Protecting His Witness (Red Stone Security Series) by Katie Reus Read Free Book Online

after the first year of bouncing around to different temporary safe houses, I was placed in New Mexico. It was really hard at first. I…didn’t adjust well. But eventually I got a job teaching.”
    “They let you teach?” He didn’t know everything about the WITSEC program, but he knew a little. And after Jordan had come to see him a couple days ago he’d tried to research as much as he could. From what he understood, they didn’t always let their entrants stay in the same field they’d been in because it made them easier to track. Especially if their field of expertise was narrow.
    “Yeah. I didn’t at first, but I was finally allowed to. There are so many schools, public and private, it would be almost impossible to track me down that way. Plus I was vigilant about no photos of me ever being posted on the school website. I didn’t even take one with the volleyball team I coached. The first year they didn’t seem to understand, but my girls were amazing. I coached them from the time they were freshmen and by their senior year it was sort of a joke that the coach wouldn’t ever pose for social media photos.” The joy on her face when she talked about her team was vivid. And he was so fucking glad she’d eventually settled in somewhere. He still hated that she’d left without telling him, but the thought of her being miserable carved him up inside.
    “So you taught the junior and varsity team?” She’d loved playing in college. She was too short to ever make a serious team, but she’d played at the beach anytime she could. And she’d looked damn sexy playing in her two-piece suits. Those images were seared into his brain forever.
    “Yeah, the first two years it was the freshmen and sophomores. The varsity coach was retiring so it was like kismet. I just moved up with them and after they all graduated, I stayed with the varsity team. I’d already started coaching the incoming juniors anyway and I just love that age. Everything in life is so fresh and dramatic for them. It was fun watching so many wonderful young women heading off into the world, ready to take anything on.”
    He tightened his grip on her shoulders as they sidestepped a street entertainer playing a guitar on the sidewalk. “You miss them.”
    “Yeah. I’ve stayed in touch with those that I was close with. It’s been pretty freeing to be able to be honest with them now that they know my real name. But enough about me, how is it working for Red Stone? I remember how excited you were to get an offer from them. Is it what you hoped?”
    He stopped at a small restaurant that had an outside patio and glanced at the glassed-in menu on the outside of the hostess stand. “I’ll tell you everything, but first, how does this place look?”
    “Coconut shrimp, pan-grilled barbeque shrimp, lobster, seared tuna…I think I’m in heaven.”
    The joy in her voice and on her face was so open, so real, it was a punch to his senses. He couldn’t believe he’d lived so long without her. With that thought, it brought up the reminder that she’d left him. He didn’t want it to make him angry, but it did.
    “What?” Her smile fell and he could feel her start to emotionally pull away from him even before she tried to step out of his embrace.
    Tried. Because he wouldn’t let her. It was like he physically couldn’t. Vincent tightened his grip and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s grab a table on the patio.” The sign said to seat themselves so he snagged two menus before they headed over.
    He had to decide if he could let his own anger go before he took things further between them. He knew that. Figuring out how to do it was the tough part.

 
    Chapter 4
     
    Jordan couldn’t get over the fact that Vincent was sitting across from her. Over dinner they’d caught up on the last seven years. Of course it wasn’t enough, and she still wanted to know a lot more, but she loved hearing about his life. And she was glad he wasn’t dating someone at