Protecting the Witness (Forbidden #5)

Chapter 1

1

Ryan

The stage lights dimmed as Surrender walked off the stage. Despite the ringing in my ears, I’d had a blast during their rock concert. My sister, Morgan, hadn’t stopped talking about her chance to meet the band since Jasper Bennett, our friend and my previous hook up buddy, had secured us backstage passes a few days ago. And while my level of excitement hadn’t matched Morgan’s before watching the band perform, I now understood the hype and was officially a fan.

“That was freaking amazing,” Morgan shouted so I could hear her as she held onto my arm while we weaved through the crowd to the backstage area set up for the meet and greet.

“It was. I actually think that was the best concert I’ve ever been to.”

“I’ve been telling you how great they are. Maybe you should start listening to me.”

I snorted.“Let’s not get carried away.”

We showed our passes to the staff standing just outside the doors for the meet and greet and got in line.

“Sexy guy alert.” Morgan bumped my shoulder with hers.

“Where?” I scanned the groups of people in front of us to see who she was talking about.

“The blond in the black shirt.” She leaned to the side.“Five people up from us.”

I found the guy she was talking about and shrugged.“He’s okay, I guess.”

She rolled her eyes and smirked.“Oh, that’s right. You only have the same taste in men as Dad, not me.”

“Seriously?” I sighed.“Aren’t you tired of that joke by now?”

Seven months ago, Morgan and I learned our father, who had been single since our mom passed away six years ago, was dating a man. As if that wasn’t a big enough shock, his new boyfriend, Declan, turned out to be a guy twenty-five years younger than him who I’d hooked up with once a few years prior to them getting together. After a couple months of tension and awkwardness, we found a way to put our differences aside and were getting along much better. Unfortunately, my sister still found it hilarious to give me a hard time about it.

“Nope.” She popped the p and continued checking out the guy who had grabbed her attention.

Before anything else could be said, I noticed Jasper walking down the hallway toward us.“Hey, you guys made it,” he greeted us.

“Jasper!” Morgan shrieked and threw her arms around him.“Thank you so much for getting us backstage passes. I can’t believe you’re dating Malachi Danvers.”

A little over a month ago, news broke that Jasper was dating the lead singer of Surrender. While I was excited for our friend, I knew Morgan was a little jealous since she’d never made an effort to hide her crush on Malachi.

“Sometimes I can’t believe it either,” Jasper joked.

“How’s it been traveling with the band?” I asked. We met Jasper when he started working as a private chef for our father, but he’d quit to take the job with Surrender. It ended things between us amicably and I was okay because I was never one to get too attached to anyone.

“It’s been fun, but cooking on tour is definitely a lot different than what I’m used to. I love it though.”

“I’m sure getting with the lead singer didn’t hurt either, and I’m so jealous.” Morgan pouted playfully.

He smiled.“Not at all.”

As he continued telling us about some of the places he’d visited while traveling across Canada and the United States, my cell phone rang.“Oh, man. I’ve been waiting for this call all day. I gotta take this somewhere quiet.”

“I’ll hold your spot in line,” Morgan said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get to meet everyone,” Jasper added as I nodded and hurried around the corner, away from the crowd.

Once I was in a relatively quiet area, I answered the phone.“Tell me you’ve got good news, Claire.”

The lead financial advisor on my team chuckled.“We got the account.”

Our team had been working tirelessly for the last couple of weeks to get a prominent software developer in the Boston area to sign on with our company. I let out a sigh of relief. “That’s awesome.”

We continued to chat for a little bit about everything we needed to do starting Monday morning for our new client.

“Well, take time to enjoy your weekend since we’ll likely have some late nights in our future for the next few weeks,” she said.

“You do the same,” I replied, and we hung up.

As I made my way back to the line to join Morgan, I passed the guy she’d been checking out earlier. Seeing him up close, I couldtell he was definitely my sister’s type with his neatly styled hair, blue eyes, and the scent of the expensive Black Lacquer parfum by Tom Ford lingering as he walked by.

When I stepped beside my sister, she was alone. She turned to look at me with a huge grin on her face.

“Why do you look so happy?” I raised a brow. “Did you make eye contact with Malachi Danvers or something?”

She shook her head.“No, but I got invited to a party.”

“Just now?”

She nodded.“After you left, I started talking to the guy I had been checking out. His name is Donnie, and he invited me back to his place when I’m done here.”

“And you told this guy you’d go?”

She shrugged.“It’s just a party.”

“You don’t even know the guy. You can’t go to his house alone.”

“That’s why I told him my brother would be tagging along.” She beamed.

“What?” My eyes widened.

“Come on,” she pleaded, pressing her hands together and batting her eyelashes.“I’d do it for you.”

“Fine.” I sighed.“But I’m not staying out all night. We have a plane to catch in the morning.”

The two of us, along with Dad and Declan, were headed to Washington, D.C., to visit the president and first lady. They were close family friends whom I’d always thought of as my aunt and uncle. It was Aunt Mary’s birthday, and we tried to celebrate special occasions together as often as possible.

“Deal.” Morgan squealed.

The line began to move quickly, and before long, Jasper was introducing us to his brother Jesse, his boyfriend Malachi, Surrender’s drummer Silas, and Elliot, Surrender’s bass guitarist. After Morgan fawned over the entire group, we took some photos, and then said our goodbyes.

Once outside the venue, I pulled up the rideshare app on my phone and asked my sister,“So, where are we heading?”

She looked at her cell and rattled off Donnie’s address. As we waited for the car to pick us up, I was tempted to tell her I’d changed my mind about going to the party, but I knew she’d go without me. Not wanting to risk her going alone, I kept my mouth shut.

Once the car dropped us off in front of the address Donnie had given my sister, we checked in with the lobby attendant of the luxury building and took the elevator to the top floor.

“Damn, this is a nice place,” I mused. “What does this guy do for a living?”

Morgan pulled a mirror out of her purse and checked her makeup. “He said he’s in the entertainment industry.”

“That sounds intentionally vague.”

“Will you stop?” She snapped her mirror closed. “I didn’t get his whole life story in the short time we talked. I doubt you know everything about the guys you go home with.”

She had a point. My dating history was more like a series of one-night stands or casual fuck buddies than anything serious. But I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of hearing me admit she was right.

When we reached Donnie’s unit, the door opened before we knocked. “Morgan, glad you could make it.” He smiled as he stepped aside to let us enter. “You must be Ryan.” He stuck out his hand.

“I am,” I replied, shaking his hand. “Thanks for the invite.”

“I love your place,” Morgan cooed as we followed him into the large living room where a couple dozen people were hanging out.

“I can give you a tour if you want.” Donnie turned to me. “You can join us as well.”

Morgan glared at me over her shoulder, and I knew she didn’t want me to take him up on the offer. “You two go ahead.”

“Okay. Be sure to grab a drink and make yourself comfortable.” Donnie wrapped his hand around Morgan’s and led her down the hallway.

I walked over to the fully stocked bar in the corner of the room, where several people were standing nearby. Several bottles of top-shelf liquor lined the counter, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted.

“Looking for something specific?” one of the guys from the group next to me asked.

“Was actually hoping to get a beer.”

“There should be some in the fridge under there.” He pointed at the counter.

I slipped around to the other side and bent down to get a bottle from the mini-fridge. When I stood there was a woman standing across from me.

“You interested in more than a beer?” She shook a baggie of what I assumed was coke.

I glanced around the room and noticed a few other people openly snorting some lines. While I liked to party as much as most people in their late twenties, and it wasn’t uncommon to see drugs being passed around, I didn’t partake. “Nah, I’m good.”

Moving to the corner of the room, I sipped my beer and chatted with a couple of people. When Morgan hadn’t returned after a bit, I was torn between going to look for her, which would likely piss her off, and giving her space to get to know Donnie better. Still, the whole reason I’d come with her was to make sure she was safe, and if she got mad at me for that, she’d just have to get over it. Thankfully, she reappeared with Donnie’s arm draped over her shoulders before I had to set out on my search. He placed several kisses on her cheek and neck before she made her way to me and he went to talk to someone on the other side of the room.

“Did you have fun?” I asked. “Never mind, don’t answer that. There are certain things a brother doesn’t need to know.”

She shoved me playfully. “Let’s just say he’s good with his mouth.”

“Too much information,” I muttered and downed the rest of my beer. “So, are we going to stay longer, or are you ready to call it a night?”

She shrugged. “We can go. I told Donnie I had to catch a flight in the morning.”

“So, you’re going to hit it and quit it?” I couldn’t help but tease.

“No, asshole. I really like him, and he promised to call me in a few days to meet up again.”

I didn’t understand how she could claim to really like him after such a short amount of time, but that was the difference between us. Morgan tended to fall hard and fast for guys, while I stuck with easy hook ups that never turned into more. It wasn’t as though I was opposed to an actual relationship; the right person just hadn’t come along yet.

The next day, I boarded a private jet with my dad, Declan, and Morgan. As soon as I stepped inside the plane, I saw Faye and Fallon, the president’s adult children and two-thirds of the Donnelley triplets. Our families were as close as could be and we had grown up together. I even called the president and first lady, Uncle Patrick and Aunt Mary.

Morgan bumped me out of the way and rushed over to sit by her BFF, Faye, while I took the open seat next to Fallon.

I leaned forward and smiled at Poppy, Rhett’s daughter and Fallon’s stepdaughter. “Are you ready to go see Grandma and Grandpa?”

Poppy, the most adorable five-year-old I’d ever met, nodded and Rhett said, “She’s ready for the pastry chef to spoil her with cookies.”

“My kinda girl.” I winked at the little princess. I leaned back in my seat and said, “I didn’t know you all were flying with us.”

“Yeah, I’ve learned to show up wherever Mom tells me to be. Makes life easier.” Fallon snorted. “Plus, she’d be mad if I missed her birthday.”

“Makes sense,” I agreed.

“Are you going to the White House for Grandma Mary’s birthday too?” Poppy asked.

I gave her a friendly smile. “I am.”

“Hey, Uncle Sean. Declan,” Fallon greeted as they moved into the seats across the aisle from us.

“Hey, man,” Declan replied. “Long time, no talk.”

Fallon and Declan had been friends back in college. If rumors were true, they had also been fuck buddies until Fallon started messing around with Rhett, his Secret Service agent turned husband. But regardless of what Fallon and Declan’s relationship had been, they’d continued their friendship even after they got with other people. And sure, it was odd that not only had my father and I hooked up with the same guy, but so had me and someone I’d known since he was born. I was sure someone, somewhere, had a flowchart mapping out our entire circle’s hook ups and relationships over time.

“Yeah. How’s work been going?” Fallon asked Declan.

They were both lawyers, but Fallon had become a civil rights attorney while Declan worked with my dad in criminal law.

“This one”—Declan jerked his thumb toward my father—“has been working me hard.”

Fallon groaned, and I laughed at him reacting the same way Morgan and I did when Declan made comments like that. And judging by Declan’s mischievous grin, I could tell he was well aware of what he’d said.

“But seriously, I just got assigned to a fraud case that’s going to keep me busy for the foreseeable future.”

While the pilot prepared for takeoff, all of us continued to chat about our jobs and other things going on in our lives—thankfully, without any more innuendos from my dad’s boyfriend.

Once we landed in D.C., our group was whisked off in two black SUVs and taken to the Executive Residence at the White House.

Since Uncle Patrick had become president two and a half years ago, I’d attended a couple of official events at the White House. It was nice to be able to spend time there, given not that many people got the opportunity. Still, I preferred less formal gatherings like family dinners and summers on the Cape because they reminded me of happy childhood memories.

When we arrived, a few staff members took our luggage to the guest rooms while another led us to the sitting room, where Uncle Patrick and Aunt Mary were waiting.

“Ryan.” Aunt Mary wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so glad you could make it this weekend. We don’t get to see you nearly as often as your dad and sister.”

“Sorry about that,” I said, a stab of guilt hitting me square in the chest. It was easy to let work and other commitments keep me in Boston when the others got together.

As I squeezed her back, I caught a whiff of jasmine from her perfume. It reminded me of the scent my mother used to wear, and I held on for a second longer, not ready to let go of the comfort a hug from my mom’s best friend gave me.

Eventually, I stepped aside and stuck my hand out for Uncle Patrick to shake. “Hello, Mr. President,” I teased.

He used my hand to pull me into an embrace and laughed. “Always a smartass.”

As everyone finished their greetings, I glanced around the room and saw Finn, the last of the Donnelley triplets, hanging out in the corner. I turned toward Fallon, who was standing next to me, and lifted a brow. “Did you know your brother was going to be here?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I told my parents I’d make an effort to be civil since it’s Mom’s birthday weekend.”

A while back, Finn had gotten tangled up with a loan shark due to his gambling habit. Unfortunately, when the guy tried to collect on the debt, he sent a man after Fallon who mistook him for Finn. Fallon was almost killed because of it, and the brothers had been feuding ever since. Not that anyone blamed Fallon for not wanting to be around Finn. It was just sad to see people who believed in the importance of family be torn apart by the reckless decisions of a loved one.

“You’re better than me,” I admitted. “I’m not sure I’d ever be able to put my anger aside if Morgan betrayed our family like that.”

He shrugged. “I get it. Trust me. But then I think about how I have Rhett and Poppy, a great job, and family and friends who love and respect me. I’m winning in life while he has to live with whatever feelings he has about how everything went down, and knowing no one looks at him the same anymore.”

All the guys moved to the bar where Patrick started pouring Macallan into several glasses. As I passed the ladies, I heard my sister say, “His name is Donnie, and he’s gorgeous.”

I rolled my eyes playfully and accidentally caught Mary’s attention.

“Do you not like Donnie?” she asked me.

I lifted a shoulder. “It’s hard to form an opinion about someone after meeting him for about five minutes.”

“Ignore him,” Morgan said before glaring at me. “Just because you aren’t interested in dating anyone, doesn’t mean you can’t be happy for those of us who are looking.”

Faye smiled at me mischievously. “Maybe we need to set you up with someone.” She turned to Morgan. “What about Brian? He just broke up with his boyfriend.”

“I don’t know.” Morgan wrinkled her nose. “What about?—”

I walked away as they debated who might be a good match for me. If I decided to look for a boyfriend, I wasn’t going to ask my little sister for help.