sheet on his bed. That wouldn’t get them anywhere near the ground on its own.
She moved to the window again, and muscled it open. The cooling air was heaven against her face, and she spared a brief moment to close her eyes and just breathe it in. They would figure this out. They had to. She leaned out the window a little, careful to keep an eye out for anyone below. As she’d suspected, it was a straight shot to the rocky ground. There was no way they could jump without turning an ankle—and that was the best-case scenario.
She leaned out a little further, angling to get a view of the windows on either side of them. Both had the same setup. Damn it. A little further. There. Three windows down on the right, the garage cut out from the house. It would still be a drop, but seven feet was better than twenty. Callie ducked back inside and carefully closed the window. “I have a plan.”
“I’m all ears.”
They both froze at the sound of a heavy tread coming down the hall. Carrigan kicked the sweats under the bed. “Hurry!”
She tossed Carrigan the cuffs and she threw herself onto the bed and slipped them loosely around her wrists in the approximate spot she’d been in before. For her part, Callie spun in place, trying to figure out if they’d moved anything or if there was any indication that they had no intention of sitting here and waiting to be murdered. Nothing. Or, at least, she didn’t think so. Damn it, she couldn’t be sure.
But it was too late to do anything more. The footsteps stopped outside the door.
She dropped onto the bed next to Carrigan, hoping she could shield any inconsistencies with her body. They both looked over as the door opened, and Callie’s stomach lurched into her throat. Brendan.
The man moved fully into the room, and the image shattered. Not Brendan. But they were close enough in looks that this had to be another brother. He eyed them, his gaze lingering too long on Carrigan’s bare legs for Callie’s peace of mind. She shifted, trying to draw his attention, even though his creepy blue eyes gave her chills. “What do you want?”
“So you’re the bitch who killed my brother.” He leaned against the wall, but she wasn’t fooled. His body was tensed, ready to spring into motion at a second’s notice. “You’re prettier than I expected.”
It sounded like a compliment, but she couldn’t shake the instinct demanding she go for his throat. So she stayed silent. That didn’t stop him, though. He shifted closer. “You’re going to die for what you did. But not for a long, long time.” He grinned. “Baby, I’m going to enjoy breaking you.” His gaze moved back to Carrigan. “Both of you.”
“Ricky.”
Callie jumped, but the man didn’t. Obviously he’d heard James approach. He didn’t turn. “Yeah?”
“Get the fuck out of here.”
“Yeah, sure.” He tipped an imaginary hat. “I’ll be seeing you two again real soon.”
James waited for his brother to walk out of the room before he turned his attention on them. “Make whatever peace with God you can. You only have tonight.”
Then he was gone, too, shutting the door behind him. Callie sagged, adrenaline beating against the inside of her skull like she’d just been in the middle of a fight. Carrigan sat up, the cuffs dangling from her hands. “It’s almost a shame those two are going to miss out on their entertainment tomorrow.”
How could the woman joke at a time like this? Callie kept her mouth shut, because she was afraid if she opened it, she’d start screaming and never stop. So she held very still and watched the minutes tick by on the clock; the slow movement of time, much steadier than her heartbeat, grounded her. She finally took a breath and made an effort to unlock her muscles. “I don’t suppose you can pick a door lock as well as your handcuffs?”
“Normal doors? Not so much. But the ones they have in old houses like this?” Carrigan motioned to the heavy wood door between them and the rest of the house. “Piece of cake.”
She certainly was a woman of unexpected talents. Callie moved to the window and glanced at the sky. They were well on their way to dusk, but it would be a good hour yet before they could make a move. “How did you learn to pick locks?”
“Aiden taught me.” She smiled, though it was a touch