Free Bare Witness by Katherine Garbera Page B

had changed inside her.
    Goddamn Sam Liberty. She knew working with someone from Baron Industries was going to be a mistake. And now she had confirmation it was.
    She was like a robot…no, an actress pretending she was still who she’d been, but that skin had been ripped away, and in its place was someone who didn’t know who she was.
    “Justine?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did you hear what I said?” Anna asked, her accent clipped.
    “Sorry, no. What?”
    “I said we can’t get anyone on the phones and the car has stopped moving. We need to get Nigel to the safe house while we go to the car.”
    “No,” Nigel said. “I’m going after my daughter. If both Constance and your driver aren’t answering their phones, something is wrong.”
    “Exactly,” Anna said, giving her a strong look.
    “Right. Nigel, we can’t keep you safe in an area that may have turned hostile. Let Anna go after the car.”
    “I will not. And I’m tired of talking about it. Let’s go before another minute passes. For all we know, Piper could be in peril.”
    “Fine, we’ll all go, but you need to realize that if you won’t listen to us, we can’t keep you safe.”
    Nigel gave her a hard, cutting look and she knew that something had changed between them. Of course it had.
    “You didn’t keep my daughter safe,” he said.
    “You said the nanny would be protection enough,” Justine said, before realized that she was deflecting. It wasn’t his fault. They should never have allowed him to bring the girl. “Forget I said that. Arguing isn’t going to do us any good.”
    Justine walked to the door and heard Nigel fall into step behind her. She pulled her gun and checked the clip before she opened it. No more rookie mistakes. She was going to be all about the job and forget about the woman Nigel had made her wish she could be.
    “Wait.”
    She shook her head. “There is nothing more to discuss here. Your daughter’s life is in danger and the clock is ticking. I think we both know—
    He jerked her to a stop and she turned, ready to attack, stopping at the last moment as she realized her emotions were running high and she was spoiling for a fight.
    For a fight, or something else physical. Oh, God, she wanted him. This was more than just curiosity about kissing a man. She had serious case of lust for Nigel Carter, and that was what was bothering her the most about Piper’s disappearance.
    She couldn’t impress men the way other women could. Justine knew she had only her skills as a bodyguard to back her up, and she’d let him down.
    She’d failed both Nigel and Piper, and as she pulled free of Nigel’s grip and walked away, she realized she had failed herself.

Chapter Seven
    N igel was frustrated and worried about the women in his life—Piper, Constance, and Justine. Piper was such a big concern that he couldn’t focus on his anger and worry. Instead, he focused on action. Going to Piper, getting her back by his side. Once he did, everything would be okay.
    Constance was a concern only because he knew that she was with Piper and if she wasn’t answering her phone…she would have to be dead. Constance always answered, even if she had a fever of 104 and was on her way to the emergency room.
    Justine…she was the closest woman to him at the moment, and the one he focused on. He had no idea what had happened earlier, and as he sat behind her in the Hummer Utility Vehicle as they drove out of the city of Lima, he let himself dwell on thoughts of Justine. Because if he didn’t, he was going to lose it.
    Piper was way too young to be alone and scared, and every time he thought about his daughter, he started picturing horrible scenarios.
    “Why are we leaving the city?” he asked as the lights of Lima faded in the distance.
    “We are tracking the GPS signal in Jesse’s phone,” Justine said.
    “The house we were to stay at—
    “We know where it was. Something must have gone wrong,” Anna said. She was sitting in the passenger