Page 34 of Safeguarding the Witness

“You’re a little scary,” he mumbled under his breath. More loudly, he said, “See if you can work in a question about Marshal Youngblood.”

She gave him a pat on the cheek and sashayed into Easton’s hospital room. She stood at his elbow, fluffed her hair and dropped the teddy bear on his lap. “A get-well present.”

He bowed his head. “Thank you, Princesa.”

Mollie felt bad about lying to him and taking advantage, but she knew Madison wouldn’t care. And she needed to get information.

“You really blew it this time, Marshal Easton.” She hoisted her lip in a sneer her sister had used for years to put people in their places. “I’ll need to punish you.”

His expression told her that he just might like to be punished. “I tried to reach your sister, to take care of her.”

“Take care?” Mollie/Madison said archly. “What does that mean?”

“Protect.” Easton attempted a loose smile.

Not what she expected, but she made sure she understood. “That’s right. You’re supposed to make sure my sister comes to no harm.”

“Yes,” he said. “She’s not very pretty. Not like you.”

“How dare you insult my twin sister.”

“I am sorry, Princesa. So sorry. Didn’t expect an attack. A sniper.”

“Learn to think.” She rolled her eyes and tapped the side of her head. “It was Julio, was it not? He hired the sniper.”

“Had to be him, the bastard. He gave the order. Shoot at my legs.” His eyes filled with tears. “A message. Tells me I can’t run back to you.”

Mollie wondered if her twin had been leading this poor guy on, using her wiles to convince him to do her dirty work. The only thing Easton had admitted so far was he meant to protect Mollie, which was also his job as a marshal.

Why would he work for her? Was it money? Mollie took a stab. “You don’t deserve what I pay you.”

“But I’d do anything for you. Everything, my Princesa.”

Aha! Easton was on her payroll. She pushed. “What about those idiots that shot at my sister in Denver? Who hired them?”

“Youngblood said you knew.”

Another piece of information. If Easton had been fully conscious, he never would have revealed so much of their plan. She snapped at him. “The fools tried to kill my sister.”

“Never.” He wiped at his mouth. His lips were wet and rubbery. “They were supposed to kill the guy who came to see your sister.”

Spence. That made sense to her. The thugs had been waiting outside her rental house in Denver. They only started shooting after Spence arrived. How long had they been watching her? “They didn’t work for me. Julio must have hired them.”

“Princesa.” He gasped and fell back against the pillows.

She turned her full attention on him and took on the role of Madison at her meanest and her sexiest. “Julio won, and you lost.”

“So sorry.”

She leaned across his bed, giving him an up-close-and-personal view of her breasts as she grabbed the teddy bear. “You know how I deal with losers, don’t you?”

“Forgive me. Please, Princesa.”

He was pathetic. Her instinct told her to reassure him, but she didn’t capitulate. Her sister wouldn’t let him off the hook. To “punish” Jerry Easton, Mollie plunged her knife into the belly of the stuffed animal and yanked out the innards. Then she tucked the knife into her purse where no one would see it. “Tell your pal Marshal Youngblood that he’s a loser, too.”

“His fault,” Easton whined. “He never should have let her leave Denver.”

“Did Youngblood talk to Julio? Did he betray me?”