The beach-side door clicked shut behind Mason and Brett, their laughter still echoing softly as sand dusted the floor. Brett’s hand slid under Mason’s shirt, pulling him into a deep kiss. “One more round before bed?” Brett murmured against his lips.
The front door exploded open with a crash.
Oliver burst in, chest heaving, eyes wild with panic. “Mason! Get out it’s a trap-!”
A gunshot cracked like thunder.
Mason felt the impact before the pain, a searing hammer to his side. He staggered, knees buckling as blood bloomed hot across his shirt. Brett caught him, both of them crashing to the floor.
Oliver stood frozen for a split second, then lunged forward. “No! Mason!”
A second shot roared. Oliver jerked violently as the bullet tore through his chest. He crumpled beside Mason, blood spraying across the hardwood.
Outside, Eli and Theo skidded to a halt in the shadows just beyond the fence, hearts pounding from the sprint. The gunshots froze them in place.
“Fuck… Oliver…” Eli whispered, voice cracking. They crouched low, peering through the slats as chaos erupted.
Beach strollers, couples and groups enjoying the moonlight, heard the sharp cracks. Shouts rang out: “Gunshots! Over there!” Footsteps pounded toward the blue-shuttered Airbnb. Phones lit up as people dialed 911.
The killer melted out the back door like smoke, slipping into the dunes with his hood low and gloves flexing. He vanished into the night, untraceable.
Inside, Brett pressed both hands hard against Mason’s bleeding side, his face pale but steady. “Stay with me, baby. Breathe. Help’s coming.” Tears streaked his cheeks as he tore off his own shirt to staunch the wound.
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