Page 1 of Enduring Promise

CHAPTER 1

Hillary sat at the edge of the motel bed, staring at the television screen buzzing with muted static. It had been three days since they’d decided Russ had to disappear. Three days since she’d made the reckless decision to join him, leaving behind the life she’d meticulously built. She ran a hand through her thick hair, which was beginning to show signs of her sleepless nights and missed showers. She wasn’t a stranger to stress. There were high profile cases before this one.

It wasn’t the legalities that troubled her. She could handle the intricacies of the law. It was the danger, the uncertainty of what came next. She had spent her career in air-conditioned offices and polished courtrooms, where arguments were made with words and papers, not guns and violence. Now, here she was, sitting in a dingy motel room with a man whose life was on the line, both of them waiting for the next instruction that would decide their future.

Russ was across the room, his back to her as he scrolled through something on his phone—burner, of course. They hadn’t had access to their regular phones since they started running. He was still the same rugged, unshakable man who’d found himself in a mess, but there was a subtle tension in hismovements now. The reality of the situation was catching up to him too.

“They’re going to move us tomorrow,” Russ said, his voice low and rough. He didn’t turn around to face her.

“Where?” Hillary’s voice was steady, though her heart raced at the thought of what “moving” would entail. They had been hopping from one hidden location to the next since the case had exploded, and each time it felt more precarious.

“They didn’t say. But it’s going to be a long trip.”

Hillary pressed her lips together. She hated how little control they had of their own destiny. Before all this, she had always known the next step. Her days were carefully planned, predictable. Now, she couldn’t even plan for the next hour.

She stood and paced to the small window, peeking through the slats of the blinds. Nothing but the dull, empty parking lot of yet another nameless roadside motel. She hated it. She hated the way they had to hide, like criminals, while the real criminals continued their lives untouched. Carmine Majors, Russ’s biggest target, and Topeka’s father, was still out there, enjoying his freedom and pulling the strings of his dirty empire. He had evaded the law for years, and now he wanted his own daughter dead for daring to stand against him.

Hillary’s stomach twisted as she thought of Topeka. The young woman had been so brave—foolishly brave, maybe. Her decision to expose her father’s corruption had set everything in motion, but it had also shattered her life. Now, she was the bait in a deadly game, and Hillary knew they were all running on borrowed time.

“You don’t have to come,” Russ said, breaking the silence. He turned, his tired eyes meeting hers for the first time since the conversation had started. “I can handle it from here.”

Hillary’s jaw clenched. This again. He had been saying it since the beginning, trying to push her out, trying to protect her.It was infuriating. “I’m not leaving, Russ,” she replied, her voice sharp. “You need me, and you know it.”

He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his unshaven face. “This isn’t your fight.”

“It is now,” she shot back. “You’re going to be a vital witness in the case. You’ve got to be prepared for that. I plan to make sure you are.”

“This case will never go to trial.” Russ rubbed a hand against the stubble on his cheek. “I’m sure Carmine is on the run by now. After Topeka outed him on live television, he’d have no choice. He’s going to hunt for revenge and hide out.”

“I know you are an incredible journalist, but I’m a pretty good lawyer. I’ve seen men like this my whole career. You’re underestimating his ego. There’s a chance he’s arrogant enough to think he’s untouchable. He might have stuck around and tried to do what men do in that situation.”

“What’s that?” Russ seemed genuinely curious about the answer.

“Call the woman making the accusation crazy. Undermine her credibility. Nothing silenced the women faster than demonizing. Remember the burned women of Salem, they only called them witches while they did it.”

Russ nodded, looking impressed with her point.

For a moment, the room was filled with a heavy, strained silence. Hillary crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t used to being told to stand down. She had never been the type to sit back and watch things unfold, especially not when lives were at stake. She wasn’t going to abandon him to face this alone.

Russ shook his head, his eyes softening. “You’ve never had to run like this, Hillary. It’s not going to be easy.”

“I’m not asking for easy,” she said, her tone resolute. “I’m asking to see this through. I’m invested now. I made the choice to join up, and I don’t quit.”

She could see the internal battle in his eyes, the way he weighed the risks against his desire to keep her safe. But Hillary wasn’t some damsel in distress. She was a lawyer, and damn good at her job.

She saw the moment he gave in, the slight dip of his shoulders, the way his eyes flickered with a mix of resignation and respect. “Alright,” he said quietly. “But there might come a point where it is just too dangerous or you’re sick of sleeping in gross motels and using a fake name. Just say the word and you’re out. We’ll arrange it.”

Hillary nodded, though she knew when that time came, she’d be too stubborn to take his advice.

Russ turned back to the phone, scrolling again, but Hillary could see the weariness in his movements. They were both running on fumes now, waiting for the storm to hit. She crossed the room and sat down beside him, close but not touching, her presence a silent vow she wasn’t going anywhere.

She had given him plenty of reasons why she was staying, but she couldn’t seem to tell herself the truth. The easiest thing she could do right now is go home. Carmine Majors had no idea who she was and that she was mixed up in this. It could all be over for her already. Yet here she was, sitting by a man she barely knew, acting like they are partners in this. Unable to leave him behind. At some point she’d have to ask herself why that really was.

CHAPTER 2

Russ leaned his head against the cold metal of the van, the vibrations from the road thrumming through his skull. The lack of windows in the back where they were sitting was making the entire situation even more claustrophobic. They’d taken all the burner phones and now it was complete radio silence. No way to check what was going on in the news about the case or reach anyone at the Kinross organization.

The man in the driver’s seat hadn’t spoken a word since they climbed in, his eyes locked on the road ahead with grim, unshakable focus. Russ had been on enough jobs to recognize the type. This guy wasn’t here to chit-chat or offer reassurances. He was here on orders—strict orders—to get them from point A to point B and keep them alive in the process. And that was it.

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