Witness Protection (Defenders of Love Book 1) (3 page)

"No problem," she replied. "Most of the girls in this school are pretty snobby but there are a few of us that are okay."

"Well, I think you are more than okay. You have a good night now."

"You too, Mr. Smith. See you tomorrow! It will be a much better day, I am sure of it." She turned on a patent leather heel and practically skipped her way to the door.

A bright burst of natural light beckoned to him.

Logan wasn't used to being building bound all day long. The echo of footsteps was getting louder. He needed to get out of there before he had another run in with Lucy. He was not prepared to deal with her and was in no mood to put in any effort. He had to go home and

make a plan—he needed an ally in the building, and she intrigued him. Hoisting his bag up on his shoulder, he headed to the door and burst from the building like a convict on a jailbreak. The sun felt good on his face and lightened his soul immediately. Forgetting why he was in a rush, he made his way to his Jeep slowly, enjoying the Virginia skies, as bright and blue as any he had ever seen.

Unfortunately, Logan did not escape another meeting with Lucy. She caught up with him in the parking lot just as he was about to climb into the driver's seat of his Jeep.

Her tone was haughty as she spoke. "Mr. Smith, that is my parking place. I would greatly appreciate it if you did not park there in the morning."

He looked down at her from where he stood on the running board of his vehicle. The extra height probably made him imposing, but he didn't care. It was the effect he was going for. Two could play her cold and distant game. "I'm so sorry,
Ms. Taylor
. Being new here and all, I had no idea faculty parking was assigned. Sister Katherine did not mention it to me. I will be sure to speak with her in the morning and have my own space assigned to me."

Lucy's cheeks turned a bright crimson as she stammered. "Well...uh...spots aren't exactly...well...assigned. It's just that I always park there."

"Oh, so you have control issues." The words

just slipped out. They were meant to tease but Lucy obviously wasn't amused.

"I do not!" She actually stamped her foot for emphasis, which made Logan laugh. She looked so darn cute, with her hands on her hips and eyes flashing.

Logan just flashed a crooked smile and nodded. He liked her. A lot. She would be a tough cookie to crumble but he had plenty of time to feel out Ms. Taylor. It could take months to crack a drug ring. Months he just might find enjoyable with such a challenge teaching in the room right next to his.

"I will most definitely park somewhere else tomorrow, Lucy. Enjoy your evening." Before she could express her annoyance, Logan closed the door and started his Jeep. He watched her in his rear view mirror as she watched him leave the parking lot. As he pulled out of the lot, she finally dropped her hands from her hips and climbed into her own little sedan. He couldn't help but wonder how she would look riding in the passenger seat of his Jeep, top off and her blonde hair blowing in the wind. He'd bet she was a woman who didn't mind getting a little bit dirty. She looked as out of place in her teacher clothes as he did in his.

Logan sighed and turned his attention to the road. The mountain highways held a lot of turns and curves, and St. Mary's set atop a ridge that overlooked a deep valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He would have plenty of time that evening to contemplate everything. Beyond her killer figure and that long sexy hair, there was something in her eyes that he couldn't explain. Lucy Taylor had secrets. Secrets he might like to spend a little time trying to figure out.

Chapter Three

Logan James was irritating.

Beyond
irritating.

He was downright arrogant.

Sure, he was handsome with his broad chest and narrow waist, bright blue eyes and lopsided smile, but the shaggy hair on his head needed shearing, and his attitude needed a real adjustment. Lucy couldn't stand cocky men. New York, especially the police department, was full of arrogant men. It was the number one reason she had volunteered to go undercover in the Ricci case—to prove herself. Too bad she screwed it up so royally.

Apparently, when you refuse a proposal from the boss's son, you lose your good graces with the whole family and have no choice but to go into hiding.

But, hey, now she got to live in some podunk town in the Blue Ridge Mountains and share her parking space with the annoying Mr. Smith. What more could a girl ask for?

No, she wasn't bitter. Not one little bit.

Her cell phone rang loudly in her purse causing Lucy to jerk the wheel of her car violently. When would she stop reacting so hard to such innocent sounds?

Grabbing the cell, she took a deep breath to settle her nerves before she spoke.

"Hello?"

"Lucy? It's Mulholland." Her witsec agent. Damn it. If Jack Mulholland was calling her something was up. Something not good. Not good at all.

"What's up, Jack? Haven't heard from you in months."

"Unfortunately, this isn't a social call."

She groaned. Mulholland never made social calls but to have him be so frank about it unnerved her. "So, what sort of call is it then?"

"Salvatore Junior is on the move. Word is he didn't take kindly to being rejected and not having the chance to redeem his honor with your untimely demise. From what I gather, he's convinced you are still alive so he hired some big shot private detectives to look for you. There's been a lot of activity on your old name."

Her old name, Angelina Ferrara, sounded odd to her even now as she tossed it around in her mind. That girl was so far gone from who she had become as Lucy Taylor; she no longer recognized the green eyed brunette in her memory.

"So, have they found me yet, Jack?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Mulholland wouldn't have called if there wasn't some concern for her safety.

"I don't rightly know, Luce. I'm looking into it, but I thought you needed a heads up, just in case. So watch your back. The Riccis have put a hit out on you. You haven't told anyone who you are, have you?"

"Of course not!" Anger and indignation at his accusation colored her words.

"I didn't think so. Really, I didn't. I just had to

ask to be sure. We've never had a better charge in the program than you, Lucy. I'm so sorry the news wasn't better."

She sighed heavily. "Honestly, Jack, the only thing that surprises me is that it took Sal this long to make a move. He was not at all happy with me when I refused his ring."

"Well, girl, you just watch your step and you call me if anything—and I mean
anything
out of the ordinary happens, okay?"

"I will. I promise."

"Good girl. I'll be in touch."

The line went dead. Salvatore Ricci Jr. was looking for her. It was only a matter of time before he found her. Sal always got his way and his father's crime contacts were as deep and far reaching as the roots of a hundred year old oak tree.

At least one thing worked in her favor. Sal had a sick sense of humor. He liked to toy with people like a cat tortures a mouse before pouncing on it and killing it. She would become his prey. He would take his time; enjoy the hunt a little before trying to snuff her out. Plenty of time for her to disappear into witness protection again.

She groaned as she wondered what sort of persona they would cook up for her next time. Nanny? Nun? Oh, wouldn't that be a hoot. Angelina Ferrara, former NYPD detective, undercover as a nun.

Lucy sighed again. She was so tired of being on the run, hiding away from everything she loved. She missed her family, her friends,
her job
. Being a cop was who she was.

Something Lucy—Angelina—had wanted since she was old enough to say the word. If she had had her

way, she would have stayed in the city instead of being forced out. She would have fought the Riccis. Sure, she would have been constantly watching over her shoulder for shadows, checking under her car for explosives, and making sure there were no mysterious "gas leaks" in her apartment, but at least she would have been home in the city where things made sense. Her captain had not even given her a choice.

There was an upside to her predicament. She didn't have to listen to her mother rant and rave any more about not having a house full of
bambinos
and
bambinas
to fill her days as a grandmother. Floria Ferrara had never understood her only daughter's choice to do a menial job like police work. In her mind, Angelina was destined to be a mother and a wife to some Italian businessman—it didn't matter whether the business was legal as long as the babies kept coming. Poor Floria must be a real mess losing her only daughter. According to Jack, the world thought she had died at the hands of the Ricci family. If they already thought she was dead, no one would miss her if one of Sal's goons got his hands on her.

Lucy cursed the whole Ricci family as she drove down the quiet Virginia road. In time, the aggravation simmered to a low boil, and she began to relax a little, taking in her surroundings.

Although she missed the excitement and familiarity of the city, the Blue Ridge Mountains were stunning in the late afternoon light. She watched the haze of fall circle around the distant peaks as she made her way to her little rental house on the lake. It wasn't

her parent's fancy place in the city, but it was cute and cozy, and she felt safe there.

The loud roar of an engine pulled Lucy from

her reverie. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she caught sight of a dark colored SUV with darkly tinted windows bearing down on her.

"You need to slow down, buddy," she muttered as she tried to gauge the other vehicle's speed, but it was coming up on her at an alarming rate. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Lucy ran through her options. She didn't have many.

Her little car had an engine about as powerful as a hamster wheel. There was no way she was going to outrun the truck that was accelerating with lightning speed. On one side of her was a deep ravine, the other the steep slope of a mountain towered high and tree covered. The steering wheel shook violently as she pushed her little car to its limits, sheer adrenaline keeping her focused on the winding road. As she rounded a sharp curve, the back tires spun and fishtailed out from behind her. The tiny car shook violently as Lucy struggled to maintain control. The SUV caught up with her then, ramming into her rear bumper. The car groaned but held on. Lucy spun the wheel to make the next sharp curve, all the while her eyes searched for a way off the dangerous mountain highway. Another crash from behind jolted her car forward with such force Lucy lost her grip on the steering wheel. The car veered right but she managed to straighten it out before hitting the tree line.

"What the hell do you want with me?" she screamed at the truck in her rearview mirror.

The driver responded by slamming into the back of her car again. Metal ground against metal, gravel flew everywhere, and the car careened toward a thick bank of trees to her left. Straightening the car

once more, Lucy crushed the gas pedal to the floor and

watched as the speedometer climbed quickly. Lucy felt the little rush of excitement she always got in a good pursuit despite the fact that she was the one being pursued.

She whipped around yet another curve, and the SUV caught up with her. Just as she managed to get her little car under control again, the SUV crashed into her back end again with such force Lucy thought her car might shatter there in the middle of the road. The little car veered to the right, aiming straight for the side of the road and the ravine beyond. Lucy tried to regain control but the effort was in vain. She braced herself as the car plowed through thick vegetation, hit something, and started to slide down the steep embankment.

She heard the growl of the SUV's engine roaring away over the revving of her own engine as the tiny car crashed through the underbrush. The car flew over a log and landed on the slick vegetation covering the incline. The car lost its hold on the ground and rolled its way down the slope, finally landing up against the trunk of a large pine tree where the engine died. Lucy's head smacked against the steering wheel knocking her near to senseless. Everything fell deathly silent as she fought to remain conscious.

A loud crack broke the silence. As she watched through the broken windshield, the tree in front of her began to wobble. Blood trailed from her forehead into her left eye blurring her already shaky vision. Rubbing at it with the back of her arm, she used her other hand to desperately claw at the seat belt release.

If she didn't get out of the car, the tree was going to fall right on top of her.

The giant pine swayed once and then began its descent toward Lucy and her crumpled car. Yanking

hard at the jammed seat belt, her head swimming and her stomach churning, Lucy finally freed herself. Just as the tree crushed the roof of her car, like it were nothing more than a tin can, Lucy pulled her body through the opening that used to be the driver's side window.

Cracking wood and crunching metal stirred up a cacophony of birds and small animals protesting the intrusion in their habitat. Lucy lay on the damp moss and rotting leaves, her heart banging against her chest wall. The sound of her pulse racing in her ears muted the sound of the creaks and groans as the tree settled against what was left of her car. Every inch of her body hurt, but her head ached most of all.

"What do I do now?" Lucy called out to the empty forest. For the first time since Jack Mulholland whisked her away in witness protection, she cried.

After a year's worth of anger, fear, and sadness had fallen from her eyes, Lucy wiped away the moisture and forced herself to sit up. Even with no one around to witness it, Lucy was embarrassed at the show of weakness.

The sun was setting; soon the woods would be really dark. It was time to find a way back to the top of the ravine.

Ignoring her pounding head, Lucy grabbed a low hanging branch and used it to pull herself up off the ground. The world spun and tilted, and her legs were shaky, but she managed to remain upright after a couple of tries. When she was confident she wouldn't collapse, she stumbled to her completely totaled car and

peered inside. Her purse—and the cell phone inside—sat on the passenger side floorboard completely out of

reach. The doors were too crushed to open. Tree branches heavy with pine sap poked at her clothes. One

particularly sharp branch caught on her blouse and tore it across the top of her left breast leaving a gaping hole in the fabric and a bright red scratch on the tender flesh beneath.

Lucy cursed, a long string of four letter words that would have made a truck driver blush.

"There has to be away to get that phone. Your life depends on it, lady," Lucy told herself when she had calmed down enough to think straight.

If she could find something to use like a fishing pole to grab her bag, she might be able to drag it out of the car. Searching her surroundings in the quickly waning light, Lucy's eyes settled on a long, thin branch that had broken off the tree when it fell. One end was hook shaped—just right to grab the strap of her bag and drag it closer to her.

Praying the branch wouldn't snap in half, she fed it through the driver's side window a little at a time until the hooked end reached her bag. After a few false starts, she managed to hook the strap and slowly pull it across the console and onto the driver's seat. Her phone was tucked inside the front pocket, right where she always kept it. Her hands shaking, Lucy turned it on and began to dial 911.

No service. Damn it all to hell. Cell service could be shaky out by her lake house, but was she really so far from town now that her phone couldn't even manage a 911 call?

Sighing heavily, Lucy resisted the urge to throw the phone on the ground and stomp on it. If she could find a way to get back up to the road, the phone might have service there.

She just had to find a way to get to the top. Her head ached, but the cut on her forehead seemed to have

stopped bleeding at least.

Tucking her phone into her bra so it would be easily accessible, she pulled the long strap of her bag onto her shoulder and across her body. Scowling at that morning's choice of footwear, Lucy wished she'd chosen a more practical flat over the heel she had on.

She'd have to take her chances. Going barefoot would be dangerous. The heels would have to do. Taking a deep breath to try and calm the nausea churning in her stomach, Lucy began her trek up the ravine.

The terrain was rough, the climb treacherous. She slipped, struggling to find hand and foot holds but she persevered. Lucy wasn't a quitter. If she were, she would have died that last night in the city. No, she wasn't going to live through that and the year and a half that followed only to die alone in the middle of the woods somewhere. She'd make her way back up to the road and call Jack for help. He'd come to her rescue, and they would find out who had just tried to kill her. As if she didn't already know.