Liam's Witness Protection (Man on a Mission 4)

“She’s keeping it together, at least on the surface. I don’t know what she’s feeling inside, but it can’t be good.”

“She’s still planning to testify, right?”

Liam grunted. “Don’t worry. Whatever Alec told her, it must have resonated. So yeah, she’s still planning to testify. No matter the cost.”

* * *

They drove through the night, a night that—thanks to the full moon and the steady stream of traffic—wasn’t all that dark. But it was anonymous, and that’s all Cate cared about. She hadn’t hesitated when Liam told her they had to move on to another safe house. Moving on was something she did on a regular basis, so it wasn’t unusual for her. She’d packed the few clothes and other essentials the Morgans had given her into a small suitcase—also provided by the Morgans. She’d been ready in less than five minutes.

Now, as she watched Liam driving at a steady pace—the speedometer just barely nudging the legal limit—she considered asking him the questions that had been percolating in her mind since his sudden announcement right after receiving the phone call. Who called you? Was it Alec? He’s a witness too, so is he safe? And Angelina. What about my cousin?

But she wasn’t in the habit of asking too many questions. When you started asking questions, people had the unfortunate response of thinking that gave them the right to ask questions in return. And Cate didn’t answer questions. Not as a general rule. The less people knew about her, the less chance there was that Vishenko’s men would find her.

Alec had asked questions. So had the FBI and the men from the US Attorney’s Office. She’d had no choice but to answer those questions. And she would answer any and all questions put to her in court. Honestly. But for some reason she didn’t want Liam asking her questions. Especially about her past—she didn’t want him to know. Anything.

And why is that? a little voice inside her head asked. The answer was one she didn’t want to acknowledge. You don’t want him to think badly of you. But you don’t want him to think of you as a victim, either. You just want him to think of you as a woman. A woman he’s attracted to. Admit it.

“You’re awfully quiet over there,” Liam said. “You okay?”

“Fine. I’m just thinking.”

“Worried about this move?”

She shook her head, but realized his eyes were on the road and he couldn’t see it. “No. Not really. I’m used to it.” I’m used to moving from place to place, she thought. Whenever I got the feeling Vishenko’s men might be close, I always moved on. Why do you think I’m still alive? But she didn’t say any of this to Liam.

The long silence that followed was broken when Liam said, “Cody—my brother-in-law—said the FBI knows about the safe house we were just at. That might not mean anything, but Cody’s a damn good poker player. First rule of thumb—never give away anything, especially an edge. Not if you don’t have to.”

“‘Need to know,’” she said. “I understand.”

“Exactly.”

“So where are we going now?” she asked.

Liam hesitated.

“I do have a need to know,” she said softly, but putting determination behind it. “It’s my life—not only do I need to know, I have the right to know.”

“Okay, yeah,” he agreed finally. “The agency has another safe house in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cody and his boss think we’ll be safer there than at the one in Fairfax.”

“Why?”

He told her. Flat out. Not trying to sugarcoat anything. When he was done she said, “Thank you for being honest with me.” She considered everything he’d said, then asked, “So Vishenko has the FBI infiltrated?”

Liam shook his head. “We don’t know that. It’s only one of several possibilities they’re considering. But in the meantime, the agency doesn’t want to take any chances. Not with you.”

Cate thought of something. “Alec is a witness, like me. And Angelina. Are they being guarded, too?”

She could tell her question bothered Liam somehow—it wasn’t anything he said, just a feeling she got. Is he worried about his brother’s safety? she wondered. As I am?

“Don’t worry. The agency has them in protective custody,” he said curtly. Then he asked, “What do you mean Angelina’s a witness, too?”

“Not a witness in this case—the conspiracy. But she would be a witness against Vishenko if he’s extradited to Zakhar.”

He glanced at her for a second, as if puzzled, then shifted his attention back to the road. “I don’t get it.”