“I guess the official name is pretty long,” Delaney added. She’d never had to work with children before. “How about we keep it simple and you can call me Delaney?”
Winnie smiled shyly before she burrowed her face into her daddy’s strong shoulder. “Come in,” Bruce said. He turned and walked into the living room with a glance over his shoulder.
The living room took Delaney’s breath away. Thick carpet soft enough that she was sure she could sleep on the floor without a pillow or blanket, a brown leather couch with thick teal blankets adorning each armrest, a wooden coffee table covered in both nonfiction tomes and picture books, and a fireplace at the opposite end of the room. If this was any indication of what the rest of the place was like, the house could serve as her dream vacation spot. Ceiling-high windows on either side of the mantel showcased a yard with a willow tree, an oak tree, sunflowers as tall as her witness, bird feeders and a wooden deck. A hummingbird zoomed up to one of the flowers, stole some nectar and darted away.
“I’m surprised they were able to send someone so soon,” Bruce said, setting Winnie down. His phone vibrated. “Excuse me. My attorney said he’d get in touch and help walk me through this process. My company is in a very fragile state—”
So no one had let him know yet that he’d have to leave all his electronics behind. Did he even know they would need to leave, that they had a safe house waiting for them? She’d yet to see it, but knew without a doubt it would pale in comparison to his home.
Bruce held his phone up. From Delaney’s vantage point she could see his entire screen had turned blue with white letters. Don’t Open Your Mouth.
Delaney spun, assessing the windows and the exits. She locked the front door. “We can’t afford to wait for the rest of the team.” She leaned over furniture as she pulled down all the blinds over the front windows. The windows by the fireplace were without window coverings. “You have less than five minutes to grab a bag for you and your daughter. You’re not safe here.”
Bruce tried to keep his voice light, especially since Winnie stood next to him, but he struggled to keep his temper down. “I’ve spent the entire day away from my daughter. I’ve given the same statement over and over. They must’ve shuffled me around to a dozen people. The police have caught the shooter.”
Bruce didn’t even want to say Andy’s name at the moment. The less he thought about what happened, the better he’d function. Max had been their security guard since Bruce opened the company. He felt a great sense of personal loss at the man’s death, and it was all he could do to keep it together. “Can we take the panic down a notch?”
He paused as he thought about the warning on his phone. If Andy was in jail, then who’d sent the message to his phone? Maybe it was a relative or a girlfriend wanting to make sure her man didn’t stay in prison. Though if that was the case, bringing in the Marshals to watch over them seemed a bit much. Delaney was acting as if he was in immediate, life-threatening danger. “Is there something I don’t know?”
She flashed him a look of pity, but before he could react, her pretty features hardened. “Normally, you would’ve been briefed by the Assistant US Attorney before I showed up, but we’re on an accelerated schedule. Everyone is in catch-up mode. By Monday night, I’m sure all of that will have happened, but for now, you need to know my job is to keep you safe. There is a suspicion that the shooter has ties to a very dangerous group.” She glanced down at the tactical watch on her wrist. “I’m giving you three minutes to grab what you need, or we leave with nothing and my team picks your clothes.”
Bruce pulled his head back at the ultimatum. He could challenge her, but he could already see that she wouldn’t back down. If the authorities thought Andy had dangerous allies, maybe he should get moving.
She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry?”
Her close proximity, gorgeous blue eyes and hushed voice soothed his nerves somehow. He took a step backward and smiled at Winnie. “Honey, go get your Lovey.” While she ran for the blanket she insisted on sleeping with every night, he headed to his room and grabbed his biggest duffel bag. He darted from his dresser to the bathroom to Winnie’s room.
The severity of the situation magnified with each item he threw in the bag. Maybe he should keep his mouth shut, pretend the murder and hacking attempt never happened and let the danger disappear. Though when the police had finally coaxed him and Nancy out of the server room, Max’s lifeless form was still on the carpeted floor, blood pooled around his chest.
Bruce’s limbs grew heavy, despite trying to move quickly. He couldn’t allow a murderer to walk free, and he couldn’t let Nancy take the burden of being the only witness. He had to testify.
He wanted to know which hacking group they suspected of being involved, but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to know. His stress levels were already through the roof.
Delaney stepped into the doorway of Winnie’s room. “I’ve got officers waiting for us outside. It’s time to go.”
Winnie barreled into Delaney’s right leg and squeezed. Bruce blinked in surprise. Winnie never ran to strangers, and she certainly didn’t hug them.
Delaney flinched and stiffened. Winnie looked up and grinned. Delaney kept her head up and pursed her lips, as if she was about to be ill. Most women turned into putty around his adorable daughter, willing to do anything to earn more hugs and smiles from Winnie. Did the government assign him a marshal who hated kids?
Bruce dropped the duffel bag and scooped Winnie up. “You know, she’s usually slow to warm to people. This is her way of letting you know she likes you.”
Delaney frowned but didn’t make eye contact. “Yes, thank you, uh...Winnie.” She spun around and walked down the hallway to the front door while adjusting the hem at the back of her shirt. Bruce hadn’t noticed the outline of a gun before. The reality that danger might be lurking in the trees around his home caused him to squeeze his daughter tighter.
He picked up the duffel bag and adjusted his hold in such a way that the bag mostly hid Winnie from sight. Delaney nodded in approval. “We’ll have you and your daughter covered the whole way, but it’s good to be cautious all the same.” She jutted her chin toward him. “I need you to leave all phones, laptops and tablets here.”
He’d anticipated as much after the phone message, but he had clung to a thin hope that going entirely off the grid wouldn’t be necessary. He set all three of the items she’d listed, along with chargers, on the couch, but she didn’t give him a chance to think further on the matter.
“Someone will be by to pick up your phone. Hopefully we can trace that message.” She waved a hand toward the front door. “It’s time.” She stepped outside and Bruce held Winnie tight as he followed.
Two officers flanked them, walking beside them all the way to the back of a blue Ford Focus. A police officer had apparently already retrieved the car seat from Bruce’s Ram truck in the garage and installed it in the compact four-seater.
He ducked his head to squeeze inside and began buckling in Winnie. The door closed behind him and Delaney hopped into the driver’s seat. “Ready?”
He snapped his own seat belt on. “Ready. I have to say, I didn’t realize the Marshals were so interested in saving gas.”
From the rearview mirror, he could see a lovely pink shade cross her cheeks. “It’s actually my rental car. I just transferred back to the area. An official vehicle will arrive for our use at the safe house.” She pulled away from the curve of the roundabout and drove out of the neighborhood.
Winnie kicked her feet and released a high-pitched whine. Bruce leaned over and examined the harnesses to see if anything was pinching her. “What’s wrong?”
She