Page 127 of Camera Stays On

“I know. And I don’t have one now. Go, and I hope to see you soon. Andi,” he said, and I looked up at him, memorizing his handsome features, just in case this was the last time I’d see them alive. “I love you. We’re going to make it out of here.”

Butterflies fluttered at his words, and for the first time in my life, when I said the words out loud, I meant them.

“I love you too.” I stepped out of his arms and sniffled. “Let’s do it.”

He smiled, and with that lingering in my memory, I turned and ran into the rain.

I walked in darkness, getting only quick moments of sight from the lightning. The cars were lit up by the flashes, and I hurried over, trying the doors. The only one that opened was Sawyer’s truck.

Diving in, I slammed the door shut and locked it. Breathing one large sigh of relief that I was finally out of the rain, I looked over and my heart stopped.

No, it couldn’t be. I peered over, examining what I was sure was a hallucination.

An axe, with the name Delambre engraved on it.

The video I’d watched hours ago flashed in my mind.

This was the axe that Asher used to kill Ray. It was covered in blood and bits of… Mick. It had to be, I realized. The realization turned my stomach. First Ray, then Mick. Whose axe was it?

Had Sawyer brought it here to kill his brother?

Or had Asher brought it to kill his?

Chapter 59

Asher

I WAITED UNTIL Andi was completely out of my eyesight before turning back to Sawyer. He was out cold. I glanced around, catching sight of the knife. Leaning down, I swiftly picked it up and closed it, stuffing it into my pocket. A groan came from behind me, and I spun and kicked Sawyer’s foot.

“Get up, coward.”

He rolled over slowly and struggled to his feet. “Coward?”

“Yeah, you’re a fucking coward.” I sneered as he stepped away, and we began to circle each other. “Have you ever won a fight with just your hands?”

“You’re one to fucking talk,” he spat. “At least I have the balls to look them in the eye. You prefer to sneak up on your victims. Or have you forgotten? I can pull up the tape again.”

Thunder rolled loudly above us, causing me to glance up. Sawyer darted out, and I leaped back. “You sure know how to play the long game. How many times did you get off to that?”

“To the video incriminating you of our town’s most horrific crime? Oh, more than you know, brother dear.” He laughed. “Although, this whole thing might take the title. I don’t think a day will go by for the rest of my life that I don’t watch this all unfold on screen. Again and again, I’ll watch you die, Asher.”

I laughed as he came at me again. This time, I caught him and swung his entire body over my shoulder, dumping him to the ground. He caught my ankle and pulled me down. I kicked him away, and he clawed at my pant leg until I rolled and landed a boot to his face.

“You’re dead!” he screamed as he lurched like a cheetah at me. I raised my leg and caught him again, kicking him back so hard he hit a tree.

“Am I? It looks like you’re closer than I am. One quick boot to the face again and I’d say you’re just about done.”

It was as I watched him struggle to stand one more time that I realized I was prolonging this. And for what reason, exactly? We’d both made it clear one of us had to die, and neither of us was going to let it be us, so why was I doing this?

“You can’t do it,” he said, as if hearing my thoughts. “It’s not easy, and you can’t do it. Look who’s the coward now.”

I nodded and rubbed my face. “I guess you’re right. I think it’s mostly because I don’t know where to put your body. We’ve got this all on tape—you killing everyone else—but I don’t need Ma to see this.”

He considered that for a moment and nodded. “You’re right. She deserves better. Come on, I know where there are no cameras.”

“Can’t we just turn them off?”

“Cameras stay on,” he muttered and sprinted toward the trees. “You want to kill me, come fucking get me, but mind the traps.”