Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (christmas read aloud TXT) 📗

“Chelsey, we need to keep you safe.” Duncan’s tone was gentle. “Let’s just take things one step at a time, okay?”

She didn’t like the sound of that.

“Chelsey, I want you to think about what Brett said to you over the past couple of weeks.” Slade gazed at her over the rim of his glass. “We can’t discuss it here, but think about it. Even the slightest detail might help.”

Help what? She wasn’t sure.

Their meals arrived a few minutes later, and Chelsey made time to offer a quick prayer to God before diving in. The tangy barbecue sauce was incredible, and she savored every bite.

They finished eating thirty minutes later. Chelsey had saved half her food and insisted on a to-go bag. The men walked on either side of her as they returned to the motel.

After putting her leftovers in the mini fridge in her room, she joined the guys next door. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember Brett talking about anything recently except for the wedding.”

Slade pinned her with a narrow look. “Nothing about his work with Coyote Creek Construction?”

She frowned. “The company headquarters are in Cheyenne, but they also have a small branch in Jackson. We planned on adding a wing at the Teton Valley Hotel, using Coyote Creek Construction, but nothing else.”

“Nothing about the man he worked for? Anthony Nettles?”

Chelsey slowly shook her head. “Never heard of him. Brett mentioned Kenny Martin—I thought he was the boss.”

“He’s the general manager working under Anthony Nettles,” Slade said. “Have you met Kenny Martin?”

She frowned. “I went to the Jackson office to meet Brett once. He was talking to some guy, and when I asked who he was, Brett said he was Kenny Martin. He was a slender guy, about the same height as Brett, but with thinning dirty blond hair.”

Slade let out a heavy sigh. “Brett never mentioned Anthony Nettles, or anything about being in witness protection?”

“Not a word.” She pushed aside the useless anger. “Is that why you have more marshals coming? To find out who Brett spoke to? He obviously can’t be a witness for you anymore.”

There was a long pause.

“Tell her,” Duncan said in a curt tone.

“We lost a witness in Brett, that’s true. But the problem is that the men who silenced your fiancé are now after you. There’s no easy way to say this, Chelsey, but you’ll be placed in witness protection as soon as possible. For your own safety.”

“I’m—what?” She glanced at Duncan, then back at Slade. “No, that’s not happening.”

“Chelsey, please...” Duncan began, but she shot out of her chair.

“No. I can’t leave my life behind to become someone else!” She yanked the motel door open and headed to her room. Duncan was hot on her heels, and she abruptly swung around to face him.

“Leave me alone. I can’t talk to you right now.”

“Chelsey, please. I understand you’re upset...”

“Upset?” A harsh laugh erupted from her throat. “You have no idea.”

Hot tears sprang to her eyes and she swiped at them impatiently. She should have known this was coming. Should have realized that the gunmen wouldn’t rest until she was dead.

Literally or figuratively.

Duncan’s arms came around her, pulling her into his warm embrace. She wanted to rant and scream and kick, but found herself melting against him. She took several deep breaths, trying to pull herself together.

“I’m sorry,” Duncan whispered.

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

He continued to hold her, smoothing a hand down her back as if she were a child needing comfort. After what seemed like forever, she lifted her head and looked up at him.

Their gazes locked—the world around them grinding to an abrupt halt.

He gently lowered his head to press a chaste kiss on her cheek. But that wasn’t what she wanted. When he lifted his head, she went up on her tiptoes to capture his mouth in a sweet kiss.

This. This was what she’d wanted from the moment Duncan had arrived in Wyoming.

Not to kiss Brett, but Duncan.

EIGHT

Chelsey’s kiss caught Duncan off guard, but that didn’t stop him from deepening the kiss. A tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him that this wasn’t real, that Chelsey’s kiss was a reaction to everything she was dealing with, but another part of him didn’t care.

He’d liked and admired Chelsey when they were younger, but had kept his feelings firmly in the friendship bucket. Then Brett had announced their engagement, which made her off-limits.

Brett was gone, but Chelsey wasn’t ready for this.

And neither was he, although at the moment Amanda’s memory was fading fast.

She broke off from their kiss, her breathing just as erratic as his. He tucked her head beneath his chin and simply held her, without saying anything. His heart ached for what she was facing, through no fault of her own.

After several long moments, he asked, “Are you okay?”

She drew in a deep, ragged breath and nodded. She lifted her head to look up at him. “I have to be.”

“You have every right to fall apart, Chelsey. We can’t be strong all the time.”

Her smile was sad. “God will get me through this. I just have to place my faith in Him. And in the US Marshals Service. It’s just...” her voice trailed off.

“I know.” He understood that giving up the life she’d built wasn’t easy. In fact, he thought this would be the most difficult thing she’d face.

Well, other than running away from bad guys with guns.

“Would you like me to stay with you for a while?” He felt helpless, unable to do anything that might ease her distress over giving up everything to enter WITSEC.

“No, I’ll be okay.” She offered a weary smile. “After all the hiking and lack of sleep over the past few days, I’m looking forward to being in a real bed again.”

He forced himself to loosen his grip and step back. “All right, but if anything changes I’m right next door. Don’t hesitate to come get me.”

“I won’t.” She watched as he turned toward the door.

He glanced over