There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.
When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.
As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent…
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Sounds pretty creeptastic, amirite?! It comes out September 6, 2016, but thanks to our friends at Sourcebooks, we are able to give away an ARC! (U.S. and Canada only) Enter via the Rafflecopter. Contest runs from August 5th to August 12th.
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Read the First Chapter
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Chapter
One
Friday,
August 7
“Do
you have everything you need, Mackenzie?” Mum asked, watching me
stuff clothes in a bag.
“I
think so. We’re only going for two nights anyway.” Two painful
nights of dealing with Josh.
“Remember
to leave the address and phone number on the fridge.”
“I
don’t think the cabin has a landline, but I’ll leave the address.
I’ll get cell reception out there, apparently, and I’ll let you
know when we arrive.”
She
nodded nervously and gave me a weak smile.
“Mum,
I’ll be fine.”
“You’re
spending the weekend with someone you don’t like.”
“No,
I’m spending the weekend with Aaron, Courtney, Megan, and Kyle.
It’s just unfortunate that Josh will be there too.” If I could
have uninvited him, I would have.
But
the cabin is his parents’, so that didn’t seem too likely. Or
reasonable. He’d invited us all to spend the weekend at his
family’s cabin since school was out. The UK had finally realized it
was summer, and next year, we’d all be going our separate ways for
university.
“If
you need to be picked up early…?”
I
shook my head. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. There’s no way I’m
letting him ruin a weekend with my friends. Anyway, I need to go.”
“I’ll
drop you off at Joshua’s.”
“No,
it’s fine, Mum. I can walk.” I grabbed my bag and swung it over
my shoulder. “See you Sunday night. Love you,” I said, kissing
her cheek.
“Love
you too, sweetheart. Call if you need anything.”
“I
will,” I replied.
Josh
only lived a two--minute walk away, so it wouldn’t take me long. I
slammed the front door behind me and headed down the path. The
weather was superhot, it being the beginning of August, and I was
glad I’d opted for shorts and a T--shirt.
When
I got to Josh’s, everyone was outside his house, cramming bags into
cars. Seriously, we were going for two nights, but it looked like
Courtney and Megan had packed for a week.
“Kenz!”
Courtney shouted, jogging toward me. Her red ponytail swayed and her
green eyes danced with excitement. She was the only person genuinely
happy about this trip.
Taking
a deep breath, I pushed away every ounce of doubt I had about this
weekend and smiled. “Hey, Court. Is everyone ready?”
“Almost.
Josh will be back soon,” she replied with a goofy smile. “Don’t
look like that,” she added when I grimaced at his name.
Whoops,
she caught me. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. It’s…nice of
him to invite us to his folk’s cabin.”
She
took my lame apology with a smile. “He wants things back the way
they were.”
Did
he have a time machine so he could go back and not say those awful
things about my friends? Could he take back what he’d done to me?
What he still was doing to me?
Josh
might be trying to make amends for the past—-if we were even to
believe it was genuine—-but we weren’t going to forgive him so
easily. Some hurts aren’t that easy to get over, and I couldn’t
forgive someone who wasn’t sorry and hadn’t changed their
behavior. Courtney had forgiven him already, of course, but she never
could see what a waster her boyfriend was.
I
lifted my eyebrow.
“Mackenzie,
please,” Courtney said, sighing as she pushed her bangs out of her
eyes. “He’s trying, and it will mean so much to me if you’ll
try too. Please?”
I
groaned and my shoulders sagged. “Fine. I’ll play nice.”
Two
nights, that’s it. You can do that.
“We
all will,” Megan added, stepping beside us. “Right, guys?”
Aaron and Kyle nodded along, agreeing to put their differences to the
side—-for the weekend at least.
“Where
is Josh anyway?” I asked.
“Picking
up his brother.” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Blake wanted to see
him again, so Josh invited him this morning. Technically the cabin
belongs to Blake too, so there’s not much anyone can do to stop him
from coming with.”
“Oh,”
I muttered, not sure how I felt about a stranger joining us. We
didn’t know Blake, and if he was anything like Josh, the weekend
was going to be a nightmare. “So the estranged brother is coming.”
Great. This trip keeps getting better and better.
I
had seen Blake before, on about two occasions, when his parents were
doing a kid swap, but I’d never spoken to him. Blake had moved away
with his dad after their parents divorced. Josh stayed with their
mum. The two boys didn’t spend much time together while they were
growing up, which was probably a good thing for Blake.
Courtney
pushed her bangs aside again. They never stayed put, so I didn’t
know why she didn’t just cut them shorter. “They’re hardly
estranged.”
They
rarely saw each other; I’d call that estranged. “Why is he
crashing his brother’s party?” I asked.
“He’s
lonely?” Kyle offered, making a sad face.
Courtney
leaned against Aaron’s car. “No, he just wants to spend time with
his brother. They both want to.”
If
Blake was like Josh, I would be coming home early for sure. I didn’t
even want to breathe the same air as Josh, so I sort of hoped Blake
was an idiot too, then I would have an excuse to leave that wouldn’t
hurt Courtney’s feelings.
The
warm air blew my long chestnut hair in my face. I brushed the strands
from my eyes just in time to see a metallic--black Mitsubishi
Warrior—-the only car I recognized without reading the logo because
it was Kyle’s favorite subject—-pull up beside me.
Here
we go…
Josh
was sitting in the passenger seat and his brother was driving. They
both had the same dark--brown hair and blue eyes, but apart from
that, they looked totally different. Josh definitely didn’t inherit
the looks. Blake snapped every ounce of drop--dead gorgeous and left
nothing for his younger brother. Lucky for Blake.
I
looked away and walked around to Aaron’s car, wanting to put as
much distance between me and Josh as possible. Even just seeing his
face made me want to punch him, especially after his demands.
Courtney was smart, but when it came to him, she was as thick as a
post.
Josh
got out of the car. “Hey, guys. You remember my brother, Blake?”
Megan
shook her head. “Nope, but hi.”
Blake
walked to the front of his truck and casually leaned against the hood
as if he was bored. “Hey,” he said with a nod.
He
wore chunky black boots, dark jeans, and a black jacket, making him
look mysterious and maybe a little dangerous. His dark hair stuck out
in all directions in a messy style that looked like he didn’t give
a crap—-which I assumed he didn’t. His bright--blue eyes scanned
the group, checking us out one by one.
His
gaze was intense and it was like he saw everything. I didn’t
want him to see anything about me. “Let’s just leave
already!” I said, opening the car door and climbing inside. The
sooner we got there, the sooner we could get back. Damn, I sounded
like my parents on Christmas Eve when they would try to get me to
sleep as the clock ticked dangerously close to midnight.
But
at least I would get two nights adult free to spend with my friends.
That was something to look forward to for sure.
“Err,
Mackenzie,” Courtney said. “You’re in the car with me.”
My
face fell. I knew what that meant. “What?”
She
stepped forward and leaned in the car so we could talk privately.
“You’re coming in the car with me, Josh, and Blake.”
“Yeah,
I’m not,” I replied.
“Please?
Look, I know you’re mad at him, and I understand why, but will you
try? I really think you two need to spend the car trip together to
work through this.”
“We
really don’t, Court.”
“This
weekend is going to suck if you’re pissed at Josh the whole time.”
I
frowned. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like him though, so why
was I the only one being forced to make the extra effort? “His
brother’s weird,” I whispered as if that was going to change
Courtney’s mind.
“Blake
is harmless.”
I’d
run out of excuses. Sighing in defeat, I replied, “All right! But
if he pisses me off by making his usual stupid comments, I’m
switching cars.”
Courtney
held up her hands. “OK, OK. Thank you.”
“We’re
taking Blake’s car then?”
“Yeah,
they must have decided to bring Blake’s instead. I can see why.”
Courtney was a car person; she knew all the different types and
models by sight. I couldn’t even tell if something was wrong with
one—-unless the engine actually fell out.
“Blake’s
driving?”
“His
car, so I guess.” She shrugged, watching Josh with a loving look
that made me want to shake some sense into her.
“I
call shotgun,” I replied. If I had to be in the same car, at least
I wouldn’t have to sit next to him. I was aware that I was behaving
like a child, but I didn’t care. Josh had crossed a line, and I
wasn’t going to forgive him. Actually, Josh had crossed about a
million lines.
I
got in the passenger seat before Josh had a chance to say or do
anything. He could shove it if he thought I was moving. Blake smiled
a little awkwardly and started the car. He didn’t ooze confidence,
but he looked like he didn’t care what anyone thought.
“I’m
coming in your car too,” Kyle said.
Courtney
narrowed her eyes. “You’re with Aaron and Megan.”
“There’s
space with you for another, isn’t there?”
“Kyle,
five in one car and two in another is stupid. No one wants to be
cramped in the back.”
“Oh,
for Christ’s sake, Kyle, just get in Aaron’s bloody car,” Josh
snapped, shoving past him. “Pathetic arsehole.”
I
ground my teeth. Did it really matter which car he rode in?
The
answer was no.
Blake
and I hadn’t spent any time together, so we quickly fell into an
awkward silence while we waited for Josh and Courtney to get in the
car. I bit the inside of my cheek and twiddled my fingers. Say
something to him! We had never actually spoken to each other
before. That was about to change. We had a forty--five--minute car
ride to a remote part of the Lake District ahead of us.
“Why
do you hate Josh?” he asked.
I
was surprised by his bluntness. It was no secret that I didn’t like
Josh, but I didn’t expect his brother to come straight out and ask.
“Um, because he’s a bloody idiot.”
Blake’s
eyebrow rose, and he pursed his lips. Finally, he nodded once. “Yeah.
OK then.”
“You
don’t see him much, do you?”
“Not
really. Growing up, my parents couldn’t get their shit together
long enough to schedule proper visits for us. Most of the time, when
they finally got around to it, they swapped us over for a day or two.
I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen my
mum in the last twelve years.”
My
heart ached for him. I couldn’t imagine what he went through as a
kid. He must’ve missed his mum. I would have; my mum was the person
I went to with every problem—-well, almost every problem. “That’s
really sad.”
He
lifted his shoulder and let it drop. “That’s how it goes
sometimes.”
“Yeah,
but…” I shook my head. I couldn’t imagine not seeing my mum
every day, as crazy as she drove me sometimes. Blake must have felt
abandoned by his mom if she never made the effort. Maybe that was how
Josh felt about his dad? Wow, Josh and deep feelings. That was
strange to think about… Everything I’d witnessed of his character
had been shallow and selfish.
Josh
and Courtney got in the car, and I zipped my mouth. The atmosphere
turned tense, like it always was when Josh was around. He knew I
wished he wasn’t with Courtney after all of the horrible things
he’d said about our friends Tilly and Gigi. He loved that Courtney
wouldn’t ditch him for treating her friends like rubbish. Bastard.
“Oh,
I don’t mind you sitting up front with my brother,
Mackenzie,” Josh said sarcastically as he climbed into the
backseat.
I
clenched my fists. Don’t let him get to you.
“My
car, Bro, and I’d rather sit near a pretty face than your ugly
mug,” Blake responded.
Smiling
to myself, I grabbed my bag of lollipops and offered one to Blake. I
should probably have been annoyed at the “pretty face” comment,
but that was overshadowed by him calling Josh ugly. Blake took an
orange lollipop—-my favorite—-and gave me a wink.
“Not
sharing, Mackenzie?” Josh asked.
I
took a deep breath, resisting the urge to jam the plastic stick into
his eye. “Sure,” I replied, holding out the bag. He took two,
probably to annoy me, so I said nothing.
“OK,
everyone, please play nice,” Courtney whined. “This weekend,
parent free, is going to be epic, so will you all make up?”
“You
know I don’t have a problem with any of them, babe,” Josh
replied.
“Whatever,”
I muttered, clenching my jaw.
I
watched Blake as he drove. His eyes slid over, occasionally catching
me, but he didn’t say a word. I found myself wanting to get to know
him, but I wasn’t sure why. He would go home after the weekend, and
I’d probably never see him again.
Still,
Blake was gorgeous, and I was drawn to him.
We
reached the cabin without bloodshed, so I was pleased with my
self--control—-so far. Courtney kept Josh in check by flirting with
him and getting him to listen to music. I couldn’t wait until she
saw through him and his crap. I was going to make sure I had a
front--row seat when she dumped his arse.
“This
is it?” I asked, looking out the window up at a huge, two--story
cabin. It could easily house about ten people.
Blake
cut the engine and smirked. “What did you expect? The Ritz?”
“This
is amazing. I didn’t think it would be this big.”
“Three
years ago, I would have made some sort of sexual innuendo,” Blake
replied.
“All
grown up now, are we?”
“Nah,
that was just when I noticed Josh trying to act the big man and I
realized how lame those comments actually sound.”
I
grinned and got out of the car. I liked Blake and his painfully
beautiful face. Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so miserable. Kyle
and Aaron bundled bags out of the trunk and chucked them on the
ground. Halfway to the cabin I guess. Kyle grabbed his phone and
started to film, like he usually did. He wanted to do something in
the film industry, and I think he’d be awesome at it.
“Smile,
Kenz,” he said, pointing it in my direction.
I
stuck out my tongue and Aaron made an obscene gesture.
“Nice,
Aaron,” Kyle said sarcastically.
Megan
stared up at the enormous house. You could tell from the overgrown
plants and faded window frames that no one had been here in a while.
Josh and Courtney had spent all last weekend here getting it ready,
but they’d just cleaned the inside.
The
cabin was set in a clearing; the woods surrounded it on three sides,
and a gorgeous lake ran along the front of the property. The scenery
was beautiful. I didn’t understand why Josh’s family didn’t use
it more often.
“You
happy to be back?” I asked Blake as we walked to the front door at
a snail’s pace. He dragged his feet like he didn’t really want to
be here.
Blake
shrugged and grunted. “Just here for the booze.”
Of
course you are.
Josh
unlocked the front door and turned to us. Kyle rolled his eyes,
guessing what was coming, and I tried not to laugh. We—-eighteen
and however old Blake was—-were about to be given rules.
“Courtney
and I have worked hard getting the cabin ready for you all, so I
would appreciate it if you would respect the place and not leave it
looking like a Dumpster.”
I
bit my tongue. How pompous. None of us were going to trash the cabin
and he knew that. Courtney stood beside him like the lady of the
manor, eating up the attention. I loved that girl, but she needed a
good slap to knock some sense into her.
Josh
opened the door and walked in ahead of Courtney. Gentleman my arse!
And Court didn’t even care; she followed him like a little lapdog.
“I’ll
grab the rest of the bags,” Aaron said, heading back out of the
door.
I
walked in and my jaw dropped. Wow.
The
cabin was beautiful, albeit a little dated. The view of the lake from
the family room window was to die for. The sun shone down on the
water’s surface, making it glisten. There was a large fireplace
that I could have stepped into.
Kyle
walked behind me, capturing the view with his phone.
“I’m
going to explore. Anyone wanna come?” Megan asked, bouncing up and
down like a toddler. Her short, overly hair--sprayed bob barely moved
an inch. She had already dropped her bag by the bottom of the stairs,
which was about as much unpacking as she ever did.
I
handed a case of beer to Courtney, who was organizing the food and
booze in the kitchen.
“Don’t
fancy getting lost in the forest, thanks,” I replied.
Aaron
dropped a load of bags on the floor. “I’ll come.” He walked out
before anyone could stop him and make him help. I watched them walk
into the woods. The bright midday sun shone down on Aaron’s
white--blond hair, making it glow. They both looked happy to be away,
and I was going to try and do the same.
“Going
for a walk,” Kyle said, shaking his head at them as he lowered the
phone. He held up a six--pack in his other hand. “Crazy. Hey,
Blake, where’d you want the beer, man?”
“In
the oven,” he replied dryly.
I
tried not to smile but failed miserably. I wasn’t sure what Blake
was doing here. He didn’t seem to have a good relationship with
Josh, and he didn’t seem to be making much effort.
Kyle’s
mouth thinned in a tight smile, and I could tell he was fighting the
urge to say something back. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and spun on
his heel. Shaking his head, he walked away. Kyle was a sensitive soul
and was never very good with anyone making fun of him.
Then,
Blake and I were left in the living room. Alone again. I pursed my
lips, not knowing what to say. Should I even say anything? The
silence was awkward, but it didn’t seem to bother him at all.
Nothing seemed to affect him. Blake was cool, calm, and almost
robotic. But I wasn’t naive enough to think that nothing got to
him.
“So…did
you come here much when you were a kid?” I asked to fill the
silence.
He
looked over his shoulder, half smiling at me. “You’re asking if I
come here much?”
“No,
I asked if you came here much.” There was a big difference.
Blake
turned his body so he was fully facing me. I don’t know if he did
it to be intimidating, but it was. He had this cockiness about him,
but it wasn’t off--putting like Josh’s.
“We
came here a lot before our parents separated. After the divorce, the
place stayed empty, until now.”
I
didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?
People divorce all the time.” Before I had the chance to say
anything else, he walked outside. There was definitely a lot more to
him than he let people see.
“Beer,
Kenz?” Kyle asked from behind me.
I
turned and smirked. “You know it’s eleven in the morning, right?”
“Yeah,”
he replied, tilting his head, waiting for me to explain.
I
smiled and took a beer from his outstretched hand. “Never mind.”
Kyle
and I sat on the sofa while Josh and Courtney messed around putting
things away in the kitchen. “You think we should help?” I asked.
“I
offered. You know what Josh is like.”
Control
freak. We wouldn’t do it the way he wanted. How many different ways
were there to put food in a cupboard? This was “Josh’s” place
though, and we were being made very aware that we were just guests.
“I’m going to need a lot of alcohol to get through this weekend,”
I said. I’d promised my parents no drinking, obviously, but we were
all parent free and determined to make the most of it. They think
we’re swimming in the lake, cooking out, and roasting marshmallows
around a campfire. We are, so it’s not a total lie, but there will
be drinking.
Kyle
nodded in agreement and raised his bottle. “Let’s keep it coming,
then.”
I
clinked the top of my bottle against his and took a swig.
Kyle
and I had just finished our thirds when the rest of the group joined
us. “Wow, this looks fun,” Aaron said, grinning at the bottles of
alcohol spread out over the coffee table.
“Yep,
Kyle and I thought we should have it all at arm’s reach. Cheers,”
I said, raising my half--full bottle.
“Well,
if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. I’m well up for
getting wasted,” Aaron replied, picking the Absolut Vodka.
“Everyone’s in, no backing out. Josh, shot glasses, my man!” My
smile grew. I wasn’t a big drinker, especially after last time,
with the accident, but I wanted to have stupid, immature fun tonight.
“Err,
guys, I don’t want anyone throwing up in my house,” Josh said in
his annoying, stuck--up, I’m--better--than--you way. I had a very
sudden, very childish urge to drink until I puked.
Everything
he wanted, I wanted to do the opposite. I knew that was dangerous
though. I knew I couldn’t—-and I wasn’t stupid enough to do
it—-but I damn well wanted to.
“Lighten
up, mate, come on. We all want this to be a good weekend,” Kyle
replied.
Josh
glared and his jaw tightened. He didn’t like to be challenged. “I
am relaxed,” he growled through his teeth.
Aaron
lifted a freshly poured shot glass and raised it to Josh, his own
little in--your--face, before knocking it back. I smiled and did the
same. And then I regretted it because Josh’s eyebrow arched and I
knew exactly what he was thinking.
And
he wouldn’t hesitate to open his big mouth. But before he could say
anything, Aaron spoke. “A toast,” he said, raising a bottle this
time. “To a killer weekend.”
We
lifted whatever we had in our hands. “To a killer weekend!”
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