Chapter 28

The four spent the rest of the evening in the library planning how they were going unveil the brothers with risking the girl's lives. It included some elaborate, but simple details that they hoped would work. The past few days had shown the twins were getting restless in waiting and wooing them. Emery had been to keen and Taylor hadn't been trusting. They had been reckless in their romantic endeavors. The group prepared for the worst while hoping for the best.

Half past eleven Taylor and Emery headed towards the bell tower on campus. A full moon lit their pathway and Emery stopped halfway there. This was their parting destination and for a solid fifteen minutes Emery would be alone with one or both the murders.

"Good luck friend," Taylor said giving Emery a quick hug. There was a chill in the September air and they shivered. Emery thanked her and told her to stick to the plan at all costs. She silently wondered if it would work or if she would die. Pushing all thoughts aside she walked the remainder of the pathway and looked up at the stone tower in awestruck wonder. It was a beautiful tower against the backdrop of the midnight sky.

Fear made her tremble and she silently prayed for courage and once she was calm she made her way up the winding staircase. She counted the stops to the top even though she already knew the number, one hundred and fifty, and then she froze.

"Evening beautiful. You are quite breath taking in the moonlight," Grayson said waiting for her at the top. Emery would have been a liar to say he wasn't equally breath taking. Everything about him made her want him and want to kill him. He walked over to her and kissed fervently and she didn't hesitate in returning it. This hadn't been calculated into their plan and she tensed with a kiss landed on her neck.

"Brother you've been selfish. She smells heavenly," Eric said brushing his lips up her neck. This brought a deep chuckle from Grayson and Emery wondered if now would be a good time to execute their plan. Emery played along with antics instead of pushing them aside.

"You like to share do you?" She said while moving ever so slightly to catch Eric's lips in hers. He was different from Grayson, gentler, and his taste was mint. Emery had an idea pop into her head and without thinking she bit down and sucked on Eric's releasing the intended moan.

"And here I thought I was your pick," Taylor said leaning against the stone wall watching the scene play out. Grayson growled and Eric laughed at her nonchalant stance.

"Oh, baby I was counting on you coming to save poor Nancy here. This makes our night all the better and complete," Eric answered going to her.

"Would you like to see our lair? You want answers, we're going to give them to you," Grayson said taking Emery's wrist and pulling to an opening in the corner of the room and leading her down an unlit stairwell. Emery wondered why they were being so friendly, but she knew that was part of their charm. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute and she wondered if they could sense her fear. Her mind was spinning with a million thoughts and she knew that Roman and Drake would be on their way. The plan was so simple it was bond to fail and she wished they had more time to think things through.

A light blinded Emery and the wind was knocked out of her. She was standing in the middle of a room, no a shrine, that was dedicated to one person. Her. The whole room was filled with pictures of her and her parents. There was memorabilia, transcripts, awards, newspapers articles, and her schedule.

"Are you impressed love?" Eric asked coming to her as a child seeking approval. At that moment Emery was both horrified and saddened. Grayson intertwined their hands and turned to face her.

"You are our obsession. Everything we have done was to please you. Do you like how we've successfully plotted and planned out every detail?"

"Here let us show you. We have watched and waited for you a long time Emery. When we first heard of your success in Baton Rouge, with the solving the murder of a farm hand, we knew you were the one," Eric continued Grayson's explanation while Emery was being dragged around the room.

"You're sick," Taylor said and Grayson barked at her for interrupting their moment with Emery.

"She shouldn't even be in here," Grayson said to Eric. Emery was mute and couldn't think of anything to say.

"It's our last one before her."

"What?" Emery asked finally breaking away from the trance she was in.

"We never planned on killing you. We wanted to give you a game to play, because we know how much you love solving puzzles."

"Check mate, Emery its over," Eric said while grabbing Taylor by the hair and sticking a knife to her neck. Emery screamed and tackled him to the floor before he sliced Taylor's throat. The knife went sprawling to the floor and they wrestled to reach for it.

"Not quite over sweetcheeks," Grayson said putting his foot on the knife.

Taylor was bleeding from the cut that Eric had made on her neck and Emery sprang her wrist. They were quickly realizing they weren't in an action movie and that they were going to be murdered by two sadistic brothers. Emery stood holding her wrist and went over to Taylor.

"Kill us you pricks. I don't know what thrill you get out of raping and murdering women, but just know this will be your last."

"We know sweetcheeks, because that was the plan. You can only get with murder for so long. Every serial killer knows that, but that's not what it's about. It's about the obsession behind the killings. You my beautiful creature are the obsession behind our killings. They all have lead to you, to this moment and you've done so well. Although, I am only slightly disappointed I didn't get to screw you before now. We would have made beautiful love together," Grayson said and Eric glowered.

"She's not just yours. I chose her."

Emery felt her stomach began to churn and her knees began to get week. Taylor tried to hold her up, but they were too weak. If Roman and Drake didn't hurry up they would all be dead. Grayson pulled open a drawer to the desk that sat against a wall in the room. He pulled out a revolver and his smiled widened.

"So, who will be first?" He asked Eric while loading the gun.

"Collateral damage. Sorry babe, you were way too much work for what you worth," Eric said and Grayson pointed the gun to Taylor's chest and fired. Emery looked up at Grayson and before she could blink another shot rang out.

"Sorry brother."

"You shot you them," Emery said as Taylor's bleeding body lay next to her. Taylor's breathing was labored, but she wasn't dead. Emery took off the top shirt she was wearing and pressed it against Taylor's wound. Eric laid lifeless on the floor and Emery feared that was indeed the end.

"He knew it was coming even though I never told him. Really, it was all about you and me. Maybe I won't kill you and we can live out our lives together," Grayson said as if he had been enlightened.

"What? I would rather die than to spend my life with you," she said through gritted teeth. Then she got up and went to him. "Do it. Do it you bastard! Because that's what you are right? Mommy had an affair and then mysteriously dies after having you. Huh, daddy thought he could get away with murder so long as it looked liked an accident and took care of his bastard sons. He did a good job didn't he? Now, look at you. You're what every psychology professor talks about. Mommy issues with a killer gene."

"Shut up!" Grayson said yTayloring and hitting her in the head with the butt of the revolver.

Emery stumbled to the floor and Grayson came by her side holding her. He began to apologize over and over. Before she passed out she heard the sounds of an angel and another gun shot rang through her ears.