Chapter 13 - THE GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE
The floorboards in the hallway groaned—a soft, agonizing creak just outside Lily’s bedroom door. My bare feet made no sound as I slipped out of my room, holding the pistol with both hands, my knuckles stark white. The intruder wasn't trying to hide their presence anymore; a metallic scraping sound echoed against the wall as a knife blade tested the lock of Lily’s door. Rage eclipsed fear, burning hotter and brighter than any fire Derek had set. I rounded the corner, leveling the barrel straight at the masked figure's chest. "Step away from the door," I commanded, my voice steady enough to shock even myself. The figure slowly turned around, lowering the hood to reveal a face I had only ever seen in one of Derek’s old college fraternity photographs. It was Julian’s younger cousin, Toby—the one the police believed was dead in a motorcycle accident three years ago. He smiled, his eyes dead and hollow, holding up a remote detonator. "Derek sends his regards from federal custody, Elena. And he wants his hard drives back."
