her but leaned back against her desk, bringing her between his legs with his hands hooked behind her back.
She shrugged and looked at his chest, her hands fluttering about on his shoulders and arms. “There isn’t much to tell. I saw a guy get murdered, now the people who did it want me out of the picture. I even promised not to testify but I guess in their line of business, they tend to be a bit less trusting. Occupational hazard I assume,” she said, trying to make a joke about it but it just came across as sad and frustrated. “It’s hard to hide from those kinds of people, I’m finding. They have tentacles in so many areas, and talk about a global business! They’re everywhere!”
“Is that why the witness protection agency wouldn’t take you into their protective custody? Because you refused to testify?”
She shook her head. “No. I was more than willing to be the star witness,” she replied, drawing in a shaky breath as the memories came flooding back. She closed her eyes, willing herself to tell him the worst of it. “The marshals I was assigned to were wonderful. They were so amazing and brave and in the end, even they couldn’t protect me.” A tear dropped from her eyes down her cheek as she remembered the man and woman who had covered her with their weapons firing as quickly as possible while she ran for safety, diving into a truck while they stayed behind. The other agents outside, keeping fire away from her. “The drug cartel guys found me in Wisconsin and there were so many bullets. The marshals, Beth and Joe, they tried to protect me. They were great, teaming up against the hit men who had been sent to get me out of the way. They shouted for me to get into the car, tossing me their keys while they kept the bad guys at a distance. I’d gotten the keys in the ignition and the car started when I looked back, waiting only for Beth and Joe to get in when I turned around. The bad guy was standing over the two of them. They were both shot….” She couldn’t go on, the scene in her mind too horrific.
“Shhhh,” he said and pressed her head down against his shoulder, patting her back and telling her it was going to be okay. But Dana knew better. It wasn’t ever going to be okay. She would be running from this for the rest of her life. There would never be a time when she wouldn’t be looking over her shoulder, worried that someone was about to get her.
“When was the trial?” he asked, his hand rubbing her back in an effort to soothe her, reassure her and give her some of his strength. She did so much for him and she’d been trying to deal with this burden all by herself. She needed his help and she’d selflessly tried to find a solution without the resources to do much of anything at all.
She sniffed and tried to get control of herself. She was making a mess of his shirt and her makeup and probably looking like a weak, useless female in the process. “There wasn’t one. I disappeared. I had a job as a waitress in Paris for a few months, then I poured drinks in a small town in Whales. I kept on going until I found the open position here with your office on the internet for your government. The rest is history,” she explained, smiling a little lopsided.
He watched her for a moment, wondering how she might take his next question. It had to be asked though. “So if you were to go back and be adequately protected, would there be a trial? Was there enough evidence to convict the murderers?”
She immediately pulled out of his arms and backed up, worried about what he might be suggesting. “I can’t go back. I can’t do that to any other marshal. They were so brave and I feel like I let them down even though I know that’s not true. They tried hard to protect me and still, everything fell through. No, I can’t do that to any of them again.”
He kissed her gently, silencing her with the small gesture. “What about as my wife?”
Dana stilled, horrified at what he’d just said. “Your wife?” she finally gasped and pulled out of his arms.
“Yes. As my wife, you’d be protected twenty-four hours a day,