It was a little after two in the morning when a car pulled up the lane. He shot to the window and peered out. Was that Karl? It was too dark to see, but who else would it be? The grating noise of the garage door opening seemed overly loud in the silent house. Jonathan walked out of the office.
A minute later, the door connecting the kitchen to the garage opened up. Stacy walked in, her dark brown hair starting to escape from the bun at the nape of her neck. She held the door open. Karl walked through the open door and flashed her a tired smile as he passed her. He was carrying a sleeping Bethany against his chest. Tyler was startled by the surge of jealousy that shot through him. That should have been him carrying her. Immediately, he felt ridiculous. The man was protecting his daughter, after all. He should feel grateful, not jealous.
His attention shifted to the woman who had entered behind Karl.
Annie.
Even exhausted and scared, she was beautiful. Her hair was shorter than it had been the last time he’d seen her, brushing her shoulders in straight waves. But it was still a lustrous deep brown with hints of red in it. And her eyes... He’d never forgotten those toffee-brown eyes. Eyes that were guarded as they met his.
He’d hurt her badly during their marriage. How could he expect her to understand, much less forgive him?
“Tyler.” Just that one word, said in a voice devoid of emotion, told him that forgiveness wouldn’t come easy. As she stepped farther into the room, she swayed once.
Jonathan moved forward. “Annabelle. We can talk in the morning. I have you and Bethany in a room in the back.” He led them away, glancing back once at Tyler sympathetically.
Tyler was left standing alone. He was always alone.
But at least he could sleep now.
* * *
The next morning, Tyler was reunited with his daughter. Unlike her mother, Bethany was overjoyed to see her daddy. She was a little shy at first, hanging back. A tight sensation crept into his chest. She didn’t know him. Why should she? After a few minutes, though, her natural curiosity and her happiness at seeing her father overruled her bashfulness. His heart melted as the bright child snuggled up to him and told him all about her two best friends, identical twins who lived down the street, and her excitement to begin kindergarten.
He glanced at Annabelle. She listened, her face strained. She didn’t have to say that she wasn’t pleased with the turn of events. It was clear on her face.
Karl Adams stepped into the kitchen, a fierce frown on his face. Stacy approached Tyler and attempted to persuade Bethany to leave Tyler’s arms. No easy task. The child wanted to stay with her father. Eventually, the marshal succeeded. Holding Bethany’s hand in hers, Stacy led her from the room. Her eyes met Karl’s as she passed him. Something was going on with those two, but Tyler was too concerned about his daughter and Annie to give it much thought. Karl turned his eyes back to meet his. Tyler tensed.
As soon as the child was out of earshot, Jonathan indicated that Karl should go ahead and speak.
“Jonathan, you were right. Barco has put a price on Everson’s head. Every criminal within a hundred-mile radius will be gunning for him.” Karl shifted, his gaze sweeping over Annabelle. “He’s also offered money for Annabelle and the child. Probably to smoke Tyler out of hiding.”
“Can’t you stop it?” Annabelle blurted.
“No, ma’am. Barco has more resources at his disposal than we know about. He has managed to escape capture for years. Every potential witness has been compromised or disappeared. Evidence has disappeared. Plus, he’s always managed to have an alibi. It’s been impossible to prove his guilt. Until now. Which means he’ll be pulling out all the stops to eliminate Tyler.”
The ticking of the clock on the wall was unnaturally loud in the silence.
“What’s going to happen to my daughter and me?”
The quiet whisper from his wife made his heart ache.
Karl answered. “You’re in danger as a result of your association with Tyler. The US Marshals will help you go into the witness protection program, as well.”
* * *
“No.”
Any other time, the sight of all these big men sitting with their mouths open would have been amusing. Right now, she was just trying to keep herself from panicking. It took all her effort to keep the tremors that were making her stomach quake from showing up in her voice.
“Annie—”
“No, Tyler!” She swung back her gaze to her husband. He hadn’t changed much since she’d seen him last. Still handsome. His brown hair was on the longish side, blue-gray eyes that reminded her of the ocean on a cloudy day, and that square jaw, now covered with several days’ worth of whiskers. Once, he could persuade her to do anything. Not anymore. She was through letting him bother her. She was in charge of her life. It was by his own choice that he wasn’t a part of their lives anymore. “I understand that you are in trouble, but that has nothing to do with me.”
“Ma’am.” One of the agents stepped forward. She was so upset, she couldn’t remember the man’s name. “It would be safer for you if you came with us.”
“I’m not going into hiding. I can go on vacation for a bit with Bethany. Leave the area. Then when this all blows over, I can come back.”
“I don’t think—” the man began.
But she was done. “I don’t care what you think. Tyler and I haven’t lived together for three years. He hasn’t been to see us, including his daughter, in over two. If anyone was searching for him, we wouldn’t be the people to go to. I am not disrupting my life again for him. We’ll go to my mother’s house. She lives in Southern Illinois, five hours from where I live. My brother is a cop. He lives a little over ten minutes from her. He can protect us.”
The marshals tried to convince her to change her mind. She wouldn’t budge. Tyler tried to talk with her, too. Every time he moved toward her, she glared at him. Finally, he seemed to get the message. He wasn’t happy about it, but she didn’t care. He’d made his choice when he’d let them go. She quickly squelched any pity she might have felt for him.
They couldn’t hold her against her will. She knew it, and they did, too. Nor could they force her to go into the witness protection program. That didn’t stop them from giving her disapproving frowns. She ignored them all.
Strangely, while their frowns didn’t bother her, Tyler’s silence did. The way his eyes followed Bethany around. He stuck close to his daughter.
Annabelle couldn’t take it. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he really was concerned. A sliver of guilt tried to wedge itself into her mind. Guilt that she was going to be separating a father from his daughter. Maybe forever. She shoved aside the guilt. She didn’t have time for this.
She walked into the kitchen to demand that they either put her and Bethany in a taxi, or take them home.
She never got the words out.
Marshal Mast, who’d insisted she call him Jonathan, leaped to his feet as his phone went off. Not the phone he’d been talking on throughout the day. Annabelle figured that was his work phone. This one had to have been his personal phone. Especially since it was playing a popular song for the ringtone.
“Celeste?” he blurted into the phone.
She watched, amazed, as the calm US marshal paled. Her brow furrowed. Hopefully it wasn’t too serious. Instinctively, she glanced at Tyler to see his reaction. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the marshal. Obviously, he had no clue what was going on, either.
That could have