Instead, she shook her head, took out the bullet cartridge and walked into the kitchen, out of Aidan’s line of sight. She stopped in the middle of the room, looking across the sleek counters, scanning the modern white cabinets. Where could she put the gun? She couldn’t keep it with her—just holding it made her hand shake. The trash was out of the question. Somewhere where Aidan would never look. She could get rid of it later... She opened the pantry door, scanned the shelves, and shoved it behind a roll of paper towels. She closed the door quietly, as the alarm continued to squeal. At least the noise blocked out the sound of her movements.
Ellie studied the room again, the cartridge like a live hand grenade in her palm. The silverware drawer? No. Maybe inside one of the mixing bowls? Better. She opened the cabinet door and deposited the heavy black case between two stacks of stainless-steel bowls, then ran back down the hallway.
Michael strained to keep Aidan under control. How much longer would he last? She crossed into the front entryway and tapped in the code to disarm the alarm. The sound died, leaving her ears ringing in the silence.
“You’re going to pay for this,” Aidan hissed into the silence, shifting under Michael’s grip to look at her. She avoided his glare, focusing on Michael.
“What do you need?” she asked him.
He hesitated. “A rope?”
Had she come across one in the frenzy of cleaning she’d done after Sean had died? Nothing that she could remember.
“I don’t think we have anything thicker than kitchen twine.”
“What about duct tape?”
“I’ll find something. Be right back,” she said, and headed for the garage.
“You know you’ll pay for this,” said Aidan as she stepped past him. “I will never forget this. It will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
Ellie was trying to ignore him, trying to ignore the shudder that ran through her body, but she knew he was serious. He’d warned her before: he would never leave her alone.
Worry about that later. One problem at a time.
She opened the door and headed for the tool bench. She opened the toolbox, pulling out wrenches and pliers. No duct tape. Ellie raced across the garage to the stack of moving boxes, scanning the labels for something useful. Clothes, photos...her sewing basket? Opening the box, she moved aside her blue fabric scissors and a handful of spools of thread but stopped at a coil of red grosgrain ribbon. That might work. She grabbed the coil and the scissors and ran back into the house.
Michael grunted under the weight of Aidan’s kicks. Aidan had started a full-on assault of Michael, swearing at him, calling him every terrible thing he could imagine. Michael’s expression was focused as he maneuvered to stay on top of the other man. If Aidan’s words were getting to Michael, he wasn’t letting on.
“Start with his knees,” said Michael. “Tie them together.”
Aidan kicked and swore as Ellie wound the ribbon around his legs, dodging his feet. She pulled his knees together and tied it, cutting off some of the flailing, then cut the coil free.
“I need Elizabeth alive, at least for now, but I don’t need you,” said Aidan through gritted teeth.
What did that mean?
“Good job,” said Michael, ignoring Aidan’s curses. “Now, his ankles.”
That proved harder, she thought as a wet boot grazed her face, just missing her nose. Also, the knot that tied his knees was already loosening. He’d moved around enough that the knot wasn’t as tight as she’d thought. But how long could Michael hold him there? This was the best she could do.
She managed to get his ankles together and pulled the knot as hard as she could, wishing she hadn’t dropped out of 4-H at such a young age. Maybe then her knots would hold better.
“You’re doing great, Ellie,” said Michael as Aidan muttered more threats. “Now drop the ribbon and the scissors next to me.”
She lay them on the stairs.
“You don’t have time to clean off your own snowmobile. We need to take mine,” he said. “The key is in the left pocket of my coat.”
Ellie’s breath caught in the back of her throat. “I told you I wouldn’t leave you.”
Michael winced as Aidan’s elbow hit his side. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Ellie met his stare, his brown eyes steady and serious.
“Trust me,” he whispered.
Those words echoed inside her, trying to take hold. She had trusted Sean, and this was where it’d gotten her. But what was the alternative?
Ellie swallowed a quick breath and nodded. She reached for his pocket and fumbled for the key inside. After one more glance at Aidan and Michael, she turned away and ran down the hallway. The helmets sat on the kitchen counter. She grabbed them both and flew out the back door.
The cold was a jolt to her system as she trampled through the snow, heading down the deck stairs to the snowmobile. The machine was covered in a new layer of powder. Ellie quickly brushed it off and sat down, fit the key into the ignition, and turned it. The snowmobile shuddered once and died.
No. Please no.
She tried again. The motor sputtered and then raced to life. She turned the vehicle to point out, facing the open mountain. And waited. Waited.
Please, God, don’t let Michael come to harm. Not this man.
Ellie tried to settle her mind, to focus on their best escape route, but as she stared at the door, worry clattered around in her brain. What if Aidan came out first? How long did she wait until she went back in to help? The memory that Aidan had loosened rattled around with the rest of her thoughts. What was her fault? Whatever it was, it had shaken her.
The door burst open and Michael ran out, his coat flying wide behind him as he bounded through the powder and scrambled onto the snowmobile.
Ellie’s heart jumped as Aidan flew out of the house after him, coming straight for them.
“Hold on,” she said.
Michael grabbed his helmet, leaned against her, and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m on. Go.”
