He nods, relaxing at my reply, but then his brows pinch together and the look of utter disgust shines back at me. “And no, they aren’t good. They taste just as vile as before.”

  Huh. “Are you sure you’re eating the same things as me, because the muffins she baked me to bring to work this morning tasted amazing.”

  “No,” he huffs out. “But it seems its only you who she makes them good for.”

  I grin wider. “Nope. Lily had the other batch and was eating the last one when I left.” He turns pale suddenly. “What?”

  “Did you stay last night?”

  “Yeah.”

  He shakes his head in disgust. “I’m going before I deck you.”

  “What?” I ask as my phone begins to ring. He’s keeping me in the dark about… I chuckle at the realisation of where his thoughts were going.

  Every time she’s baked something good, we’ve spent the night together. It seems when Charlotte is truly happy, she can bake. I wonder if she has clicked on too and that’s why she is insatiable in the bedroom. I would tease him but he looks ready to vomit all over our office and I’m not cleaning that shit up.

  “Even if it tastes good next time, I’ll never be able to stomach it, not knowing what gave her the inspiration for it.”

  I glance down at Nora’s name and for a second, I think about ignoring it. I pick it up, still chuckling as Landon gathers his things. “Nora?”

  “Drew,” she trembles, a sob breaking out.

  My entire body tenses. If her mother has done something to her, nothing will stop me from reporting her this time. “Nora, what’s going on?”

  Landon stops at the door at my tone, raising an eyebrow at me, but I can’t answer him.

  “I’m at the library. You need to get here. Right now,” she whispers, her voice trembling, and I know she’s struggling to remain strong. “T-there’s a, there’s a woman here. She’s poured petrol all over the books downstairs and is having a stand-off with the others.”

  “Charlotte’s library?” I ask, and Landon steps forward, his hands clenched into fists. “Are you okay? Is she okay?”

  “Yes, Charlotte’s library,” she snaps. “And she’s here. I called to ask her where a book was and she came over. I shouldn’t have called her. I should have just laid into that receptionist and searched for the books myself. I—”

  “Nora,” I demand lightly, pulling her attention back to me before she truly loses it.

  “This woman has a knife. The receptionist is unconscious,” she whispers, her breath hitching. “And I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.”

  I place the phone on loudspeaker as I grab my keys from my desk drawer. “It’s going to be okay. I’m coming,” I assure her. “Who else is there?”

  “Harriet and Olivia, Marlene and two other girls showed up. They just told Charlotte they figured out who the wife is when everything happened.”

  “Madison and Hayden?” Landon asks as we rush out of the gym.

  “Yes, I think that’s what they are called. I think it’s the girl Hayden who keeps mouthing off to her. I like her.”

  I pull open the door to my car, dropping the phone on the dashboard. “I’m coming. I’m on my way.”

  “Wait, if Nora’s on the phone, where is she?”

  Nora makes a noise in the back of her throat. “Having a cup of tea and eating popcorn whilst I watch it all unfold,” she barks.

  Landon’s eyebrow arches. “She sounds like she’s related to my sister.”

  It was a protective retort. She’s scared out of her mind and is lashing out. “Nora, where are you?”

  “I’m upstairs. Charlotte told me to run and hide. She told me before she knew what was even going to happen,” she tells me and stops for a moment, choking back a sob. “Drew, I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.”

  “You are doing everything you should be doing. Stay there and don’t move until I come and get you.”

  “I’m going to mute the phone and be quiet. I don’t want to risk her hearing me,” she whispers.

  “Good girl. I won’t be long.”

  “Okay,” she tells me, and I hear a button pressed on the other line.

  I turn to Landon, who seems more angry than worried. “I’m surprised you didn’t run there.”

  He shrugs. “Hayden’s there.”

  “This woman might be the person who killed Scott.”

  “Hayden isn’t an angel. And she’s not stupid. She’ll either piss whoever it is off so much they direct their anger to her, or she’ll attack them.”

  “And you’re okay with that?” I grit out. This is his sister. His triplet.

  “Fuck no. But if anyone can take care of things, it’s Hayden. She’s a fighter. Had to be. Charlotte doesn’t have the heart to kill spiders and she’s petrified of them. She makes someone come and carry them outside—then checks to make sure it doesn’t have family close by. She won’t fight back.”

  Now that sounds like Charlotte.

  I scrub a hand down my face as I weave through of traffic, not caring if the police are called. Speaking of. “Have you called the police?”

  “I’ve messaged our family group chat and told them to. And if the library has been doused with petrol, they’ll need a fire engine too. My family will sort it. I didn’t want to speak over you and risk missing something your sister said or being heard over the other end.”

  “Who is doing this?” I ask.

  His jaw clenches, the first sign of the Landon I have come to know. “We’re about to find out.”

  Yeah, we are.

  *** *** ***

  I slam the breaks on outside the library, or as close to the library as I can get. Police cars and fire engines block most of the road.

  I jump out, leaving the ignition on and don’t bother to shut the door as I run to where Myles, his wife, and a few other members of her family are. Jaxon is pulling Lily away from the building, her grief echoing over the sirens.

  My dad should be here any moment. Landon called him in the car and Dad was frantic and livid.

  Kayla drops her head onto her husband’s chest, tears streaming down her cheeks as her body shakes with her cries.

  “What’s happening?” I ask, motioning to all the police standing and chatting. “Why aren’t they going in there?”

  “The doors are blocked. No one can get in. At the moment, they are trying to call the library but it’s ringing out,” Myles answers.

  “We can’t hear the phone,” Kayla chokes out.

  “I’m going in,” I tell them, moving toward the alleyway. It’s where she keeps the bins but there has to be a way, some old door or window we can climb through.

  “I’m coming,” Landon declares.

  “There’s no way in,” Myles interrupts, stopping us. “And the police won’t let us get near it.”

  “They threatened to arrest us,” Kayla bites out.

  Max scoffs. “There’s always a way in.”

  Yes, there is.

  We jog toward the alley and two policemen step in front of us. “You can’t go down there.”

  Screams that are more like pleas echo from inside, right before flames engulf the heavy duty curtains she has for show on the window near to us. We step back, the heat hitting us in the face as the glass shatters. “Fuck!” I hiss, my stomach bottoming out.

  We stare at the flames, all of us knowing what it means. Police rush past with a yellow battering ram. It will be fruitless for them to even try. I have seen the bolts she has on the inside of the doors. They aren’t getting in that way unless one of them manages to unlock it.

  “Let us past,” I grit out.

  “Now,” Landon demands.

  “Sir, step back,” the tall, lanky officer demands, placing his hands up.

  “No,” Max screams and the police officer’s attention goes straight to him. “I need my book.”

  “It’s my book,” Myles yells.

  “Charlotte,” Kayla screams, Lake’s following with her own daughter’s name flowing from her lips.

  Harlow, a woman I have only met a few times, collapses to her knees as she takes in the blazing fire. “No, Madison, no.” Her husband lifts her to her feet, clutching her to his chest. Her face is pale, gaunt, and his looks no better.

  They have so much to lose in that building.

  But my future is in there.

  My world.

  I glance to the left in time to witness Myles shove Max away. Max hisses. “You can’t even read a cereal box.”

  “You can’t even read that,” Myles fires back.

  “Don’t make me use big words.”

  “Do you even know any?”

  “No,” Max barks. “Because my fucking dictionary is in that building.”

  “It’s not yours,” Myles yells.

  “I’m going in after it. I can’t let it burn to ashes. Not my dictionary. Not today,” he wails.

  When he goes to make a move, the police officers blocking our way intervene. They have been so riveted by the act they are playing, they haven’t even remembered us, and we manage to slip by without any other officer bumping into us.

  We reach the place where she has the bins tucked against a wall, and Maddox jumps out from behind, scaring the fuck out of us. I’m glad Landon made a noise too. I’d never have lived it down if they thought they could get one up on me. Not that it matters right now.

  “When did you get here?” Landon hisses, glancing up at the building.

  “I’ve had a bad feeling in my chest for a while—”

  “Probably heartburn again,” Landon mutters, scanning the wall. There’s one window, but even with the added height of the bin to stand on, it’s too high—even for me.

  “No, it’s Madison. She messaged me saying she was on her way back earlier and was going to head to Charlotte’s. After that, I had this feeling that wouldn’t go away. So when she wouldn’t answer, I started making my way over here. I received your message not long before I arrived. I’ve been trying to get in ever since.”

  Landon just stares, dumfounded for a moment. “Your twin thing freaks me out.”

  Maddox rolls his eyes. “Yes, because you, Liam and Hayden are so much better.”

  “Drag the bin to that window,” I order. We don’t have time to chit chat.

  I watch as Landon does the calculations in his head. “It’s still too high.”

  “Not with a little boost.”

  I quickly send a message to Nora, asking her if she can get to that window. She doesn’t reply and that sinking feeling, that gut churning I have ignored since the fire began, erupts. What if she’s hurt? What if the person has found her? What if she’s caught in that fire?

  Moments later, the window above smashes, glass raining down on all of us. “Help!” she screams.

  All of us move at once, dragging the bin below. I jump up, the other two following. Landon grips his fingers together and I press my foot into his hands, and reach up, grabbing the pipe sticking out to hoist myself up. Glass keeps shattering above before Nora sticks her head out, placing her jacket over the edge of the window, covering the glass.

  I grip the ledge, and using all my upper strength, I pull myself up into the window. My sister steps back, her shoulders dropping as she begins to cry. “I can’t get down there. There’s too much smoke. But I heard screams. You need to go and help them.”

  “And I will. It’s going to be okay, Nor,” I promise, jumping inside. I stick my head out, my gaze meeting Landon’s. “Let me get Nora out and then I’ll help you up.”

  He nods and my sister shakes as I turn to her. “You can’t be serious. Go help them first.”

  “Let me get you out first. I don’t want you stuck up here. Landon and Maddox are outside. They’ll help you.”

  Her hand is clammy and hot when she takes mine. “Please don’t drop me,” she warns as she sits up on the ledge, swinging her legs over.

  “I won’t,” I promise, helping her turn. Landon and Maddox are there, both reaching up as I dangle her down the wall. Once they grab her legs, supporting her weight and balance, I let go. She whimpers, but pushes them away.

  “Go help the others,” she orders, jumping down from the bin.

  I go to reach for Landon but the sight of Kayla and Lake rushing up the side of the alley, has me freezing in place. They are carrying a three-storey ladder, their expressions filled with guilt, like they stole it.

  “We stole it from a neighbour when we saw what you were doing,” Kayla answers the silent question before glancing over her shoulder like she’s worried about being chased.

  Maddox and Landon grin. “Stay there. They’ll need help getting down if we can’t open the doors.”

  “Don’t you dare get hurt, Landon Carter, because I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Mum,” Landon mutters, giving her a pointed look.

  “Just please get your sister before she kills someone,” she demands.

  They nod, both gripping the ladder before ascending. I don’t bother to wait for them. Something inside of me is pushing me to get to Charlotte.

  I cover my mouth with my jacket and reach out with my hand until my fingers hit a shelf. I’m not sure which way to go. The smoke is thick, clouding every nook and cranny in this place as I navigate my way through it. It burns my nostrils, and the scent of scorched paper fills my mouth.

  The smoke grows thicker and I know I’m heading in the right direction. My hand meets something metal and I grab it just as my foot meets air. I nearly topple down the stairs. The further down I get, the thinner the smoke gets.

  Screams.

  “Charlotte?” I roar, staggering to stop in the middle of chaos. I blink through the haze of smoke, wondering if what I’m seeing is real or my imagination.

  “My books. You burnt my books,” Charlotte screams from where she’s perched.

  On a woman’s back.

  While said woman spins, fighting to get her off and waving a knife in the air.

  I can’t believe what I’m witnessing. I’m not even sure who we are meant to be saving right now.

  Landon staggers to a stop beside me, taking in his sister, bloody and covered in soot, to his cousin who’s lying next to her, unconscious, and then to Charlotte, who is screaming about her books and for everyone to save them.

  “Wouldn’t fight back, huh?” I mutter.

  “Okay, maybe she can get mad sometimes. She really does love her books.”

  “Get the books free,” she cries.

  Following her gaze, I notice Olivia, fighting to get the knife from the woman, and then Harriet, blood pouring down her arm as she uses her jacket uselessly to put the fire out.

  Maddox lifts his mouth from his elbow. “Why am I not surprised,” he mutters, shaking his head at the scene.

  I peer closer through the fog, the fire long forgotten as I focus on the woman’s face. “Is that a… a…”

  “Yes,” Landon replies, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHARLOTTE

  My fingers clench around the straps of the black leather ball gag Olivia threw at me after finding it in her bag. I have it wrapped around Sophia’s mouth, pulling with all my strength to keep her from hurting one more person. It’s the only weapon in our arsenal and one I will question Olivia about on another day.

  Maybe.

  Sophia’s muffled cries behind the gag don’t even register. She has said enough and none of it was from regret or remorse for what she has done.

  I’m not present in my own body. I don’t feel the same connection I do to all living beings. All I want to do is stop her.

  There was a moment when I was leaping on her back that it felt like I was watching from the side-lines. I couldn’t control my reaction at all. Yet, it was all I could do in that moment.

  “You crazy bitch,” Olivia yells at me, dodging the swinging knife Sophia still wields, and then points. “Get down from there right now.”

  She’s speaking to me like a scolding mother would to her child. It’s sweet of her to care, but I don’t heed her warning. I don’t let go.

  “Save the books,” I scream. “Save yourself.”

  “You need to save yourself. Fuck the books,” she mutters sarcastically.

  My library.

  My sweet, peaceful library has done nothing to deserve this kind of hatred.

  Madison had done nothing to deserve the glass bottle Sophia had pulled out of her bag and smashed over her head. She’s unconscious; unmoving on the floor. It’s only the steady beat of her chest rising and falling that lets us know she’s okay. Hayden isn’t faring well either. She had gotten caught in the middle of the attack to stop Sophia and smacked her head against the reception desk. After she went down, everything had become a haze.

  No one messes with my family.

  Nor my friends.

  “Charlotte!”

  The smoke must be getting to me because I could have sworn those were Drew’s words, his fear palpable as I fight her to drop the knife.

  “My books. You burnt my books,” I scream, my throat burning from inhaling the smoke.

  Olivia steps forward, once again trying to get to the knife. I want her to get the others and get out. And hopefully save at least some of my books.

  My poor books.

  “Get the books free,” I yell at her.

  She shakes her head as she struggles for breath. “I’m not leaving you with this crazy bitch.”

  My fingers slip from the strap and the ball gag drops to the floor. “I’m going to kill you,” Sophia screams.

  Drew suddenly steps in, pushing Olivia away when the knife gets too close to her. “Follow Landon,” he demands, pointing to where my cousin is standing. “He’s going to open the door.”

  “Drew,” I breathe, beaming wide, and for a moment, I forget where I am, what I’m supposed to be doing. I get that flutter in my stomach, the jump in my heart from the sight of him. I drop to the floor as she manages to overthrow me, and land on my back, the breath getting knocked out of me.