She hadn’t prayed since she was a small child and had begged God to save her mother, but now she felt the need for comfort. Seth and his mother appeared to rely on that. Maybe she should try it, too.
She leaned her head against the iron bars and closed her eyes. “God, I haven’t talked to You in a long time, but Seth says You’re always there if we just reach out. Just be with me and help me face whatever is about to happen. And God, be with Seth. Don’t let him blame himself for this. Just help him be happy.”
Callie inched closer to the window, and the glass on the floor crunched beneath her feet. The night air drifted into the room, and she inhaled the sweet smell of honeysuckle from nearby. The aroma spread through her body, and in its wake a feeling of peace like she’d never known filled her. Was this what trusting God felt like?
Before she could question herself further, loud voices rang out from the front of the house. She rushed to the door and pressed her ear against it in an attempt to hear what was being said.
“I won’t do it!” Abby Dalton’s shrill cry pierced the quiet.
“Yes, you will.” The angry tone of Anthony’s voice chilled her.
“You can’t make me! I’m leaving!”
“Oh, no, you’re not. I’m not about to let you mess up a good thing. Now sit back down!”
“No!” The sound of running footsteps echoed through the house.
“Come back here, Abby!”
Callie pressed her ear closer to the door, but she jumped away and covered her mouth with her hand at the sharp crack of a gun followed by Abby’s scream. The silence that followed sent shivers racing through her body, but it was the sound of heavy footsteps outside the door to her room that paralyzed her with fear.
She backed up against the wall and held her breath as the door swung open. Anthony stood there, staring into the room. “Are you ready, Callie?”
The memory of moments ago, asking God to help her face whatever she must, made her straighten her back and push away from the wall. She clenched her fists at her sides and took a step toward the man she’d always considered a close friend.
“Anthony, if you’re going to kill me, I think you owe me the explanation of what this is all about. What are you involved in and why are you doing this?”
He stared at her for a moment before he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He kept the gun trained on her as he moved closer. “I’m only protecting myself, Callie. If you and Dan had just left it all alone, everything would have been all right.”
Callie frowned. “Left what alone?”
“Hope’s identity. I tried to get him to drop the case years ago, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He was determined to find out who she was.”
“B-but I don’t understand. What does she have to do with all this?”
Anthony sighed and shook his head. “Dan and I were young cops trying to make the next step up the ladder, but it wasn’t coming for me fast enough. I needed more money than I was making, and I couldn’t wait any longer for a promotion. So I enlisted a few guys I’d arrested once or twice, guys like Carlos Allen, and we began a little extortion scheme. We offered protection to small-business owners in exchange for payment.”
“Protection from whom?”