Pieces of the Past (Witness Security Book 1)

by Jamie Hill

  She laughed. “You had me flustered. I thought you were hot, but I was too worried about our situation to let myself dwell on it.”

  The ‘hot’ comment made him blush. He felt an ironic warmth flood his face and other body parts. “As nice as that sounds, unfortunately your ‘situation’ hasn’t improved all that much. Your family is still in danger, and I’m still charged with protecting you.”

  Placing one hand on his knee, she leaned in. “My head understands that. My heart tells me there’s no place safer than your arms.”

  He was a heartbeat away from crossing the line he’d so far avoided. “Christi…”

  She placed a finger against his lips. “Shh. For just a few minutes, let’s forget about Witsec and their rules. It’s been an emotional day from the lowest lows to the highest highs. And somewhere in between I realized that it’s really over with Larry. I mean, I knew it was over. But I hadn’t seen him. Once I did, I knew for certain. I’m ready to move on.”

  He captured her fingers. “I’m glad, but there’s still so much unfinished business. And it’s too soon.”

  She climbed on his lap sideways and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know it’s soon, but I’m not proposing marriage. I’m just looking for a little warmth and comfort.”

  Doug couldn’t begin to fight the emotions welling inside him as her body worked its magic on his. He slid both hands around her back and drew her close. He tried to gaze into her eyes but the intensity he found there was too much. Instead, he focused on her lips, full, moist and pink. The sight didn’t kill his desire, only increased it. When their mouths finally came together, it was if they’d been made for each other.

  Neither of them tentative, they kissed as if they’d done it a million times before. Her mouth opened naturally and his tongue slipped inside, welcomed by hers. Doug groaned and she responded in kind, moaning as she ground her ass into his crotch.

  He smoothed his hands over her back and then her front, cupping her breasts with tender squeezes.

  At one point she pulled away and gasped for breath before diving right back into the kiss. Her hair fell down around their faces and he inhaled her intoxicating scent like a drug.

  Doug thought he’d died and gone to heaven. At that moment he decided if Witsec didn’t like his crossing this particular line, then he didn’t like Witsec anymore. As for Christine, whether it was too soon or not, he had no doubts. He loved her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Gold Coast Historic District

  Chicago, Illinois

  “Zip me up, would you Pookie?” Roxy Russo turned her back to her husband so he could work the zipper on her slinky black dress.

  Sal admired her bare back and slid a hand around to squeeze one of her breasts. “I’d rather zip you down, sugar tits.”

  She slapped his hand. “You promised me a night out! It’s been one thing after another all week. We’re going out to a nice dinner and some dancing. Then I’ll let you lower the zipper.”

  He leaned down and kissed her neck. “In the back seat of the limo?”

  A sultry chuckle. “If that’s what you like.”

  “Aw, baby, you know what I like.” His kisses covered her nape, but he raised the zipper at the same time. Roxy always got her way. When she was happy, everybody was happy.

  Moyers rapped on their bedroom door. “Someone to see you, sir.”

  “Busy!” Russo snapped, irritated. His right hand man knew better than to interrupt him when he was with his wife.

  Another voice chimed in. “Chicago PD, Russo. Open the door slowly and show your hands.”

  “Police?” Roxy panicked. “What do they want?”

  “Assholes.” Russo moved to the door and nudge it open, his hands in the air.

  Three uniformed officers with weapons aimed at them entered the bedroom. A man in plainclothes followed. “Salvatore Russo, we’ve got a warrant for your arrest.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Russo snarled.

  “You’re wanted for the murder of Roberto Blevins. We’ve also got a warrant to search the premises, Ma’am.” He held the paper out to Roxy.

  She took it, her eyes wide. “What should I do, Sally?”

  He smirked. “Call my lawyer. He’ll have me out in time for us to make our dinner reservations.”

  The plainclothes detective snapped handcuffs on one wrist and man-handled him around to attach the other side. “Not tonight, Sally. Haven’t you heard? Larry Stewart got busted with a loaded cell phone in the joint. Your number was on his ‘most frequently called’ list. He also made and received regular calls from Blevins.”

  Russo blinked. Berto communicated with Stewart in prison? His gaze sought out Moyers, who wouldn’t look him in the eye. Fuck.

  The detective shoved him toward the door. “Now that Stewart has been revealed as the mastermind instead of the dummy, the tables have turned.”

  “He’s a smart man. I’m not saying he knows anything, of course. But if he does, he won’t say a word.”

  “Yeah,” the man chuckled. “Not so with Martin Newsome. He’s singing like a pretty little canary. You’re fucked, Russo. Discovering Blevins’ body was just the tip of the iceberg.”

  Russo’s heart thudded loudly and sweat rolled down his temples. He glanced at Roxy as they herded him out. “Call my lawyer.”

  * * * *

  Chicago, Illinois

  Christine opened her eyes. Light filtered in through the bedroom blinds but she couldn’t see a clock to know what time it was. Peyton snored softly on her left and Ethan had somehow managed to flop halfway across her right side. Her arm was numb and the kid was drooling, but she couldn’t have cared less. He’s home.

  She glanced around the stark white room. Not exactly home, but it didn’t matter. The past few days had taught her that wherever she and her family could be together was home enough for her.

  Last night had reinforced in her mind that the family she referred to definitely included Doug. They hadn’t done more than kissing and a little touchy-feely, but she didn’t care. She understood his reticence. They weren’t safe yet. He couldn’t let his guard down. But as long as he was on alert, she relaxed knowing she didn’t need to be. Doug would take care of them.

  Is that why I’m attracted to him? She stared at the ceiling and examined her emotions.

  Of course not. She’d managed for a year without the help of a man. She could continue to get along just fine if she chose too. But now that Doug was in the picture, she realized she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted to be with him.

  It’s too soon. He’d said the words himself. If they were dating under normal circumstances, would things have progressed so quickly?

  She smiled.

  Hell yes. She probably wouldn’t have waited a week to sleep with him. The thing she might have done differently was not introduce him to the kids until she was certain he’d be around. That wouldn’t have been fair to them. But it was out of her control in this situation.

  Too many things were out of her control. If the best she could do right now was to grab Doug and steal a few kisses, than that’s what she intended to do. Every chance she got.

  The need to pee forced her to climb across Ethan’s torso and slip from the room. After using the bathroom she headed into the kitchen where she heard talking.

  Her parents were eating breakfast with Doug and Ben.

  “Good morning,” she said to no one in particular, but her gaze fell on Doug.

  He popped a piece of bacon in his mouth. “Hey.”

  Giving her the once over, her mother frowned. “Did you sleep in your clothes? Honestly, Christine, even though we’re in less than ideal circumstances, you should really make an attempt to spiff yourself up.”

  Eyes widening, she glanced at Doug.

  He grinned and handed her a cup of coffee. “You’ll probably need this.”

  There was one piece of bacon left on his plate and she snatched it. “I need this more. Then I’ll
take the coffee.”

  Ben stood. “Let me fix you something. How do you like your eggs?”

  “Whatever’s easiest, thanks.” Turning to her mother, she added, “Gee, I’m sorry Mom. I didn’t exactly have time to pack my pearls. But after I eat I’ll see if I can make myself more presentable.”

  Doug spoke softly into his cup. “Look good to me.”

  She leaned against him and sipped her drink gratefully. “Peyton snores like a freight train. And Ethan, my lord! That child needs a king sized bed all to himself. He shifts, constantly.”

  He grinned. “Takes his half out of the middle?”

  “Absolutely. And we were all so exhausted, we slept right through it. Best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages.” She batted her lashes, hoping he got the inference that part of it was because of him.

  “Yeah, I slept pretty good myself. Ben and Rivers took shifts and didn’t wake me, which was nice.”

  “Don’t get used to it,” Ben teased, setting a plate in front of Christine. “You get special treatment for one night, but that’s it. Tonight, you can take a shift with the rest of us.”

  “It’s a deal.” Doug raised his cup in salute.

  “Thank you,” she acknowledged the delicious-smelling food and dug in. “So what’s on the schedule for today?”

  Doug touched his chin and gazed at the ceiling. “Let’s see. I thought we’d take a sight-seeing tour of the city, check out the Shedd Aquarium and the boardwalk at the Navy Pier. Then maybe later we can catch a game at Wrigley Field.”

  All eyes stared at him.

  He shrugged. “Or, we can stay in and watch TV, maybe play some cards. That sounds fun, too.”

  Everyone groaned. Christine swatted his shoulder. “Don’t let Ethan hear you talk like that. He’ll believe you, and you’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “At least he said Wrigley Field.” Stan smiled. “Marshal Rivers mentioned being a White Sox fan and I thought Ethan might let him have it.”

  Ben added, “Yeah, I had to hold the kid back on that one. He’s a strong little dude!”

  “Blasphemy!” Christine polished off her breakfast. “We tried to turn him on to the Royals, but I suspect he’ll always be a Cubbies fan at heart.”

  Doug smiled. “We’ll see.”

  She glanced at him. He had one ornery grin. Jordan called it ‘goofy’. She called it sexy as hell. “I was actually referring to the schedule of events regarding your briefing. Have you heard from anyone?”

  “I’m going to call in after eight.” He glanced at his watch. “Which would be now. Excuse me.” He stood and went to the other room.

  She rose to follow. “Thanks for breakfast, Ben.” To her parents she said, “I’m going to make myself more presentable now. See you soon.”

  They simply smiled.

  She took one step into the other room and was snatched from behind. A hand covered her mouth and another circled her waist.

  “Don’t scream, lady.”

  Heart beating wildly, she nodded.

  “Come quietly?”

  She nodded again.

  He walked her into the bathroom and closed the door behind them.

  When Doug released her, she whirled around and grinned. “That was a lie, you know. I don’t always come quietly.”

  His eyes flashed and they laughed before they kissed. She pressed her tongue forward and he opened his mouth to accommodate it. Groaning, she tried to capture every taste and smell as a memory she could recall later.

  Cupping her ass, he raised her up to sit on the edge of the vanity. She spread her legs and he pressed between them, both of them kissing and fondling everywhere they could reach.

  When he drew back to breathe he murmured, “We can’t keep doing this.”

  “Are you crazy? This is all we can do. I’ve made it my mission today to kiss you at every possible opportunity. You just beat me to it, is all.”

  “Someone’s going to see us.”

  Panting to catch her breath, she nodded. “We need to be careful with the children. Everyone else will understand.”

  He nibbled her earlobe. “I’m not sure I understand. I’ve never felt this way Christi. My head tells me no, but my heart—and every other part of my god-damned body—says ‘full steam ahead’.”

  She chuckled. “Me too. It’ll all be okay soon, I know it will. We just have to hang on for now.”

  “If I hang on any tighter I’ll leave marks.”

  Christine pulled back to look into his eyes. “I’m not complaining.”

  He grinned. “My kind of woman.” His next kiss was tender and sweet, before he released her and slipped from the room.

  She undressed quickly and turned the shower to cold.

  When she returned to the kitchen both kids were eating breakfast and Rivers had joined them. He nodded to her. “Morning Ms. Scott.”

  She kissed her children’s heads and poured herself another cup of coffee. “Morning Marshal Rivers. Since I can’t be quite sure if I’m supposed to be using Scott or Stewart, why don’t you call me Christine? And do you have another name? Since we’re stuck in close quarters, after all.”

  He smiled over his coffee. “Joe, Ma’am.”

  “Good morning, Joe.”

  They chatted until Doug returned. “The district attorney and Special Agent Gilford will be here at eleven for the briefing. They recommend we all sit in on it.”

  “Me too?” Ethan piped up.

  “Not you, squirt.” Peyton forked another bite of eggs.

  “Actually…” Doug looked at Christine. “They agreed Ethan could attend. I promised him the whole story. What better way to get it?”

  “I’m not sure about that,” Joe commented.

  “I agree with Joe,” she said, turning to Doug.

  He raised his brows. “Joe?”

  The third marshal smiled and shrugged. “She insisted, and she’s hard to resist.”

  Doug refilled his coffee cup. “Tell me.”

  Christine rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Marshal Jackson. I’m not sure Ethan needs to hear everything they have to tell us.”

  He gazed at her evenly. “I disagree. The kids have pie-in-the-sky memories of their father which is sweet as hell, but not quite accurate. He’s done some things that were less than stellar. They have the right to know the truth.”

  She bristled. “I’m their parent. I have the right to say what they learn or don’t learn.”

  Peyton stood. “Mom, stop. I’m seventeen. You can’t protect me from everything. And even though E is only ten, he’s had to grow up a lot faster this year than most kids. Let us hear the truth. Finding out what he did doesn’t mean we’re going turn against Daddy. He was our father before he was a criminal, wasn’t he? We’ll always remember that. But we deserve to know everything.”

  “Yeah,” Ethan echoed, sounding less sure than his sister.

  Doug raised his brows at her.

  She didn’t know what to say, so she turned and walked from the room. Her parents sat on the sofa, so she joined them.

  Her mother was doing a crossword puzzle in an old magazine. “Do you know a seven letter word for ‘thankless person’?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m concerned about Ethan learning everything that Larry did. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  Her mother exchanged glances with her dad. “I don’t know, Chrissy. He’s a smart boy. Maybe he deserves to know.”

  “But why? Why shatter the image he has of his father? Once we do that, we’ll never be able to repair the damage.”

  Her dad leaned forward. “Think about this. Say Larry serves a year in prison, then gets released and tries to get visitation rights. Peyton will be eighteen by then and old enough to decide for herself. But you’ll have to go along with whatever the judge decides, and if Ethan doesn’t know any better, he may really want to see his father.”

  She bit her lip. “I wouldn’t like that. Do you really think that could happen?”

  H
e shrugged. “It all depends on what happens. If you’re still in Witsec, maybe not. But if you aren’t—who knows?”

  “Damn it!” She stood and paced. “Just when I think things are getting easier.”

  “There’s nothing easy about this situation, honey. We’ll just have to see how everything unfolds. In the meantime, I don’t think it would hurt for Ethan to hear the truth.”

  She nodded. “Doug was right,” she murmured.

  Her mother smiled. “Don’t you just hate it when that happens?”

  Christine chuckled. “Yeah, I do.”

  “He seems like a pretty smart guy,” her dad remarked offhandedly.

  “Chrissy.” Her mother caught her eye. “Don’t get distracted from what we’re doing here.”

  She didn’t follow. “Which is—?”

  “I’m just saying, we’ve seen the looks you two have exchanged. Yes, he’s handsome, and yes, he’s protecting you right now. But this will be over soon. He’ll go back to Kansas and you and the kids can come home.”

  “I’m not so sure about that, Mom. If Larry never comes clean, we may be in Witsec for the rest of our lives. We all may be, you guys too.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “I don’t know.” Christine rubbed her upper arms nervously.

  Her dad added, “Just keep a clear head. That’s all we’re asking.”

  Whatever. Slightly irritated, she returned to the kitchen.

  Doug was leaning against the doorframe. “Ingrate.”

  She blinked. “Excuse me?”

  He smiled. “A seven letter word for ‘thankless person’.”

  Christine laughed and turned around. “Ingrate!” she yelled at her mother.

  “Excuse me?” Lillian blinked.

  The FBI agent and the prosecutor arrived shortly before eleven. She ushered them in and watched Ben and Joe bring out kitchen chairs so everyone had a seat. Christine sat on the sofa with her arms around her kids.

  Doug knelt in front of Ethan. “If at any point you decide you don’t want to hear any more, speak up, okay buddy?”