“Mr. Williamson?”
His attention snapped back to her. “Sorry, toying with a couple of ideas I need to check. Is there anything you need, Ms. Snowden?”
“Call me Serena. What’s going to happen now? Am I going to Austin or D.C.?”
A brief smile tugged at his lips and was gone so fast, Serena wasn’t positive she’d actually seen it. He stood and picked up his hat, placing it atop his head and pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket.
“I think you need to stay exactly where you are, Serena. Boudreau can take you back to his family’s ranch once the docs discharge you. The sheriff assures me he’s got officers lining up for bodyguard duty, and I’m going to make sure we’ve got a couple of FBI agents here as well.”
The knot in the middle of Serena’s chest loosened, and she felt like she could breathe again. “Thank you.”
“I know it’s got to be hard, knowing your uncle is getting another trial and you’re probably going to have to testify again. For what it’s worth, I think you’re an extremely brave young lady.”
Serena huffed out a laugh. “Funny, I don’t feel brave.”
Williamson pulled a card out of his pocket, wrote something on the back, and handed it to Serena. “My personal cell number is on the back. If you need me for anything—anything—call me. I can be here in less than two hours.”
“Thanks.” She tapped the card against her bandaged hand. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“How long do you think it’s going to be before my uncle goes to court? I don’t want to impose on the Boudreaus for any longer than needed.”
At her words, Williamson chuckled. “I doubt they look on you as a burden. Especially Antonio. As for your question, the DOJ is pushing for an early date. But, and this is only speculation on my part, if Drury is up to his neck in behind-the-scenes machinations, like your accident, it could push the date back by several months. Possibly years.”
She leaned back against the pillow, grimacing. “Great. My life is never going to get back to normal, is it?”
“It will. I promise.” He started for the door. “I’ll call you or Antonio as soon as I hear anything. Get some rest, and this time stay put.”
She watched him close the door behind him, leaving her to wonder if her life could get any suckier. As much as she loved Douglas and Ms. Patti, she couldn’t live with them for months, much less years.
It was time to bring out the big guns. The one secret her uncle thought nobody knew. Too bad she knew, and she had enough dirt for the Great State of Texas put a needle in his arm.
She didn’t intend to fold and walk away. Not this time. She had the winning hand, and intended to play it. Picking up the phone, she started dialing.
Serena listened to the ringing on the other end of the phone, half hoping nobody answered. This was the day she’d dreaded, knowing deep in her gut, she’d one day make this call. Even with everything she’d been through—Big Jim’s trial, witness protection, and being on the run—she’d always held something back, because once it became known, the life she’d built in Shiloh Springs would be over.
“Hello?” The male voice on the other end of the phone sounded like she’d woke them. A quick glance at the clock, and she winced, having forgotten the time difference. Viktor worked odd shifts, and usually slept during the afternoons. He’d probably only been asleep for a couple of hours.
“Sorry, Viktor, I forgot about the time difference.”
“Sharon? Girlfriend, is that you?”
She gave a shaky laugh. “Yeah. Long time, right?”
“I haven’t heard from you in over two years. Means something bad happened, right?”
“You might say that. He found me.”
A vicious string of curses followed her words, and she eased the phone away from her ear, silently waiting for Viktor’s rant to end. Viktor knew exactly what it meant for Big Jim to have found her, since he’d been one of the men instrumental in helping her escape from his clutches more than once, after the last time relocating to Alaska, to be as far away from Big Jim as possible and still be in the States.
“You finished?”
His gruff growl was answer enough. “What happened? Besides somebody screwing up, that is.”
“It’s too long a story to go into right now, and I’ve got a concussion, so if I sound kinda loopy, that’s why.”
“Concussion? He hurt you? Son of a—”
“Stop! He didn’t do it, not personally. Jonathan Drury ran me off the road and then I hit my head. Like I said, I don’t have time for all the details now. I’ll explain everything when I can. I need…” She trailed off, knowing what she asked for next would change everything, because the information she’d kept hidden spelled disaster not only for Big Jim, but for her.
“Sharon. You okay, girl? Tell me where you are and I’ll be on the next plane.”
“No, don’t. I—I need you to get something for me, though.” She hated asking Viktor to do what she couldn’t. Being stuck here in the clinic, with an FBI guard, severely limited her options, and she was down to her last one.
“Anything. You know you can ask me anything and you’ve got it.” The affection in Viktor’s voice was unmistakable, and she felt it wrap around her like a snuggly blanket she wanted to burrow beneath and never come
