The Assignment

Chapter 18

The highways were crowded, as usual. I felt another one of those awful lumps form in my throat when we passed a sign announcing that we'd crossed into Boston city limits.

I'd been running scenarios through my head of what it would be like when I met the witness protection people. I'd tried to force out any thoughts of Joey being separated from me, and instead I focused on trying to draw up a picture in my mind of what my protective custody captors would look like, and where they would have me stay until the threat was extinguished.

Joey and I hadn't spoken a word to each other since my dramatic episode earlier. He'd never responded to my crying pleas. We'd sat in uncomfortable silence until my emotions had settled down. Then he'd gotten back on the road.

He hadn't full-on looked at me since then either. I'd caught a few of his peripheral glances, but he seemed to be avoiding me as best he could. I assumed that everything he'd gone through with me in the last week, coupled with Ron's death, had been more than he could bear in such a short time span. My emotional breakdowns and romantic feelings toward him were the last thing he needed now.

I decided not to mention my feelings anymore. I'd be meeting the witness protection people soon enough, and I'd have to say goodbye to Joey. I'd tried to keep our last few hours together memorable in a good way, but my heartstrings had been yanked in a different direction. I'd listened to my heart instead of my head, and now every time I thought about Joey after this day, I'd regret ruining our last day together. Surely, this had been too much for him. He wouldn't want to see me again. Hell, there was probably some law enforcement protocol that would prevent it anyway, even if he did want to see me. There was no such thing as a happy ending here. Then again, I'd never gotten a happy ending before. Why should today be any different?

"Hey, Brad." Joey's voice brought me back to reality. "Yeah. Not too far away. Probably about ten minutes. Okay. Thanks."

I looked at him expectantly, but I already could guess what the call was about. I remembered him telling me that Brad was his partner. He was calling to let him know we were almost there.

I had ten minutes left with Joey.

"We'll be there in-"

"Ten minutes," we said in unison.

"I know," I sighed. "I'm not excited."

"Witness protection ain't that bad, Jess," Joey tried to reassure me.

"Oh, sure. Except for the part where everyone who's supposed to protect you is more interested in protecting the prosecution's case than the actual witness," I retorted, a bitter taste in my mouth at the thought.

His brows drew together and he reached over to lace his fingers with mine. My breath hitched. I closed my eyes and tried to memorize the way it felt to hold hands with him.

"You're not exactly wrong..." he muttered, his words full of regret. "But I promise, I won't let anything happen to you, whether you're under my watch or someone else's. You'll be safe."

I shook my head, blankly staring at the Boston skyline in the distance. "You can't guarantee that, Joey. Nobody's going to give half a shit about me once I'm in witness protection. They won't care the way you did."

"No. You're right. They won't care about you as much as I have – as much as I do." His voice rose, laced with frustration and hurt. "Because they haven't been through hell and back with you. They haven't come to know you as a beautiful, intelligent, capable woman. Not to mention hardheaded, by the way."

"Hey!" I smacked his arm, half-jokingly.

Damn him for always being able to make me smile when I wanted to be mad.