Page 9 of His Witness To Protect

While in the car, Brie told him she wanted to go back to Chicago. She didn’t want to stay in Destiny Falls anymore.

Mack sighed defeatedly and told her he had to leave for New York. The suspect had been sighted, and Mack had to be with his team.

“I don’t care,” Brie said. “I just want to go home.”

“Please stay,” Mack pleaded. “At least return to the safe house if you must go back to Chicago at all.”

She shook her head adamantly. “I’m done letting you take care of me. I’m done.”

She felt like she’d had enough, and she just wanted to be alone.

Reluctant to let her be on her own, Mack said he wasn’t going to let her stay at her place alone. After much back-and-forth, Brie agreed to let him drop her off with Rachel before he left for New York.

It was an awkward drive back to Chicago, both of them unsure of what to say. Both were still upset from all that had happened.

Mack dropped her at Rachel’s and left, still apologizing, wishing he could stay and that things were different.

CHAPTER TEN

A few hours later, Rachel and Brie curled up together on Rachel’s bed, and Brie told her about all that had happened, breaking into sobs in between.

“You must really like him,” Rachel responded after a while. “I’ve never seen you this depressed over a guy in like… ever.”

With a look of disgust, Brie said, “Me neither, and I hate it. I hate that I like him so much. I hate that he makes me feel all these things I haven’t felt in a long time. All the things I swore I wouldn’t feel again after Bryan. I’m so confused.”

Rachel hugged her close.

“Just call him,” she said, stroking Brie’s hair. “You never know what could come out of it.”

She told Brie that Mack looked like a nice guy, and he seemed to really like her. She saw no reason why Brie should have to throw that away.

She scooted out of bed, grabbed Brie’s phone from the bedside table, and pressed it into her hands. With a wink, she left the room, giving Brie privacy to talk to Mack.

“It’s okay to love again, you know,” she murmured, playing with the door handle. “Not every guy is a Bryan.”

She closed the door gently behind her.

Brie listened to Rachel’s soft footfalls as she padded down the hall before Brie sighed and collapsed on the bed. She stared at the ceiling for a while before she made up her mind.

Brie got out of bed and started to pace around the room, trying to work up the courage to call him. She scrolled through her contacts, about to dial his number, when she heard a sudden high-pitched scream from Rachel. She was about to call out when she heard a loud crash, and all went silent.

Afraid, Brie made a move to step out of the room when Rachel walked into the room slowly, and the man with the snake tattoo walked in behind her, pressing a gun to the back of her head.

Rachel’s eyes were tearful as she walked farther into the room with her hands raised above her head.

Brie started to turn just as she opened her mouth to scream. She never saw the blow coming from behind.

There was an explosion of light behind her eyes, and she dropped to the floor, unconscious.

When she came to, it was with a killer headache and bile behind her throat.

The first thing she noticed was that she could neither move nor speak. Her hands were tied, and there was a metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She nearly gagged from the smell of the dirty rag over her mouth.

She was lying next to Rachel, who was also tied and gagged next to her on the floor.

The second thing she noticed was that the two men sittingacross from her were staring at her with a strange mix of contempt and desire.

“You’re awake. Finally,” the tattooed one leered.

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