officer nodded. “Of course. If you’ll wait here, I’ll inform my sergeant that Ms. Winters feels that this wasn’t a random shooting and that her life is in danger.”
He walked away and Aaron looked at Mackenzie again. “We’ll get you squared away, don’t worry about it. No one’s going to hurt you.”
“You’re really not going to help?”
This again? Why did she think it had to be him who kept her safe just because he’d thrown her to the ground while bullets were flying? That was nothing but a reflex.
He couldn’t let the hurt on her face get to him. He sighed. “Look, you seem nice and all, but I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick here. I’m not your hero.”
She swiped away tears that were still falling. “Of course you are, Eric. You’re the only one who can help me.”
Mackenzie watched the realization wash over his face.
“You think I’m Eric.”
She didn’t know what to say. This was Eric. Had he hit his head when he pulled her down onto the sidewalk?
“I’m not Eric.”
This was bizarre. “Well, if you’re not Eric, then who are you?”
The man’s lips curled up into a smile, and he stuck out his hand. “Sergeant Aaron Hanning, U.S. Army. I’m Eric’s twin brother.”
She stared at his hand. What was there to smile about? “I just told you I’m in witness protection.”
“How was I supposed to know you were going to say that?”
“I thought you were Eric!”
“That’s apparent now, but I didn’t know it then.”
“This is awful. Eric’s going to make me move for sure. I don’t want to leave. I like it here. I’ve lived in Phoenix for years.” Mackenzie sucked in a breath to try to get control, but Sergeant Aaron Hanning, U.S. Army, just stood there smiling at her. She put her hands on her hips. “There is nothing funny about any of this.”
“You just told me my brother works in WITSEC. I thought he worked at the courthouse, or ferrying prisoners around and whatnot. This is cool.”
“Cool? It’s going to get out. I’ll be exposed. My life is over because of you.”
“Me?” He glanced around the room, and then sighed and looked back at her. “Look, I’ll call Eric. We’ll get this figured out. Get your name removed from the witness statement or something so you’re not in danger.”
“You’d better.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is your fault. I’m already in danger, I didn’t need this.”
His eyes widened. “I didn’t shoot at you. I saved your life. Maybe you should say thank-you instead of yelling at me because you blew your cover to me.”
Mackenzie gasped. “It’s not a cover, it’s my life.”
“Okay, okay, calm down already.”
“Calm—”
Sergeant Aaron Hanning, U.S. Army, put his hand over her mouth. “I’m going to call Eric, okay? He’ll tell us what to do, and we’ll get you squared away.”
She took a breath and nodded. The frustration bled away a little, leaving a sick feeling its place. His eyes flickered, but he didn’t look away. He just kept staring into her eyes until Mackenzie reached up and pulled his hand away from her mouth. “Please call Eric.”
He blinked and whatever connection they had dissipated. Aaron pulled out his phone and stepped away. He stuck the phone between his ear and shoulder and pulled open the first-aid kit that was on the counter.
Officer Parkwell strode back in, his mouth set in a thin line. “We have a witness that identified the plates of the car your shooter was driving. It belongs to a local gang member. At this point we think it’s highly unlikely this was anything but a random shooting. Unless you can think of a reason someone might want to harm you?”
“It could be about the arts center where I work. In fact, I think it is about the center. Someone slashed my tires before they shot at me.”
It wasn’t a happy thought to consider that she was the cause of someone being hurt. Or that she had grieved someone enough they felt they needed to retaliate and slash her tires. But tensions often ran high at the center. Especially when a person took into account the tough background each of the kids had.
“The performing arts center down the street?” The cop scribbled on his notepad. “Is that where your car is?”
“Yes, in the center’s parking lot, around back.”
“We’ll get someone over there to check it out.”
The cop strode out again.
The shooter had followed her before they fired. Was that to confirm she was their target? Nothing about this felt like coincidence. Even if it wasn’t related to her testimony all those years ago, it was still about her.
Aaron came back over. “I got voice mail. Eric’s been in D.C. the past couple of days. He could be on a plane coming home.”
Mackenzie hoped that was it. Because in the meantime, she was stuck with the injured, sarcastic twin brother of the all-American U.S. marshal who was supposed to be the one helping her. Why couldn’t Eric be here now?
Mackenzie wrapped her arms around herself. It was like being eighteen again, having her whole life end because she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sound of gunshots from the car had frozen her. Again. She rubbed a hand on her collar, over the place the bullets had entered. She wanted the comfort of a hug, but she’d already gushed over Aaron enough when she’d thought he was Eric.
He’d acted quickly, saving her life. Another “she’d have been dead, if not for...” to add to the long list already in her WITSEC file. But she had to keep her distance, because not only was he a stranger to her, but he didn’t seem like the kind of man who appreciated a woman who couldn’t stand on her own two feet.
“Are you okay?”
Mackenzie tried to smile. “Sure, I’m fine.” It wasn’t as if her whole life might be over or anything. “It’s just late and it’s been a really long day. I didn’t need this drama with you on top of it.” She looked at the front window. “I hope that man’s going to be okay.”
He moved close to her side, and then he said, “Me, too. So, listen, if you’re going to be fine, then I’m going to head out—”
She whipped around to look at him.
“I’ll talk to Eric, and when the police have what they need, they’ll probably let you leave.”
She was supposed to just go home? Mackenzie swallowed. “Uh, sure. That’s fine, I guess. You need to get to the hospital anyway, right?” There was blood all down his sleeve.
He nodded. “Right.”
But he didn’t leave. Mackenzie’s cheeks burned under his stare, so she lifted her chin and stared right back. “You said you and Eric are twins?”
He nodded.
“Uh...that’s nice.” Probably identical twins—they looked similar enough that she’d mistaken Aaron for Eric. But now that she looked closely, she could see slight differences in the nose, where Aaron’s looked as if it had been broken. Her cheeks heated. “I thought you were leaving.”
“So did I.” His lips curled up, his eyes on her. “And