Deviant (Boys of Winter #3) - Sheridan Anne Page 0,147

to life. “The fuck is that?” I mutter, feeling my thighs and remembering that Cruz has my phone.

The boys yank their phones out of their suit pockets faster than lightning. Cruz races back over and as he does, I’m forced to look over Grayson’s thick arm to see his phone.

I suck in a gasp, my heart racing all over again as King’s voice cuts through the noise of the five notifications hitting our phones at exactly the same time. “It’s the new security system,” King rushes out, speaking mainly to himself because we can all see exactly what he’s seeing. “What the fuck is going on?”

The boys press buttons, trying to get into the system to bring up the camera feed. “It’s probably just a squirrel or something like that,” Cruz murmurs, waiting impatiently as the feed loads while trying to keep me calm. “Something would have tripped it. It’ll be fine.”

Grayson looks up at Carver. “You set it, right?”

“Fuck off, man. Of course I fucking—”

His words cut off as the feeds load onto everyone’s phones to show us at least fifteen masked men breaking in through my gates and surrounding my home with big guns and weapons. Men are scattered all over the property, some climbing over fences and some getting up onto the second-floor roof.

“No, no, no, no, no,” I breathe, clutching onto Grayson’s arm with fear pounding through my chest.

My mouth goes dry, watching as each of them crouch down, trying to keep themselves hidden while clearly unaware of the new security system the boys had installed. Grayson zooms in, taking in the gear and noticing how they’re all connected and able to speak to one another. “S.W.A.T. raid?” he questions.

Carver shakes his head. “No. The uniform is all wrong. This is another attack.”

Then all at once, someone gives an order and the masked men make their move.

Windows are broken while doors are kicked in. Gas bottles are thrown in, and not a second later, the men rush into my home, their guns prepared to take out any threat.

“Fuck,” Carver says, latching onto my arm and tugging me toward the door with the guys instantly following behind. “It won’t take them long to realize we’re not there. We have to get you out of here.”

“But they’ll come here,” I demand, trying to put on the brakes, but Carver’s grip is way too strong. “Your little sisters are here. Everyone’s siblings are here. We can’t risk them like that. Your families ...” I look up at Cruz. “Your mom. We can’t leave them unprotected.”

Cruz’s face twists with the decision. “Fuck. She’s right.”

The boys break out through the doors and instantly break apart. Carver looks back at me. “Don’t fucking move,” he roars, gaining attention from everyone around us. “I swear to fucking God, Elodie, if you move …”

“I won’t,” I promise, nodding. I may be reckless, but I’m not fucking stupid and I know a life-or-death situation when I see one.

Carver holds my stare for a moment longer before finally rushing away, and within seconds, the whole house is put on lockdown. Steel shutters slam down over each of the windows, an iron gate comes down in front of the main doors of the house, and the music is completely shut off.

Cruz fires one single bullet into the ceiling and everyone drops to the ground, his impatience getting the best of him as silence floods the room, all eyes on him. “Listen up,” he roars, his voice loud enough to be heard right through to the kitchen staff as Grayson and Carver come back to my sides. “There’s an organized attack currently taking place in the Ravenwood mansion. All women and children need to make their way down to the storm cellar below the house while everyone else is to protect what’s ours.”

“What the hell is going on in here?” Mr. Danforth demands, racing back in with Harlen Beckett.

Grayson steps up in front of his father, slamming a hand against his chest to stop him from getting too close to me. “There’s another attack,” he explains, which gets the mens’ immediate attention. “We’re taking Winter somewhere she can be safe. Put calls into the other families who aren’t here. Have them lock down their homes. It won’t be long until they realize Winter isn’t there. Keep everyone safe.”

Both Danforth and Beckett nod, more than onboard with the plan, and just like that, Carver grips my arm again and I go flying out of the room, my feet pounding