Shielding His Christmas Witness

by Laura Scott

  “It will. Look, here we are,” Miles said, opening the door with the name Judge Campbell written above it.

  The hour was still early, but inside the courtroom she could see an attorney seated at the table on the right side, facing the judge. She didn’t know if he was from the DA’s office or was Jamison’s attorney.

  “ADA Welch?” Miles called. “I have information critical to your case. Detective Steve Young just took a shot at your witness. I returned fire, and unfortunately he’s dead.”

  “What?” The attorney looked to be in his midforties, and immediately came over to where she was standing between Miles and Mitch. “When? Who else have you reported this to?”

  “Just now and I haven’t reported it to anyone else yet, because I need to keep Ms. Danville safe. FBI agent Marc Callahan dove in to protect her, taking the bullet in his shoulder.”

  The attorney swore under his breath. “I don’t understand—what does Young have to do with this?”

  “Good question,” Miles said. “Why don’t you ask Jamison? He might be willing to talk if he knows Young is dead.”

  Welch was already pulling out his cell phone, no doubt contacting Jamison’s lawyer. Kari turned toward Mitch. “Call your brother Mike. I need to know that Marc is getting the help he needs.”

  “The cell reception isn’t great in here,” Mitch warned.

  “Just try,” she urged.

  “I’ll be right back,” ADA Welch said. “Jamison’s attorney has agreed to talk.”

  Kari barely nodded, her gaze focused on Mitch.

  “Mike? How is he?” There was a long pause before Mitch let out a sigh. “Okay, thanks. We’ll meet you there.”

  “What happened?” she demanded when Mitch disconnected from the call.

  “The ambulance is there and they’re getting ready to take him to Trinity Medical Center.” Mitch hesitated, then added, “He’s lost a lot of blood. Apparently, they have a trauma surgeon standing by.”

  Tears pricked Kari’s eyes and she reached out to grip Mitch’s arm. She couldn’t bear the thought of being away from Marc when he was injured. “I want to go with you when I’m finished testifying.”

  The two brothers exchanged a hesitant look. “We know Steve Young was involved,” Miles said. “But unless Jamison talks, we won’t know for sure that he was working alone. I’m sorry, but you still may need to go into witness protection.”

  “I need to know Marc will be all right,” she said desperately. “Please, just take me there long enough to know he’s all right.”

  “We’ll see,” Mitch said. But the way he avoided her gaze didn’t give her much hope.

  They sat in the courtroom for almost fifteen minutes before ADA Welch returned. “You were right. Jamison started talking. He admitted that he’s related to Young. His mother is Young’s sister. Jamison claims Young approached him about the bank robbery and wasn’t talking because Young promised him he’d—” Welch made air quotes “—take care of everything.”

  “That figures,” Mitch muttered.

  “According to Jamison, Young went a little crazy when his wife divorced him and she took the house along with half his pension,” ADA Welch continued. “He was extremely bitter because she’d ruined his chance at an early retirement.”

  “Is anyone else involved?” Miles asked.

  “He gave us one other name in exchange for a lighter sentence. A guy by the name of Lee. Tomas Lee.”

  “He’s dead,” Kari interjected. “Isn’t that what you told us, Miles?”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Miles agreed. “Lee’s apartment had been ransacked and he was found dead in an alley not far from his place.”

  ADA Welch raised a brow. “So Young killed him? That’s very interesting. I guess we won’t need you to testify after all. Jamison admitted to doing the bank robberies and to shooting the bystander who tried to stop him. According to Jamison, the three of them were in it together. They even went out to get similar tattoos as they were putting their grand plans into place.”

  “I saw Lee’s tattoo,” Miles confirmed. “And you’re right, Steve Young had one, too. It was covered, though, so I couldn’t see much.”

  “I’m surprised Young tried to shoot you so close to the courthouse,” ADA Welch said, frowning at Kari.

  She swallowed hard, Marc’s pale face seared into her memory. “I recognized his voice,” she said hoarsely. “He used to live a few houses down from me, and I had to call the police one night when I heard yelling. They were fighting about money, and I clearly heard him swearing at his wife that she’d rue the day she took half of what he owned.”

  “And you think that was enough for him to try to kill you?” Welch asked.

  She lifted her hands helplessly. “I can only assume he was worried that Marc would put two and two together, figuring out that he was the leak.”

  “We’ll question Jamison some more to get more details about each of the robberies,” Welch said. “But now that he’s accepted a plea bargain, there’s no need for you to testify, Ms. Danville. You’re free to go.”

  The words reverberated in her mind. Free to go! She turned toward Mitch and Miles. “Take me to Trinity Medical Center.”

  “Okay,” Miles agreed. “But only because I’m sure you’re safe now.”

  “Amen to that,” Mitch agreed.

  Marc was in surgery when they arrived, so they sat together in the waiting room. Kari went into the bathroom to remove the bulky bulletproof vest, relieved to have the additional weight off her shoulders.

  After returning to the waiting room she handed the vest to Miles. “Thank you,” she said in a low tone. “For everything.” She felt bad that Miles had been forced to shoot Detective Young.

  “No problem,” Miles said, tossing the vest onto an empty chair. She could see both he and Mitch had already stripped their gear off, too.

  The surgeon came out five minutes later. “Callahan?” he asked with a tired voice.

  All four of them rose to their feet, although only Mike, Mitch and Miles were true Callahans. They didn’t seem to mind when she tagged along.

  “The bullet nicked an artery, so we had to give him several units of blood. But once the bleeding was controlled, he stabilized. He sustained a broken clavicle and the bullet punctured the upper lobe of his left lung, but thankfully the damage to his shoulder doesn’t look too bad. He’ll be in his room within the next hour or so.”

  “Thanks, doc,” Miles said. The surgeon nodded, then left.

  “Now that he’s going to make it, I’ll call to let Mom and Nan know.” Mike pulled out his cell phone.

  “They’re out of town today, remember?” Miles said. “They mentioned at brunch yesterday that they were taking the train to Chicago for some last-minute Christmas shopping.”

  Mike stared at him. “I’ll leave a message on Mom’s cell phone,” he said stubbornly. “You know she won’t forgive me if I don’t.”

  Kari sank into a seat, her knees feeling weak. The surgeon made it sound like Marc would be okay. She bowed her head and silently thanked God for keeping Marc safe.

  Keeping them all safe.

  The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Finally, after nearly ninety minutes of waiting, a nurse came into the waiting room.

  “Mr. Callahan is in room 320,” she said. “You can visit two at a time, but remember he needs his rest.”

  Kari looked up at the three brothers. “I’ll go in when you’re finished,” she offered.

  Miles rolled his eyes. “Yeah, like Marc wants to see us,” he said in a dry tone. “Come with me. You can stay with him. The three of us will take turns.”

  She nodded, even though she knew Miles was reading more into their relationship than what was really there. Just because she’d realized how much she cared for
him didn’t mean he felt the same way.

  Besides, she shouldn’t be listening to her heart. Hadn’t she jumped into a relationship with Vince? But deep down, she knew she loved Marc. This was different than what she’d experienced with Vince. Marc had risked his life for her, over and over again.

  He was a man worthy of her love. A man who deserved more than a woman like her, with a baby fathered by another man.

  Marc was asleep when she and Miles entered the room. She crossed over to the bed and put her hand on Marc’s arm, reassured by the way his chest rose and fell with each breath.

  “It’s over, Marc,” she whispered. “Thank you for saving my life.”

  There was no sign that he’d heard her, but that was okay. She’d tell him again, once he woke up. Miles pulled the recliner over so that she could sit right next to his bed.

  “Rest now,” Miles told her in a gruff tone. “He’ll be glad to see you when he wakes up.”

  She nodded, curling up in the recliner and reaching out so that her hand could rest lightly on his forearm. She’d wait, for as long as it took.

  * * *

  With a sense of urgency, Marc pushed through the pain, fighting to wake up. There was something important he had to do. But what?

  He forced his eyelids open, blinking to bring the room into focus. The antiseptic smell was his first clue, along with the throbbing pain in his shoulder. The room came into focus. Hospital. Steve Young had tried to shoot Kari.

  Kari!

  He moved in the bed, intending to get up, only to suck in a harsh breath when the pain skyrocketed, making red spots dance in front of his eyes.

  “Marc. You’re awake.”

  He wasn’t sure if the woman standing beside his bed was really Kari or something his pain-saturated mind conjured up. But then he felt the softness of her hands on his arms, as she gently pushed him down.

  “Don’t try to get up—you had surgery this morning. But the doctor says you’re doing fine.”

  “You’re here,” he croaked, his voice raw and scratchy.

  “Take a sip of water,” she encouraged, holding out a cup with a straw.

  The cool water felt amazing on his throat. He looked up at her. “Why aren’t you with the US Marshals?”

  “Because Jamison confessed. Young was the ringleader and Tomas Lee and Terrance Jamison were the ones who did the dirty work. When Jamison heard that Young was dead, he told the DA everything.”

  “Thank You, God,” Marc said, feeling dizzy with relief.

  “Rest now. Your brothers have been here—we’re just waiting for your mother and grandmother to get back from Chicago.”

  He nodded, the sense of urgency fading away. Kari was here. She wasn’t in danger anymore. She didn’t have to leave.

  He wouldn’t have to live his life without her.

  The next time he woke up, he felt marginally better. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was two hours later, almost noon. He turned his head, his smile softening when he saw Kari curled in the recliner beside him.

  She was so beautiful his heart ached. But beauty was only skin deep; what he loved the most was her kindness, her courage, her strength, her loyalty, her laughter.

  Her faith.

  It was too soon; they barely knew each other, but his heart didn’t seem to realize that. He loved her. More than he’d thought possible.

  He didn’t want to wake her. As his gaze traveled over the room, he realized there were dozens of Mylar balloons surrounding his bed. Not just in the typical Christmas colors of red and green, although there were several of those, too, but also balloons of every color in the entire rainbow.

  “What in the world?” he muttered.

  “How are you feeling?” Kari asked, yawning sleepily as she unfolded herself from the chair.

  “Better,” he acknowledged. “What’s with the balloons?”

  She blushed and gave him an adorable smile. “I wanted you to wake up to lots of cheerful colors.”

  “They’re nice, but not as pretty as you.”

  She blushed again, and then said, “Oh!”

  “What is it?” He noticed she put her hand on her abdomen. “The baby?”

  “Kicking again,” she said softly.

  “May I?”

  She smiled, reached out and took his right hand, pressing it over the spot. “Can you feel it?”

  The movements were gentle, fluttery, but definitely there. He was awestruck to share this intimate moment with her. “Amazing.”

  “Marc?” His mother’s voice from the doorway caught him off guard. “How are you feeling?”

  He tried not to squirm beneath his mother’s questioning gaze. He was thirty years old, and hadn’t done anything improper. But when Kari let his hand go, he knew she was probably mortified, too.

  “I’m fine, Mother. You and Nan shouldn’t have rushed home.”

  “Of course we should rush home,” she chided him. She came over, gave him a hug and a kiss, then she looked at Kari. “Hello, my name is Margaret Callahan, Marc’s mother. This is Kathleen Callahan, Marc’s grandmother.”

  “Kari Ann Danville,” Kari said, taking his mother’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you both. I was Marc’s witness, and I’m sorry to tell you that he was shot protecting me.”

  He didn’t like the way she was acting so nervous around his mother and grandmother, and tried to think of a way to defuse the situation.

  “Actually, I was just leaving.” Kari stepped away from the bedside. “See you later.”

  “Wait. Don’t go,” Marc said, his voice sharper than he intended. “Please, stay.”

  Kari looked indecisive, as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. Marc could tell by the expression on his mother’s face that she was interested in what the true nature of their relationship was, but thankfully she didn’t push it.

  “Yes, Kari, please do stay. We were just going to grab a bite to eat. We didn’t eat anything on the train.” His mother turned toward him. “We’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Marc loved his mother and grandmother, but right now, he wanted some time alone with Kari.

  After his family left, Kari sank into the chair and buried her face in her hands. “I’m sure they’re wondering why a pregnant woman is here with you and who the father of the baby is.”

  “Kari, don’t.” He reached out and brushed her arm with his fingertips. “They won’t judge you.”

  She lifted her head to look at him. “Of course they will. What mother wouldn’t? They love you and they only want what’s best for you.”

  “And what if I told you that you’re what’s best for me?” He hadn’t intended to blurt it out quite so bluntly, but then again, finesse wasn’t his thing. “You, Kari. And the baby you’re carrying.”

  She sucked in an audible breath, looking stunned. “You—can’t mean that.”

  “I do mean it. Being shot helps to put things in perspective. You were right to fill my room with color. I didn’t even realize how dull and boring my world had become until I met you.”

  “Oh, Marc,” she breathed. “You deserve so much more than a woman like me, who ended up pregnant by another man.”

  “I don’t deserve someone as special as you,” he corrected. “And your baby is a blessing from God. It doesn’t matter to me who his father is, I still want to be there for you. For him.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “What if he’s a she?”

  “Then I hope she looks and acts just like her mother,” he said somberly. “Beautiful inside and out.”

  She stared at him for a long moment. “I don’t know what to say. We’ve only known each other a short time.”

  “I know. And I’m willing to give you all the time you need. But Kari?” He wai
ted until she met his gaze. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  She moved closer to his bedside and took his hand between both of hers. “Maybe that’s just the pain medication talking.”

  He tried to hide the flash of annoyance, understanding that the words came from her own uncertainty. “It’s not the pain medication. I know we haven’t even gone out on a date yet, so I get where you’re coming from. So let me ask you this—will you please join me and my family for church and brunch next Sunday?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “With your entire family?”

  “Yes. And I should warn you, that meeting the family isn’t something to be taken lightly. None of us invite casual dates to Sunday service and brunch. But I’m asking you. Will you go with me?”

  She didn’t answer for so long he was afraid she was trying to figure out a way to let him down gently. Then she smiled and lifted his hand to her cheek.

  “Yes, Marc. I’d love to join you and your family for service and brunch.”

  “I’m glad,” he rasped.

  “I guess it’s only fair to warn you, that I think I’m falling in love with you, too.”

  His heart leaped in his chest. “Kari, I can’t lift myself upright, so will you please come down here so I can kiss you?”

  She laughed and bent over, covering his mouth with hers. He cupped her head and held her close, until she broke away, struggling to breathe.

  Their kiss had been too brief, but it held the promise of an amazing future.

  EPILOGUE

  Christmas Eve

  Kari stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and tugged on the maternity dress she wore. She wished her bump weren’t quite so noticeable, not that she was ashamed of her baby. Still, there was no mistaking her condition now.

  She and Marc had spent every possible moment together these past three weeks. She’d attended every Sunday family gathering. She’d been humbled and honored to be welcomed by his family. His sister, Madison, in particular had pulled her aside last week and told her how glad she was that Kari had put the light back in Marc’s eyes.