Page 166 of Perfect Liar

“You must move, Elle,” he shouted at me.

My mind refused to move forward, but my body reacted to his orders. I ran to my dressing room and pulled on my jeans.

Will came in, pulled a sweater down over my head, and helped me with my shoes.

“If they cut the electricity, a secure generator will be triggered. It’ll power the safe room and the war room. You must stay inside the room with my mother,” he said.

I recognized the life-and-death urgency in his tone. He was going outside to fight hit men. He didn’t have time for my questions, so I kept my mouth shut.

All that mattered was that he came back.

“Get your phone, Elle…let’s go…”

I’d left it on the table by the fireplace. I ran to get it, shoving it into my pocket. I hesitated at the sight of the ruby ring on the mantel.

Will shouted at me again, grabbing my arm as I met him at the door, and led me down to the basement. We entered the weapons room, where the security team was gathered, and he pushed open a wall panel. A small alcove and a steel door appeared.

The safe room.

He placed his hand on the electronic pad mounted by the door, and something mechanical clicked like he’d unlocked a bank vault. The door hummed open. He held it with one arm and wrapped his other arm around my waist while taking a head count.

Inside, Chelsea slept in a bundle of blankets on Mrs. Bates’s lap. Lily had stayed over and was sitting next to them. Mary and Lissie sat on another sofa. Mary had Lissie wrapped up tightly in her arms. Lissie was quiet but alert, her eyes wide with fear.

Mary’s stare nailed Will as she silently pleaded with him for her youngest son’s safety.

“I need John’s help with comms. We’ve locked him inside the war room. No harm will come to him there. I’ll send him to you as soon as I can,” he said.

Then he pulled the door shut, put my back on the wall, and smashed his lips against mine.

Ben reached his arm into the little alcove, handing over my pistol to Will.

Will held me in place with his body while he ejected, inspected, and reinserted the gun’s magazine.

“You won’t need this, Elle. Still, I won’t leave you unarmed. Remember…ten rounds…rack the slide to chamber a round…keep your finger off the trigger unless you intend to fire.”

I nodded.

“Yes, I remember…I will.”

My heart thumped so savagely that I thought it might burst out of my chest. Anxiety wrecked my stomach. Silent screams banged around in my head.

“You will not let anyone leave this room. You’ll allow no one other than me or one of my brothers to enter. There’s a monitor inside the door…if you can’t see one of us, do not open the door. If someone you don’t know opens this door, you shoot them. Aim at the chest. Understand?”

Outside the alcove, magazines clicked into guns. Slides scraped metal. A red laser beam bounced on the wall. Soldier’s voices rumbled as they prepared to fight what could only be described as a small war.

“Will?” I whispered.

“Do you understand what I’ve said, Elle? Answer me.”

“Yes, but?—”

He became an intense storm, gripping my shoulders, shaking me.

“—you must do exactly as I’ve said, goddamn it!”

“Okay, I understand,” I snapped.

He let go of me and put the gun in my hand.