Chapter 27

Marcus POV

As soon as I step inside the building, the smell of accelerant is obvious. No wonder the place has gone up like a bonfire. Toby and his buddies have doused the ground floor in gasoline. I doubt my father is stupid enough to have actively helped him, but he helped him hide and evade us, knowing he was going to do something awful, which makes him just as guilty in my mind. He loves the chaos. He only came to town for a front-row seat. And to rub my face in it, can’t forget about that.

I take the stairs two at a time, keeping tight to the wall and as low to the ground as I can, and bat away bits of falling debris. Each step groans under my weight and I know that coming back this way will not be an option for getting back out. My skin stings from the incredible heat and I’m already choking by the time I reach the first-floor landing. I crawl along on my hands and knees, trying to reach the room John pointed to at the end of the corridor. My skin melts onto the