Page 123 of Ruthless Secrets
I swallow past the lump in my throat as I shake my head.
If they were, they wouldn’t be sneaking around outside the cabin. Whoever is out there is not here for a friendly visit, that much I’m sure of.
The color drains from Lila’s face as she looks over at Rosa’s sleeping form.
“No, no, no…” She scrambles out of bed, the fear finally setting in. “We have to get out of here.”
“And go where? We have nowhere to go.”
Lila runs her hand over her face as she frantically looks around the room.
Alio might have a good security system but if that fails, we’re completely unprotected, and it seems Lila has realized this too.
“Oh, god, what do we do?” She reaches for Holly and cradles her closely.
“We need to focus.” I keep my voice low but firm so as not to panic her further. I’m not usually one for keeping calm in a crisis, but right now our survival might depend on it. “Think of the girls. We have to keep it together.”
Lila squeezes her eyes shut for a second before inhaling sharply and nodding. “Okay, I’m…I’m okay.”
“I’ll go and wake Alio and Marissa. Stay here with Rosa and the girls and don’t move until I come back.”
I lay Zoe gently down in the cot, my arms feeling painfully empty without her. I hate leaving her, but Alio is our best chance of surviving whatever threat is waiting for us outside.
I brush my hand against Lila’s arm before hurrying out of the room.
The rest of the cabin is still painfully silent. Whoever is waiting for us out there hasn’t made a move yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
I creep down the narrow hall toward Alio and Marissa’s room and gently open the door.
Their bedroom is cast in darkness, the thick curtains blocking out most of the sunlight, and both of them are sound asleep, completely unaware of the threat outside.
“Alio?”
It seems Marco’s cousin is a light sleeper as the sheets rustle and then the outline of his body sits up in bed.
“Clara?”
“There’s someone outside.”
Alio is instantly alert. He’s out of bed and reaching for something on the bedside table before shaking his wife awake.
“Marissa. Wake up. We need to movenow.”
I glance nervously over my shoulder, praying that Alio’s security system will buy us some time.
Alio rushes over to me and when I notice the gun in his hand, I fight the urge to vomit.
“Get back in the room with the girls and lock the door.”
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
Marissa rushes past me as she heads into the guest bedroom where Lila and Rosa are waiting without hesitation.
Alio turns to me, his voice low but commanding. “Clara, go with them.”
“No. If my daughter is in danger, I amnothiding.”
“I promised Marco that I would keep you safe.”
