Page 25 of Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad World

Annabelle tripped over her own feet. “Gunfight? Bullets in the future? Exactly what state is my home in?”

She was almost afraid to go see. The news was hard to believe. Everything was. There was a security team in her building. Workmen in her loft. And tales of near-death experiences she could recall only as a haze-filled dream.

“It’s okay.” Katrina patted her shoulder. “I promise you’ll feel safe and secure in your home. We won’t let anything happen to you. Don’t try to process everything all at once. For now, just focus on getting cleaned up and having breakfast. You’ll need your strength to deal with all the information that will come your way today.” Her lashes lowered as she spoke. “I know how hard it is to get your head around all of this, but the best way to do that is to focus on one task at a time.” She took a deep breath, looked up at Annabelle, and smiled. “And right now, your priority is definitely a shower.”

“I smell, huh?” Annabelle tried to sniff herself, but she was too close to judge.

Katrina held up her index finger and thumb, her eyes sparkling. “Teeny bit.”

“Shower it is, then. But afterward, I have questions. Lots of questions.”

“And we’ll answer them all. Now hurry up. Food will be ready when you’re done.”

“Thanks, Katrina,” Annabelle called as she entered the old bathroom.

“It’s my pleasure,” came the reply.

After steeling herself against the grime of the unused room, Annabelle was pleasantly surprised. The bathroom had been thoroughly cleaned—in fact, it gleamed. A small stool held someof her clothes, folded neatly and freshly laundered. The spotless shower boasted a new showerhead, and there were plenty of products lined up on the shelf. Warm, fluffy towels hung on a heated towel rack that looked brand new.

Noah’s team had taken liberties while she’d slept. Rearranging offices, tearing down partitions, and adding the things they needed. She stood for a moment, waiting for outrage at their behavior to hit, but it didn’t. Instead, she found herself experiencing a sense of wonder.

It’d been a long time since the building was full of people, not since her aunt died and her curio shop closed, and Annabelle had gotten used to being alone. Sure, she chatted with the delivery people who came to her door and had online friends. Some of those friends visited and even stayed over, but not as frequently as she’d have liked. In truth, the corridors of the old warehouse often echoed around her.

But not today.

Today, the place was abuzz with people and activity.

It was a shame it’d taken a threat to her life for her world to expand. Annabelle shuddered at the memory of bullets flying but tamped down her fear. She was home. Surrounded by security specialists. Safe.

She hoped.

Chapter Nine

“This isnotwhy I hired Benson Security.”

The crisp, clipped tones of Harris County’s assistant district attorney halted Annabelle as she approached the door to the office Benson Security had claimed. Although clean, fed, and watered, she still wasn’t ready to deal with Ms. Grant. The woman was single-minded and intimidating.

“There’s no time to waste,” Margaret Grant said. “You have to get Annabelle out of here and into a safe house today.”

“Ms. Grant,” came the calm, soothing tones of the Benson Security boss, “as I told you on the phone, several times, Annabelle’s physician strongly recommends that we don’t remove her from this building. Her mental well-being is tied to remaining here. She’s convinced that Annabelle may well have a full-blown psychotic break if forced to leave.”

Out of sight on the other side of the door, Annabelle cringed. Great, now everyone knew exactly how crazy she was.

“That’s a risk we have to take,” Margaret said forcefully. “It’s either her mental health or her actual life. Someone’s feeding information to Eddie Hanson. We don’t know who or whether they’re in the police ranks or in my office. All we know for certainis that Eddie will use that information to ensure Annabelle doesn’t testify. Hanson’s a cold-blooded killer, the leader of the most depraved motorcycle gang in the country. This is our best chance to get him off the street and dismantle the Demon Brothers for good. Do you understand how important this is? It isn’t only Annabelle’s life or well-being that’s at risk here. It’s every single person the gang will torture, abuse, intimidate, and murder if we don’t go to trial.”

“I am well aware of the stakes,” Rochelle said evenly.

A hand came to rest on Annabelle’s shoulder, making her start. She turned to find Noah smiling at her and relaxed.

“Sorry,” he said. “I thought you heard me.”

Her cheeks heated. “I was eavesdropping,” she confessed.

He squeezed her shoulder before dropping his hand, and Annabelle immediately missed the physical connection. “Try not to let it get to you. The ADA’s focus is the goals of her job, which affects how she sees everything around her. Just remember that her goals are just that—hers. You need to think about what you’re comfortable doing and do that. It might make other people unhappy, but that’s their problem. Don’t let them pressure you.”

“If I don’t testify, other people will suffer.” Her stomach clenched at the thought. “I couldn’t live with knowing I could have helped them and chose not to.”

Noah’s mouth quirked at the corner again. “I was talking about you leaving the building or staying. Never once occurred to me that you’d renege on testifying.”