Witness in the Dark (Love Under Fire #1)(72)

“Let’s go,” she said when she got to the desk.

Garrett hopped up and turned back toward the office. “Does he want to see me?”

“No. He said you’re still responsible for my safety.”

“I am?”

“Unless you’re too busy…” She glanced at the blonde, who was still smiling at him. “Or you don’t want to.”

“No, I’m ready.” He looked around as if expecting it to be a trick, but nevertheless, he followed her out to the car. “I thought he would reassign me.”

“He was going to, but I told him I preferred to keep you.”

“You did?” Garrett’s eyes widened.

“You’ve protected me so far. I don’t have it in me to start over with someone else.”

“That’s the only reason?” he asked. His voice hinted at another meaning.

“That, and because you do the right thing.” She looked at him, allowing her expression to turn steely.

“Sam—”

“How’s your arm?” she interrupted. She didn’t want to hear his reasons for lying to her.

“Good. Angel restitched it.” He pulled up his sleeve to show the perfectly spaced knots.

“She did a much better job,” Sam said. “Are the two of you friends?”

“She’s like a sister to me.” After Sam spared him a dubious look, he elaborated. “Our team…we’re like a family. When you count on people, put your life in their hands time and again, your relationship goes beyond being coworkers. Your dad is our boss, and while he might come off like a gruff asshat much of the time, he cares. I know he cares about you. If you give him a chance, you’ll see that, too.”

She didn’t know how to feel about that. The man was playing father to a team of deputy marshals instead of being her dad. She felt a twinge of jealousy that Garrett and the other marshals knew her father, and she didn’t.

At least not yet. She would have a chance to know him. If she allowed it. That was more than she’d ever expected to have.

“So, Task Force Phoenix?” Even the name sounded dangerous.

“He told you?”

“I think he’s trying to make it up to me for lying about every single thing in my life.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Yeah, I’m on the team.”

“He said everyone on his team had to start over. Is your name really Garrett?”

“Yes. I didn’t lie to you about that. I didn’t need to change my identity.” He frowned but kept his eyes on the road. After a few minutes he finally spoke again. “When I got out of the Marines I was in a really dark place. I had no family. My friends had moved on with their lives. They were married with kids and homes and I…I lost my shit when someone made a loud noise.”

She wanted to reach out, but didn’t.

“Your father showed up out of the blue, and asked me if I wanted to join his team. He might have saved my life. I’m not sure how much more I could take. He gave me a new purpose. But because no one knew me, it didn’t matter that I kept my name. No one would look for me. No one cared enough to wonder where I went.”

He had listened to her complain about having to give up her life. When he hadn’t had a life to give up. Shame kept her from saying anything.

“Thanks for keeping me around,” Garrett said. “I still can’t believe he didn’t kill me after he found out what happened between us.”

“I told him it was all my fault. You shouldn’t get in trouble because I chased after you.”

“That’s not exactly how it happened.” Garrett smiled and looked over at her.

She rested her head against the window and watched the trees flicking past. The brown flashes went by so quickly they were dizzying. Kind of how things had been with Garrett—it had all happened so fast she wasn’t able to focus on any of it at the time.

And now it was gone.

“You’ve been through a lot today, huh?” he said gently. “You found out you have a dad. If you need to cry, or talk, I’m here.”

She gave him an incredulous look. Yeah, maybe when hell froze over.

“What does it matter?” she said evenly. “Everything I thought I knew about my life was a lie. My mother was probably an alien, and my favorite teacher probably runs a drug cartel. What good would talking do?”

He didn’t answer. He tightened his grip on the wheel and kept his eyes on the road.

Smart man.

When they got to the new safe house, she stalked to her room and went straight to bed.

She woke the next morning to find Garrett sitting at the end of her bed watching her. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Trying to think of something to say to make this right again.”

Her heart squeezed. “Don’t say anything. You told me we meant nothing and had no future. You were honest and up front. You warned me, fair and square. You’re not to blame. I’m the one who made more of us than was really there. No hard feelings.”

Yeah. He’d told her it wasn’t real.

She just hadn’t realized how very true that was.





Chapter Fifty-Seven


No. Things between them weren’t okay, Garrett thought as Sam quickly stood and left her room.