15. Charlotte
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Charlotte
Twenty minutes.
That was how long the cop car sat behind us as we drove along the curving mountain highway.
Then finally, the car turned off the road. We waited a bit longer. Nothing happened.
I remembered how to breathe.
“Probably just out on patrol,” River said. “He reached the end of his territory and is turning back around. We’re just a couple of miles from the next town. If Stillwater was going to show up and ambush us, they would’ve done it in a more secluded area. We’ll stop for gas in town and switch up our route, just in case.”
I let go of River’s hand. My fingers had cramped from squeezing so hard. “Sorry for crushing you. That was nerve-racking as hell.”
He shrugged. “Use me however you want.” Then his lips twisted. “Sorry. Maybe not the best choice of words.”
“Given our conversation earlier? No, I’d think not.”
He peered at me from the corner of his eye like he was surprised I’d brought that up. But what was I supposed to do, act like we hadn’t confessed those things ?
River drove past a larger corporate gas station, choosing a mom and pop outfit instead. He parked at the pump. “I don’t see any cameras. I’ll pre-pay inside with cash. Need anything?”
I opened the door. “I’ll use the restroom. I could grab us some drinks too. Do you want orange juice?”
“That would be great.” He held out a twenty-dollar bill.
“Thanks.” I took the money, thinking that I would have to pay him back after this was over. In so many ways.
I’d brought almost nothing with me to the fundraiser, so I had no money of my own right now. Everything I was wearing had come from Hodge’s sister. Until this was over, I was completely reliant upon River. Not the worst position I could be in, but still, I didn’t like relying on anyone this much.
And River? Ugh, complicated was an understatement.
We were attracted to each other. And maybe had more unresolved feelings than were appropriate given the fact that I’d been engaged to his brother.
When I’d been with Ross, I had been faithful. In every way. I had locked away my former crush on his older brother and treated it as a childish phase. I had also believed River couldn’t care less about me except as an annoying potential sister-in-law.
Ross and I had eventually grown apart, for reasons that had nothing to do with River. Ross had wanted to move overseas to pursue his dream of being a foreign correspondent. I’d been committed to serving Colorado. More than that, something deeper had been missing.
I hadn’t thought of River immediately after the breakup. In fact, I’d seen River exactly once before the craziness of the last few days.
But now, after the major hints River had dropped, I was rethinking every interaction we’d ever had. And it was kind of blowing my mind. Leaving me confused and vaguely guilty.
It didn’t matter that River and I felt… something for each other. We couldn’t act on it. Not with so much history behind us and between us.
Right?
The gas station had a little shop attached. Inside, a middle-aged man sat watching TV on a screen mounted to the wall. A superhero movie was playing. He glanced up when River and I came inside. Squinted at us.
“Thirty bucks on pump two,” River said.
The man’s eyes slid over to me. Then back to River. “Sure thing.”
After a quick trip to the ladies’ room, I went over to the drink coolers. River was back outside pumping the gas. I selected a mango-orange drink for River, a sparkling water for me.
He’d always been a fan of juice, which seemed almost cute for such an alpha type guy. I’d rarely seen him drink anything with caffeine, and he didn’t drink much alcohol either. Just one of those things I’d noticed about him over the years.
Like the way I’d memorized his smile. The confident way he walked. He’d been the same even at seventeen. So cocky, but clearly he’d added the skills and years of experience to back it up.
It made my chest ache. Thinking of how well I knew River, while also not knowing him at all.
Was that changing? The idea exhilarated me as much as it scared me.
An unsettling sensation prickled at my neck. I looked at the glass door of the cooler, which reflected the rest of the convenience shop.
The man at the register was staring at me .
I realized then that the movie wasn’t playing on the TV anymore. It was the news. The anchor had just said River’s name.
“—is suspected of kidnapping the Lieutenant Governor from a fundraiser last night during a brazen attack which resulted in multiple deaths. Kwon is a former Navy SEAL, well-trained, and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you see River Kwon or Lieutenant Governor McKinley, call the police. Do not approach. We will continue to have updates as this breaking story develops.”
Kidnapped? They thought River had kidnapped me?
Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit.
I brushed a strand of my wig from my cheek, swallowed my panic, and walked toward the register with a calm smile on my face. I set the drinks on the counter.
The man at the register cleared his throat. “Anything else?”
“Just the drinks, thanks.”
“You look familiar.”
“Really? Don’t think I’ve been here before.” I glanced at the window. River was still leaning against the car, waiting for the pump to finish. He had on a ball cap. Sunglasses. Neither of us looked much like those photos on the TV.
But the guy was taking way too long to ring up the drinks.
I tried to breathe slowly. But I was jumpy. Sweating.
That awful news story was still playing, now showing a reporter outside the botanic gardens talking about the attack. Holy hell, it sounded like they believed River had been the ringleader of the entire thing. How was that possible? Brynn and the other agents would have reported that River had saved me. Wouldn’t they? He’d been there to protect me. What the heck was going on?
I had to find a way to get in touch with Brynn.
I tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. Grabbed the two drinks. “You know, you can just keep the change. I should get going. Hubby and I are late for our niece’s birthday party.”
The man raised his hand, about to say something else, but I was already out of the door, squinting against the sunshine.
I ran over to River. “We need to go.”
“What happened?”
“There’s a news story on the TV about us. They’re saying you kidnapped me and were behind the attack at the gardens last night. We need to get out of here, now . The guy at the register kept staring at me.”
“Get in the car,” he murmured. “Stay loose. We’re fine.”
Way too slowly, River stopped the gas pump and went to replace it in the cradle.
Fine? I wanted to protest. This was not fine. But I knew what he meant. We couldn’t draw any more attention. I started toward the passenger side of the car.
The door to the shop opened, bell jingling. The man from the register stepped out.
He was holding a shotgun.
“Stop right there! Let her go.”
Oh no.
River just looked at the guy. “You’re making a mistake.”
“I don’t think so.” He waved the gun. I couldn’t tell if he was gesturing at River or at me. “Ma’am, you get inside the shop. I already called the police.”
“He didn’t kidnap me. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Ms. McKinley, it’s all right. You just?—”
River moved fast. Two quick strides toward the man. He grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and violently slammed it upward, smacking it into the man’s nose. My hand flew to my mouth, covering a scream. River caught the man as he fell, easing him onto the ground. With his free hand, he did something at the man’s neck. The guy went completely limp .
My feet carried me toward them. “Please tell me you didn’t?—”
“He’ll be out for a while, but he’ll be fine. I’ll take him inside and pack his nose to stop the bleeding.”
“Make sure he can breathe.”
“I’ve got it.” River handed me the shotgun, which I held awkwardly along with the two drinks. “Car’s unlocked. Get in, and I’ll be right there.”
River carried the guy inside the shop. I didn’t want to keep the poor man’s shotgun, so I wiped it down and concealed it beneath some bushes.
River came out a few minutes later, flipping the sign to Closed as he did. He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
I was shaking.
“I made sure there were no cameras,” he said as we pulled onto the road. “Not that it matters so much at this point. The police will be here soon. It’s possible your Good Samaritan already told them our plates. We’ll need a new ride.”
“Will this car trace back to Hodge?”
“Don’t worry about him. Hodge wouldn’t be that sloppy. I’m the one who messed up. I should’ve anticipated they might blame me for the attack. What better way to find us than a breathless search for the kidnapped lieutenant governor?”
“And her armed and dangerous ex-Navy SEAL abductor,” I added. A nervous laugh snuck out of me. But I was horrified.
This would be a far bigger story than even the original attack. Media everywhere would be circulating our photos. My wig and River’s sunglasses clearly didn’t cut it.
We were screwed.
River turned onto a tiny road and pulled over, parking beneath the shade of some cottonwood trees. We’d only gone a few miles from the gas station, but we couldn’t afford to stay on the highways anymore. We’d heard sirens in the distance.
“I saw a camping ground about a mile back. I’m going to hike over there and find us a new vehicle. Take the bags out of the trunk, and then I want you to cover this one in branches the best you can. If you hear an engine, get out of sight. I’ll honk three times. That’s how you’ll know it’s me.”
I nodded mutely.
River cupped my face in his hand, thumb stroking my cheek. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”
“Got it.”
His eyes narrowed, and I knew he was worried about me. I was pretty dazed. But I waved him away. “Just hurry.”
I jumped out and grabbed the first fallen branch I could find.
While I worked, my mind chewed on the problem. I’d faced dire situations before. Maybe not so life-threatening, but challenges to the survival of my career? Sure. I’d made it through every time.
We needed a solution.
There was only one I could see.
Some time later, I didn’t know how long, I heard an engine. Then three short honks. I emerged from my hiding place with my bag slung over my chest and carrying his at my side. He got out to take the bags from me.
Before I knew it, we were on the road again. Traveling along the same hard-packed dirt road and heading deeper into the mountains.
I tugged off my wig and tossed it in the back seat. It wasn’t doing me much good. “How long do you think we have until the owner reports this car missing? ”
“I’m banking on several hours at least. I chose this 4Runner because it’s an older model, has decent off-roading capability, and had already been unloaded, which means the owner is settled at one of the campsites. Too late in the morning for him to be leaving today. Probably won’t return to the car for a while. Hopefully not until tomorrow. Just in case, I switched out the plates with another in the lot.”
“Makes sense.”
“That’s it? No arguments about how stealing is wrong, Lieutenant Governor?” he joked.
“Exigent circumstances. But we’ll send money to the owner for the inconvenience and any damages. Along with an apology letter.”
“There’s my Charlie. I knew you were still in there.” His elbow nudged me. “You’ll get along well with Genevieve and Owen. They both tend to struggle when it comes to gray areas.”
I was too keyed-up for light-hearted banter. I’d thought things were bad last night, but this?
We’d made it a long way from the city, and we were no more than a couple of hours from the area where my parents lived. Which meant Hartley was only two to three hours away as well. But if we were sticking to these back roads, that travel time would increase significantly. The police were going to be swarming.
“We can’t go to Hartley,” I said. “That’s the first place they’ll look.”
“Agreed. I can’t risk going near my friends there. Guaranteed they’ll be followed, so we’re on our own for now. I’ll take you somewhere else. A place even the other Protectors don’t know about yet. It’s not ideal, but it’ll work.”
I drew in a shaky breath. “There’s another option.”
“Which is?”
“We split up. You can contact Brynn, have her come get me. She can keep me in some FBI safe house, and I can end this ridiculous manhunt for you.”
“No.”
I had known he wouldn’t like it. But the situation had changed radically. What we were dealing with now was pure insanity. “If you think about it, this makes sense.”
“It absolutely fucking does not.”
“They’re destroying your good name. Your reputation. I know firsthand how difficult that is to get back. And that’s best-case scenario. You could lose a lot more than that.”
“I don’t care,” he said tightly. “You’re playing into Stillwater’s hands. They want to flush you out of hiding. I won’t do it.”
“Pull over, River. Please. Just pull over and listen to me!”
The 4Runner swerved off the dirt into a patch of grass. All around us was nothing but wilderness. Stunningly beautiful. But horrifying scenes played out in my mind.
“The police think you’re a terrorist and a murderer! That you’re holding me hostage! The next time the police find us, even if they’re the good guys who aren’t working with Stillwater, they’re going to shoot to kill you. Don’t you dare tell me I’m wrong.”
He said nothing. Because he knew I was right.
Awful images scrolled in my head. A body in a pool of blood, like those I’d seen last night. But this time, it would be River. Those intense eyes snuffed out, staring at nothing.
“I can’t be responsible for that. I wouldn’t be able to take it.”
“Then I’d better make sure they don’t catch us.”
Such an arrogant non-answer. “Someone else could protect me. It doesn’t have to be you.”
“We have been over this, Charlie. Stillwater intends to hurt you. Do you expect me to sit back and let that happen? ”
“I am grateful for everything you’ve done. But it’s enough.”
He slammed the flat of his hand against the steering wheel, making me jump. “It’s not enough, and it will never be enough.”
“ Why? ”
“Because I’ve been in love with you for half my life. You think that’s a choice? I don’t know how to stop.”
The cabin went quiet except for the sound of River’s breathing.
But the words he’d just shouted? They echoed.
“You’re not in love with me,” I choked out.
His head bowed. “I am.”
The silence stretched out. Everything I knew about River was trying to rewrite itself yet again. But I wasn’t ready for it. Shock didn’t begin to describe what was coursing through my veins. More like utter disbelief. And maybe…something bittersweet.
How could he say a thing like that, so fundamental, and just expect me to accept it? Like it was the answer to everything.
“Prove it.”
“How am I supposed to prove it except by doing what I’ve been doing? Protecting you.”
“You could…kiss me.”
Had I really just said that?
Slowly, he turned to look over at me. His eyes had gone as dark as they had at the fundraiser, when he’d killed all those men. Almost pure black.
The gaze of a predator. But a wounded one. Dangerous .
“That wouldn’t prove anything.” A growl in his tone. So low I felt it in my chest.
“It could. If you make me feel it. ”
Instead of coming closer, River pushed away from me. He opened his door and got out.
He’d just left .
But he didn’t go far. I watched as he rounded the front bumper. He opened my door, and then he was right there. Standing over me. He bent, hand skimming over me as he unbuckled my seatbelt. His fingers lifted to my shoulder and inched upward until they met my neck and gripped the back of it.
That moment hovered. Stretched out the anticipation.
His lips pressed to mine, soft and plush.
A whimper escaped me. And the thrill in my body told me I did want this. More than anything. He drew back to look at me again, dark eyes taking in my face. Then surged forward.
His other hand braced against the back of my seat as his lips brushed over mine. I felt the warmth of his breath. His fingers shook where they gripped my neck.
“River.” I grabbed onto his shirt over his chest. Felt his rapidly beating heart.
And now I was kissing him back. My lips slid against his. Finding the different ways they fit together. I kept making little desperate noises that, if I was in my right mind, I would’ve been embarrassed by. But I clearly wasn’t thinking. My fist tugged on his shirt, pulling him closer. He put a knee up on the seat, crowding me, and the plastic edge of the center console dug into my back. But none of that mattered. All I wanted was River’s mouth. His hunger for me. Undeniable.
This was the most passionate kiss of my life, and our tongues hadn’t even touched yet.
As if he’d had the same thought, his lips parted and the tip of his tongue mapped out the curve of my lower lip.
We both moaned, and I opened to him. He dipped inside. Our tastes mingled .
I sucked his tongue as he fed it to me. Lightning struck all over my body, tightening my nipples. Heat pooled low in my belly and between my legs.
River was the one to soften the kiss and then pull back, panting like he’d sprinted a mile. I couldn’t tell the difference between his pupils and his irises anymore.
“Is that proof enough for you? Or should I keep going?”