Witness Protection

by Holly Copella

  Jackie spun and was about to kick him in the groin as well. Holden instinctively blocked with a loud gasp. Jackie stopped short of his crotch. Both relaxed. Holden exhaled, visibly shaken, and leaned against the dresser.

  “I saw my entire life flash before my eyes,” Holden gasped softly.

  Jackie leaned against the dresser next to him while breathing heavily and gingerly rubbed her sore thigh. “Yeah, well, you’re lucky I’m a lover and not a fighter.”

  Holden cast a look of surprise at her. She held back her laugh to his look. He then indicated Truman writhing in agony on the floor.

  “Kind of young and clumsy for one of the governor’s men,” he announced.

  “That’s because he’s not one of the governor’s men.”

  “I realize that,” Holden remarked. “How did you manage to piss off the front desk clerk?”

  “Why do you always assume it’s my fault?” she demanded then casually indicated Truman on the floor. “He was soliciting sexual favors in exchange for his silence.” She cleverly raised her brows along with a sly grin. “He was annoyingly insistent.”

  Truman slowly pulled himself to his knees in a half-hearted attempt to make it to his feet. Holden casually retrieved his gun, replaced it to his holster, and then eyed Jackie’s bruised cheek with a frown.

  “He do that?”

  “Yeah, he said he liked it rough,” she replied. “I’d say I obliged. The prick wouldn’t believe you were my extremely jealous ex-boyfriend with a history of violence.”

  “Dating you? I’d almost have to have a history of violence,” Holden snorted. “Possibly some mental issues as well.”

  Truman still appeared to be in some pain as he stumbled to his feet. Holden grabbed Truman by his shirt and slammed him against the nearby wall.

  “Is this how you treat women?” Holden demanded while indicating Jackie.

  “I’m sorry, man,” Truman exclaimed nearly down to tears. “I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again!”

  “If it does, I’ll personally shoot you in your favorite body parts,” Holden growled.

  Truman stared into Holden’s eyes and nodded while trembling. Holden tossed him across the room toward Jackie, who didn’t move from her reclined position against the dresser, and the open door. Truman jumped away from Jackie with a frightened look and hurried from the room. She casually shut the door behind him and snickered softly.

  “He’ll be scarred for life, if we’re lucky,” Jackie announced, pleased with herself.

  “So have I earned a little trust?” Holden asked as he approached her.

  She briefly looked at him and felt that odd pang of sexual desire once again. Their altercation that morning was suddenly the only thing on her mind. She avoided looking at him and attempted to cover her emotions.

  “I’m too tired and sore to argue anymore tonight,” Jackie replied and again rubbed her aching thigh. “All I want is a hot bath and some sleep.”

  Holden indicated her discarded duffle bag on the floor near the door. “Is this everything?”

  Jackie reluctantly nodded. Holden picked up her bag and opened the door for her.

  “My room’s a lot cleaner.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Nearly an hour later, Jackie appeared from the bathroom in Holden’s motel room wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top as she dried her hair with a towel. She carried her duffle bag with her and set it on the floor alongside her bed furthest from Holden’s bed. Holden sat casually reclined on the bed closest to the door while juggling a carton of take-out Chinese food and the television remote control. As she took in an eyeful of him, she couldn’t deny how sexy he looked with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. She allowed her eyes to stray to his crotch and immediately shamed herself. Holden flipped through the television channels while frowning then tossed the remote control onto her bed with disgust. Jackie poked through the take-out bag on the dresser and found something that smelled appealing. She was so hungry, anything sounded appealing, even eating in a two-star motel room with Agent Falcone. She collapsed onto her own bed and picked up the remote control.

  “Nothing X-rated,” he warned.

  She glared her disapproval at him. “Please, I’m all talk. If you knew my father, you’d understand,” Jackie announced. “Six-foot-two Navy SEAL, built like a tank, and able to kill a man with his bare hands without breaking a sweat.”

  Holden nearly choked on his food then gently cleared his throat without looking at her. “Judging by your fighting skills, I’m guessing he taught you. Was he an expert in martial arts?”

  “He was a master of everything,” she replied. “Knives, guns, swords, batons--” She sighed deeply. “Numb chucks, throwing stars, crossbow--” She then considered her comment and continued. “Harpoon guns, stun gun--” She eyed Holden with a curious look. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Explosives?”

  “No, they had a slightly crazy, unstable guy for that,” she casually remarked then made a face. “Now there’s a man you wouldn’t want to meet. My father said when Zach died several small countries threw ticker tape parades celebrating his death.”

  “Big funeral, huh?”

  “A small one, actually,” she announced then hesitated and muttered, “considering they only found his big toe.” Jackie eyed him and smiled slyly. “But he went out just as he promised he would--with a bang.”

  “Sounds like someone else I know,” Holden announced while casting a look at her. He partially turned on his bed to face her and appeared serious. “And while we’re on the subject, I’d appreciate it if you aren’t the one who kills me.”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” she said matter-of-fact as she casually ate from her Chinese carton. “I have tremendous respect for law enforcement.”

  “Is that what you were conveying this morning?”

  She glanced at him and grinned. “You didn’t seem to mind being frisked,” she teased. “Or is being aroused while on duty frowned upon?”

  Holden gave her a disapproving glare. “It was completely disrespectful toward a federal agent.”

  Her smile suddenly faded. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she gasped softly with embarrassment then grimaced. “I’m usually perceptive to a person’s sexual orientation.”

  He stared at her with his mouth hanging open and appeared offended. “I’m not gay.”

  “Okay. No need to whip it out and prove it,” she quickly announced, although she enjoyed the colorful image. She then casually shrugged. “Growing up military allowed for a lot of roughhousing with the men in my father’s platoon.” She continued to eat from her carton. “What you consider sexual harassment, I call shore leave.”

  There was an awkward silence. He looked into his food carton and poked around, appearing almost disinterested in the conversation. “Do you keep in touch with them?”

  She cast a strange look at him. She knew his disinterest wasn’t genuine. He was fishing. She hated that he had to turn all federal agent on her--and when they were just starting to get along.

  “No, I haven’t spoken to them since my father died,” she casually replied.

  He cast a glance at her and raised his brows sharply. “Then explain the dozens of lengthy, untraceable calls we found on your phone records over the past few years.”

  His comment surprised her although it shouldn’t have. She should have known he’d be poking around into every detail of her life.

  “What are you insinuating?” she suddenly demanded to know and set her food carton on the nightstand between them.

  “Come on; give me some credit, Jackie. Four men from your father’s old SEAL team suddenly vanish without a trace when their former commander’s daughter is in trouble,” he remarked boldly. “What do you think I’m insinuating?”

  She felt annoyed by the entire conversation and wasn’t about to let him suggest they were up to something. “If they’re organizing to help me, I certainly didn’t ask them to.”

 
; “Then I don’t suppose that phone you’ve been using would have calls to any of those untraceable numbers we’d found, huh?” he casually asked.

  Holden set his carton on the nightstand, stood, and approached her duffle bag on the floor beyond her bed. Jackie pounced on the bag to prevent him from opening it. Holden joined her on the floor and attempted to take it. Within a split second, Jackie removed the gun and aimed it at him. He stared at the gun she held then eyed her without flinching.

  “We both know you aren’t going to shoot me,” he bluntly informed her.

  Jackie stared at him without emotion, but she wasn’t sure how long she could maintain her bluff. She quickly removed the cell phone from the bag, smashed it against the nightstand, and then tossed the gun back into the bag with disgust. She hated that he had been right. She’d never willingly shoot him.

  He hesitated and stared at the smashed phone on the floor. “I guess I should be grateful that wasn’t me.” Holden removed the gun from her bag and examined it. “Cute. Illegal possession of an unregistered firearm. Obstructing justice, pulling a weapon on a federal agent, assaulting a federal agent--” He shook his head. “And that’s just the last two hours.”

  She folded her arms across her chest and muttered, “Everyone has off days.”

  He groaned softly and attempted to plead with her from where he sat on the floor leaning against the bed. “I can protect you, Jackie, but I need you to trust me.”

  She cast a look at him and wondered how badly he wanted her trust. It wasn’t fair that he was so cute yet so underhanded. “You want to protect me?” she demanded while studying him. “Fine, but just us. No one else can know our location.” She sat back on her feet and stared at him without emotion. “We can chill out on a remote beach, sip tropical drinks, and work on our tans until the trial.”

  “I can’t do that. I have superiors to answer to.”

  Her look was serious as she searched his eyes. She wanted to trust him so badly, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to. She couldn’t even rationalize with him, since he clearly had his own agenda. Then again, so did she.

  “No one else has to die, Agent Falcone.”

  “I could lose my job.”

  “You could lose your life!”

  They stared into each other’s eyes for a long, awkward moment in silence. She briefly allowed her thoughts to stray. The two of them alone together for the next two to twelve months almost sounded appealing. She wondered if she’d be able to corrupt the Boy Scout in him. She subconsciously had to keep her eyes from straying to his crotch. It had been a long time since she wanted a man so badly that he was able to cloud her judgment.

  Holden tensed, almost as if he had heard her thoughts. “Supposing I agreed. Where’s safe?”

  Her heart suddenly pounded at the mere suggestion. She was almost surprised he was even considering it. Her sexual desire seemed to take over and left her brain and good senses behind. She already had them rolling around naked on some tropical beach. Another fine image.

  “If you’re opposed to a phony passport, there’s a ranch in Colorado,” she informed him and quickly sat forward with renewed enthusiasm. “My friend can rent a puddle jumper, and I’ll fly us there. We could leave right away.”

  “Not that I’m agreeing to anything, but I should remind you that you destroyed your cell phone and mine can be traced,” Holden informed her. “Using my cell phone to call your contact would lead the Bureau right to us.”

  Jackie removed Othello’s cell phone and grinned deviously. “That was Pam’s phone.”

  “You’re good,” he remarked then stared at her a moment in silence.

  She attempted to read his expression. The way he looked at her sent a shockwave of pleasure through her body, reminding her just how long it had been since she’d been with a man. All she could think about was how badly she had wanted him that morning. Jackie cursed herself for thinking such things and reeled in her sexual desire. She could think about scratching her itch later.

  “I suppose if I want your cooperation, I have little choice,” Holden finally announced. He shifted uncomfortably while staring into her eyes. “Make the call.”

  Jackie studied him a moment, grinned deviously, and pressed a button on the cell phone. There was a moment’s pause as she waited for the person on the other end to answer. She suddenly snapped to attention at the responding voice.

  “Hey, it’s me,” she said cheerfully into the phone. “I hope I didn’t catch you in mixed company.” She grinned slyly, winked at Holden, and awaited a response. “We have a change of plans. I need a puddle jumper. Agent Falcone has agreed to accompany me.” She hesitated then chuckled lowly. “Oh, please, he’s too much of a Boy Scout.” There was a moment of hesitation as she eyed Holden with a raised brow. Her eyes swept quickly over his body. “He says he’s not.”

  Holden rolled his eyes and groaned.

  “Yeah, I love you too.” She disconnected the call and smiled at Holden, pleased with herself. “He’ll have it set up for eight tomorrow morning.”

  He stared at her a moment longer, fidgeted uncomfortably, and looked away with some embarrassment. “We should probably get some sleep,” he announced gently. “We have a long day ahead of us.”

  She nodded in agreement. As Jackie stood, Holden extended his hand to her to help him up. She took his hand and helped pull him to his feet. Holden suddenly twisted her arm behind her back and tackled her to the bed face first. Jackie fought against him, but her attempts were futile. He swiftly handcuffed her right wrist to the wooden bedpost, released her, and avoided the kick for his groin that instantly followed. Jackie flipped onto her back and pulled against the handcuff.

  “You bastard! You tricked me!”

  Holden removed his cell phone, pressed a number, and waited for an answer. He was oddly out of breath despite his limited physical exertion.

  “Yeah, Fields, I’ve got the clone phone. Our boys should be able to pull the number of her contact from it,” Holden announced then hesitated and eyed Jackie while listening to Fields on the other end. “She’s restrained but most certainly pissed. I think her head’s about to spin around. What time will my backup arrive?” He fell silent and listened to the response. “Okay. Eight tomorrow morning. We’ll be here.”

  Holden disconnected the call, replaced his cell phone to his pocket, and glanced at her before heading back to his own bed. She followed him with hostile eyes.

  “All bets are off, Agent Falcone,” she snarled.

  “You’re just pissed because I did it to you before you could do it to me,” he scoffed and flopped onto his bed. “I’m not exactly thrilled about taking on a handful of rogue ex-Navy SEALs.” He gave her a serious look. “I want your father’s team at a safe distance until after the trial.”

  “Now I’m wishing I had kicked you in your lady parts,” Jackie snapped.

  Holden ignored her, reclaimed his carton of take-out, and leaned against the headboard. He ate his dinner and watched an old movie playing on the television. Jackie sneered at him and tugged on her cuffed wrist. It wasn’t going to end well for Agent Falcone, she was positive of that. Unfortunately, he was too dense to see it.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was early the next morning, and the rising sun was peeking into the motel room through the part in the blackout curtains. Holden slept on top of the duvet while remaining fully dressed, possibly in anticipation of problems, whether from the governor’s men or his restless witness. The distinctive sound of a handcuff snapping shut broke the silence. Holden jerked awake and snapped his head to the right. His right wrist was already cuffed to the bedpost. He didn’t even have time to react before Jackie pounced on top of him. She pinned his left wrist to the bed, and firmly held her knee between his legs snug against his crotch. Holden gasped to the pressure between his legs and stared at Jackie as she hovered over him. She glared at him with an evil, twisted smile.

  “Play time is over, Agent Falcone,” she growled. “W
elcome to this girl’s Navy, bitch.”

  “Jackie, don’t make--”

  “Don’t Jackie me,” she hissed with hostility. “I trusted you, and you fucked me over.”

  “Those men--”

  Jackie pressed her knee more firmly against his crotch. He gasped with surprise and moderate discomfort. She no longer wanted to listen to anything he had to say.

  “You made it personal by going after my friend. That was a mistake,” she growled lowly. “I’m going to protect him even if it means hurting you.”

  He stared at her a moment in silence, apparently considering his current situation and his next move. “I think I’d rather have you flirtatious.”

  “Consider yourself lucky I’m not squeezing and twisting,” Jackie snarled.

  “Jackie, I’m sorry,” he quickly remarked with a hint of panic in his voice. “It was necessary.”

  “You’re only sorry because my knee is just short of crushing your boys.”

  “Please, a little mercy here!”

  Jackie frowned and eased the pressure against his crotch. Holden exhaled with relief. Whether she intended to hurt him or not didn’t matter, it only mattered what he thought she’d do. Judging by his reaction, he believed she intended him bodily harm. He underestimated her loyalty to her friend.

  “Be reasonable,” Holden announced while breathing more naturally now. “Several officers are going to be swarming the area in less than two hours and there’ll be even more waiting at the airport surrounding that plane. You have nowhere to go.”

  She rolled her eyes with disbelief to how gullible he had been then studied him from where she remained hovering over him. This time, she wasn’t even thinking about how handsome he was as her face remained close to his.

  “Do you really think he’d arranged that?” She snorted a soft laugh. “Go back to spy school. You should realize that what I told him was merely code for ‘that prick has me, and I didn’t know if I can trust him’.” Jackie raised a cocky brow. “And, incidentally, he thinks you’re probably gay too.”