Ethan was out of the car before it had fully stopped, sprinting toward the open front door with a speed that blurred at the edges, and Lily forced her exhausted legs to follow, terror overriding every ache from the night's earlier violence. Behind them, Richard and Marcus scrambled from the vehicle as well, the messenger who'd delivered the warning trailing close behind.
"Mom!" Lily's voice tore through the silent foyer the moment she crossed the threshold, echoing off walls that suddenly felt cavernous and wrong without the familiar warmth of lamplight and her mother's presence. "Mom, where are you?"
No answer came. Ethan had already moved past her, sweeping through the ground floor with lethal efficiency, checking rooms in rapid succession while Lily's heart hammered so violently she c
