Chapter 12
“I’m not giving up my entire life.” Dom glared at Levy. He hadn’t liked the US Marshal before, and now it was all he could do not to slug the guy. “Besides, you can’t guarantee the danger to Kendra and her family would be over. The shooter hasn’t cared if he takes her out with me.”
“You’re the main target,” Levy insisted.
“You don’t know that.” Dom turned, raking his hands through his hair.
“Helen Gingrass was killed because Stuart confessed to her. Kendra’s been with me since the beginning.
If Bartoli is behind this, he’ll assume that everything Stuart told Helen was passed on to me and to Kendra too.
” He flung his hand toward Justin, Raine, and Griff.
“And that includes her extended family.”
“I agree with Dominic,” Justin said. “The gunman shot through the window at the house aiming at everyone sitting around the table. It wasn’t just Dom who was in danger. As far as I’m concerned, we’re all in this together.”
“I feel the same way,” Griff added. “This thing has gotten too big to think that relocating Dominic into WITSEC will stop the danger. We need to focus on getting this guy. We think he’s a hired gun, and if that’s the case, then we’ll convince him to turn on his boss.”
“I’m in agreement with that too.” Raine smiled grimly. “If anyone should be forced into WITSEC, it’s the gunman. Not Dominic.”
Dom was touched at how readily the Sullivan clan jumped to his defense. It occurred to him that if he hadn’t met up with Kendra to work the case with her, he may have been forced to make the same decision his father had made twenty-five years ago.
Thinking about that gave him new appreciation for how difficult that must have been for his father. Becoming a widowed father to a three-year-old and having to move across the country to a start a new life without any family support.
His father had done that and more for him, Dom knew. Given up everything for the child who deserved to be protected at all costs.
If Dom had a child, he’d do the same thing. And that thought gave him pause. If the only way to keep Kendra safe was to give up his life, the decision to enter the program would be easy. For a moment, he froze, staring blinding through the bullet-ridden glass of the living room window.
Was he being selfish? Did Levy have a point?
He abruptly turned to face the US Marshal. “Do you honestly think that if we faked my death, Kendra and her family would be safe?”
“I think it’s a strong possibility, yes,” Levy said.
“No, Dom.” Kendra rushed over to grasp his arm. “Don’t do this. I don’t want you to give up everything on the slim chance the danger will be over. Besides, that’s not justice for our parents. Why would you want Bartoli to get away with murder?”
He covered her hand with his. “I don’t want him to get away with it. But this is my father’s mess, Kendra. Not yours. Your safety is more important to me . . .”
“Hold on,” Griff interrupted. “We’re not going to do anything crazy. Let’s get out of here and discuss further when we’re at the safe house. Our first step is to come up with a plan that will draw the shooter out into the open.”
“I agree,” Raine said. “Convincing the shooter to turn on his employer is the best option we have. I think we need to leave, too, while the police are still hanging around outside. The shooter isn’t going to come back as long as they’re around.
That being said, I don’t think they need to know the location of the safe house. The fewer the better.”
“Raine and I left our vehicle to the east a few blocks away,” Justin said. “Griff, I know yours is on the other side of the neighborhood. Kendra, you and Dom should give us a few minutes to get our SUVs, then head out. We’ll meet up with you to form our caravan.”
“That works for me.” Kendra’s expression filled with relief as she released his arm. “Dom, grab the laptop. I need my backpack too.”
Levy didn’t look happy but gave up the argument. At least for now. As Justin, Raine, Stone, and Griff filed from the room, Levy took a step toward the front door. “I’ll go first, as I need to move my car out of the driveway, behind your SUV.”
Dominic crossed to the kitchen table to hand Kendra the backpack. It was heavier than he anticipated, so he slung it over his shoulder and picked up the laptop. “I’m ready.”
“We’re supposed to wait a few minutes for Justin, Raine, and Griff to get in position.” Kendra glanced down at her K9. “But I can’t just stand here either. Let’s head out. I’ll give Smoky time to get busy.”
Dom followed her outside. Levy was already in his car backing out of the driveway. He watched as the US Marshal skirted around a Cody squad to head west. He couldn’t shake the idea of going into WITSEC to keep Kendra safe.
First, her parents were innocent victims when his father was murdered. Now he’d dragged Kendra into the same danger. Granted, when they’d arranged to meet, he wasn’t aware of the danger.
But he was now.
“Get busy,” Kendra called to Smoky.
The Alaskan malamute did her thing, then trotted toward Kendra, her curvy tail wagging. Kendra bent to stroke the fluffy fur, then straightened to head toward the SUV parked in the driveway.
After Kendra opened the back hatch for Smoky, Dom stored her backpack and the laptop on the floor, then slid into the passenger seat.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Kendra sent him an arched look as she started the SUV and drove down the driveway past the police cars. “What’s wrong?”
He shrugged. “I can’t help but wonder if Levy is right. If Bartoli thinks I’m dead, you’d be in the clear.”
“Please don’t.” Her pleading tone tugged at his heart. “Don’t give up your entire life because Levy suggested it.”
He wasn’t sure how to explain to her that she was the main reason he was tempted to go along with the plan. As he stared out the passenger-side window, his heart felt heavy. Kendra was beautiful, kind, sweet, and caring.
And he was falling for her big time.
A pair of headlights flashed on and off. He pushed his complicated feelings for Kendra aside and gestured toward them. “Is that Griff?”
“I believe so.” Kendra flashed her lights in response. “Yes, that’s Griff. I can tell by his license plate.”
“You know your siblings license plate numbers?”
“Yeah. I know it sounds weird, but Chase made us memorize them. Along with our phone numbers.” She lifted a shoulder. “It’s come in handy over this past year, as my siblings have gotten themselves in some dicey situations.” She grinned. “Like now.”
He’d wondered why the Sullivans seemed so calm and cool in a crisis. He’d thought it was probably their search and rescue training, but it was more than that.
“That’s Griff, and I think Levy is behind us.” Kendra’s gaze bounced from the rearview mirror to the side mirrors. “I don’t see Justin and Raine, but if they were to the east, they’ll end up behind Levy.”
“I’m not sure I like the caravan approach.” He twisted in his seat to look through the back window. Smoky was stretched out in the crate area, resting with her eyes closed. “I feel like we’re waving a neon sign that says ‘Follow us!’”
“The shooter isn’t going to hang around nearby with the police swarming around outside.” She reached over to pat his knee. “I have faith that Griff and Raine know what they’re doing.”
“Of course they do. It’s just so different from how we tried so hard to fly under the radar.
” Drawing in a deep breath, he tried to relax.
Her hand was warm on his knee that was painfully jammed up against the dashboard.
He reached over to grasp her fingers. “Kendra, I need you to promise me you’ll be careful. I’ll feel guilty if you get hurt.”
“Guilty?” She frowned and tightened her grip on his. “I made the choice to come and to stay with you. There’s absolutely nothing for you to feel guilty about. I don’t even want to think about what might have happened if you’d stayed in Billings.”
He wondered about that for a moment. What if he had stayed in Billings?
The snowstorm had made him consider canceling, but he’d decided to push forward.
The first attack against him hadn’t come until he’d arrived at the Redwood Motel.
Was that because someone had shown up at his place only to realize he was gone?
But if that was the case, how did the gunman know to find him at the Redwood Motel?
Something nebulous niggled at the back of his mind. He couldn’t seem to put his finger on what was bothering him. Dom hoped he wasn’t missing something important.
“Don’t forget, we have God on our side,” Kendra said softly.
“I know.” He was starting to believe she was right about that. It certainly seemed as if they managed to escape danger every time the shooter showed up.
Dom stared at the overcast sky and silently prayed that God would guide him to making the right decision when it came to protecting Kendra. Somehow, she had become the most important person in his life.
He would risk his life for hers without hesitation.
Sensing Dominic’s tension, Kendra tried to think of a way to convince him not to go into witness protection.
Of course, if that was the best option to ensure his safety, then she would absolutely encourage him to go that route.
Even if that meant losing him. Yet she didn’t want him making a drastic move because Levy seemed to think she would no longer be in danger.
His theory didn’t ring true in her opinion.
Not after she’d been glued to Dom’s side for the past thirty-six hours.
“We’ll work this out together,” she said, after a long silence. “I know I’m not as helpful with computer stuff, but Griff and Raine will help dive into Bartoli’s connections. And if there’s a way to trap the gunman into making a move, that will blow this thing wide open.”