Code of Silence by Heather Woodhaven Page B

but didn’t want to rub in the fact that David was so resourceful, while Luke sat stuck in a safe room with no ideas. “They were saved by the authorities, eventually.” He leveled a heavy gaze on her.
    She rolled her eyes. “If my aunt Freddie’s life wasn’t in danger this wouldn’t be an argument. I’d gladly risk my own reputation, but I’m not risking her life.”
    â€œWhat do you mean your reputation?”
    She picked up the diary and flipped through the pages with an angry carelessness. “Apparently the Mirabella family sent in a so-called anonymous donation that can be easily traced back to them. They thought they needed an added threat to discredit my nonprofit to keep them in line.” She held up a finger. “See? That just proves they have the wrong family. If they knew my mother at all, they’d have known that she wouldn’t have given a threat like that the time of day and neither would I.”
    She shivered. A chill ran up Luke’s spine as well. “It’s getting cold in here,” she whispered.
    Luke strained his ears. The drilling had stopped a moment ago. “He’s trying to freeze us out.” He grabbed the red velour throw out of the storage container and draped it across her shoulders. She looked up and smiled. Her eyes and whole face lit the room when she smiled, and he was struck with a desire to kiss her. The mere thought jolted him upright.
    He reached for the vent on the ground next to the dresser and slid the lever so it would close. Air still hissed through the closed slats. “And if we weren’t in a closet full of blankets and dry clothes Rodrigo might’ve succeeded.” He frowned. “You know what I don’t get? What if there was a fire? Wouldn’t your mom have wanted another exit?”
    She pointed upward. Nothing remained on the shelving unit above Gabriella’s head except a bright red fire extinguisher. “And there’s a fire safety ladder underneath my bed,” she said. “Besides, I don’t think fire could get through these walls.”
    â€œIt’s not flames I’m worried about, it’s the smoke.” He rose on his tiptoes to see above the shelf. “I thought I saw a vent up there. Did your mom opt for the separate ventilation system?”
    She threw up her hands. “I wish I knew. Your guess is as good as mine.”
    Luke tried to imagine how he’d feel in her position. The grief alone would probably be his undoing. He couldn’t fathom wrestling with an alternate identity. Putting himself in her shoes only increased the frustration instead of prompting ideas to help.
    Trapped. Caged. The words floated through his mind. He closed his eyes to calm and pictured an open field and exhaled slowly until his heart slowed slightly. Staying busy seemed the best option for the moment. “If you don’t know, let’s find out. If Rodrigo’s smart enough to try to freeze us out, he might be smart enough to try to gas us out through the air ducts.”
    Her eyes widened. “With what?”
    â€œI don’t know.” He should’ve kept his big mouth closed. He wondered what kind of chemicals might be on the property and whether the furnace operated off natural gas or electricity, but Gabriella didn’t need another thing to worry about. “I’m sure we’re fine. The developer in me just wants to know how she set up the room. It may give me an idea on how to get out.”
    He grabbed the bottom dresser drawer and flipped it over, dumping out the contents. “I just need a little boost.” He stepped on it but his fingers only grazed the wall past the shelf. He stepped down to find Gabriella had already flipped over another drawer to stack.
    â€œIt won’t be steady,” she said. “I’ll try to spot you.”
    He laughed. “I don’t recommend that. If I fell on you, you’d snap