“The truck is over there in the lot. It’s time we headed over to your new home.” The deep voice interrupted her thoughts, and she swung her gaze in the direction of the tall, ginger-haired man who had accompanied her all the way from Miami. Despite his gruff demeanor, U.S. Marshal Jonah Kramer had a streak of kindness that meant the world to Isabelle. It’s what she needed most at this moment as she faced an uncertain future. Over the past few weeks he’d tried to reassure Isabelle at every step in the process. She felt a tad guilty about taking him away from his wife and family in Homer, but she knew it was simply part of his job to help her relocate.
Once they were sitting in the hunter green truck with Jonah in the driver’s seat, he turned toward her. “You’ll be safe here, Ella. Just try to blend in with the townsfolk. I know it’s hard to wrap your head around it, but you can’t contact anyone from your former life under any circumstances. We’ve drilled that into your head, but it bears repeating. It’s crucial to make a clean break from everything and everyone. If you slip up, it could be catastrophic.”
Isabelle nodded. She knew the drill. It was the most heartbreaking aspect of her joining WITSEC. Just the thought of never seeing her family again caused tears to well up in her eyes.
Ella. She would have to get adjusted to her new name. Although she’d been allowed to assume a first name that wasn’t too far off from her own, it would still take some getting used to, since no one had ever called her Ella. Her nickname had always been Izzy. Her head was spinning with all the things she had to get acclimated to in her new surroundings.
The situation she found herself in was far from ideal, but after witnessing the brutal slaying of her boss, Saul Martino, in a turf war, her world had spiraled out of control. By God’s grace she had been spared. Because the killer, Vincent Burke, had locked eyes with her before she fled the club, he had known her identity when she’d reported him to the police. Threats and attempts to silence her had ensued, turning her mundane life into a chaos-filled existence. And even after she’d provided testimony in his trial that had put him in prison, she had still been in jeopardy from his criminal enterprise. There had been numerous attempts on her life that left her feeling terrorized and vulnerable. She would never again be safe in her former life. Those extreme circumstances had led her straight to the quaint town of Owl Creek.
The wintry Alaskan scenery passed by in a blur as Jonah drove them to her new residence. When they pulled up to 10 Kodiak Lane, a sigh escaped Isabelle’s lips. She was instantly charmed by the log cabin–style house. It radiated a cozy vibe. Snow-covered bushes surrounded a wraparound porch. Two sturdy Adirondack chairs sat on the front porch. Although she had never fantasized about living in Alaska, this picture-perfect house was the stuff of dreams.
Once the car was in Park, Isabelle got out of the vehicle and walked up to the porch, bags in hand. Isabelle knew she would have to make a few trips back and forth to collect all of her things from the truck, but she felt an urgent need to go inside and get settled. Jonah walked behind her, juggling a few bags before placing them on the landing and handing her a key to the house. Her hands were shaking as she reached for it. Jonah gave her an encouraging nod. When she turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, the smell of freshly baked cookies rose to her nostrils. She stepped inside and looked around, feeling grateful for the warm atmosphere and all the beautiful little touches. A vase of baby’s breath mixed with dried berries sat on the kitchen counter. A plate of chocolate chip cookies had been placed on the table with a welcome note from Beulah North, her new employer. When she pulled open the fridge, it was fully stocked with all of her favorite food and drinks. She wandered from room to room, soaking in all the details. Jonah didn’t follow after her but remained in the kitchen, presumably to give her some space.
Was she really going to make a new life for herself in this small Alaskan hamlet? Isabelle still felt as if she might be dreaming as she began the process of unpacking all her bags and sorting through her belongings.
Jonah stayed until late evening to help her get settled, then he left to stay the night at a bed-and-breakfast in town called Miss Trudy’s. He reminded her that he was scheduled to fly back to Homer the next morning. Fear seized her by the throat as she settled in for the night. Although she knew Jonah wouldn’t be too far away in the event of an emergency, it still felt as if she was on her own.
Sometimes when she was all alone and things were quiet, Isabelle’s mind flashed back to that terrible night at Club Oasis. Isabelle had worked nights at the popular dance club as its manager. When the shots rang out in the club on that particular evening, Isabelle had just locked up her office for the night. Seeing Saul’s body riddled with bullets had been terrifying and surreal.
