Chapter One
The next four words to leave his mouth would obliterate a life. Four words every US marshal hated saying. Four words every person in the witness security program dreaded hearing.
“You’re in imminent danger,” Aiden Yazzie said, closing the last set of kitchen blinds, muting the bright April sun. He turned and met Eugene Potter’s terrified face.
The urgency of the situation was spelled out in big, bold letters across the bulletproof vests of Aiden’s four-man special operations team, the CAR-15 rifles strapped across their backs and the tactical, turbo-charged vehicle with blacked-out windows parked in front of the suburban Palisades home. When the US Marshals Service identified a need for extraordinary measures, it was the Special Operations Group—SOG—that answered the call.
The sixty-two-year-old man staggered back and sat on a stool at the counter. “But how?” He ran a shaking hand through his thinning gray hair. “I’ve been so careful. How was I blown?”
Aiden exchanged a glance with his partner and best friend, Charlotte “Charlie” Killinger. The answer to Eugene’s question had the entire Justice Department in an uproar, had tarnished the impeccable reputation of their San Diego field office and sent the SOG scrambling.
Eugene had a right to know, along with the other unsuspecting individuals in the program that’d been compromised in the Pacific Coast region, but the reason was classified.
In typical Killinger fashion, Charlie redirected. “If you want to live, we have to relocate you again. Immediately.”
“I—I can’t.” Eugene’s mouth hung open, and his eyes blinked rapidly. “My wife is at work.”
Aiden stepped up beside the trembling man. “We’re prepared to pick her up before we head to the Safe Site and Protection Center. At the SSPC, you’ll both be briefed.” He put a hand on the older man’s shoulder. Tension coursed through Aiden. Each minute they spent in the house endangered Potter. “We should leave now.”
“You don’t understand.” Eugene shook his head. “We’ve only been married six months. I followed procedure. Sharon doesn’t know who I really am or the things I’ve done.” Despite the air-conditioning that matched the temperate SoCal weather, a sweat broke out on his brow. Propping an elbow on the counter, he wiped his forehead with the heel of his palm.
“It’s good you followed protocol. Smart,” Charlie said in a clipped tone, flicking a look at her watch. “I’ll explain why you couldn’t have disclosed the details.”
Those in WITSEC left everything behind, buried the old version of themselves and were instructed never to share the truth or their past with anyone. Not even a new spouse.
In the event of an ugly divorce, the secret could be divulged out of revenge.
Starting a marriage based on lies was brutal. But not as brutal as a bullet to the head.
Following the rules kept people alive and no witness who’d done so had ever been killed. It was Aiden and Charlie’s job to make sure that didn’t change.
“She’ll know I lied to her!” Eugene’s face snapped up. “She’ll question everything. My love. Our marriage.” His gaze flew to the photo gallery above the breakfast nook. Family memories featuring young children adorned the wall. “Sharon will never leave San Diego. Her four kids are here, six grandbabies. Cindy, her youngest, is pregnant with her first. I thought I’d be here for the rest of my life. It’s the reason I married her, allowed myself to become part of the family. You people promised that after I testified and got settled, I’d be fine.” His features twisted in pain, his eyes brimming with tears. “I’m going to be sick.” He jumped to his feet and ran into the hallway bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
“What’s taking so long?” Johnny Torres asked over the comms device in their ears.
He and Dale Banks were the other two tactical marshals assigned to the high-priority detail. They were covering the front and rear of the house.
“The dynamic duo should’ve had this wrapped up by now,” Dale said, his tone caustic.
Aiden rolled his eyes. He and Charlie were indeed dynamic together. They were the best SOG operators in the unit. Smack talk came with the territory. Under normal circumstances he would’ve enjoyed it, but after taking a wrecking ball to a man’s life, he wasn’t in the mood.
Charlie met his gaze. Those sapphire-blue eyes of hers were hard as gemstones. Held an incisive gleam that never dulled. With blond hair cut in a sleek bob, her fair skin and icy veneer, she was stunningly good-looking, and called the snow queen by the other guys.
To Aiden, she was more of a Viking warrior ready for battle. She was simply spectacular.
She toggled her earpiece. “If we want your opinions, we’ll give it to you. Torres, start the car. We’re leaving the wife behind and heading straight to the SSPC.” She disconnected.
After Torres gave a curt acknowledgment over comms, Aiden asked her, “Isn’t that premature? Mr. Potter might want to try to convince his wife to go with him.”
“Did you take a gander at that?” Charlie hooked her thumbs in her gun belt and inclined her head toward the picture-perfect wall of photos. “Each person is an anchor, weighting his new bride to her old life. He never should’ve been foolish enough to fall in love and buy into some fairy-tale ending. A clean break is best.”
“It takes courage to love.” Aiden strode up to her, bringing them face-to-face. Their eyes locked. “Don’t knock it until you’re brave enough to try it.”
Charlie slinked closer, sexy as sin, and hoisted her chin like a gladiator, quickening his pulse. They would’ve been nose to nose if he didn’t have a good six inches on her.
“What you call bravery, I see as delusion.” Her voice was low and cold but heated his skin.
For a second, he was tempted to lower his head and kiss her. Melt her glacial facade with all the red-hot passion burning in his veins that wasn’t professional or platonic, but restraint bred from lots and lots of practice had become one of his virtues.
When he made his move, it had to be the right time and place. He didn’t want to be one of Charlie’s lovers who had the shelf life of bread. He wanted to be the love of her life.
“Leaving Mrs. Potter behind with a clean break isn’t our decision to make,” he said.
“Nevertheless, Tweedledee and Tweedledum outside have a point. This is taking too long. We agreed that we’d be in and out in ten minutes.”
Aiden didn’t need to check his watch to instinctively know they’d been inside for six. Already his gut agreed with Charlie. They’d been there too long.
“You still have that bad feeling?” she asked, her hand resting on the gun on her hip.