“I thought I told you to go back to the house,” he growled.
She gave him a sheepish look as she dropped the branch on the ground. “I know, but I thought you might need help or something.”
“Really?” he said sarcastically. “And how did that work out for you?”
The question really didn’t require and answer, but Riley gave him a sheepish shrug anyway. “I’m sorry I hit you,” she said.
Cade gave her an exasperated look but made no comment. “Come on,” he said, and still pushing the hit man in front of him, led the way back to the house.
When they got back, the place was a complete madhouse. There were dozens of police cars, as well as what looked like every Marshal from the Seattle and the Tacoma office. Of course, there was already a lot of press there as well, but to Riley’s relief, they were relegated to a spot behind the yellow tape at the bottom of the driveway.
Riley didn’t really need any medical attention, but at Cade’s insistence, she allowed the paramedics to check her out. The EMT fussed over ever scratch and scrape, and was just finishing up with her when Deputy Chief Conner walked over.
“The other Marshals that were with me,” she said. “How are they?”
He nodded. “They’re both in surgery, but they’re expected to make a complete recovery.”
She nodded, relieved to hear that. “That’s good,” she said. “So, what happens to me now?”
Conner shrugged. “Actually, that’s up to you.”
Her brow furrowed. “Up to me?” she said. “I don’t understand.”
“It turns out that Albert Donatti didn’t hire Caruthers to kill you. after all,” Conner explained. “As a matter of fact, Donatti is really no longer a threat to you at all. He turned evidence on some of his own and is now in the WitSec Program himself. We’ll have to go through some bureaucratic procedures, but I would think that you would be removed from the list of protected witnesses.”
It took a moment for Riley to wrap her mind around what Deputy Chief Conner had just told her. “So you’re saying that I don’t have to move then? That I can go back to using my real name again?”
The older man gave her a small smile. “I think that’s all going to be up to you now,” he told her. “We would certainly move you one more time, though, if you wanted us to.”
Riley glanced at Cade to find him watching her with those remarkable gold eyes of his. “Actually,” she said softly. “I kind of like it here in Seattle.”
Conner nodded. “Then it’s settled,” he said. “I’ll have someone take you home.”
Riley hoped that Cade would volunteer, but to her dismay, Deputy Chief Conner was already calling over another Marshal.
“Like I said, there’s some paperwork we’ll need to go over, Ms. Barnett, but we can do that another time. Deputy Brogan will take you home,” the older man said to Riley, and then, giving her a nod, pulled Cade off to the side to speak to him before walking over to intercept the group of reporters coming their way.
Riley hesitated, giving Cade a glance out of the corner of her eye, but he was deep in conversation with the uniformed police officer that had come up to him. Disappointed that he wasn’t even going to say goodbye to her, she followed Deputy Brogan toward his car.
She was just about to get in when she heard Cade calling her name. Her pulse skipping a beat, Riley tried to hide her eagerness as she turned to see him jogging toward her.
“I wanted to catch you before you left,” he said.
Riley held her breath as she waited for him to continue. He glanced at the other Marshal standing by the driver’s side door, and then back at her. “I can’t really talk to you here, though,” he said. “Would it be okay if I stopped by your apartment later?”
She was tempted to ask him what he meant when he’d said that he couldn’t talk about it there, but Deputy Chief Conner was already calling Cade over to talk to the press. “Of course,”
She gave him a sheepish look as she dropped the branch on the ground. “I know, but I thought you might need help or something.”
“Really?” he said sarcastically. “And how did that work out for you?”
The question really didn’t require and answer, but Riley gave him a sheepish shrug anyway. “I’m sorry I hit you,” she said.
Cade gave her an exasperated look but made no comment. “Come on,” he said, and still pushing the hit man in front of him, led the way back to the house.
When they got back, the place was a complete madhouse. There were dozens of police cars, as well as what looked like every Marshal from the Seattle and the Tacoma office. Of course, there was already a lot of press there as well, but to Riley’s relief, they were relegated to a spot behind the yellow tape at the bottom of the driveway.
Riley didn’t really need any medical attention, but at Cade’s insistence, she allowed the paramedics to check her out. The EMT fussed over ever scratch and scrape, and was just finishing up with her when Deputy Chief Conner walked over.
“The other Marshals that were with me,” she said. “How are they?”
He nodded. “They’re both in surgery, but they’re expected to make a complete recovery.”
She nodded, relieved to hear that. “That’s good,” she said. “So, what happens to me now?”
Conner shrugged. “Actually, that’s up to you.”
Her brow furrowed. “Up to me?” she said. “I don’t understand.”
“It turns out that Albert Donatti didn’t hire Caruthers to kill you. after all,” Conner explained. “As a matter of fact, Donatti is really no longer a threat to you at all. He turned evidence on some of his own and is now in the WitSec Program himself. We’ll have to go through some bureaucratic procedures, but I would think that you would be removed from the list of protected witnesses.”
It took a moment for Riley to wrap her mind around what Deputy Chief Conner had just told her. “So you’re saying that I don’t have to move then? That I can go back to using my real name again?”
The older man gave her a small smile. “I think that’s all going to be up to you now,” he told her. “We would certainly move you one more time, though, if you wanted us to.”
Riley glanced at Cade to find him watching her with those remarkable gold eyes of his. “Actually,” she said softly. “I kind of like it here in Seattle.”
Conner nodded. “Then it’s settled,” he said. “I’ll have someone take you home.”
Riley hoped that Cade would volunteer, but to her dismay, Deputy Chief Conner was already calling over another Marshal.
“Like I said, there’s some paperwork we’ll need to go over, Ms. Barnett, but we can do that another time. Deputy Brogan will take you home,” the older man said to Riley, and then, giving her a nod, pulled Cade off to the side to speak to him before walking over to intercept the group of reporters coming their way.
Riley hesitated, giving Cade a glance out of the corner of her eye, but he was deep in conversation with the uniformed police officer that had come up to him. Disappointed that he wasn’t even going to say goodbye to her, she followed Deputy Brogan toward his car.
She was just about to get in when she heard Cade calling her name. Her pulse skipping a beat, Riley tried to hide her eagerness as she turned to see him jogging toward her.
“I wanted to catch you before you left,” he said.
Riley held her breath as she waited for him to continue. He glanced at the other Marshal standing by the driver’s side door, and then back at her. “I can’t really talk to you here, though,” he said. “Would it be okay if I stopped by your apartment later?”
She was tempted to ask him what he meant when he’d said that he couldn’t talk about it there, but Deputy Chief Conner was already calling Cade over to talk to the press. “Of course,”
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