Chapter 2 #2
I’d been with her more than any of the other guys.
She knew me—or at least she knew the man I’d shown her.
Yet I knew everything about her, and not from some file I’d been given.
Bridget Keller got talkative when she was bored.
She’d been open and honest about her childhood—almost marrying her high school sweetheart, dropping out of college and why.
I knew this woman better than any woman I’d ever dated.
Finally the man turned and did as I asked. Without thinking about it, I pulled Bridget to my side, put my arm around her shoulder, and tucked her close before I followed him down the hall.
We entered the small office and I still didn’t let her go—and I wasn’t going to think about why I wanted her at my side and how good it felt to have her there.
I also wasn’t going to think about how happy I was to see her again when it meant something had gone horribly wrong for her.
Therefore I couldn’t keep the anger out of my tone when I demanded again, “Explain why you’re here. ”
“Would you mind putting that away?” the man asked.
“Not until I know who you are and why she’s here,” I returned.
“This is Troy,” Bridget started. “He gave me a ride down here and helped me find you.”
There was a lot to process from that one sentence yet it told me nothing. Bridget trembling at my side spoke to her fear but not who or what she was afraid of.
“That tells me nothing.”
Silence ensued, which wasn’t something I was used to when it came to her.
The Bridget I knew was outspoken and had no issue speaking her mind.
There had been many times in the months I’d been with her she’d expressed her dislike of moving from house to house.
She’d argued and fought with me when I wouldn’t allow her to do something she wanted, something that would unnecessarily put her in danger like swinging by the mall to shop on the way to a new safe house.
She’d known my answer would be no, yet she’d still asked, because that was who she was.
Bridget wasn’t a go-with-the-flow type of woman.
She wanted a say in her life, which made being under federal protection where she had none especially frustrating for her.
But neither was the woman stupid—she’d understood why the safety procedures were put in place and she knew to follow them to a T which made her being back in Maryland all that more alarming.
Bridget wouldn’t break protocol unless …
“Did someone find you?”
I felt her nod her answer against my chest.
Jesus fuck .
“Did someone hurt you?”
This time her answer was not in the form of a nod. Her entire body went stiff and she pressed deeper into my side.
“Who?”
Bridget’s trembling turned into a full body quake.
“I don’t know.”
Troy’s eyes narrowed on Bridget and I wasn’t sure if that meant she was lying to me or if it was because she’d given him the same answer and depending on how much she told the man—which hopefully was nothing—her not knowing who hurt her would be confusing.
“I need to talk to her alone,” I told Troy.
“Not a chance, bud. Not until I know she’s safe with you and you’ll take care of her.”
I had to hand it to the man. I had height and muscle on him and you’d have to be blind not to see I could take him out, and doing so would have nothing to do with the Sig I was still holding.
“She’s safe,” I assured him.
“No offense, but I’m not so sure about that.”
“Theo’s right, Troy, I’m safe with him. He’ll know what to do.”
“Cindy—”
“I promise,” Bridget cut him off.
Cindy?
Was that her new name? Fuck, I’d called her Bridget in front of this guy and he hadn’t questioned the name change. Maybe she’d told him more than I’d hoped she had.
“I don’t like this,” he complained.
“I know you don’t and I appreciate why,” she softly told him. “I can never repay your kindness these last four days. You saved my life.”
Four days?
What the fuck?
There was a stretch of silence, during which Troy’s eyes were glued to Bridget.
A frown grooved his face as he considered his next move.
He obviously cared about Bridget so it was going to suck when I physically removed him from the office but I didn’t have time for a lengthy debate about what was going to be happening next.
I needed answers, then I needed to get Bridget to safety.
“I want you checking in,” Troy requested.
“Okay.”
“No,” I corrected.
“Yes, Theo.” She squeezed her arm around me. “I don’t know when that will be, but either I’ll check in or Theo will contact you.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
As soon as the words left my mouth Bridget pushed away from me and crossed her arms over her chest.
There was the strong-willed woman I knew.
“He saved my life,” she slowly enunciated.
Fuck. I was going to give in.
“Fine.” I looked from Bridget to Troy who didn’t look happy he was getting the boot. “I’ll check in with you.”
It took a moment for Troy to accept my answer but I knew he had when he looked around the desk, found a pen, and scribbled something onto a sticky note.
“Here.” He handed me the hot pink square. “If you don’t call me in forty-eight hours I’ll be back.”
I let the threat go but not the demand.
“I can’t promise when I’ll call until I understand what’s going on.”
Everything about Troy changed—his barrel chest expanded with an inhale, his frown turned into a pain-filled grimace, and his eyes went hard.
“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” he snarled.
“Four days ago I picked up a woman who had red marks around her throat and the makings of a swollen cheek and when I did, that woman became my responsibility. So no, I’m not leaving here without your promise you’ll call me and not in a week.
In two days. If I don’t get that call I’m coming back with the police and something tells me you don’t want that.
But more, Cindy doesn’t want that. If she did, she would’ve called them, not gone to a truck stop to hitchhike from New York to Maryland, putting herself in more danger by getting in a rig with a stranger.
I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t care what’s happening beyond she’s safe and you’re gonna keep her that way. ”
With each word Troy spoke, my chest tightened.
Red marks around her neck.
The makings of a swollen cheek.
Hitchhiked.
Oh, yeah, my chest was burning and my lungs were on fire when I spat, “She’s safe and she’s gonna stay that way.”
“Theo…” Bridget whispered.
My eyes skidded to her. Her arms were still crossed over her chest but she was now shrinking into herself.
Fuck no .
“You’re safe, baby, yeah? You know I’ll keep you safe.”
Without hesitation she nodded.
I went back to studying the man who’d brought her to me and made a decision.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Then I tacked on, “I think you understand there’s more going on here than a woman who was simply attacked. You calling the police will put her in more danger than you can imagine.”
“I got that within the first hour I had her with me,” he confirmed.
“Where’s your stuff?” I asked Bridget.
“I only have this.” She pulled the strap of the backpack she was wearing.
Christ .
I bit back the curse, opting to move the conversation forward.
“We’ll walk you out,” I told Troy and opened the door.
I waited until Troy passed me before I looked back at Bridget.
“Come here.”
Bridget closed the space between us and stood in front of me with her eyes cast up.
I wasn’t sure which I saw more of: fear or relief.
I chose to focus on the relief and what that said.
It would take me a few days to wipe away the fear but that was priority number one.
After that I’d contemplate the reasons why she ran to me and not her contact and the Marshal service.
But I’d already made up my mind about one thing—this time I wasn’t letting her go without a fight.