She wants to argue. She wants to ignore his instructions. But her limbs are locked up with a feral kind of terror and then he’s out of reach and Ava is dragging Athena down under the table as shots and cries ring out outside.

It feels like it goes on forever. Forever.

The voice that calls out makes Athena’s stomach drop through the floor and into the molten center of the earth.

It’s Boyd.

“Olly olly oxenfree, Athena. I would say I’ve got something that belongs to you, but I’m pretty sure he belonged to me first.”