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There was no way. The car that I could only assume belonged to the owner of the house was approaching. As it was, I was going to be seen. I didn’t want Archie or Garrett getting caught, too.
“No. No, they’ll see you. Just go. I’ll catch up with you somehow.”
“We’re not leaving you,” Archie declared.
“Go!” I ordered, noting that the car had come to a stop, and the headlights were pointing right at me. Twisting my body in the opposite direction, I whispered, “I’m going to be fine, but you have to go. I’m turning this off and tossing it, so this guy doesn’t know you were involved. I promise I’m going to be alright.”
“Hanna—”
That was all Garrett got out before I turned off the walkie-talkie and tossed it as hard as I could in the opposite direction. I prayed the owner didn’t see me do it and that my friends had listened to me.
Even though I’d heard the car door open and close, and I knew that the owner was walking toward me, I still struggled to free my foot. It hurt immensely, and I was certain I’d at least sprained it, but if I could get myself free, I’d ignore the pain and run as fast and as hard as I could to get away.
The footsteps grew closer. I started to panic more than I already was, and tears immediately began rolling down my cheeks. This was going to be it for me. I was going to be locked up behind bars for a long time.
The next thing I knew, I felt a hand curl tenderly around my leg, just above my ankle, and after some gentle movement, my foot had been released.
If I’d been thinking clearly, I would have scrambled to my feet and took off running. But the unexpected help I’d been given had thrown me off-balance. I lifted my gaze from my foot to the side of my body, where I found an older man with the kindest eyes I’d ever seen looking back at me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I blinked in surprise. “What?”
“You’re crying, and your foot was stuck,” he said, telling me things I already knew. “Are you okay?”
Shaking my head, I confessed, “No.”
I didn’t know why I sat there. I should have gotten up. I should have tried to get out of there, but something kept me planted to the spot.
Or, something had kept me planted to the spot until the man extended his hand to me and said, “I’m Saul.”
My brows knit together. “Hanna.”
Saul stood up, reached down, and helped me to my feet. “Why don’t we go inside and get you some ice?”
At the mention of entering his home, a home that I knew Garrett had just taken things from, I came to my senses. “Oh, no. I’m sorry. I can’t. I need to—”
“Relax, Hanna,” he urged, placing his hand on my shoulder. “You’re not in any trouble.”
Maybe he didn’t know what had happened yet. Maybe he didn’t realize that someone had broken into his home and that I was part of the group of people responsible for it.
I swallowed hard. “I shouldn’t. I…” I trailed off, wondering if perhaps it might be best to be honest.
“Come inside. We can talk in there after we get some ice on your foot,” he urged. “Plus, I’ve got my kids in the car, and they’re looking forward to having the birthday cake we just brought home for my daughter’s birthday. We’ve got plenty to share.”
My eyes were going to fall out of my head. Shock and awe moved through me. I couldn’t do this. “Sir, I can’t. I actually came here because—”
“Hanna?” he said, cutting me off.
“Yeah?”
“I understand. It’s okay. Come inside.”
This man wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and considering he wasn’t screaming and yelling at me for trespassing on his property, I figured there wouldn’t be any harm in going inside. Maybe, if he was being honest, I could get some ice for my foot, apologize for what had happened, and promise to get everything Garrett took brought back to him as long as he wouldn’t call the authorities.
Yes.
That was what I was going to do.
