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Chapter 1
Aspen Hale stared across the desk at the U.S. Marshall and felt defeated. His eyes met hers, revealing the pity she knew he felt deep down inside.
“So you are telling me that even after I testify against him, I can’t go back to my old life?”
Her heart pounded as she stared at the federal agent who she met with weekly in her new city. Columbia, South Carolina, was a long way away from where she grew up, and it looked like she was going to be getting real comfortable in the southern city.
“Unfortunately, people who enter into the witness protection program, we highly advise that they don’t go back to their previous lives,” U.S. Marshall Elliot Ball announced. He shook his head and leaned back in his chair.
“But that seems a little unfair.” She gasped. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I’ve been working with the FBI diligently, and this is the thanks I get?”
“It’s never fair, Ms. Hale.” He shook his head again.
She still had to get used to the new last name. Aspen pulled in a deep breath and tried to keep the tears from falling. Her life had been ripped away from her, all because of someone else’s crooked ways. At least the witness protection program allowed her to keep some form of her identity.
Her first name.
Everything else had been taken from her. The job she loved. Her family. Her friends.
Everything was just…gone.
Instead, here she was, hidden away, living the life of one Aspen Hale.
“Most people who enter the witness protection program are criminals, but you”—he paused and ran a hand through his hair as his tired eyes connected with hers—“you were an innocent who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I know.” She sighed. It wasn’t fair for her to take her frustrations out on him. He was protecting her and keeping her alive. “Same time and place next week?”
“Yes. You have a good week, and try making a friend or two,” he advised, standing from behind the desk.
Like that would solve my problem.
She gave him a tight smile as she turned and walked out. She strode through the building that housed his makeshift office and stepped outside.
Taking a deep breath, she looked around the small downtown and took it all in. This was her life now. She glanced down at her watch—it was time for her to start making her way to work.
She guessed she should be happy that they’d placed her in South Carolina. At least the weather was always nice. They could have placed her in some tiny town in the middle of nowhere Montana. And at least Columbia was a southern city where the people all smiled and had manners.
She began the route to the library where she currently held a job. It didn’t pay nowhere near the money she had made in her other life, but it provided a roof over her head.
Before her life had been ripped away, she’d been a successful forensic accountant. The best, and that was what had led to her current life now. Her father, Mason Irwin, was a successful computer tycoon who ran a Fortune 500 company in California. He had become suspicious of some dealings that had been going on with the company and had hired her to look into where money had been disappearing.
Aspen had never wanted run the business but knew that one day she would inherit a hefty sum of money from her parents. Thanks to her father’s success, she had never wanted for anything except to make her own way in life. She didn’t want to succeed based on her last name. No, Aspen Irwin wanted to make it because of her own hard work.
Once Mason was ready to retire, the board would pick his successor. Yes, her father had tried to groom Aspen and wanted her to be the one who took over, but that just wasn’t her. She preferred to be behind the scenes of a business, and numbers were more her thing.
She remembered the day she had discovered that her father had been correct. Someone had been embezzling money from the business, and she couldn’t believe who it was.
“Good morning,” a voice called out, breaking into Aspen’s trip down memory lane.
She glanced up. A woman waved to her from in front of the coffee shop. Aspen returned the smile and waved back. She’d seen and spoken to her a few times when she’d run over to grab a cup of joe. It was a nice, small shop with delicious coffee.
“Good morning,” she replied, and for the life of her, she couldn’t remember her name, but it didn’t stop the lady from offering a bright smile.
This was certainly the south.
Aspen glanced around and found herself in front of the County Library. She took in the stone building that had been around forever and was full of rich history. A deep sigh escaped her chest, and she hefted her purse on her shoulder and hurried into the building.
She was Aspen Hale now.
