My tongue freezes, and I wait for the man to say something. Maybe how he plans to call the cops, and how I’ll be arrested and sent to jail and kicked out of my program with only two weeks left, but he’s silent.
Karli finally gets the window open and wiggles inside.
“Well done,” the man chuckles, then claps twice and walks past me, continuing down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace.
So, no cops? Or is he still going to call them? I don’t trust this place.
“Karli?” My knee bounces as I watch the darkened window. Something crashes, and I grimace. “Hurry!”
“Catch!” she yells a split second before launching a black bag out the window. I sprint forward. The bag thuds into my chest with a clank.Ow.What does she have in here? Cans of beans?
She tosses out a pillow next, but it falls to the ground before I can get to it.
“Does this building have security cameras?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you check?”
My stomach drops. I don’t like that she doesn’t know the answer to this question. That’s usually the first thing thieves research before trespassing.
“Where is it?” Karli asks herself. Unless her mom is inside. Or someone else completely. I barely know Karli at all. She could have a hostage tied up in there or be robbing a poor family of their food storage.
Who is this woman I’ve connected myself to? Is she a secret psycho? I scratch my neck again, the irritated skin there burning with each scrape of my fingernails. What did I get myself into?
“Are you done yet?” I hiss. “I’d like to get out of here before the police show up.”
She pops her upper half out of the window and leans against the ledge like she’s got all the time in the world. “I had no idea you were such a scaredy cat, Bentley.”
I grit my teeth. “Just. Hurry.”
“Chill. I have to call my mom because I can’t find something.” She disappears inside, and I catch snippets of conversation between her and her mom.
“You have it? What…where?” Her voice goes quiet, and a few moments later, she slips through the window. She slips her body out, shuts the window, then treads slowly down the trellis.
The trellis creaks, and I drop the stuff in my arms and move beneath her, prepared to catch her when her crazy plan ends with her almost killing herself.
“I know what you’re trying to do,” she calls over her shoulder.
“Save you from dying?”
She stops and peers down at me. “Actually, I think life is more exciting when you are constantly worried about life and death.”
“You have a very interesting life philosophy.” I muse.
The trellis creaks again and I step closer.
“Back away Bentley, I know you’re looking for an excuse to touch my butt.”
Is it my imagination or did she just shake her butt?
I shove my hands in my pockets and step away from the trellis. “Some men are decent human beings who want to help women without ulterior motives.”
“I’m joking.” She gives me a half smile over her shoulder. “I know you’re one of the good ones.”
Is she being sarcastic right now? Her knees are level with my head, and I turn away. She’s almost made it.
Something snaps and—
“Ahh!”
