Witness Protection 2: The Return of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

by Holly Copella

  Lee slowly sat up, feeling slightly dazed from being thrown down on his lap and the moderately compromising position. She attempted to compose herself, although she could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. As she glanced at Ross, lustful images flooded her mind, and she subconsciously glanced at his crotch. Ross removed his cell phone and sent a quick text to Beck and Zack. When they acknowledged the text, he groaned softly.

  “Hopefully they’re in a position to get Monroe out of there unseen,” Ross announced. “If she sees him, she’ll know you’re somewhere close by. You’d better climb into the back, in case she returns before the guys do.”

  Lee nodded and climbed over the console and into the back. She couldn’t help but stare at Ross’s profile from the seat behind him. At that moment, something stirred inside her.

  †

  Mac entered the lounge with her attention focused on Pinto, who was performing on stage. Mac paused by one of the smaller standing tables near the back, possibly to avoid the bartender seeing her. She’d taken the time to change into a different outfit, so she wouldn’t be spotted and again thrown out by the bouncer. Across the lounge, Monroe remained hidden behind Beck, having switched chairs with Bogart.

  “We need a diversion,” Monroe muttered to Beck.

  All three men saw Zack approaching Mac’s table. Beck and Monroe showed their concerns.

  “No, no, no,” Beck gasped softly as his eyes widened. “Not that kind of diversion!”

  “I’ve got this,” Bogart announced and jumped up from his seat before anyone could protest.

  Beck groaned softly and covered his eyes. “Oh, God. This is going from bad to worse.”

  Bogart nudged Zack as he passed him, silently indicating he was taking care of the situation. Zack stopped and glared at Bogart as he passed him. He was possibly offended that Bogart was invading his territory. Bogart circled Mac’s table and approached from the direction of the bar, so that she’d turn her back to Monroe’s table and the door. Bogart paused by her table and smiled charmingly, catching her attention, but not necessarily in a good way. She glared at him and smirked almost deviously.

  “Sorry to bother you,” Bogart announced, maintaining his cheerful disposition, “but my friends--” He casually indicated the bar behind him to no one in particular. “--and I have a little wager.”

  Mac smiled sweetly at him. “Take a hike.”

  Bogart didn’t give up despite her disinterest or her tone of hostility. “I know you get this sort of thing all the time,” he continued, annoying her further.

  Beck and Zack hurried Monroe from the lounge. Zack stopped by the door and decided to watch the train wreck.

  “You’re that newscaster, right?” Bogart announced cheerfully. “The investigative reporter. The guys didn’t believe that it was you, but I told them it was most definitely you. That breaking story you did on E.coli was amazing.”

  She stared at him a moment with a strange look. He slipped her a napkin.

  “I’d love to get your autograph,” he announced while grinning boyishly then waved his cell phone. “And maybe a picture of us together for bragging rights.”

  Mac appeared humored by the question and laughed softly. “I’m sorry; you have me mixed up with someone else,” she replied more naturally.

  Bogart grinned and put on his best country boy act. “I know, but you probably get tired of the same pick-up lines, and a woman as classy as yourself deserves all-new pick-up lines.”

  She laughed softly and appeared to fall helpless to his charm. “I’ll give you an ‘A’ for originality.”

  He raised his brows while grinning and indicated the napkin. “Is that enough to earn me your telephone number?” He again waved the cell phone. “And a selfie?”

  “I don’t make it out this way too often,” she informed him. “Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll call you the next time I’m in town.”

  “Deal,” he chirped and wrote his number on the napkin. He slid it toward her and maintained his grin. “And the selfie?”

  She reluctantly nodded. Bogart joined her, grinned charmingly, and took their picture together. He stepped away from her and remained cheerful.

  “I look forward to your call the next time you’re in town,” he announced then headed toward the door.

  Zack ducked out just before him. Bogart stepped outside the lounge and didn’t even flinch when Zack filed in alongside him. He walked with Zack toward the lounge parking lot then glanced at the picture he’d taken. Zack stood in the background, his neck stretched to get into the picture, and his middle finger in the air. Bogart glared at Zack and frowned.

  “Classy.”

  “I hope you didn’t give her your real phone number,” Zack remarked.

  “I gave her my answering service number,” he replied.

  “You have an answering service?”

  “Several, actually,” Bogart informed him while grinning. “In my business, it pays to have several phone numbers attached to a multitude of phony businesses. It’s easier to disappear that way. You understand.”

  “I suppose that would be easier than faking your own death half a dozen times,” Zack remarked then eyed Bogart and smirked. “But I like getting flowers.”

  Bogart stared at him then slowly shook his head. “You are an odd man.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Once the six had returned to the lodge, Kirk was waiting on the porch to greet them. His mood was typical for the brawny, emotionless man. He glared at Beck as he approached them from the porch. The two men locked eyes as if having a secret discussion before they exchanged any words.

  “We have a serious rat situation,” Kirk informed him lowly. “It needs to be taken care of immediately.”

  Beck stared with a look of disbelief at Kirk, who continued past him with an obvious mission in mind. Beck groaned softly, placed his hands on his hips, and looked at Ross.

  “I hate rats,” Beck muttered.

  “Yeah, me too,” Ross remarked.

  Kirk continued on his mission, passing everyone, and headed straight for a concerned looking Bogart. Kirk grabbed him by his jacket and slammed him backwards into the side of the SUV. The sudden assault stunned Bogart.

  “You and I need to have a little talk,” Kirk snarled then grabbed Bogart by the back of the neck and said something into the alarmed man’s ear.

  The others watched with surprise, but no one commented or attempted to intervene. Kirk gave Bogart’s neck a firm squeeze as he glared into his eyes.

  “Are we clear?” Kirk demanded.

  Bogart stared at him with a fixed expression and uncertainly nodded. “Yeah, I hear you, bro,” he replied while straightening his shirt. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Kirk shoved Bogart away from the SUV. Bogart hurried for the lodge and away from the large, intimidating man. Tonya was now standing on the porch watching the scene unfold. She had a strange look on her face then glanced from Kirk to Bogart as he approached her.

  “What was that all about?” she gasped.

  Bogart frowned and glanced back at Kirk while gingerly rubbing his sore neck. “Just too much testosterone.” He placed his arm around her shoulder, managed a tiny grin, and guided her back toward the main door. “Wait until you hear what happened in town.”

  She eagerly entered the lodge with him.

  Ross approached Lee and casually extended his hand. “I believe you have Monroe’s flash drive.”

  Lee nodded and removed the flash drive from its resting place down the front of her shirt. Ross’s eyes followed her hand into her cleavage. His brows raised as she handed him the warm flash drive. He laughed softly and turned away to avoid looking her in the eyes. His lighthearted expression toughened as he looked at his men and handed Beck the flash drive. Becks’ eyes subconsciously strayed from the flash drive he held to Lee’s cleavage as well.

  “Kirk and Beck are with me,” Ross announced. “We’ll get Kirk up to speed on what happened in town.”r />
  Ross looked back at Lee, where she stood for some odd reason as if awaiting further orders. She couldn’t help the sudden pang she felt as he stared at her.

  “You’re with Monroe,” Ross announced then turned toward Zack. “Zack, take care of the rat situation.”

  Zack gave a firm nod as he removed his semiautomatic from his shoulder holster. He cocked his weapon and headed for the lodge.

  †

  Monroe entertained his friends with his grilling skills while they hung out on the back patio a little after ten o’clock that evening. It had been a long day, leaving most hungry enough to eat their steak rare if necessary. After they had returned from town, Ross had spent nearly half an hour with Beck and Kirk in the lounge. Lee could now see Ross in the kitchen leaning against the island counter while talking with Zack. Lee cast several glances at the two men through the glass doors. She couldn’t stop staring at Ross, and she wasn’t sure why. He was rather distinguished, but he wasn’t her type. Lee knew it had to be the incident earlier in the car that had her helplessly staring at the man. It seemed ridiculous that one little sexual gaffe would put all sorts of questionable thoughts into her head. Consumed with everything that happened in town, she was completely unaware of the others on the patio.

  Tonya sat on the edge of the inground pool and soaked her feet while Bogart remained glued to her side. He was laying on the charm, possibly attempting to secure another night of sex games with the attractive woman. Tonya’s mood that evening was hard to read. She almost appeared disinterested despite the good time she’d had with the handsome conman the night before. Lee finally returned to reality and noted Tonya’s odd behavior regarding Bogart. She hoped Tonya wasn’t planning to chase Beck again. Her friend had to have more morals than attempting to seduce a second man in their group. It would seem any hopes Tonya had of getting one of the other men into bed ended the moment she slept with Bogart. Lee wasn’t sure how men felt about such things, but she personally found it creepy and in bad taste.

  Ross and Zack finally joined them on the patio. Zack immediately approached Monroe at the grill, obviously wanting to check the status of their already late dinner. As Ross approached, Lee felt her heartbeat quicken. She couldn’t understand her body reacting as if she were attracted to the older man. Now wasn’t the time or place to take an interest in anyone, and she had to keep reminding herself that he wasn’t her type. She was almost positive he wasn’t. Could Tonya be right? Had she deprived herself of physical intimacy too long? Was this her body’s way of telling her she needed to ‘scratch an itch’? It wasn’t like her, and she refused to give in to some primal, sexual need like her promiscuous friend. Lee found herself staring at Ross. He had an odd look on his face that was almost concerning.

  “Everything okay?” Lee asked.

  “Yeah,” Ross replied while casually looking around. He met her gaze and seemed slightly uncomfortable. “Actually, no, everything isn’t okay.”

  Ross nodded her toward the opposite end of the patio. She walked alongside him while feeling her heart pounding in her chest. The suspense was killing her. What had happened? What was with the secret meetings? They paused away from the others. Ross stood unusually close, allowing Lee to feel the heat coming from his body. She resisted the urge to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. Her thoughts were all over the place, and she didn’t like the way it felt. As he stared at her a moment in silence, she gazed almost helplessly into his blue eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked gently, hoping to get on with the conversation, casting her back into reality.

  “After our near encounter with Romano’s hired, uh, henchwoman, I’ve been having some concerns about our security measures here at the lodge,” he announced then hesitated and drew a deep breath. “I’m issuing a room change, and I don’t think you’re going to be very happy about it.”

  “A room change?” she suddenly asked with surprise. It wasn’t exactly what she was expecting to hear from him. “What sort of room change?”

  “More like a roommate change,” he replied while seeming slightly uncomfortable with his announcement. “It’s not an easy call, so I’ll let you decide, but you’ll be partnered with either Zack or Kirk tonight.”

  Lee felt her heart nearly pound out of her chest at the words. She was almost too stunned to respond.

  “You’re kidding,” she suddenly burst out and then attempted to collect herself. She lowered her voice and glared at Ross. Lee was no longer in the mood to be civil. “You’re giving me a choice between the psychopath and ‘Kirk the barbarian’?”

  “This isn’t up for debate,” he informed her. “We don’t want to alarm Tonya, so you won’t let her know the real reason why you’re staying with one of my men.”

  “What?” she suddenly asked then waved her hand. “Whoa, wait. Are you saying that you want me to share a room with one of those two guys and make Tonya think it’s a hookup?” She resisted exploding. “Are you insane?”

  “Don’t make me argue the point with you, Lee,” he announced sternly. “I realize it sounds morally compromising by allowing your friend to think you’re ‘hooking up’ with one of my men, but I wouldn’t insist if it wasn’t important. We don’t know what brought that woman to town. We don’t know that she bought into any of Romeo’s stalker act.” He straightened proudly. “Tonya doesn’t need to know of my concerns for now. There’s no reason to upset her about something that may not be an issue. She’ll be fine in Bogart’s protection. That leaves you. You’re not staying in a room alone tonight. Swallow your pride and make a decision, or I’ll be forced to make it for you.”

  “Why not Beck or Monroe?” she demanded then reconsidered. “Forget that, I know why not Monroe.” Her look hardened. “Why not Beck?” She hesitated then slyly raised her brow. “Or you, for that matter?”

  “Beck has a sleep disorder,” Ross informed her. “He’d be up half the night talking your ear off.”

  “Okay, fine,” she announced firmly and folded her arms across her chest. “I choose you.”

  “It doesn’t work that way,” he replied.

  “Why? Do you have some sleep disorder I should know about?” she suddenly demanded, throwing it back at him. “Or is it your image you’re worried about? Because, you know, I have an image too. Maybe you need to lead by example and swallow your pride instead.”

  He seemed surprised by her comment and tone. For a moment, he was reluctant to respond.

  “Fine,” he finally announced with little emotion. “Kirk snores and Zack would just end up in your bed spooning against you all night.”

  “I wouldn’t doubt that,” she muttered. “He’s like an annoying little dog.”

  “More like a pit bull,” Ross muttered then sighed deeply. “After dinner, we’ll just slip away from the others. Let Tonya come to her own conclusions. It’ll be easier. Hopefully, if all goes well, I’ll be less paranoid in the morning.”

  “And tomorrow morning, if Tonya asks what happened, what do I tell her?” Lee almost demanded.

  “If everything checks out in the morning, you can tell her I was just being cautious and nothing happened,” he replied. “If I get reports of perimeter breaches or if anything seems suspicious, we’ll have an entirely different problem to worry about.”

  Lee groaned softly. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch,” she remarked gently. “I know you’re only doing your job. It’s just…the whole situation is very uncomfortable.”

  “I get that,” Ross replied. “But if it makes you feel any better, the guys are going to torment the hell out of me, so you’ve played your hand well.”

  She held back her grin. “So we’re both going to be embarrassed by this, huh? Good to know.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t get too cocky,” Ross suddenly announced. “I suffer from PTS nightmares. You could be in for one hell of a night.”

  She considered Ross’s response and wondered what that actually meant.

  †

  The lodg
e was peaceful in the remote woods. The only sounds were those of woodland wildlife. Within the lobby, Kirk sat on the stairs, again reading his romantic thriller without the need of a newspaper to cover it from prying eyes. It was so quiet; the grandfather clock’s minute hand echoed throughout the entire lobby. Upstairs, Beck’s bed was rumpled and it appeared as if he had attempted to sleep but was unsuccessful. Beck sat up on his bed in only a pair of shorts with his laptop comfortably over his bare thighs. The flash drive Monroe and Lee had created at the library stuck out of the port on the laptop. Beck’s eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled at the contents within the file on the flash drive. The file contained several pictures clearly taken by a police photographer. They revealed several shots of a mangled car and a dead woman with horrific injuries. Apparently, she had been thrown from the car upon impact. There were also pictures of several objects with numbered markers, indicating they were possibly evidence for a criminal investigation of the accident.

  “What the hell--?” Beck stared at the pictures a moment longer and scratched his moderately mussed hair. “Why would Sal have crime scene photos?” He rubbed his weary eyes then glanced at the pictures again. “Someone blackmailing you, Romano?” He then considered the question and raised his brows. “Or is it the other way around?”

  †

  Back at Romano’s estate, Gil remained sitting in the sturdy chair still handcuffed to it and looked extremely bored. He glanced at his watch, groaned, and shook his head.

  “Not gracing me with your presence this evening?” Gil muttered. He removed the lock pick from his sleeve and unlocked the handcuff. “Haven’t you people heard of bathroom breaks?”

  He casually stood and headed for the door. Within a few minutes, Gil was slipping into the dimly lit kitchen. He glanced around, but it was late and everyone had gone to bed. The snarling of a dog caught his attention. He glanced across the kitchen while attempting not to make any sudden moves. Darth saw him, whimpered excitedly, and ran to greet him. Gil breathed a sigh of relief and scratched the dog affectionately.