deal with that the whole way
here," he muttered. "She isn't easy to… well, she's too easy, that's the
problem."
Emily felt a giggle bubble up her throat and tried to stifle
it unsuccessfully. After a few more steps, she stopped, realizing he wasn't
next to her anymore. She looked back and he was standing a few feet behind her
with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Staring at her.
"Is everything okay?" she asked and started to
look around, wondering what had shocked him so much.
His mouth snapped shut and he closed his eyes and shook his
head, his shaggy hair falling over his forehead. "Um, yeah, sorry. I just…
nothing. I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't very professional," he
mumbled and she swore she saw a slight pink tint his cheeks, but he walked
passed her too quickly for her to confirm it.
She understood he must feel guilty, but she was glad he had
said it. The humor had made the tightness in her shoulders ease a little.
They waited only five minutes before her two bags appeared.
Conall had immediately taken them from her and led the way out the terminal
doors. Julia was walking beside her and shooting daggers with her eyes, but
Emily didn't give her any indication she was aware of it. People like that fed
off of a response and seeing as how she wouldn't be around much longer, Emily
didn't feel like egging her on.
They arrived at the short term parking area and stopped at a
big silver truck that looked brand new. She had never owned a new car let alone
been inside one.
Conall lifted her bags into the bed and she watched the
muscles in his arms flex while a tingle of longing crept through her chest. It
had been so long since she had been with a man and she missed the feel of
strong arms surrounding her and keeping her safe. That was the excuse she kept
giving herself at least. She was 26 years old and there was no reason to be
gawking at the man like that. He was obligated to spend time with her and as
far as she knew, that time wouldn't be spent watching the calendar move closer
and closer to the trial. Deputy Ross had made her feel comfortable, but she
never forgot her circumstances. Not for one single second.
The stress had been overwhelming and a part of her had been
hoping those men would succeed in taking her away just to give her a break from
the constant worry.
She pushed the thought out of her head because it didn't
belong there. This wasn't about her and never would be. She had a job to do and
nothing was going to stop her from doing it. She just wanted her brother safe.
She wanted her family back.
Conall opened the door to the backseat for Julia and the
look on her face was priceless. After all the boasting she did on the plane, it
seemed she didn't handle rejection as well as Emily thought. She climbed in and
without a moment's hesitation, he slammed the door behind her as if to say
'Good riddance'.
He moved to the front passenger door and opened it, but she
didn't move from her spot. She just couldn't get her feet to approach the truck
and he watched her warily for a few seconds.
"You alright, Emily?"
He said her name familiarly, like it belonged on his tongue,
and it made her all the more afraid to go through with this fiasco. How much
time would it take before she spilled her guts? One simple look from him and
she knew all her secrets would scatter out in front of her. She could feel it
in her bones.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just…" She took a deep breath
and raked her fingers through her blonde hair, pulling through several knots
along the way. She had been such a mess since her brother had called her that
horrible night and it didn't look like the last several weeks of protection had
changed anything.
She was alone when she talked to the police, she was alone
when she sat through the deposition, and she'd been alone when the ground
beneath her had shifted permanently. The next couple months didn't look too
bright, but for some reason, she didn't think she would feel alone.
here," he muttered. "She isn't easy to… well, she's too easy, that's the
problem."
Emily felt a giggle bubble up her throat and tried to stifle
it unsuccessfully. After a few more steps, she stopped, realizing he wasn't
next to her anymore. She looked back and he was standing a few feet behind her
with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Staring at her.
"Is everything okay?" she asked and started to
look around, wondering what had shocked him so much.
His mouth snapped shut and he closed his eyes and shook his
head, his shaggy hair falling over his forehead. "Um, yeah, sorry. I just…
nothing. I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't very professional," he
mumbled and she swore she saw a slight pink tint his cheeks, but he walked
passed her too quickly for her to confirm it.
She understood he must feel guilty, but she was glad he had
said it. The humor had made the tightness in her shoulders ease a little.
They waited only five minutes before her two bags appeared.
Conall had immediately taken them from her and led the way out the terminal
doors. Julia was walking beside her and shooting daggers with her eyes, but
Emily didn't give her any indication she was aware of it. People like that fed
off of a response and seeing as how she wouldn't be around much longer, Emily
didn't feel like egging her on.
They arrived at the short term parking area and stopped at a
big silver truck that looked brand new. She had never owned a new car let alone
been inside one.
Conall lifted her bags into the bed and she watched the
muscles in his arms flex while a tingle of longing crept through her chest. It
had been so long since she had been with a man and she missed the feel of
strong arms surrounding her and keeping her safe. That was the excuse she kept
giving herself at least. She was 26 years old and there was no reason to be
gawking at the man like that. He was obligated to spend time with her and as
far as she knew, that time wouldn't be spent watching the calendar move closer
and closer to the trial. Deputy Ross had made her feel comfortable, but she
never forgot her circumstances. Not for one single second.
The stress had been overwhelming and a part of her had been
hoping those men would succeed in taking her away just to give her a break from
the constant worry.
She pushed the thought out of her head because it didn't
belong there. This wasn't about her and never would be. She had a job to do and
nothing was going to stop her from doing it. She just wanted her brother safe.
She wanted her family back.
Conall opened the door to the backseat for Julia and the
look on her face was priceless. After all the boasting she did on the plane, it
seemed she didn't handle rejection as well as Emily thought. She climbed in and
without a moment's hesitation, he slammed the door behind her as if to say
'Good riddance'.
He moved to the front passenger door and opened it, but she
didn't move from her spot. She just couldn't get her feet to approach the truck
and he watched her warily for a few seconds.
"You alright, Emily?"
He said her name familiarly, like it belonged on his tongue,
and it made her all the more afraid to go through with this fiasco. How much
time would it take before she spilled her guts? One simple look from him and
she knew all her secrets would scatter out in front of her. She could feel it
in her bones.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just…" She took a deep breath
and raked her fingers through her blonde hair, pulling through several knots
along the way. She had been such a mess since her brother had called her that
horrible night and it didn't look like the last several weeks of protection had
changed anything.
She was alone when she talked to the police, she was alone
when she sat through the deposition, and she'd been alone when the ground
beneath her had shifted permanently. The next couple months didn't look too
bright, but for some reason, she didn't think she would feel alone.