The Marshal's Runaway Witness

“Do you remember now?”

How much should she tell him? What should she say? If he was working for her father, was he trying to find out if she could identify her shooter? Or was he simply a US marshal trying to do his job? Either way, she knew she needed to choose her words carefully.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help you...” Her voice trailed off.

“Did you see the person who shot you?” Dylan waited for her answer.

She grimaced and touched the bandage on her forehead again. “I was shot?”

“Are you in pain?” A softer tone laced his words. “Do you want me to summon a nurse?”

“No.”

The hallway door opened. The figure of a large man, his silhouette outlined by the outside hall light, appeared in the doorway, his face in shadows.

A wave of panic stole Angelina’s breath. Dylan wasn’t the only one who had found her.

The killer found me. I’m no longer safe.

“Run!” She threw her body over the railing on the opposite side of the bed and promptly splatted like a pancake on the floor. Even her teeth vibrated with pain.

Dylan hurried around the bed. “Are you crazy? What are you trying to do?” He ran his hands lightly over her limbs, checking for broken bones. “That concussion must have scrambled your brains. Don’t move. Are you hurt?”

She had pulled the IV out of her hand during the fall. Almost in a daze she held it up in front of her face and stared at the blood trickling down her skin.

“Now look at what you’ve done.” Dylan pressed a clean, white handkerchief to the back of her hand to stanch the bleeding. “What were you thinking by pulling a stunt like that?”

The man in the doorway threw on the overhead light and hurried forward. “Is she okay? Should I get a nurse?”

“She’s fine.” Dylan scooped her up in his arms as though she weighed nothing more than a feather and deposited her back in the bed.

Angelina guarded her eyes against the bright fluorescent light that had replaced the soft glow of the night-light above her bed. Shadows no longer hid this second man’s face. US marshal Robert “Bear” Simmons, Dylan’s partner and the other half of the team she’d duped, had entered the room.

“Good to see you again, Ms. Baroni.” Dylan’s partner grinned widely showing a mouthful of even white teeth against coffee-brown skin. “Imagine my surprise to find that you’ve been hiding right under our noses.”

Her eyes shot to Dylan.

For what? Reassurance? Safety? Help?

Dylan flashed that devastatingly handsome smile she had once found so hard to resist, that same smile that could draw her to him again if she wasn’t careful, but it lacked the warmth it used to hold.

She glanced away. She couldn’t afford to be careless again. Her life depended on it.

“I’ll ask you again...” She could feel Dylan’s eyes boring into her as he spoke. “Can you identify your shooter?”

“No. I didn’t see a thing. I was too busy running for my life.”

“Do you have any idea who might want you dead?” He chuckled but there was no humor in his tone. “Let me rephrase that. Do you have any idea which one of the many people your father has hired to kill you may have actually tried to do it?”

She shook her head and the sudden movement flashed pain through her head and made her nauseous.

“My father didn’t put a contract out on me.”

Dylan stared at her, disbelief written all over his face.

“He wouldn’t,” she insisted. “If I’d remained with you and testified against him, then he would have felt he had no choice. I understand that. But when I left witness protection and disappeared, he knew I was no longer a threat.”

“After everything that has happened, do you really believe that?”

“Yes, I do. But don’t you see, you’ve changed all that. If he finds out that I’m in your custody again, he’ll believe I’ve accepted witness protection. Now I will be a danger to him. Now he probably will put out a contract on me. You have to let me go. You have to let me get out of here.”

“That’s not happening.” They locked gazes. “Whether you testify voluntarily or whether the district attorney will have to call you as a hostile witness, we are still getting you to that trial and putting you on the stand.”

Angelina slid farther down her bed. She wished she could pull the blanket over her head and just make the world disappear. She’d been so careful. But in seconds her world had crashed around her and she didn’t have a clue how to make things right.

“I... I’ve already told you that I didn’t see anyone. I was walking with my friend Maria on the beach and then...”

Silence loomed between them.

“Please...” she whispered. “I need to rest. Please leave. I really can’t help you.”

“Leave?” Dylan’s mirthless laugh echoed loudly in the room. “Not a chance. I made the mistake of leaving you alone once before. Remember?” He moved closer so that only she could hear his words. “You lied to me.” His eyes darkened. “You walked into the bathroom, climbed out the window and took off. Made a fool out of me. Damaged my credibility with my boss.” He squared his shoulders and took a step back.

His voice hardened. “Did you really think I would forget? I haven’t forgotten anything.”

Heat burned her cheeks with shame and regret over their last night together, over the way she’d lead him on to think they were going to have their first romantic evening but had deceived him instead and ran away.

A variety of emotions flashed across Dylan’s face. He was as upset by this meeting as she was.

But how could that be? He was acting like the injured party. Is it possible she’d been wrong about her suspicions?

A twinge of conscience made her feel guilty. She hadn’t wanted to hurt anybody, especially not him. But even if she’d misread the note situation, she hadn’t been wrong about him letting the bailiff within arm’s reach of her. She had to keep reminding herself of the facts. US marshal or not, Dylan couldn’t keep his promise. He couldn’t be trusted to keep her safe. She’d had no choice but to run. And, if she wanted to live, soon she would have to find a way to run again.

Dylan appeared to recover quickly, the raw emotions that flitted over his face were gone and his features hardened like carved granite. But when he spoke his words were gentle. “I’m sorry about Maria.”

The tears Angelina had been fighting so hard to hold back flowed freely down her cheeks.

She remembered the shocked, empty look in Maria’s eyes, the weight of her body as she’d lowered her friend to the sand. She couldn’t imagine a day, didn’t want to imagine a day, without Maria in her life.

“Thank you.” Her words came out a whisper.

“Over the years, I’ve struggled with the possibility you might be dead. When you disappeared that night, I thought somehow your father’s organization had kidnapped you. It took me a while to understand that you fled on your own.”

Was that pain she heard in his voice? Could it be?

“I find it hard to believe you hid in plain sight for three years and didn’t run into the deadly end of a bullet before now.” Dylan’s voice softened. “I’m grateful you’re still alive.”

Angelina studied his expression. He seemed sincere. How could she know for sure? She had no faith in her ability to judge a person’s character anymore. If he were going to harm her, wouldn’t he have done it by now? Maybe Dylan had never been on her father’s payroll. Maybe she’d been wrong. Or maybe not. How could she know whether she could trust this man with her life or not?

* * *

If Dylan didn’t know better, he would think Angelina was afraid of him. He chided himself. Didn’t he know by now that she had that sweet, vulnerable act down to a science? He’d fallen for it once. He wouldn’t fall for it again.

He couldn’t believe she’d been able to survive on her own all this time. He’d carried a heavy burden of guilt for not being able to keep her safe every day since she’d disappeared. He’d been certain that one day he’d come across her dead body and he often wondered how he would ever face it if he did.

But she wasn’t dead.

She was alive and, although injured and hurting, he was certain she was warily looking for an escape route. He couldn’t let his guard down for a second.

The panic shining in her eyes reminded him of a helplessly injured and frightened animal. His conscience made him regret that he had to treat her so callously. But the memory of her setup and her betrayal was all it took to keep him on guard.

“Who knows I’m here?” She clasped his hand.

He felt the trembling in her fingers. The panic in her eyes made her appear vulnerable and terrified. She seemed barely able to hold it together and for a moment he felt sorry for her.

But only for a moment. He knew what she was capable of, after all she was her father’s daughter, and he would do well to remember it.

“I have to get out of here, Dylan. I’m not safe.” Her eyes pleaded with him.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. There are only a handful of people who know who you are—or where you are—and they are on a need-to-know basis.”

The flash of doubt on her face surprised him.

He pulled his hand away from hers. “Get some sleep. You need your rest.”

“You don’t understand. If anyone other than you and Bear knows that I am here, then my safety is already in jeopardy.”

Dylan glanced over his shoulder at Bear. “Did you get the protection unit set up outside the room?”

“Yep, 24/7. Detective Donahue loaned us some of his men. No one will be allowed into this room without furnishing proper identification.”

Angelina laughed mirthlessly. “You think a cop sitting outside my door is going to protect me? You think my father isn’t capable of corrupting a nurse or a doctor with stellar credentials to gain access to this room?” She flailed her arms. “How about the janitor mopping the floors and emptying the waste bins? It isn’t a matter of if my father can infiltrate this joke of protection you’re offering me, it’s when.”

She pushed hard against Dylan’s chest. “Move out of my way. I have to get out of here now!”

“Shhh!” Dylan pulled her to him, his arms steel bands holding her against his chest. “You’re safe, Angelina. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Trust me.”

It took her a few minutes to stop struggling and calm down. When she did, she raised her head from his chest. Her eyes challenged him. “Why should I trust you?”

A bittersweet smile twisted his lips. “Because I didn’t betray you. You are the one who betrayed me.”

THREE

Dylan’s words settled over the room like a dark thundercloud. An ominous silence ensued between them.

Bear shook his head and emitted a low whistle. “Things are getting a little too dicey in here for me. You two work this out. I’ll be outside the door making sure everything’s set.”

After Bear stepped outside, Angelina sat on the edge of the bed. She looked into Dylan’s eyes and tried to find answers to her unasked questions. She sighed. She didn’t trust him. She didn’t believe he could keep her safe but she realized, for right now, there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.

“What do you have planned?” She grimaced and again fingered the bandage wrapped across her forehead as a lightning bolt of pain grabbed her. “How long do I have to stay here?”

“Not long. I’ve already put things in motion to have a safe house ready as soon as you’re discharged.”

“And if I don’t want to go to a safe house? If I don’t want to cooperate?”

Dylan didn’t respond. The hard glint in his eyes did the talking for him.

Once there had been warmth and gentleness in Dylan’s demeanor. Though she understood his coldness and distance, it still surprised her and she wished for just a flash of that former warmth.

“Are you certain it was my father who killed Maria and shot me?”

“I doubt whether your father was the actual shooter. He’s too smart to dirty his hands a second time. But did he order the hit? What do you think? You are the only person standing between him and a date with a lethal injection.”

“Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe my father is trying to have me killed.” She shrugged. “He’s my dad. What kind of dad tries to kill his own daughter?” She didn’t know what hurt more, the physical pain of her injuries or the emotional pain of trying to deal with the current situation. “When I left protective custody, I thought Dad would believe I’d changed my mind about testifying and would no longer pose a threat. It’s why I felt safer staying in this area.” Her shoulders sagged beneath the weight of the truth. “I was wrong.” She gazed up at him. “Maybe about a lot of things.”

“Why, Angelina?”

She knew his question wasn’t about her father or her decision to remain in Atlantic City. She saw all of the pain, confusion and anger in his eyes. His question was about them.

Three years ago their relationship had been new and exciting. Their time together in protective custody cemented the friendship they’d shared as kids and laid the foundation for something more meaningful as adults. They spent nights talking in front of the fire about shared interests and goals. Their many walks on the grounds of their hideaway led them to discover a mutual love of nature. Angelina believed there might be a possibility of a future together. Until the note exchange made her lose her faith in him.

Dylan wore his emotions on his face and she knew this reunion wasn’t easy on either one of them. She could see how he struggled. Part of him tried to put on a professional air and act as though the past hadn’t happened.

But the other part of him...

When he looked at her, she saw his pain. Yet the anger in his face was tempered by the gentleness of his touch. She knew he wondered if what they’d shared had been real or merely a ploy. She wondered the same thing of him.

But none of it mattered now. She couldn’t give him answers she didn’t have. It had been another time and place. A moment of stability in a world of chaos. A safe haven.

But real?

The only thing real anymore was that Dylan McKnight was law enforcement and that meant he couldn’t be trusted.

Angelina rubbed her face with her hands. “I need to get out of here. I need to get away...” Her voice trailed off.

“Angelina, you saw your father murder your neighbor, a man you knew very well. I don’t care if he’s your father or not. I can’t believe you’re hesitating about testifying after what you saw him do.”

When she spoke her words were merely a whisper. “You don’t understand.”

“Explain it to me.”

Her eyes challenged him. “I hated what he did. It made me sick. It made me scared. Of course, I wanted him punished. I still do.”

“Then why did you run?”

Wetness welled in her eyes.

“I wanted to live! I didn’t believe you or anyone else could keep me safe. It was stupid...and selfish...and...and...” Agony sliced through her body. “Because I only cared about myself, my best friend, the funniest, most wonderful individual I have ever known, is dead.” Her voice cracked on a sob.

“Maria’s death is not your fault.” Dylan fisted his hands at his sides almost as if he had to fight to stay where he was and not come closer or offer her comfort.

She swiped a hand at the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Isn’t it? If I hadn’t been such a coward, if I’d stayed and testified against my father, Maria would be alive today. How is that not my fault?”

“I’m sorry you lost your friend. But you can’t blame yourself.”

“It tears me up inside to know my father is guilty of murder, that all the things said about him being a crime boss are true. He sheltered me from the truth my entire life. He acted just like everybody else’s dad. He kept that part of his life totally hidden from me. I honestly didn’t know. I didn’t.”

Dylan nodded his understanding but didn’t interrupt.

“Do you have any idea how difficult and painful it is for me to know my father probably has a hit out on me right now. My father! The man I’ve trusted and loved my entire life has hired someone to kill me!”

If I can’t trust my father, who took care of me after my mother died, how can I ever trust any other man? No matter how much I may want to, how can I ever trust you?

She clasped her forehead in her hands almost as if she could hide her thoughts from him.

“I hate what he’s done!” She spat out the words. “So many nights I prayed for God to bring him to justice.” She balled the sheet in her fist. “But God didn’t answer my prayers.”

Bitterness spilled over in her words.

“I grew up believing God is a forgiving God. I don’t want God to forgive this time, Dylan. I want vengeance.”

Dylan’s shocked expression gave her pause. “God insists we forgive others and leave judgment to Him. Pray. He’ll help you through this.”

“God has no place in my life anymore. I stopped believing in Him and the idea of forgiveness years ago.”

“Don’t give up on God, Angelina. He hasn’t given up on you.”

If only she could believe it. She changed the subject.

“When do I have to testify?”

“Monday. Less than a week away.”

A week. She doubted she’d still be alive in a week.

“After you testify, the running will be over. You’ll have your life back. You’ll be free, never having to look over your shoulder or be afraid anymore.”

“You can’t keep me safe!” Raising her voice sent pain shooting through her head. Instantly she stopped talking.

He gently clasped her hand. “I’ll protect you with my life, Angelina. Trust me.”

Trust him? The note. The bailiff. How could she possibly trust him?

“How many lives are going to be lost before this is over, Dylan? Cops? Federal marshals? You? It’s hard enough for me to live with the deaths I already know about. First, our neighbor. Then, Maria. If I survive this mess and others don’t, how do you think I can live with the knowledge that other people lost their lives while trying to protect me?”

“Your father is a powerful man, Angelina. But he isn’t God. I’m putting this in God’s hands. He has brought down the mighty before.”

“I’m going to testify,” she assured him. “It’s what I should have done years ago. If I had done it then when I should have, Maria wouldn’t be dead. I just hope I can testify before anyone else dies.”

“Don’t worry about other people dying. We’re all trained law enforcement officers. We’re good at our jobs. We know how to protect ourselves and we can protect you.” He crossed the room to the door. “I’m going to check with your doctor and see how soon we can move you.”

“The sooner the better, Dylan. Every second I’m in this hospital room I am in danger and so is everyone else.”

“Bear is right outside the door. I’ll be back as soon as I confirm a few things.”

She nodded.

As he turned to go she called his name and he glanced back over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Dylan. I didn’t mean to... I didn’t want to hurt you.” She ended in little more than a whisper. “There were things about that night you don’t know.”

Dylan straightened his spine and held up his palm to stop her almost as if he just couldn’t handle this conversation right now.

“We’ll talk about it later. My job right now is to get you out of here and keep you safe.”

Without another word, he turned and strode out of the room.

* * *

Dr. Thompson looked up from reading the medical file displayed on the computer terminal when Dylan approached.

“Doctor, how soon can we safely move the patient in room 210?”

“I’d like to keep her at least tonight for observation. We removed the bullet in her arm but the one that grazed her skull could be more serious. Another fraction of an inch and we’d be talking a totally different outcome.”

“Doc, if I don’t get her out of here soon, tonight if possible,” Dylan insisted, “I’m afraid her good fortune might run out. Tell me what I need to know to be able to take care of her yet still leave.”

“She probably has a mild concussion. Keep her awake and alert as much as possible. When she does doze off, wake her up often and make her speak to you.

“She might suffer from blurred vision. Probably nausea. And I am certain she’ll have pain.” The doctor stepped over to one of the medication carts. He withdrew a card filled with pills from the cart and signed a chart before turning toward Dylan. “This will help with the nausea.” He handed him the card. “But I am against giving you prescription-strength pain medication if she isn’t here to be monitored.”

“I understand. Isn’t there something milder than narcotics that will at least keep the edge off her pain? I’d like to keep her as comfortable as possible.”

The doctor paused a moment and then handed him a different card. “This should help but please monitor her carefully.”

“I will. So what do you say? Can I get her out of here?”

“Yes. But call me if you run into problems. Better yet, if something goes wrong bring her back to the ER and page me immediately.”

“Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.”

Dylan stepped away from the nurses station. He took out his cell, punched a number and wasn’t surprised when his boss answered on the first ring.

“Well? Has she agreed to testify?” he asked without hesitation.

“Yes. But she’s scared and I can’t say I blame her. She’s been on the run for over three years. Her best friend was killed. She was shot. She doesn’t trust anyone right now. But she’ll be all right by the time the trial begins next week.”

“Good. Everything’s almost set on our end. I’ll text you the address of the safe house as soon as it’s confirmed. Detective Donahue has arranged for some of his men and a few state troopers to escort you. They’ll meet you on the lower level of the hospital by one of the back loading docks.”

“Don’t think that’s a good idea, boss. I don’t need a parade of cop cars drawing unnecessary attention to us. Bear and I can handle it.”

“Like you handled it last time?”

An uncomfortable silence stretched across the airwaves.

“Okay,” his boss relented. “We’ll do it your way. No troopers. No cops. I sent Marshal Selma Washington to go with you. I don’t want Angelina Baroni out of your sight. Having a female agent who can go everywhere Miss Baroni goes will guarantee we won’t lose this witness a second time.”

“I understand, sir.” Dylan gritted his teeth but refrained from rebuttal. He deserved the dressing-down.

“Washington is probably already at the hospital,” his boss continued. “I gave her the assignment hours ago and asked her to meet you in Baroni’s room.”

“Fine. I’m headed back there now.”

“Call in when you get to the safe house.”

“Will do.”

“And, Dylan...”

“Sir?”

“I don’t need to tell you how important it is to get Ms. Baroni to testify. The FBI are down my neck on this one. Along with ATF and even Homeland Security. Vincenzo Baroni has broken every federal law known to man and everybody wants in on the action. This woman has the power to bring down one of the strongest organized crime families we have seen in decades. Keep her alive and don’t let her give you the slip again.”

“Believe me, sir, no one wants that more than me.” Dylan hung up and slid the phone back in his suit pocket. Angelina’s betrayal had done much more than ding his male pride. It had put an indelible black mark on his career and he wasn’t about to let her do it again. He’d bring her in to testify if he had to handcuff her to his left wrist and stay awake 24/7.

A sound, a specific sound not easily mistaken for anything else, drew his attention.

Couldn’t be.

He froze, cocked his head to the side, and listened.

There it was again.

Pop! Pop!

Gunfire!

FOUR