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Inside, I shook with desperation and regret. I had to get to Cal.
“And sweetheart, you’re far too old to be escaping off the roof.”
I was a prisoner.
Nothing was my own. And becauseFatherdidn’t like when I strayed, other people were going to pay the consequences. Which he knew would be far more painful and effective than anything he could do to me.
I changed into jeans, a sweater, and flats and rushed toward the window. Iwastoo old to be doing this, but I had no other choice.
I yanked, and it wouldn’t budge. I checked the latches, which were open, and tried again.
Nothing.
And then I saw it. The board on the outside preventing the window from opening.
Only a few hours ago I’d been out there.
Any hope I had of avoiding this marriage was squashed out.
But I had to try to warn Cal and pray that it didn’t cost him even more.
Because any smart prisoner always had more than one escape route.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Cal
“My Joe didn’t burndown that house.”
Ma tore her apron off and threw it on the counter.
I appreciated her adamant belief in my brother’s innocence. No matter how hard things got, she was there to support us.
“We’ll find a lawyer to help him,” I said.
I’d come straight to Ma’s after stopping by the jail to check on Joe. He’d refused to see me.
And I’d had to be the one to deliver the bad news to Ma.
I pulled her in for a hug.
She clung to me tightly. “I’m going to call that Jack Petty. We went to high school together. He needs to release Joe immediately.”
“I’ve already talked to him.” Bobby trudged into the kitchen. “Nothing he can do right now.”
“He’s the chief. If anybody can do something it should be him.” Ma wrestled out of my hold and went to the refrigerator. “Sit. I’ll fix something to eat.”
I didn’t want any food. It was almost midnight, and what I really needed was one night of peace.
But cooking for her boys was what made Ma happy, so I’d eat for her.
Bobby tossed his keys on the counter. “Any word on when he’s getting out?”
Aaron was right behind him. “Who they really need to look at is that crazy Christina.”
The woman had lost her mind. A few days ago, I'd have said no way, but after the way she'd acted lately . . . I agreed with my brother.
“If it’s arson, insurance won’t pay.” Mike filed in behind my other brothers. “You know he refinanced that thing less than a year ago to pay for those fertility treatments.”
