Mark’s POV

The wind howled outside the small, isolated house, rattling the wooden panels like they were barely holding together. My wrists still burned from the rough rope Alice had tied me with, but I kept working at the knots, slowly loosening them while she watched from across the room.

She sat in a chair, legs crossed, twirling a knife between her fingers like she had all the time in the world. Like she knew I wasn’t going anywhere.

I kept my expression neutral, but inside, my mind ...