My mother paced the living room with her robe pulled tight around her waist. I could see her through the window as Officer Phillips guided me to the front door. My mother's footsteps halted the second she heard the door open. She rushed out the living room, her slippers dragging against the floor as she met us at the door.

"Tyler!" She rested her hands on my shoulders, twisting and turning my body to get a better look at me. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine, mom." I grimaced.

She frowned and removed her hands. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience at this hour officers. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Did you guys locate the suspect? Is everything okay?"

"It's okay, Ms. Davis." Officer Phillips sighed and shook her head. "Unfortunately, the perpetrator got away. We ask that none of you leave the premises again. If either of you see or hear anything strange, please don't hesitate to call us again. We'll be on the lookout."

My mother shifted with unease. "Are you sure it's safe for us to stay here tonight? We don't need to head somewhere else?"

"Yes, we believe you and your boys should be fine. After all, Tyler wasn't the target. Officer Delaney and officer Baring aren't going anywhere," Officer Phillips responded. I heard my mother sigh. She glanced at me, then back at Officer Phillips.

"Can you excuse us for a moment, Tyler?" My mother may have been asking politely but I knew that was a request. I nodded and headed straight to my room.

No more than five minutes later, my room door cracked open. My mother peeked her head inside. Her arms were folded. The distress on her face quickly morphed into disappointment.

"I oughta knock some sense into your head." She raised her hand, but never laid a finger on me. I flinched and took a step back. "Jesus Christ, Tyler. Do you know how panicked I felt when I entered your room to see you weren't there? I knocked on your door and you didn't answer!"

"I thought I was doing the right thing," I admitted.

"Tyler." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Your father and I have been talking."

I reeled back. "About what?"

"Maybe it's best if you and Junior stay with him until this all blows over." She bit her lip and toyed with the edges of her shirt. My stomach dropped. "Oh, please don't look at me like that, Tyler. It's not forever. But I need to have you and Junior's best interest in mind."

"Sending us away won't make my stalker go away," I hissed.

"No, but maybe it'll make it harder for him to reach you," she argued.

"Mom, come on. You know that's just wishful thinking on your part."

"What am I supposed to do then, Tyler? What you did tonight was dangerous! Even when you're already in danger, you're throwing yourself into more danger."

"Our neighbor could have been killed if I didn't step in!"

"But it isn't your job to step in!" My mother took a deep breath, dragging her hands down her face. "Listen Ty . . . I understand that you were being a good samaritan. But I can't lose you trying to save someone else. I need you to think before you act."

She had a point but I wouldn't admit that easily.

"Just"—she breathed in, then sighed—"get some sleep. We'll discuss this tomorrow." She flicked off the light in my room, then retreated into the hallway.

Exhaustion took its course as I collapsed on my bed. For once, my thoughts weren't a jumbled mess. They were just a blank space that carried me to sleep.

* * *

I woke up with last night's conversation at the forefront of my mind. Specifically, the one between my mother and I. The house was silent—I assumed I was the only person awake. I turned on my side to check my phone. Two unread text messages from Patty, and an unread text message from Christian greeted me. I flicked through Patty's messages first.

Patty was filling me in on her assignment and all the new information she found about Lake Bellinor. Next, was Christian's message.

Courtney Hyde has been found dead.

I read his message word for word in my head.

What?

I read it again. But this time, aloud. "Courtney Hyde has been found dead?"

Surely enough, I wasn't seeing things. I thought maybe I was sleep deprived, and misreading his message. In other words, Courtney was the unidentified female body discovered last night.

I dialed Christian's number immediately.

"I've been waiting for you," he answered on the first ring.

Distant voices drifted through the phone. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the station," Christian responded.

"Have you been there all night?" I asked, confused.

He sighed. "Sure, you could say that."

"How do you know it was Courtney?"

"Hold on. Give me a sec." I heard what sounded like a chair scraping against the floor. A light thud echoed in the room. It sounded like a door closing. The distant voices grew quiet, and I heard the chair moving again. "She had her ID on her."

"Shit," I swore.

"Watch it," Christian warned.

"Sorry," I mumbled, rolling off my bed. "Any idea how long she's been dead?"

Christian's silence was loud. I waited for him to speak. But it felt like eons before he opened his mouth. "Our guess is, she's been dead since a day or two before Loretta's funeral. . ."

I almost dropped my phone. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was. . . Courtney's wounds have the same pattern as our other victims, including the missing tongue. She never showed up for the funeral and now we know why. This ultimately rules her out as a suspect." I slowly reeled his words in, thinking back to the wounds found on Fiona, Reggie, Kane, and Nathan. Someone was taking more than just their anger out on them.

"Christian, is it okay if I stop by today?" I asked.

"Hmm, let me check with Jen first." If Christian was the one asking, I knew the answer would more than likely be yes. And just as I thought, thirty minutes later, after some brief bickering, they came to an agreement on how I'd get there and how long I could stay.

I fully expected to walk into an empty police station—perhaps even mildly busy—considering the day had barely started yet. The last thing I expected, however, was to pass Yasmine and a man on my way inside. They were posted outside the station in the corner, deep in what seemed to be a heated debate. I snuck another glimpse at them as I marched inside.

Christian was waiting for me near the window. As I approached him, I looked out the window to find Yasmine and the man heading towards the entrance. She didn't notice us. Nor did she notice me watching her with a bird eye's view. The man noticed though. I only realized when I looked in his direction. As I was watching her, he was watching me. Her brother, probably?

"What is she doing here again?" I nudged Christian's side, causing him to look.

"I don't know, that's a good question. . ." Christian appeared to be just as confused as I was.

I doubted Yasmine was here to make another report. For one, her friend, Nina, wasn't breathing down her neck again. Secondly, she didn't seem to like Christian or Logan very much. So, I had no reason to believe she would seek them out on her own. And she seemed pretty hell-bent on the fact that she wasn't being stalked. She wanted nothing to do with this entire case.

"Is that the brother?" I whispered. Christian nodded.

Yasmine's eyes swept over the few officers in the lobby. I anticipated her and Mark's next move. They were unpredictable—quick to defend and a nasty temper.

"Detective Loftman?" Yasmine cleared her throat when she spotted us.

Christian straightened his shoulders. "Yes?"

"Can we speak with you for a moment?" she said.

"May I ask what this is about?"

"You left us with your card the day of Loretta's funeral"—Yasmine shrugged and trailed off—"my brother made me realize we all got off on the wrong foot. I'm ready to cooperate." Baffled wasn't the proper term to describe the look on my face. Christian was much better at hiding his emotions than I was. It was his job, after all. But I still applauded him for it.

"Shit." Yasmine pulled out a business card but it slipped through her fingers. I saw the card hit the ground. It took a moment to register. When it did, I reached for it at the same time she did.

"Thanks." She let me slip the card back into her hands.

I didn't know if it was me or the room was spinning. I stood back to my height and turned. I noticed the change in the police station first. Yasmine was still here. But Christian, myself, and Mark weren't accompanying her anymore. Rather, Nathan stood across from her in a room.

"I said I think we should call it quits. . ." Yasmine's only comment.

Tension hung thick over the pair's head; with Nathan's teeth gritted, and Yasmine's arms folded. Their eyes were locked together. I could feel the heat pooling around Yasmine's ears. Nathan, on the other hand, was red in the face—likely from embarrassment, seeing as she was trying to dump him.

"Are you fucking serious, Yasmine?" Nathan spat. "What's the big idea for this bullshit? Is Mark putting things into your head? It's obvious he doesn't fuck with me."

Yasmine scoffed. "Leave my brother out of this."

"Then, what's your deal?" Nathan didn't back down.

"I just don't think we're a good fit for each other anymore."

"Wow." Nathan laughed. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Does it look like I'm joking with you, Nathan?" she hissed.

"Pathetic, Yasmine. That's how you fucking sound!"

"Fuck you," she spat.

"Don't walk away from me, Yasmine!" Nathan clasped onto Yasmine's wrist as she headed for the door. She turned in his grip, seething.

"Let go!" She shoved him with her other hand.

"Not until you give me a proper explanation!" he growled.

"Don't make me call for Mark!" At the sound of Mark's name, Nathan let go. But he followed her out the door as she rushed into the hallway. Just when I thought that'd be the end of it, the two unfortunate souls in the hallway sent the scene spiraling out of control.

Nathan and Yasmine halted. Adam and Joel were standing near the door. It was obvious to me they were merely passing by. To Nathan and Yasmine, however, that was far from the case.

"Were you two eavesdropping on us?" Nathan snarled.

"What?" Adam scoffed. "No."

"Fucking liars!" Nathan, full of rage, stepped forward, fisting a ball of Adam's shirt in his hands. Adam yelped and slapped at Nathan's hand. Joel's eyes widened. He looked as if he wanted to intervene but didn't have the heart to.

"Get off of me, you damn psycho!" Adam screamed. Their commotion caused an uproar in the hallway. Heads popped out of the rooms. Not a staff member was in sight.

"What did you just call me!?" Nathan lost it. He raised his fist and aimed.

"Adam!" Joel finally caved and moved forward.

"Nathan!" Yasmine screeched and backed away. Her hand was to her mouth, her lips parted in disbelief as Nathan's fist collided into Joel's nose. A crack echoed in the hallway. I couldn't tell if that was the sound of Nathan's knuckles or Joel's nose. Maybe it was the latter.

"What the fuck!?" Lucas' outrage could be heard from across the hall. He stood frozen at the top of the stairs, witnessing the violence that just took place. Behind him, a few of the staff members finally appeared. They rushed past him in a frenzy.

"What is going on?" Loretta yelled. A gasp followed shortly after when she saw Joel's nose gushing blood. Adam was in the midst of helping Joel to his feet. "Everyone to your rooms! Now."

"Yasmine!" Mark's voice bounced off the walls of the hallway. He rushed to Yasmine's aid as if she were the one in danger. She might've been if Joel and Adam hadn't distracted Nathan. But truly, who knows? None of that mattered to him anyway. His sister's wellbeing was at the forefront of his mind and she was the only thing that mattered, clearly.

"Follow me." Christian's voice was my ticket back into the present. I looked between the three of them. They all seemed to have discussed something I didn't hear. Even if I tried to catch up to whatever was going on, I didn't think I could.

Yasmine and Nathan's breakup fiasco was enough to have me deep in my head for the rest of the day. And surely enough, that's where my head was for the remainder of our time together. Because Nathan pissed off a lot of people in that group home. The question was, who snapped first? And how did everyone else get caught in the crossfire?