Deck The Halls Read online

  Probably sensing how unhappy Thomas’s comment made everyone else in the room, Mendoza quickly responded with what he hoped would unruffle everyone’s feathers. “Yes. The sooner we catch Ortiz and bring him to justice the sooner Gloria can begin again. To live her life without fear or looking over her shoulders. Placing her in a safe house may not be an ideal option, but it’s the best and only viable one we have.”

  “That’s also where you’re wrong. There’s another option,” Jason stated. As soon as the words left his mouth, Jake knew where his brother was going with this. And he had a sinking feeling their father did too.

  “Which is?” Thomas asked.

  “Let her stay here. To keep the number of people in the know to a minimum my brother and I will personally provide in-home protection until Ortiz is caught, tried, sentenced, and delivered safely back behind bars. She works here at the station so it won’t be hard to keep an eye on her during the day. We live here so it won’t be hard for one or both of us to accompany Gloria around town as she runs her daily errands. We’ll be her protective detail ‘til this whole situation finally blows over.”

  “No. Definitely not.”

  “Why not? I think that sounds much better than the alternative. Whisking her away every time the bad guys get near. Plus with Gloria still in the area it may be your best bet at recapturing Ortiz. You and other Marshals can provide back up by patrolling the area from afar. You know he wants her and is headed this way. You may not know where he is now, but you know where he’s going. It should be easy for you to arrest him even before he reaches the town and Gloria. And if you don’t, my boys will be there with her making sure nothing happens,” the sheriff interjected. The tone of his voice reflected just how much he supported his son’s proposed plan. “Plus who can say how long it will take to recapture Ortiz? At least this way she’d be safe and able to live some semblance of a life while the U.S. Marshals focus their resources into finding the escaped fugitive. With my boys accompanying her instead of one of your marshals, it won’t draw undue attention while still keeping her safe.”

  “Not possible,” Thomas said once again as he shook his head no.

  “Your dedication to Gloria is admirable, but you can’t seriously think the two of you could handle watching over her 24/7? Even in a safe house it’ll take a team of marshals to watch over her. The two of you couldn’t possibly do it without drastically changing your lives and your own daily activities. You’d virtually have to move in together. Where would you stay? In her apartment or in one of your homes? How long would you two find the arrangement bearable? As the sheriff just said there is no way in telling how long it will take to find Ortiz much less everything else. Do you really think you two would be able to handle being Gloria’s security for the long haul?” If Jake wasn’t mistaken, he’d swear Mendoza was actually considering it.

  “Certainly. My brother and I share a small ranch right on the outskirts of town. The house is large enough for her to move in and accommodate the three of us for as long as it takes for this whole situation to blow over. It also has a state of the art security system that will make securing her much easier.” Jason glanced in Jake’s direction for his support as he mentioned their home security. He and Jake both were heavily into technology and were extremely savvy when it came to computers, motion detectors, surveillance cameras, and alarm systems. Add to that the large arsenal they’d manage to compile and all their outdoor gear. There wasn’t a safer place on this earth for Gloria.

  “No matter how secure you say your home is, allowing a witness to stay in the area once his or her cover has been blown is completely against procedure.” Thomas once again reiterated his objection to their plan.

  “Oh, so the new identities of witnesses are blown often enough that you have a set procedure to follow?” Jake didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

  “Frankly I don’t give a damn about your procedures. What I care about is Gloria, and making sure she stays safe. To be completely honest, I’m not too happy that the U.S. Marshals failed to provide Gloria the security they promised and I’m willing to bet Gloria won’t be too happy either. I say when you tell her how you guys fucked up we give her both options and let her decide which alternative she wants to take,” Jason adamantly said.

  “No. When she agreed to participate in witness protection she agreed to listen to us, follow our directions, and believe that we have her best interest at heart in everything we do. You don’t enter into the program and then pick and choose when you want to cooperate. She—” Jake was getting tired of listening to Thomas and apparently so was Jason. He didn’t even let him finish before he began speaking again.

  “Yeah, well you promised if she did as you said that she’d be safe here living as Gloria Lopez. You didn’t hold up your end of the bargain so why should she? We could go back and forth about this all day, but ultimately I believe the one making the final decision should be Gloria. She’s already given up so much. That’s the least you guys owe her.”

  “He has a point. The both of you can continue to go back and forth, but it’s Gloria who should make the decision. It’s her life on the line.” Their father interjected in an attempt to stop Jason and Thomas before their words grew further heated. “She’s due to come into work in a few minutes. We’ll inform her of the situation as well as her choices and let her make the decision. Whatever she decides we all agree to abide by, right?” He said looking pointedly back and forth between the Marshals and his sons. Both Jake and Jason nodded, but remained silent. Thomas looked as if he were ready to protest once more when this time his partner cut him off.

  “Alright. I’m willing to go against procedure.” He held up his hand to stay Thomas’s further objections. “If anyone questions it, we’ll say there was extenuating circumstances or something on the paperwork. We’ll allow Gloria to make the decision as long as you can guarantee us that if she does decide to go along with Deputy McCoy’s option that your sons will hold up their end. No matter how long it takes. Their sole purpose in life from here on out is to keep Gloria safe.”

  Gloria’s safety and happiness had been Jake and his brother’s concern long before now. A fact they decided to keep to themselves. Gloria was theirs and they weren’t giving her up without a fight. Not to the marshals and definitely not to her psycho ex. So they stayed silent as their father responded to Mendoza .

  “I don’t know how many times I’ll have to remind you Marshal, but I will as long as I have to. We take care of our own here and if my boys say they’ll protect Gloria, then they’ll give their lives before they allow anything to happen to her. We all would and you can trust that. We’re men of our words.”

  Deck The Halls

  Chapter Two

  Gloria didn’t know whether it was the beautiful sunny Arizona morning she once again awoke to. Or going to a job she actually liked. Or the fact that within moments she’d see the dreamy McCoy brothers that managed to put an extra pep in her step. Maybe it was the fact that Christmas was only two weeks away and she like everyone else was just caught up in the holiday spirit.

  She grabbed the Styrofoam tray with two large orders of the local diner’s famous coffee for the boys and a medium hot chocolate for herself, rounded the corner, and began walking the rest of the way to the station. Gloria found herself smiling once again as she reflected how much enjoyment she found just doing simple things like stopping at the local diner before going to work. Around this time last year her life was anything but simple and she definitely didn’t think joining the witness protection program would be the best decision she’d ever made. But it was.

  After spending three years in fear with Manuel, she sincerely didn’t believe things were ever going to get better. Of course, the night she first met him she had no idea who he really was and what life with him would be like. His tan skin complexion only a few shades darker than hers with an okay physique. He was her height in heels. Manuel always wore his jet black hair cut short on the si
des, while the hair on the top of his head grew long enough to reach the top of his ears. She remembered originally finding his neatly trimmed goatee and amazing smile very sexy and enigmatic. Gloria soon learned to associate that smile with his enjoyment of inflicting pain on others. Namely her.

  She was young, stupid, and thought they were in love. Gloria was too stupid to notice he was systematically taking over her life. By the time she realized something was wrong he’d already dictated what she wore, what she did, and whom she was and wasn’t allowed to spend time with. Gloria realized the only people they spent time with were his friends and business associates. It was then that she finally understood she’d allowed him to completely isolate her from her friends. Leaving her with no one to turn to when the emotional, verbal, and physical abuse escalated. And she knew well how Manuel would punish her when she displeased him.

  Gloria’s freehand unconsciously went to the scar on the inside of her arm. So small and faded one wouldn’t find it unless they knew it was there. Yet every time Gloria thought about Manuel and the last time he beat her giving her the scar; she swore it began burning and stinging as it did that day. The day everything changed for her. The day he almost killed her.

  She’d finally realized what a true ass Manuel was. When she’d gone to tell him it was over and that she wasn’t going to be his punching bag or his doormat anymore, she’d accidentally stumbled upon him and his boys killing one of their competitors. After smacking her around for being where she wasn’t supposed to be, he threatened her to keep her mouth shut about what she’d seen. Before leaving her lying on the living room floor with a busted lip, a bleeding gash on her arm, and tons of bruises. Gloria guessed he’d gone to stay with one of the many girls he kept on the side that he thought she didn’t know about. She was so afraid she barely left her bedroom for a week. Then the fear that he might kill her now that she knew too much spurred her into leaving the apartment and heading straight for the nearest police precinct.

  It turned out that the feds were already investigating him along with a number of his associates. The Marshals came to her and asked her to return to the apartment wearing a wire before Manuel realized she left. They promised protection and a whole new life if Gloria got him to admit to his part in the drug ring, and the murder she’d witnessed. Desperate to do anything to get away from him, she’d agreed.

  The wire actually worked much better then any of them had imagined. It was the first time in three years that she purposely started an argument with Manuel, but she knew his anger would make him loose at the lips. Imagine Gloria’s surprise when he yelled at her to watch what she said to him as he’d killed way more people then the one she’d witnessed. He even started naming names as he slowly began stalking her around the room. The violent intent in his eyes plainly visible. It haunted her dreams for weeks after. Even now in the Arizona heat remembering that look made Gloria shiver. Just as his voice yelling, cursing, and threatening her rang in her ears months later. Many a night she awoke with screams stuck in her throat. Her fear of Manuel very real as she momentarily forgot where she was.

  If he’d caught her, he would’ve without a doubt killed her. Luckily before he laid another hand on her, the Marshals bust through the front door and arrested him. The last time she saw Manuel he was kicking, screaming, and cursing at her and the Marshals as they dragged him reluctantly down the hall. The memory of Manuel dragged away in handcuffs always made her feel better. Reminded her that it was over and she had nothing to fear from Manuel Ortiz ever again.

  Lifting her chin, she reminded herself that despite everything she’d been through in the past she wasn’t his victim nor anyone else’s anymore. Gloria managed to not only get away from him, she’d also put him behind bars. Exactly where she intended to make sure he stayed once she testified at his trial. She hadn’t heard from the marshals when the trial date was set for yet, but she knew it had to be coming up soon. She loved being Gloria Lopez and meeting all the good people in this small town. So much so that it often seemed like her old life was nothing more than just a really bad dream. However, she knew once she returned for the trial she wouldn’t be able to pretend it was all a bad dream that day.

  Gloria knew she’d done the right thing every day she awoke with peace and absent fear. For six months she didn’t have to worry about angering someone, or covering bruises, or thinking up lame excuses as to how she’d once again managed to hurt herself. She’d even let her hair grow long again. The way she liked it. Despite the odds, she’d managed to find her freedom. And Gloria was determined to not only enjoy every single minute of it but to never allow anyone to take it away from her again.

  As she crossed the parking lot to the precinct Gloria realized this would be the very first Christmas she’d have without drama and fear in a long time. When she was with Manuel, he was often drunk and belligerent during the holidays, or absent completely. Back then she thought he was off with one of his mistresses, but now she knew he might’ve been off killing someone on his way there.

  Shaking that dismal thought out of her head she forced her thoughts to return to more pleasant ones. Like this Christmas being the best she’d had in years. And Jason and Jake McCoy.

  Those two hot sexy identical boy toys were the stars of the steamy twin fantasies Gloria’s been having for the last six months. The dream she had about them the night before was of them both completely naked except for Santa hats on their heads, candy canes in their hands, and mischievous smiles on their faces. She’d never even thought about being with two men before she came here and met the McCoy twins. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about all that naked flesh, thick rippling muscles, two sets of large manly hands, and two huge erections. All there for her pleasure. The thought of those two always made her clit yearn for relief.

  If she were feeling really feisty, she’d treat herself for Christmas by finally agreeing to have dinner with the boys. For months they tried to convince her to spend time with them outside of work hours, but she always turned them down. They were her best friends and fear of ruining her relationship with them always held her back in the past. Maybe it was time to change all that. Having them over to her apartment for a nice holiday dinner on Christmas Eve sounded just about right. Another thing she’d discovered about herself during these last six months was she loved cooking and wasn’t too bad at it if she did say so herself.

  Right on time as always, Gloria entered the station, waved as she said a brief good morning to Tina, and quickly made her way towards the twins' desks. She knew how grumpy and groggy they were in the mornings before they got their caffeine fixes. Gloria still couldn’t understand how they managed to swallow down the coffee at the precinct. That stuff was so strong the smell burnt her nostrils by just being near it.

  Gloria rounded the gray partition and was surprised to see they weren’t at their desks like usual. One look at the partially full coffee mugs on their desks told Gloria they were somewhere around here. She noticed the sheriff’s office door was closed. He always kept his door open unless he was on an important phone call or in a meeting. Figuring he must be in there with the twins, Gloria decided to leave their coffees on their desks before making her way to the file room.

  She was just placing the second cup down when she heard the door opening.

  “Morning, Sheriff,” Gloria called out as she saw the sheriff standing in the doorway.

  “Morning, Gloria.”

  “Sorry I didn’t get you a coffee, but if Jake or Jason don’t come back for theirs anytime soon you’re more than welcome to have at one of theirs.”

  “Thanks, but I think if I did, I’d never hear the end of it,” the Sheriff chuckled and smiled as he replied.

  That smile of his always managed to melt her heart. Even though his smile reminded her of his sons, they invoked two completely different reactions. His sons' smiles had the power to make her wet and her heart pound while his smile just made her feel warm and comforted inside. She hadn’t had a father figure g
rowing up, but Sheriff Daniel McCoy always managed to remind her of the one she used to imagine having one day. Unfortunately now at the age of 28, Gloria knew it wasn’t meant to be.

  “Hey, I’d like to have a moment with you. Would you mind joining us in my office?”

  “Us?”

  “Yeah, the boys are in here too. So you can bring their coffees along if you want.”

  Gloria replaced the cups in her Styrofoam tray before walking towards the office. As the sheriff stood aside and allowed Gloria room to enter she saw Jake and Jason immediately. There was no way she’d mistake those identical broad shoulders, sun bronzed skin, and thick arm muscles. Ruffled black windblown hair pulled back in identical ponytails. Legs as thick as tree trunks. Wide stances and chocolate brown eyes you could drown in. She’d dreamed about them enough to recognize them anywhere. Gloria also found it strange they were both standing so she glanced in the direction of the guest chairs and almost dropped the tray she was holding. Seeing Gloria lose her grip, Jake, who was standing closest to her, grabbed the tray before the hot liquid spilled all over her.

  “Thomas? Mendoza ? What are you doing here? What’s going on?” Gloria aimed the last question at the sheriff as he once again closed the door to his office. In an instant all her morning cheer leaked out of her and was replaced with cold fear and panic. This couldn’t mean anything good. What the fuck were the Marshals doing here? They told her emphatically not to reveal her participation in the program to anyone. Not even someone she trusted at the station.

  One look around the room at their faces confirmed her worst fears. Not only did everyone in the room know her secret, but she had a sinking suspicion that something was wrong and she was the only one here who didn’t know. “What the fuck is going on Mendoza ?” Gloria asked as she turned her attention once again towards the marshals.