8. Charlotte
CHAPTER EIGHT
Charlotte
“It’ll be fine,” Brynn said.
I startled and glanced over at her. My mind had been somewhere far away.
“Of course.” I smiled my best politician smile. “I’m sure tonight will go off without a hitch.”
“That’s what we’re here for.” Agent Josh Rainey turned and grinned at me from the shotgun seat. “And of course, to look good.”
We rolled through the Capitol Hill neighborhood on our way to the botanic gardens for the fundraiser. The FBI’s presence here was off the books, and Brynn had specially chosen two of her most-trusted colleagues. Agent Rainey was blond, built like a football player, and constantly grinning. Another agent, Rafael Torres, drove the SUV. He seemed like the silent, stoic type. Torres kept his eyes glued to the road and didn’t even flinch when Rainey joked around.
All of us were dressed to the nines, because this was an important fundraiser, and I didn’t want any donors to realize I had a security detail. Most of the time, I didn’t have bodyguards or anything like that. Few people ever recognized me on the street. A lieutenant governor simply wasn’t a high-profile target.
Assassination threat? What assassination threat?
“But I do have to say,” Rainey added, “all this might be easier if we knew what we were up against.”
I tucked my hair into place. The top half was swept off my face, the rest brushing my shoulders. “I wish I could tell you more. The anonymous tip didn’t include many details. Just that someone might try to harm me.” From what River had said, the threat wasn’t against anyone else.
“And that’s why we’re going to stay close to her the entire time,” Brynn cut in. “Unless you want to cancel, Lieutenant Governor. That’s still an option.”
“No. This is for charity. It’s an important chance to talk about my initiative with the donors. We’re here to help vulnerable people. I won’t cower and hide based on a single vague threat.” If I did, then Stillwater would have already won.
Besides, the attack might not come tonight. It might not come at all.
River had left Brynn’s house hours ago, and I had no idea where he’d gone after that. I’d pretty much dismissed him. I’d gone to the office, attended my scheduled meetings, and tried my best to have a normal day. The whole time, Brynn had stayed close by my side.
In prepping Rainey and Torres, we hadn’t revealed the Stillwater connection. I’d sworn Brynn to secrecy about anything related to River or his illegal hacking activities. I had told him I didn’t want to shield him, but I wasn’t going to throw him to the wolves either.
But of course River was part of some secret hero society. A bunch of alpha males who dealt out hard justice while keeping their emotions locked away. No thanks. I wanted nothing to do with it .
I wasn’t in denial. I was taking River’s warning seriously. Being careful. But I couldn’t crawl into a hole and cancel my entire schedule. I had to keep living my life.
Just not with River standing over my shoulder. I didn’t need any more of his help.
My personal phone rang, jarring me out of my thoughts.
“Who is it?” Brynn asked.
I checked my screen, half expecting to find River calling me. But it wasn’t him.
“It’s Jud.” My ex-boyfriend. When we’d broken up months ago, I’d made my feelings clear. As in, don’t ever contact me again . But my parents had mentioned him just yesterday. If he hoped to get back together, I didn’t want to know. “I have no idea what he could want, and I’m not interested in finding out.”
“Ex?” Rainey asked.
“Yep.” I switched the phone off and stuck it in my clutch.
Brynn smirked. “You’ve been having a lot of ex issues lately. Who knew our lieutenant governor was such a man-eater?”
“Hey!” I didn’t know if that was a tangential reference to River, or to my former relationship with his brother, or all of the above. “That’s exactly why I’ve sworn off men for the foreseeable future. No more drama, please.”
“Same here,” Agent Torres said from the front. “I’ve got a list of toxic exes. Men are more trouble than they’re worth.”
“Not all of us,” Agent Rainey complained.
Brynn held up her hands, palms out. “I’m staying out of this.”
Laughing, I held out my fist, and Torres bumped it.
At the public entrance to the botanic gardens, off-duty cops were checking IDs to make sure only invited guests were allowed inside. We pulled up to the private side entrance. Agent Rainey got out first to double check that the arrangements were in place. Then I got out with Brynn. She and the other agents were dressed in an upscale version of FBI fashion: sharp dark suits and dour expressions. Brynn had added a pair of stiletto heeled boots to spice up her ensemble.
I’d worn a sleeveless, dark blue dress that almost brushed the ground and flowed around my legs as I walked. And beneath? My favorite pair of combat boots. It was my nod to comfort and my personality. I’d learned a while ago that if I didn’t insist on being true to myself, even in small ways, I would lose my mind. Especially at an event like tonight’s, which was for an important cause yet was all about elegance and catering to wealthy donors.
“You do your thing,” Brynn murmured to me. “I’ll be sure to have eyes on you.”
“Thanks. You’re going above and beyond.”
Everything would be fine. Like she’d said. No more time to stress or worry.
The private entrance took us through a building the staff used as office space. After emerging on the other side, I spotted the event coordinator. I smiled and lifted my hand in greeting.
I was ready to mix and mingle and squeeze a few more dollars of donations to benefit trafficking victims. Those survivors were the reason I was here tonight.
Stillwater could kiss my combat boots.
The fundraiser was being held on a large open-air patio across from a reflecting pool. Smaller paths branched off in all directions, leading into different areas of the gardens. Along one side of the patio, tables were set up for a silent auction. I made my rounds, shaking hands, meeting new donors and reconnecting with local philanthropists I already knew well. Around us, the botanic gardens were in the full bloom of summer .
A band played subdued rock ballads beside the open bar. I wouldn’t be drinking tonight, but I longed for an extra dry martini. Especially when I got cornered by a retired Wall Street type who had just bought a third home in Colorado. The man had a nasally voice and a bad habit of tugging at his white goatee. He was talking my ear off about tax incentives.
“Charlotte,” the head of the charity said. A woman named Jessica. “So sorry to interrupt.”
I wasn’t sorry. Not in the least. I started to turn away from Mr. Wall Street, hoping Jessica would save me from death by boredom.
“I just have to introduce you to our newest Champion-tier donor,” she said, ushering someone forward through the crowd.
Then I caught sight of the handsome man beside her. Dapper tailored suit, slicked-back dark hair. A smirk I knew far too well.
“This is River Kwon. Mr. Kwon, Lieutenant Governor Charlotte McKinley.”
You have got to be kidding me.
“Lieutenant Governor,” River said. “I’ve been dying to meet you.” He held out his hand. I didn’t take it.
“Champion-tier?” I snapped. “Really?” That was the highest donation level that this charity had. Over thirty thousand dollars. No wonder Jessica was ecstatic to introduce me.
What the hell was River doing?
Jessica glanced between us. “Is everything all right?”
“Wonderful.” I put my smile back in place, though I couldn’t keep all the sarcasm from my voice. “That’s incredibly generous. Mr. Kwon , was it? Let me tell you about the initiative my office is starting. We can chat over here.”
I grabbed River’s arm and tugged him onto a side path lined with shade trees.
“What are you doing here? ”
He smoothed a hand down his lapel. “I’m a donor. Like Jessica said.” He glanced sharply to the side. Brynn was there, coming toward us with a deep frown. Agent Torres was right behind her. I held up a hand and shook my head.
“The work this charity does is important. You can’t screw around with them and make them think?—”
“I donated the money. I looked up the name of the charity’s president, called her after I left your place, and set up the wire transfer.”
I looked at him incredulously. He probably could’ve used his spy skills to sneak into this event if he’d wanted. But the man had donated thirty thousand dollars just to get through the doors to reach me.
Nothing. I had nothing.
He tilted his head. “This is far from the only nonprofit I’ve donated to this year. It’s a good cause. I usually spend more time vetting charities before a major contribution, but this one has your seal of approval. That means a lot to me.” He shrugged dismissively. “Also had to spend an egregious amount on this suit, but it was last minute.”
“Is that supposed to impress me?”
“I wouldn’t mind if it impressed you.”
I scoffed. For lack of anything better to say.
He could spend his trust fund however he wanted. And I couldn’t deny that his donation would make a tremendous difference. But that wasn’t the point, and River knew it.
“ Why are you here ?” I demanded.
River put his hands in his trouser pockets. “You might want to keep your voice down. Unless you want your FBI friends to escort me out. Now’s your chance.”
“I’m tempted.”
River took a step toward me. Brynn and Torres flinched, ready to move. But I waved them off again. They backed up until they were just out of earshot .
“You’re determined to protect me,” I said, answering my own question. “Even though I told you I didn’t want your help.”
“The agents are doing a decent job.” He’d stepped forward yet again, hands still in his pockets, and I resisted the urge to retreat. Besides, if I had, I would’ve simply run into the tree behind me. “But I can do better.”
“So arrogant. Do you have new intel to share? Is that what this is about?”
“Not specifically.” His dark eyes swept over me. “You look stunning tonight. I like you in blue.”
River had always been a little flirtatious, but I knew it didn’t mean anything. He only did it to get under my skin. Just like when we were kids. “You’re more frustrating than anyone I’ve ever met.”
He smiled. His close shave showed off his cheekbones and jawline. One lock of almost-black hair had broken free and fallen across his forehead. “I’m here in Denver to protect you, but I did want to see you again. Believe it or not, I have missed you. And I wish I’d done something about that before.”
“ Really .”
“It’s true.”
“After all these years, you decided you missed me.”
“It’s been a while, yeah. But I missed you the whole time, Charlie. Make no mistake.”
I still heard music and the voices of guests, yet we were secluded here. Just a few turns in the botanic gardens, and you could feel like you were in another world.
And with River staring at me like that? It was hard to remember how I’d even gotten here.
We had a complicated history. Including my engagement to his brother. But my connection to River went far beyond that. I had thought we were friends once .
And a very long time ago, I had believed we could be more.
“I don’t know what to do with you,” I said. But already, the anger was fading. That was another thing about River. It was hard to stay mad at the man. Especially when he seemed so insistent on saving my life.
Before I realized what I was doing, my hand stretched out to fix his shirt collar. It was slightly uneven on one side.
When I went to draw my hand back, he captured it between his. The air whooshed out of my lungs. Shivers chased the goosebumps along my skin.
Tonight, River looked just polished enough to pass for the rich man he truly was. But those hands. They were rough and scarred, betraying the brutal realities of his past. A past I didn’t know much of. River had always disappeared before I could get too close.
Dangerous , I reminded myself. That’s what he is.
“Does that mean I can stay?” he asked. Which was a total non sequitur to anything I’d just said.
Yet there I was, nodding.
“Don’t get in the agents’ way. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just another donor.”
“Then I guess I’ve taken up enough of your time, Lieutenant Governor.” He still had my hand cradled between his.
I pulled away from his grasp, spun on my heel.
Brynn caught up with me. “Is he going to be an issue?” she asked.
“No. Just ignore him. That’s what I plan to do.”
Brynn’s lips pressed together. Like she knew what a lie that was. “What should I tell Rainey and Torres? They still don’t know River warned you about Stillwater. They’re assuming he’s another ex-boyfriend who won’t move on. That man-eater reputation of yours is going to spread if you’re not careful. ”
I rolled my eyes. “If they only knew how boring my love life really is. Let Rainey and Torres think what they like. Just tell them River isn’t a threat.”
We’d returned to the party, and I was immediately swallowed up by donors vying for a moment of my attention. But my mind was on the man I’d left behind me.
For the rest of the evening, I kept seeing River on my periphery. He had a glass of red wine in his hand that he didn’t drink. He smiled and schmoozed with the other rich donors. Women flirted with him by the silent auction tables, and it looked like he was flirting right back.
I wished my attention didn’t keep gravitating toward him.
One woman in particular kept laughing and touching his jacket, and I had the compulsion to rip her arm from the puffy sleeve of her dress. This was a serious event about a sobering subject. Not ladies’ night at a downtown club.
Also, wasn’t he supposed to be protecting me? Not picking up wealthy divorcees?
Yes, I knew how ridiculous I sounded. I hadn’t wanted him here at all.
But at least I’d forgotten to be anxious about the threat against me.
The silent auction was almost over. I’d bid on several items, and I’d talked to just about everyone here. I was beat .
That was when Brynn came over to me, looking pale. A sheen of sweat coated her forehead. Agent Torres had been standing near me, so she pulled both of us away from the crowd near the auction tables.
“You okay, Somerton?” Torres asked. “You don’t look so good. ”
“No shit. I feel like I’m going to—” She turned and retched into the bushes.
“Brynn!” I put a hand on her back.
She coughed a few times, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief Torres offered. “This came on way too fast. I think I might’ve been drugged. Charlotte, we need to get you out of here.”
“ Drugged ?”
Agent Torres took my arm. He pressed his earpiece and spoke rapidly into his mic to Rainey, who’d been keeping an eye on things from the other side of the party. I saw Rainey make a beeline toward the exit.
“Wait, we can’t leave Brynn.” I turned to her. She was bent over, retching again. “You need to get to a hospital.”
“Go,” she coughed.
Torres tugged me away from her. “Rainey is requesting medical assistance for her. We have to get you secure. How are you feeling? Did you drink anything? Eat anything?”
“No.”
“Maybe it’s a false alarm, and Somerton has a stomach bug. But we can’t take chances.”
“I’m not okay with this. Brynn needs help.” Yet when I looked around for River, I didn’t see him anywhere. A lot of use he was.
Jessica, the head of the charity, appeared at my elbow. “Charlotte? What’s going on?”
“Agent Somerton is sick.” I’d told Jessica about the FBI agents here tonight, though I’d been vague about the reason. “She needs a place to sit down until paramedics get here.”
“Oh my goodness. Of course.”
Torres hustled me away from the party. We’d managed to sneak away without causing a scene that would disrupt the rest of the event, but I kept thinking of Brynn. I hated leaving her behind .
We reached the side entrance to the gardens. We would need to pass through the lobby of the staff building. The windows were dark. Everything was quiet over here. Since it was after hours, the administrative employees were long gone for the night.
“Rainey is bringing the car,” Agent Torres said. He kept glancing around while he listened to his earpiece. “Two minutes at most. Let’s go into the lobby. I’d prefer if you weren’t out in the open.”
“Sure. Makes sense.” I pressed my clutch purse to my chest, feeling my heart thump against it. With one arm around my waist, Torres opened the door into the building.
“Lieutenant Governor McKinley! Hold on a moment.”
Torres and I both whirled around. There was a figure approaching. White goatee, the stooping gait of an older man.
Immediately, the agent pushed me behind him into the doorway. “Can I help you, sir?” Torres barked.
It was Mr. Wall Street. The man who’d been boring me with tax advice earlier. “Just needed a word with the lieutenant governor. Glad I caught you before you were gone.”
“Sir, I’m gonna need you to return to the fundraiser. Ms. McKinley is on her way out.”
“Sure, I see that, but there’s just one more thing.” Grinning, Mr. Wall Street pulled his hand from his pocket. He was holding something.
A gun .