Almost 5 hours had passed since Jaxon and I left the station, and I already felt like it had been an eon. I shifted in my seat, crossing my legs and hugging my arms tight to my chest for comfort and warmth.
"You okay?" Jaxon asked, turning the radio down a few notches. This was the first thing he said to me since we left; I must not have moved much until now. Although his question was nice, it seemed he was trying to keep me at a distance; like he asked more for common curtesy rather than legitimate concern.But to answer his question, no. I was in no way okay.My arm was throbbing from the gun shot, I had whiplash starting to kick in from the car flipping, and I was freezing from the inside out. But, the absolute worst part, was knowing that everything was about to change, and knowing that my poor father was left behind, on his own, to sell my death to everyone.So no... not okay, Jaxon."Emery?" He asked again while still remaining focused on the road. This time though, I did catch a little hint of genuine concern in his voice mixed in with the usual sharp command.I wiped the waterfall of tears still streaming from my eyes and decided to tell him the one thing he could fix. "I'm freezing. Can we turn on the heat, please?" That was the best he was going to get out of me for now; I was too emotionally drained.His mouth pressed into a hard line as if he was unsatisfied with my answer, but he didn't push me to say any more. He just clicked on the heat to full blast and turned the radio up.A couple more hours passed without another word exchanged between the two of us. I wanted to rest my eyes or take a nap, but I couldn't shut my mind off enough to do so. I finally decided to steal a glance at the clock.12:25 AM.What a long night. It didn't feel real. The more hours that passed, the further I was going away from my dad; my only family. I let another tear fall but wiped it away subtly with my palm, faking that I was just tired."There's a motel up ahead in about a mile," Jaxon said without looking my way, "We're expected at the orientation center at 7 AM. We can stop and get some rest for a couple hours here and get on the road again at 3:30.""Is it... is it safe to stop? What if they know I'm alive and someone's following us?" This question came from the fear I felt when I realized I had been followed out of the grocery store parking lot. "I mean... could that ha-happen?"My throat felt tight and raw from my sobbing. I had cried all my tears and was left feeling scared and empty. I could literally hear the fear and sadness in my own voice, and hoped Jaxon didn't notice. He didn't exactly seem to have the most comforting persona.His hands gripped the wheel tighter. "Emery, it's my job to keep you safe and that's what I will do. Nobody is following us; I promise."He sounded so sure, but he also sounded a little annoyed? I wasn't trying to offend him or question his ability to keep me safe, but maybe that's how he took it? I had no other choice but to trust this man, and I hoped my initial impression of him was wrong.I had no doubt that he was good at his job, but since I'd be spending time with him for god knows how long, I hoped we could get along on some degree without me always feeling so uncomfortable around him; I didn't even want to ask him any questions for fear of annoying him further."Okk-kay," I said as a large shudder tore through my body."Besides, it's like 100 degrees in here, and you're still shaking. I think stopping for a minute so you can take a hot shower and try and calm down is a good idea.""Yyy-yeah maybe. I'm sss-sorry; if you're too hot you can turn it down. I'm sure it-it's just the nerves," I now felt a little bad that I had been oblivious to the 100 degree state of the car, yet was oddly flattered he put his discomfort aside for me."It's fine. We're almost there anyway. Speaking of, just so you're aware, we will be sharing a room tonight. The first night can be the most dangerous without your new identity, and I can't protect you if I'm too far away."Normally, I'd be much more freaked out to be spending the night with such an attractive and intimidating man, but my poor, emotional brain latched onto one word and one word only: dangerous.My eyes went wide as I stared at him. "You think tonight's going to be dangerous?!" I squeaked out.Jaxon quickly looked at me, his expression shifting to a look I didn't recognize before answering. "No, Emery... I'm sorry. I just meant, we can't be too careful tonight.""Oh... right. That's fine," I said, not that he had asked; he more so informed me. I'm not sure how most people acted in this kind of situation, but I was pretty sure I wasn't handling it well.Soon after, Jax pulled into a motel a little ways off the highway. There weren't many cars in the parking lot, and the entire place looked sort of vacant. Not all letters on their sign were lit up, and gusts of wind were blowing up dust from the dirt parking lot.The entire scene of this motel looked eerie and quiet, and honestly, it gave me the spooks. Jaxon, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed by its disheveled appearance."Okay. I'm going to go get the room key," he said while unclipping his seat belt. "Stay here where it's warm, and I'll be right back."I knew it wouldn't take him long, but the thought of being left alone in this car, in a creepy motel parking lot, and feeling as emotionally exhausted as I did, horrified me; I couldn't sit here alone. He opened the door and stepped out."Wait, Jaxon!" I said in a voice I didn't quite recognize as my own. "Can I... can I please come with you?"He blinked at me and cleared his throat before speaking. "Um... no. You're really not supposed to. You shouldn't be seen by any civilians between now and your new identity; Besides, it's safe here. We weren't being followed, the truck will be locked, and there aren't any customers around."My heart pounded. It made sense, but I didn't like it. "Oh... okay. Please be fast then?" I said trying, and failing, to not sound as needy as I felt.He gave me a sharp nod and closed the door. The silence was instant and it was consuming. I placed my head in my hands and watched Jaxon start towards the motel. Flashes of the crime played in my brain, and I let out a silent sob. The further away he got from me, the more uneasy I felt.At this rate, I felt I'd have a full on panic attack by the time he would return.Just then, Jaxon stopped in his tracks, ran a hand through his hair, and started back towards the truck. It was almost like he had heard my cry, although I knew that was impossible. I quickly wiped my tears away just as he opened my door."Okay, you can come. But stay by me and try not to say much," he said; his tone sharp and commanding."Thank you," I half whispered while he backed up to give me room to hop out.I slid to the edge of the seat and jumped down, but my knees buckled and almost gave out when I landed. All the adrenaline and shaking had left me feeling weaker than I thought, and being in a car for several hours didn't help.I nearly collapsed when Jaxon seized me around the waist, holding me up. I reflexively reached out, latching on to his muscular forearms as he caught me."Woah, hey... you okay?" He asked, his ice blue eyes piercing mine. He had a faint sheen of sweat covering his forehead from the hot temperature in the car, and I could feel the muscles in his biceps work to place me back on my feet. His tone betrayed his hard exterior, and concern shined through for the first time since we met.I shook my head to snap out of it. "Yeah... I'm sorry. My knees kind of just gave out," I blushed a little as I spoke. I was embarrassed that I fell. "Thank you," I offered.He nodded and slowly released his grip, making sure I was stable first. "Sure. Are you ready?" He asked, his tone returning to normal.I nodded, and I made sure to follow close to him as we walked quickly into the motel entrance.My heart was pounding. I found myself trying to be impossibly closer to Jaxon as we walked, longing to touch him for a sense of security. I hated feeling so vulnerable and weak, but Jaxon did have a way of making me feel safe; even though he wasn't Mr. Sunshine. With a big, muscular frame and chiseled features, a person would need to be crazy to try and fuck with him."Stay close and act normal," he commanded while opening the door. We were instantly hit with a cool breeze from the air conditioning being sucked outside. I nodded in response, my whole body shuddering once again as it adjusted to the new temperature. He frowned at me before shrugging out of his black leather jacket. "Here. Put this on." I quickly accepted it and tried to thank him, but he was already turned away from me and walking towards the front desk. I quickly put on the jacket and hugged it tight to my body as I followed him, a waft of cologne hitting my nose.The receptionist was very pretty and not what I expe
After my shower, I made quick work of getting dressed and crawling into bed. Jaxon and I only exchanged a few words, and he hadn't looked at me even once since I was out of the bathroom. He had the TV on and asked if I had a channel preference, which I politely declined. I knew I wouldn't be awake long anyway once I was tucked into the firm hotel bed. Sure enough, I fell asleep within moments despite the fact that I had a lot to process. My brain and body were just completely drained at this point. However, because of everything that happened, my subconscious was on overdrive, and it made for some horrifying dreams. I don't remember the specifics of the dream, but next thing I knew, I was being woken up by Jaxon. He had his hands placed gently on my uninjured arm, shaking me slightly as I came to. I was surprised to find I had only been asleep for about an hour and that tears were still streaming down my face as my body trembled. Honestly, I was amazed I even had any tears left in
I must have fallen asleep again in the car; I wasn't sure for how long, but boy was my dream intense. When my eyes finally fluttered open, all I saw was a man's face hovering in front of me. Since my dream was so incredibly violent and I had been in such a deep sleep, I couldn't register what was happening, or that the man I was looking at was Jaxon and not an attacker/shooter.Without thinking, I struck out with my good arm and kicked my legs, fighting off my assailant.The man caught my fist as it flew, but the momentum sent me tumbling sideways out of the vehicle until I was seized around my waist."Woah woah! Emery, it's me!" Jaxon called as he caught me and held me to his body to stop me from fighting. He held on tight while I was eased from the car and placed gently onto the ground.Immediately, I snapped back into reality and let my body sink into his large, sturdy frame. "Jaxon? Oh god... I am so sorry! Did I hurt you?"I felt Jaxon chuckle slightly as he steadied me on my fe
After Laurie took my measurements for new clothes and took my photo for my new ID, she lead me through a series of hallways until we arrived at a different room. She opened the door to reveal a small, plain room where Jaxon was seated, going over what looked to be blueprints with another man— Cal, I assumed."Jaxon, she's ready for you," Laurie announced. He and Cal immediately turned to look at me, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. I was about to reach out and stroke my hair out of nervous habit, but stopped when I realized I no longer had the length that I used to."Wow... nice job, Laurie," Jaxon stated. My heart was pounding. He had complimented Laurie, but did that mean he thinks I look nice? I willed my face to stay neutral as I approached the table. "Did you look at your file?" Jaxon asked me before I had time to overthink his comment. I nodded in response, feeling nervous for some reason about finding my voice. Something about the small, bland space was oddly off-puttin
Here's the thing about the witness protection program that I didn't think about prior. You get your documents and a new identity, but you still look the same. Sure, they gave me some highlights and a new style, but essentially I still looked like Emery Starr, and that's why I felt a constant pang of paranoia. I was confused at first why we didn't take a private plane, but Jaxon assured me that they used commercial flights to blend in. We had new ID's and nobody would be looking for a Skyler Finley or a Mason Walker. I was fine with all of this, and despite my paranoia I felt calm as we made our way through security and onto our plane.However, the minute Jaxon left my side to go to his seat near the back of the plane, I felt eyes on me. It was probably nothing, but I kept thinking about Chief's words. The line of followers that this particular mob leader had created was extensive, and they could be anywhere. Comforting, right? I settled down into my window seat and waited anxiously
Finally, the flight attendant's voice flooded the cabin and Jaxon immediately released my hand. They went through their safety demonstration as we began taxing towards the runway. I didn't have it in me to pay attention even though I didn't fly often— I had too much on my mind and felt like I could fall asleep at any moment. Jaxon and I remained seated in comfortable silence until we were in the air. I was staring out the window, looking at the city structures become smaller and smaller; my old life becoming farther and farther away. "I know you're probably tired, but let's review some of our information quick for when we get off the plane. At least the basics," Jaxon stated, breaking me away from my somber thoughts. We were speaking so quietly nobody would hear us even if they tried to listen in. I nodded, "That’s a good idea." Although I agreed, my mind felt fried and I doubted I'd be able to cover a lot before actually falling asleep. "What's your name?" Jaxon started on the q
Grabbing our luggage and making it to campus was a smooth process. Jaxon had ordered me to stay close to him at all times— a relief because the perv from the plane tried to stand by me at baggage claim until he took note of Jaxon. He was quick to step between us, acting as a wall so that Brennan wouldn't be able to see me behind his large frame. It was nice to see Jaxon in action, not that Brennan was anything like the people I needed real protecting from.I felt a little bad that Jaxon had to grab most of the suitcases since my arm was in a sling, but again, he was a huge guy so I figured he'd be fine.Our trip from the airport was mostly silent, as the only conversation that happened was when Jaxon would bark orders at me or fill me in on safety protocols. I tried my best to understand everything he was saying, but I really only got it after he broke it all down. I didn't need to know all of the technical aspects of it anyway. I was thinking about everything Jaxon told me as we ma
I opened up my suitcase and sorted out my new clothes into piles. I knew hanging my clothes up would be a task because of my sling, and making my bed would be almost impossible. Still, I figured I could get Hannah to help me when she got home from work. I had just started attempting to rip open my comforter set when there was a knock on my door.I turned to see Jaxon standing in my doorway. His brow furrowed as he took in my surroundings. "You know you really should keep your door locked."Shit. I completely forgot to lock it after Hannah left. "Did you need something?" I asked with a sniff. I didn't mean to be rude to him, I just didn't have the energy to hide how I was feeling."No, I actually came to see if you needed some help unpacking, given that your arm is injured. I can leave though if you want me to," he started to shut the door. "No wait!" I called. He stopped immediately. "I could use some help with my bed." It was true, I definitely did need help making my bed, but I al