Free Witness Protection by Barb Han Page B

point.”
    “Damn right,” she said, grateful for the support. “And if you don’t let me be part of the solution, then I’m out of here first thing in the morning. I’ll figure out my own way. I can hide. I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” She wasn’t stupid enough to follow through on the threat. Her options were nil. She had no other leverage.
    “Not a good idea. Promise me you won’t disappear on me,” Nick said. The worry in his tone almost shredded her resolve.
    She had to be strong. Depend on him and she might as well roll up the tent because as soon as this assignment was over, he’d be gone. And she’d be left to pick up the pieces of her life again. Alone.
    She glanced at Boomer.
    Not completely alone. At least she had man’s best friend as comfort. He’d shown himself to be not only a dedicated companion but a force to be taken seriously, as well. No more Scooby Doo nickname for this guy. His new moniker would be Cujo.
    She folded her arms. “Fine. I’ll agree to let you know when I decide to leave. And you owe me a promise, too.”
    “I’ll include you. But you need to remember I’m the professional here. This is my job. I do this for a living and I’m trained. Not to mention I’m damn good at what I do.”
    “I’ve seen that already,” she said. Then felt the need to point out, “We’re alive but someone seems to anticipate our every move.”
    His downturned lips at the corners of his mouth told her everything she needed to know about how much she’d just insulted him. She wasn’t trying to get into a fight. She wanted to be dead clear about her intention to be involved in her own future. She’d relied on the U.S. Marshals Service to keep her alive for the past two years. In that time, she’d also picked up a few survival tricks on her own. She wasn’t as naive as when she’d first joined the program, wide-eyed, believing every word that came out of Charlie’s and his supervisor’s mouths.
    Charlie.
    Her heart still hurt at the thought he was killed most likely because of his involvement with her. If a criminal was powerful enough to get to a U.S. Marshal, what chance did she have? Even with Nick watching her back, there weren’t any guarantees. He’d done an excellent job of keeping them safe so far, but the government wouldn’t pay him to stay by her side 24/7. Surely he had other cases to work on.
    Even if he was dedicated to her, how long before Grimes caught them? His men seemed to be one step behind so far, which blew her mind. Plus, life had already taught her that depending on others brought nothing but heartache.
    “I understand you think my agency let you down. But from where I sit, they’ve also been the one thing that kept you alive.”
    “I won’t argue that. I have a feeling if they’d sent any other deputy, I’d be dead right now and not here in this truck.”
    He ground his back teeth. Didn’t argue.
    Sadie knew she was right. “So, you won’t mind if I take more of an interest in where I go and what I do next.”
    “What I say goes.” Nick palmed the empty coffee cup. “You don’t do anything to get yourself killed.”
    “I’ll agree to consider your opinion but from now on I make decisions for myself. Whether you like it or not.”
    Nick crunched the cup in his hand.
    She made kissing noises at Boomer and he lumbered out of the backseat. “I don’t see the problem with sharing information with me.”
    “Can’t tell you what I don’t know.” Was it frustration deepening his pitch?
    He had a point. Admitting he had no idea where Grimes might strike next seemed to darken his bad mood. Everything was uncertain in her life. “When you do find out where he is and what he’s doing, you have to promise to keep me informed. I get to know everything, including your plans for apprehending him.”
    “As long as you agree not to do anything stupid that could jeopardize your safety or mine,” he whispered, toeing off his shoe at the