows. Robert’s lip splits, and blood pours from his nose like a faucet.

“Reeve!” I shout. I can’t leave without him.

The people on the boat are so close, I can make out two men who are barking orders at us. They have no clue what they’re about to roll up to.

“Reeve, they’re here!” I grab his arm as he retracts it from Robert’s face. “Come on!”

He twists, about to argue with me, I’m sure. Something in my expression makes him stop, though. He shoves Robert with his other hand and stands up.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says.

The boat is mere meters from the jagged rocks now. Still, Reeve and I run down the steps toward the approaching boat.

“Help!” I scream. My vision blurs as I try to see through tears. I want them to know that we’re the good guys.

The people on the boat lean over the side. “What the hell happened to you?”

I burst into floods of tears, so Reeve tells them there are two killers and seven murder victims on the island.

Four teenagers, three adults. The owner.

So much death.

Through watery vision I see their faces fall. All four of them. Harbor patrol, who have presumably seen their fair share of death.

The boat slows as it pulls up to the jetty. Almost there. I’m tempted to leap for it, but I’d probably miss.

“We’ve made it, Paisley,” Reeve says, kissing the side of my head. “You’re going to be safe.”

Like he promised when all of this started.

“Seven victims?” a large man with a thick mustache asks.

Reeve reaches up to grab the rope being thrown. I notice one of the men on the radio. One of the men is talking about being armed.

They’re scared to step off the boat.

I don’t blame them.

Reeve wraps the rope and we’re just about to jump on the boat when something slams into me.

I scream as Robert grabs me from behind. His arms clamp around my waist.

The last thing I see before I’m dragged underwater is Reeve’s horrified expression.