Adam thought fast.He knew something must have happened in his absence, but he needed to get into the house to know what it was.“Yes, I…we were passing by and we wanted to see if we can take shelter here before going on our way.”The others turned to look at him in surprise.The look on Jeremy’s face was beyond astonished, and Adam hoped he wouldn’t spoil his plan.It was Nina who said, “What? Jeremy said...""We would appreciate your hospitality a lot if you could help us!” Adam said loudly to cover Nina’s voice.The men looked at each other as if communicating without speech.Then they turned back to Adam’s group.“No, I am sorry. No visitors are allowed for now. Get a move on,” one of them said with a dismissive wave.Adam’s brains whirred fast.“Oh, please. You see, I must not have introduced myself very well. I am a cousin of the Troys. My father was the brother of Sir Troy Snr., and before he died, he told us to come here. He has already made the arrangement with them, sir. You

“I told you she was a bitch!" Lisa said, for the umpteenth time as she paced the underground room where the guards had tossed them. “No, actually, you yelled it at her. Now, please shut up and let me think,” Adam said as he rubbed hard at his forehead. He could feel a raging headache coming on. Lisa glared at him, but she sat down on the cold, rough ground as she muttered, “Think. As if that would make any difference now.” Adam’s body was still not settled yet. He didn’t know exactly, but he knew a change was happening to his body. His weakness was gone. Then, as if a hose of slowly running water, was opened above a dry swimming pool, he could feel a strange energy slowly filling his body. If only it was not messing with his system so badly. He could also feel the onset of hunger. The worst thing was that he did not have any food left in the storehouse. They had food left in the Jeep, but that was out of the question now. Adam realized that he was more terrified by the ove

The back door was wide open.Adam balked like a deer caught in headlights.That was not right.He remembered what he had seen when they ran from the stable to the side of the house.He had caught the barest glance then, but the door had been closed.Since he doubted that his sisters would have been stupid enough to leave the door wide open even after they disobeyed him,Adam was certain that someone else must have left the door open.He had already put his sword back into the orb before moving from the side of the house.His head jerked swiftly to the side when he caught the barest hint of breathing outside the house.But he didn’t see anything.He couldn’t hear the footsteps of the four remaining guards, as he had been hearing them earlier too.“Oh fuck,” he muttered beneath his breath as he approached the door.Knowing fully well that he was walking into a trap, Adam entered the house.There was no one around as he entered.A sudden moment behind him made him turn back.A guard shut

As it happened, not all the women stayed upstairs while the men did the gruesome work. Some of the men went outside to dig the grave where the dead bodies would be buried. Soon enough, Adam’s sisters rushed down the staircase. “Adam!” Nina screamed in joy as she rushed to hug him tightly. Adam was drenched with blood and smelled like he needed to be bathed from the inside out, yet his sister didn’t mind as she hugged him tightly like her life depended on it. “Glad you did not die,” Lisa said as she thumped him lightly on the shoulder. Nina sobbed into his neck, and Lisa looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Oh, mother of God,” Adam said, looking up to see his mother coming down the stairs with his father right behind her. “Mum?” Adam said this as Nina stepped back from him. “I told everyone to stay upstairs. This is not a place for you.” Nina finally took notice of the bodies remaining on the floor. She swayed, and Lisa grabbed her before she could faint to the floor. “Come

Adam couldn’t bring himself to stay around the others as he entered.His thoughts were tumbling over each other as he nodded slightly at his mother when she said,“It is not your fault, son.”He looked at his dirt-streaked clothes, hands, and feet as if he had no idea who they belonged to.Then he turned towards the staircase.He entered the room where he had found Jasmine and just stared at the blood stain on the white chrome, like it had a life of its own.“Want me to clean that up for you?” He heard a voice behind him.“I told you to be gone,” he snapped as he turned back to face Layla, who was leaning against the door jamb.She raised her brows nonchalantly as she said, “Technically, you said by the time you came out of the bath. From the look of things, you have not started yet.”“And you want to help me?” Adam said automatically.He just wanted her to go away.He wanted everyone to leave him alone for one damn minute!Jasmine had opened his eyes to the fact that everything he wa