Witness Protection

by Morgan, Paris

  It wasn’t until dark that the car with Megan arrived at the hotel. While Karen went down to help Julie move her up from the car, I stayed with Sally and made sure that everything was ready for her.

  The door in the room clicked as it opened.

  Megan had pasted on a bright smile, but I could see that she was exhausted.

  “Here let’s get you into bed before you collapse.”

  They’d given her scrubs to wear home since her original clothing had been covered in blood when she’d arrived. While there was more color in her cheeks, she was still going to need some more time to recover.

  “Do you need any water, Mom? More pillows? We have all kinds of things to eat, and Allie set up the DVD player when you want to watch a movie.” Sally’s enthusiasm was contagious.

  “Oh, and we got you some clothes so you can be comfortable.”

  “Darling, I could use a couple of pillows to help prop me up.” Megan grimaced in pain as she held her broken wrist close to her body to keep it from being jostled.

  Sally raced into the other room and returned with her arms full of pillows.

  “Here, I’ll pull off your shoes so you can lean back.” Sally bent down and began to untie Megan’s shoes.

  “Thank you, sweetie.” Megan toed off the shoes. “Now, I need to get a hug, but be gentle.”

  “Okay, Mom.” She stood and kissed Megan’s cheek, I’m going to go watch some cartoons in Karen’s room.”

  Sally was almost into the door when Megan’s found her voice again.

  “I love you, munchkin. We’ll have some fun once I get rested up, I promise.”

  Ignoring the tears on Megan’s face, I walked over to help her put her arm on the stack of pillows.

  Visibly wilting, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

  A snore filled the room only moments later and I glanced at Julie and Karen motioning them into the next room.

  “Do you think she’ll be all right?” I whispered so Sally couldn’t hear us.

  “We can only hope so.” Julie closed the door leaving it open just a crack so that we could keep an eye on her.

  The ringing of a phone in the room where Megan was sleep had all three of us jumping to our feet.

  Megan sat up and looked around for the bag that had been carried in with her.

  “I think it’s in my bag.” She pointed to the floor where it had been dropped as Sally tried to help her get comfortable.

  Julie, who had stayed for the night shift, grabbed it and placed it where Megan could dig through the bag herself.

  I wanted to help her but realized that she needed to start regaining her independence. Even if it was little things like finding a ringing phone.

  We all stood there as she found it.

  “Hello? Sorry, it took so long to answer, I was asleep.” She motioned to us that she was fine.

  I shrugged, but mouthed the word, “Mark?”

  Her nod and smile answered my question.

  “No, it’s okay. I’d been asleep for a while. I crashed before I could let you know we’d arrived safely.”

  Moving back to the other room where Sally was still watching a game show, I held back the giggle that wanted to escape.

  “Yep, nothing going on there. Not a single blessed thing.” Julie shook her head as she shut the door again to give Megan some privacy.

  Voices continued for a bit, but when she was finished, Megan called out for us.

  “I’m off the phone.”

  I stuck my head in the room.

  “So he was just calling to check on you, huh?”

  Megan blushed, “Yes. He thought I needed a new phone in case we needed to call him or the police for anything. It wouldn’t be as easy to trace as the hotel’s phone number would be.”

  “I’m very interested in the kind of help he thought we would be needing.” Julie crossed her arms playfully as if she was hurt by the implication.

  “He was just making sure we got here okay and were settling in. I assured him. I was only tired.” Her cheeks were still flushed.

  Sally poked her head in, and all mention of the hot lawyer ceased until she was distracted.

  “I think we need to ask Mr. Greenly what his intentions towards Megan are. Don’t you?” Julie grinned at the thought.

  “He’s been there several times to make sure she wasn’t alone. It’s not like I wasn’t right there if she needed something.”

  “Hmm,” I glanced toward the bed where Sally was trying to help her with something. “I would have thought she’d be more skittish around another guy. Do you think he’s okay?”

  Realizing how that sounded, I hurried to explain. “I mean I would hate for her to get taken advantage of in a new situation before she’s had a chance to recover from the old one yet.”

  “He’s from a well-known family in the community. They’re church-going folks, and everyone loves them. I don’t think there are any issues as long as he gives her enough space to work through her emotions. It might be okay.” Julie looked over at the small family unit.

  “She’s got a long road ahead of her and I don’t think Mike’s done yet. His stalking of her could get worse and she’s still in shock from his last attempt on her life. He’s over-confident. It’s one of the reasons why he was never promoted, even though he had enough seniority.”

  “Mark will have to be very patient and let her find her footing before she’ll accept any type of relationship. He may stay in the friendzone for longer than he’d like.”

  I would have to keep an eye on the relationship and make sure that my friend didn’t get hurt a second time.

  “She’s very naïve and won’t see what he’s offering her. It should be fun to see how this progresses.” I snickered at the thought of Megan’s reaction when she realized that Mark wanted more than just a friendship.

  “He seems to be doing okay so far, but I’m not really a good judge of men either.” I let out a wistful sigh. “There haven’t been any guys in my life that even brought a spark of romance out in me.”

  “Maybe we don’t need to dream about finding the fairytale. I’m not sure it exists. There are a few nice guys out there, but they change when they get you alone.” Julie’s outlook was cynical, but with her job, I could understand where she was coming from.

  “It’s one reason I haven’t really tried to look very hard for a guy. I’ve never had a good role model in foster care. My foster parents weren’t horrible, but they weren’t going to win any family of the year awards either. I just learned to stay out their way, so I wasn’t sent to a new home each year.” It wasn’t something I’d shared with many people, but Julie felt safe. If I was going to settle down in this area, I was going to have to open up and make new friends.

  “Well, I hope this guy doesn’t hurt her. Really, I can’t imagine anything worse than what Mike has already put her through though. Anyone would have to be better than him. Right?”

  Sally interrupted my response. “Can we eat? I’m hungry.”

  “Sure, kiddo. I think we’re just having sandwiches for dinner.” I walked over to the small fridge and pulled out the jelly.

  “Wanna help me make them for you and your mom?”

  “Yes,” Sally grabbed the bread, smooshing it in the process.

  Julie noticed my cringe.

  “Why don’t I make us some grilled cheese instead? We can have pb and j’s later if we need a snack okay?” She crossed her fingers, hoping that Sally would agree.

  “I guess we could do that for tonight.” Sally agreed with a tilt of her head. “I do love grilled cheese.”

  “Perfect. Why don’t you check with your mom and see what movie she wants to watch?” I wanted to distract Sally from helping get the food set up so Julie could work in peace.

  Megan settled on an older movie—You’ve Got Mail—since it was something Sally might enjoy as well and wasn’t animated.

  Sally and Megan were both snoring by the time the credits rolled across the screen.
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br />   I managed to tuck a blanket around them and clear off the empty plates while Julie did a check to make sure we were still secure.

  “Do you mind if I take a bath and soak for a while since it’s quiet?”

  “Hey, it’s hard to have quiet time with that one around.” She agreed with a laugh, “Go ahead. I’m going to change a watch the news for a while.”

  Feeling as if I’d escaped to another planet, I placed my clothes on the counter and started the filling with hot water.

  “I hope they let me work on Friday night. If not, I’m going to go crazy with three other women cooped up in this small space, even if one is only half-sized.” A smile flitted across my face as I let the warm water soak into my tired sore muscles. “Sally’s size hasn’t stopped her from having full-sized emotions though. House arrest even sounds lovely if it means I’d have a day all to myself again.”

  “I’ve been keeping people at arm’s length long enough. I need to make some friends and stay involved more.”

  My work at the bar had always made me think I was socializing and mingling with people, but in a way, it was just a front to keep people from getting close.

  “Lighten up, Foster.” I admonished myself, “It’s not like you have a cat or even worse a collection of them to fit in with my hermit lifestyle. I might need to change a few things going forward though.”

  I must have been lost in thought longer than I’d planned because Julie knocked on the door.

  “Allie, were you planning to stay in there all night? I was hoping to grab a shower before bed and it’s almost midnight.”

  “Sure,” I called quietly pulling the plug on my lukewarm water. “I’ll be right out.”

  Hurrying to dry off and put on my sleep clothes, I was still toweling my hair as I opened the door.

  “Sorry, it was so peaceful, I got carried away by Calgon.” It was hard to say it with a straight face.

  Julie burst out laughing before covering her mouth to keep the sound down.

  “I remember those old commercials, ‘Calgon, take me away,’ and then the lady would put her hand on her head and sigh.”

  “Exactly. I never understood what she had to stress about until recently.” I giggled with her at the thought of a bath taking away all of our problems.

  While I might not have wanted to make friends in this manner, these ladies were going to become something special in our forced time together. A bond of sisterhood that had been tried in fire and come out stronger.

  Feeling refreshed by more than just a soak in the tub, I peeked in on Sally and Megan before getting into my own bed in the other room.

  It was a peaceful sleep until Sally bounced on my bed the next morning making me wonder where all of the quiet had run off to for the day.

  It felt as if Megan was asleep forever the next morning and trying to keep Sally quietly occupied became harder with each passing minute.

  That proved even more difficult as the days passed, and Officer Karen arrived to switch out with Julie.

  Having a constant slumber party sounded fun in theory, but after two days of constant movies, painting each other’s nails, and working puzzles, I was relieved to see another adult's face.

  Nothing of significance had happened other than Megan’s first shower which left her looking more refreshed and feeling better.

  Work was calling and even the thought of going back to my apartment after the scare with the animals didn’t frighten me nearly as much as the thought of spending another day cooped up in this room. I couldn’t imagine how Megan was feeling at the thought.

  All of my stuff had been gathered up and was ready to go when Karen walked through the door.

  “Take care of your mom, kiddo. Don’t let her get too tired watching tv.” I placed a quick kiss on Sally’s forehead and headed for the door.

  “Glad to see you too.” Karen snickered, “Ready to get out of here, huh?”

  I blew her a kiss as the door closed behind us. It was hard not to lean against the door in relief at being away from the small room.

  Julie laughed at my dramatic antics.

  “We have a few things to go over to make sure that you get to and from work safely, but at this point, I’m ready to face all sorts of danger to keep from being in that room any longer.” I slid into the front seat of the car happy to be going anywhere.

  “Do you think Mike will follow me from my apartment?” I was still a little apprehensive after the last scare tactic he’d left me.

  “The police chief and sheriff are hoping that if you follow your normal schedule, he’ll see that Sally isn’t with you anymore and do something that will alert us to his whereabouts as he tries to find them.” Julie headed toward my apartment. “I’ll be around tonight in case he tries anything. I almost hope he does so that we can finish this up and put his ass in jail where he belongs.”

  When she pulled up at the door, she leaned out through the open window with a last warning.

  “If you see or hear anything, call me immediately.”

  “I promise I’ll stay inside until you come back to follow me to work.” I crossed my heart.

  Julie laughed as she waved goodbye.

  Unlocking the door, I slid inside and patiently reset the alarm before letting out a whoop of joy.

  With a little dance, I settled down and let the quiet of my apartment sink in.

  “This is the life.”

  It only lasted a short while because I had a few things to catch up on before going to work again at the bar.

  Lunch and a nap left me feeling refreshed and ready for whatever the evening might bring.

  The hours before I left rushed by and it was Julie’s call that caught me off guard.

  “I’m out here and ready whenever you are.”

  “All right, I’ve got to take the trash out on my way, but I’ll be right there.”

  The last of my stuff, along with a change of clothes went into my backpack. With my keys clutched in one hand and the trash in the other, I locked the door and looked around to make sure it was safe.

  Just to be sure there weren’t any bombs under my car, I leaned down to scan underneath.

  “Not that I’d know if there was one if I saw it.” I bemoaned.

  It was going to be slightly different working tonight because I would be watching for Mike while trying to do my job. I felt bad that Julie was going to be across the street instead of enjoying the atmosphere inside.

  Most would have considered my job to be a hostile environment, it was something I’d enjoyed. The people had welcomed me, and I’d gotten to know the locals who came in regularly.

  “Allie, it’s good to see you again.” My boss, Trevor greeted me with a hug.

  Unused to this much attention, I was happy when it started to pick up. Friday nights were busy and with one of the waitresses out sick, I was going to have to do double duty if it got very super busy.

  Around ten o’clock, I noticed a group come in and gather next to the pool tables. I had a moment to grab a tray and head in their direction.

  I was in such a hurry to get their order and get back that I didn’t notice the person in front of me until I ran into his chest.

  Chapter 10

  Justin

  I had been distracted by Stephanie, who had attached herself to my side as soon as we’d arrived with our group of friends.

  Needing a breath of air, I was about to head for the door when a gorgeous brunette bumped into me.

  “Sorry, miss.” I apologized reaching out to steady her.

  She jerked back as if I’d electrocuted her. She glanced back to the bar as if she was going to need the bouncer to take care of me.

  “Thank you,” She mumbled stiffly pulling the tray close to her chest.

  “Anytime.” I moved aside and she continued toward my friends.

  Reversing course, I took a seat on one of the extra stools in the corner and watched her efficiently handle all my friends. It was as if she didn’t even notice t
hey were trying to flirt with her.

  Stephanie arrived next to me and ran a hand up and down my arm in a seductive manner.

  “When are you going to quit sitting over here in the corner and come play with us.” She batted her eyes as if that would entice me when all of her other tactics hadn’t gotten results.

  “I’m fine here, thanks.” When I didn’t move, she stood next to me pouting.

  Frustration at her not understanding, I stood.

  “Look, let’s go outside for just a minute so we can be heard over the music.” I didn’t want to say what was needed in front of everyone.

  “Sure,” She latched onto my arm with a giggle as if I’d just asked her to the prom. “I’d love to.”

  Women were always trying to set themselves up with me as if I was the catch they’d all been waiting for. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to find someone, but none of the prospects had set my heart to racing or intrigued me.

  I stopped just outside the doors causing her to run into me.

  She let go of my arm when she got a look at my face.

  Frowning, I had to figure out a way to let her down without being a jerk.

  “Ugh, don’t tell me. I’m not good enough for you.” She started for me with a hand on her hip in disgust.

  “Seriously, I work out daily. There’s not an ounce of fat on this body.” She ran a hand down her figure to emphasize the facts. “I volunteer and help with the church socials. What else could a guy like you possibly want in a woman?”

  When I didn’t respond, she started to tap her foot in anger.

  “Well, since you asked me,” I figured the truth was the best avenue at this point and maybe she’d tell her friends, so they’d back off as well. “I’m looking for someone who doesn’t do good deeds for show or the social status. I want someone that doesn’t have to take down their good deed trophy each week to dust.”

  Her expectations were so high, and I’d never given her the slightest encouragement. She just had attached herself and told people that we were dating.