“Lake thinks she was followed,” Crew snaps.
Archer’s eyes widen a moment before they narrow, his skin turning a dark red. He looks absolutely livid. “What?” he barks.
I shake my head, bypassing him as I make my way up the back ladder. “It was nothing,” I groan.
“Doesn’t fucking look like nothing,” he snaps.
I knock myself through a group of people taking shots, and head toward the stairs. I don’t even care about the downstairs creepiness. I just need to get away from the woods. I still feel like I’m being watched.
Posie and Eloise are sitting on chairs on the side of the boat, and they stand when they see us. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m just thirsty.” I hold back my huff.
“Lakyn was just followed on the beach,” Vienna says.
“By who?” Kyler’s voice comes from behind me, and I glance over my shoulder, rolling my eyes at the angry look in his eyes. Reign stands beside him, looking confused as he watches me. My heart instantly leaps, my soul clenching in agony at our past, and I want to scream.
Now isn’t the time.
I don’t want him here. I don’t want him to see me like this.
“Ugh,” I groan, heading down the stairs of the boat.
My jaw clenches as I get downstairs, the dim lighting against the dark, aged wood making it hard to see. I pretend to not feel the dust lingering across my skin as I walk to the kitchen. There’s a cooler on the counter, and as I open it up, a wave of cool air washes over my skin. I uncap the top, tipping the bottle as I swallow down half of the water. My eyes squeeze closed, and it’s half in relief, half in wanting to run for my life.
“What the fuck?” Kyler asks quietly.
I pull the bottle away, keeping my back to everyone as I screw the top back on, setting it on the counter with a sigh.
“I’m fine—” My eyes widen as I spin around, shock rocking me to my core as I glance at the wall.
Murderer.
The word is written in red, dripping down the wall in dark, thick letters.
“Holy shit,” Posie whispers.
Fear rocks through me, and I can feel my blood freeze in my veins. It’s as if the words are staring at me, speaking to me directly. It’s not a good feeling. Every emotion I felt on that night comes rushing back to me, and it’s as if it isn’t red letters in front of me, but instead it’s Zane’s body.
Lifeless. Beaten. Broken.
The letters are written angrily, sloppily, yet with precision in each swipe.
“Who the hell did this?” I snap, stepping away from them, pointing at the letters. “Is this a fucking joke?”
Archer’s jaw clenches as he stares at the letters. “Who the fuck did this?”
I turn toward him. “You didn’t do this?” He could have, right? He was just so angry, and Archer is cruel. He could be playing a damn joke on me, for all I know. “Did you do this because you’re mad?”
His face twists in rage. “Are you fucking kidding me? You think I’d do some dumb-ass bullshit like this?”
“Well, who did it, then?” Posie asks quietly. “Someone had to have come down here and did it in the last hour. Who was down here?”
“I don’t know, Posie, but you were by the stairs most of the time. Didn’t you see anyone?” Kyler snaps.
Her brow furrows, and she shakes her head. “I didn’t see anyone.”
Was it her?