The man had found her once.Which meant he could do so again.He would never stop coming.Part of her wanted to just throw the drive away and pretend she didn’t have it.Maybe cast it into the ocean, then no one could have it.If she did that though, it wouldn’t stop others from coming after her for it.She wouldn’t have a bargaining chip.As Jack had said, she’d be on the run for the rest of her life.Always looking over her shoulder.
Getting rid of the drive wouldn’t change anything.They would just kill her for spite.She had to keep it safe.
Andrea hummed when Jack’s fingers stroked through her hair.It wasn’t a sexual gesture but a calming, sweet one.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” he husked before she felt soft lips at her temple.
“Morning.”She cracked her eyes open to see light filtering into the room.The curtains blocked out the worst of it.
“How did you sleep?”
“Like the dead.”She chuckled then gasped at what she had said.How could she be so careless?Her sister hadn’t even been dead for one day, and she was making dead jokes.
Jack’s arms tightened around her.“It’s okay.”
“It’s not.How could I be so thoughtless?”
“You’re not.A slip of the word.It happens.”
His words did nothing to ease her guilt.“I’m a horrible sister.”She had just left her sister there.Though logically, she knew there was nothing she could have done for her.
“You’re not,” Jack reassured again.“Leaving her behind feels wrong, but there wasn’t anything you could do to help her,” he explained, repeating her thoughts as if he had plucked them from her brain.“Why are you in witness protection?”Jack asked softly, his fingers continuing to run through her hair.
Andrea clamped her mouth shut.It was a secret she had guarded for seven years now.But what was the point anymore?He might as well know.It wasn’t like Andrea had anyone to protect anymore.
“We agreed you’d ask your questions, and then I’d ask mine,” he prompted when she remained silent.
“I don’t recall actually agreeing,” she griped, stalling, hoping to find a way to talk around the subject.It wasn’t something she’d ever discussed with anyone.
“So you get to ask your questions and leave me in the dark?”Jack continued on, not giving her a chance to respond.“I want to help you, Andrea, but you have to meet me halfway.”
“It has nothing to do with my sister’s killer.We should focus on the drive.”
“And we’ll get to the drive, but I think I should learn some background information.Learn something about you.I know so little.It won’t hurt you to let someone in.”
“Someone who lied to me to get close for my answers?”she quipped.
Jack’s lips pinched as if in irritation.“I already apologized for that, and I told you my reasons, but everything I said about me and growing up was real.”
There was no getting around the subject.He was just going to keep pushing until he got what he wanted.“Very well, but I can’t have this conversation like this.”She felt vulnerable lying in bed naked.Pushing out of bed, she quietly got dressed.Her only option was to put Jack’s clothing back on.
As comfortable as they were, she needed real clothes, and a bra wouldn’t be remiss.She glanced over at Jack to see him getting dressed as well.He put on cargo shorts and a dark grey tank top.Of cours,e he would have multiple outfits here if this was his safehouse.
She had nothing, not even the clothes she’d arrived in anymore because they had been covered in blood.
“How about we have this conversation in the living room?”Jack offered.“I can make some breakfast, or I have coffee and tea.”
“I’m not hungry, but coffee would be amazing.”
“You got it.”Jack stepped past her and disappeared down the hallway.She could hear him moving around the kitchen.Getting dressed only took a moment since she only had two things to put on.It was too warm for the hoodie, so she only had the shirt and sweats on.Though the sweatpants were rolled up above her knees.
She headed into the bathroom for her morning absolution and brushed her hair and teeth.Her hair was a tangled mess, and it took her a few minutes to get all the knots out.She couldn’t hide in here all day, so she stepped out, knowing she couldn’t delay this conversation any longer.
It wasn’t that it was a bad story, she was just a personal person, and WITSEC had stressed the importance of guarding her secret.She had kept her life private for so many years it felt strange to tell someone now.Especially a government agent sent to extract all of her secrets, though it was supposed to be Holly and not her.
But if she could help in any way to bring those who’d killed Holly to justice, she owed it to her sister and everyone she had hurt over the years.
Jack handed her a plain white coffee mug.“I don’t have any creamer but powdered stuff.But it’s loaded with sugar.”
