He scoffed and shook his head at me, his eyes wandering to take in the space around us.
“Look kid, I know you’re just upset and trying to find someone to blame. So, fine. You can blame me. But you’re the one who requested to live here.”
“Because I trusted you when you told me that it wasn’t a risk worth worrying about. Clearly, I shouldn’t have trusted your judgement. And that was my second mistake. The first was letting Nguyen force me into WITSEC when she dragged me out of Eden. No. No, the first was letting her talk me into informing for her in the first place.”
Bradley ignored me and stepped into the kitchen, opening the fridge. He leaned down, perusing his choices for food and drink.
“Don’t try and act like this was your idea,” he chuckled as he pulled out a can of Coke Zero from the fridge and straightened up. “To blame me. I know Sarah told you that you had options. But Sarah hasn’t been a US Marshals Officer for twenty-three fucking years. You really think I’d do that to you, kid?”
I shrugged, my hand gripping the gun a little too tightly. I moved to set it down on the counter before I did something stupid. Bradley eyed my movements before shrugging.
“Fine, it was a bad call for you to move here when there was a chance that someone you knew would move here too. But it was areallyfucking slim chance that of all the places the military would send him they would send him here. Plus, we had no clue if he was going to reenlist or be moved from his first duty station in Florida.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “There were a lot of factors, and you were excited about this location. Ijust wanted you to have a fighting chance at a decent life. And I wanted you to be happy, Emory.”
“Happy?” I scoffed, shaking my head. “Well, I’m not. And I’m wondering if all of this has been worth it.”
“All of what? The deal with the FBI? Emory, your testimony would have been critical in obtaining a capital punishment for several Los Siete members, including one of their leaders, Carlos Solis. That should be fucking worth it.”
“Should it?”
He tilted his head, giving me a sad smile. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve had to go through. I’m sorry that this kid showed up here and ran into you. I’m sorry that you’ll have to start over again. But I’m not sorry for keeping you safe and alive for almost three years. There’s a damned good reason you were put into the program. You got lucky.Lucky, Emory. Do I need to remind you of how you ended up here?”
I sighed, shaking out my achy hands and stepped back until I was leaning against the wall.
“Do you even know what today was?”
Bradley pulled off his cap and rubbed a hand over his sandy-brown hair. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.”
“Today marksexactlythree years since the FBI ‘rescued’ me and forced me into your hands. Three fucking years, Bradley. So, why don’t I don’t feel free? Why do I feel like I just swapped one prison for another?”
Bradley took a deep breath, cracking open his soda and taking a long drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave me a stern look.
“Do I look like the FBI? I didn’t force you to sign a legally binding contract. A contract that stated you owed them testimony in court against any Los Siete members the attorney general saw fit in exchange for a place in the Witness Protection Program. All I did was get assigned as your case handler. So,please. Don’t make me look like the bad guy. I have only ever had your best interests in mind.”
“Best interests? I’m fucking sick of men telling me they have my best interests in mind. Because you clearly fucking don’t! I’m fucking done, Bradley! I’m done hiding, I’m done waiting for these ‘threats’to my life to finally catch up to me!”
He nodded, blowing out a breath and mirroring my stance, leaning against the counter behind him.
“Listen, Em. I understand that it might feel safe because you’re not involved anymore. But those people are still out there. Los Siete is still an active criminal organization. They didn’t break a sweat over losing one of their leaders and some inner circle members. And that cult you went ‘missing’ from, you are still a missing person to them.”
I shook my head. “Then what’s the fucking difference whether or not I stay in or I get out and keep living as Emory Crawford? Is moving me really going to make a fucking difference when everyone who knew me in the gang is fucking dead already?!”
Bradley pointed at me. “And that’s my point, Emory. Do you hear yourself? They weremurdered. All of them. Every single member the FBI arrested along with every single key witness, except foryou. You think Los Siete doesn’t know that you’re still a lose string out there?” My stomach tightened but I ignored the anxiety. “And that cult. The file I have about your time there shows that the FBI did in factrescueyou. You think they won’t want you back in their clutches when they find out your location?”
I took a deep breath, resolute in my decision. “I don’t fucking care, Bradley. Staying in WITSEC, moving, starting overagain,is going to be the end of line for me. I won’t do it anymore, I won’t let someone else dictate my future again, and Idon’t care if it gets me killed. I’m not really living anyways. This is my life. I’m taking back control. I want out.”
Bradley stared at me in thought. He took another sip of his drink before raising his brow.
“It’s not just your life, Emory. You stay here, you get involved with that kid, you’re going to put him at risk too,” Bradley said.
Maybe, but I wasn’t planning on staying involved with him. This was the end. Tonight. It would finally be over.
Bradley sucked his teeth, nodding his head slowly as he digested everything I’d told him.
“Can you at least wait a few hours before you make this decision?” he asked, with something that looked like sadness on his face. “Let me see if this kid has told anyone yet. I don’t want you to sign the paperwork and then not be able to go back when you realize he outed you. Because once you leave, Em…you will not receive any additional assistance from the Witness Protection Program. You understand? I won’t be here to help you. I won’t be able to get you out if shit hits the fan. If Enoch opens his mouth and gets you into trouble, you’ll have to rely on local police. Which would put you on the map for everyone from your past to find you. Are you ready for that?”
I sniffed, nodding softly.
“He wouldn’t do that. Even if he hates me, he wouldn’t put my life in danger. What…what are you going to say?”
