3. Charlotte
CHAPTER THREE
Charlotte
“Charlie? Are you there?”
I hadn’t responded yet. Hadn’t been able to. But I forced myself to move past the shock.
“How am I in danger? Be specific.”
“I’m sending you a link. It’ll open a secure chat.”
I jumped up from the couch, waving my hands, though he couldn’t see me. “Wait. Hold on. How do I know you’re really River Kwon?” I’d recognized his voice, but that could be faked.
“Good on you for checking. The summer you were sixteen, you twisted your ankle on the hillside below your house. I carried you on my back through the rain.”
Memories flooded my mind. Cold raindrops soaking my clothes. The warmth of River’s skin as he held me.
“Okay, I believe it’s you,” I said quickly, before he could add anything else. “Where’s the link?”
The phone chimed in my hand. A text. I clicked on the link, and a window opened with a video chat.
And suddenly, there was River.
A hint of stubble. Messy dark hair. He wore a pair of black-framed glasses, which didn’t hide the shadows under his eyes. Tight lines of concern etched around his mouth, which wasn’t curved up in his usual smirk or smile.
Yet those lines softened, and his eyes brightened when my image loaded on the screen. And he looked that much more like the River I remembered.
I smoothed my fingers through my hair.
“Hey, Charlie. This isn’t the way I’d expected us to meet again.”
You expected us to meet again? That was news to me.
“Please tell me what’s going on,” I said.
“It’s complicated. I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can here, plus trying to reach you, but I need to get on the road as soon as possible. I’m coming to Denver.”
“Wait, where are you?”
“Hartley.”
“Hartley, Colorado ?” The last I’d heard, River had been either in DC or abroad.
“Yes. Long story. I’ll explain, but I need you to stay put until I’m there. I’ve learned about a threat against you, and it’s imminent. The window is the next few days.”
“What kind of threat?”
“Like I said, I’ll?—”
“River, what threat?”
He licked his lips. Took off the glasses. “Assassination.”
“ What ?” Chills washed over me. I looked at the closed blinds over my windows, my locked door. As if someone would burst in. But everything remained quiet. “I’m just the lieutenant governor. Why would someone…”
“I’m still trying to figure that out. Are you familiar with the organization Stillwater?”
I sat forward. “I read that article about them. I’ve been trying to learn more, but?— ”
“You don’t have any direct connection to Stillwater?” He frowned, scrutinizing me.
“Of course not. Why on earth would I?”
“No dark secrets to confess?”
“What the hell , River? No.”
His frown smoothed out. He seemed pacified by my answer. But I wasn’t satisfied. Not even close.
“Are you still with the Agency?” I asked. “Is that how you got the information about this so-called threat?” River had left the Navy to join the CIA when Ross and I were still together. He’d never been explicit about his work, but we’d guessed.
“I left at the end of last year. I’m a private citizen now. But I’m still in the intelligence business, so to speak. I have my ways. Stillwater issued a bounty against you today on the dark web.”
“A bounty. To assassinate me.” I rubbed the skin between my eyes. “Please tell me this is some prank or a joke.”
“I have an odd sense of humor. But I wouldn’t joke about a threat against your life. You know that.”
I know that? This wasn’t funny, but I did almost laugh.
“Just wait for me, Charlie. It’ll all make sense when I get there. In the meantime, I’ll send an ex-SEAL friend of mine to watch your building, and?—”
“ No .”
I was surprised by the vehemence of my own voice in the otherwise quiet apartment.
River’s eyes narrowed slightly. “No? To which part?”
“All of it. I haven’t heard from you in years. You’ve made it clear plenty of times that I don’t matter to you. Then you suddenly claim I’m in danger with no explanation except that I’m supposed to trust you. And you expect me to do whatever you say? ”
Wait for me. How many times in my life had I waited for River to show up for me, only for him not to show at all?
He opened his mouth to speak. I beat him to it.
“I have no idea what this is really about,” I said. “If you’re aware of a threat, call the FBI. That’s what I intend to do so I can get the answers you refuse to give me. But I am not going to sit here like a helpless damsel and wait for you to rescue me.”
With that, I ended our chat. River immediately tried to call back, but I didn’t answer.
I was so furious, I was shaking.
I’d known the man for well over twenty years. He was still a mystery. An impossible, infuriating puzzle that I couldn’t solve. But I’d given up trying a long time ago.
Eighteen Years Ago
Mom turned into the last curve of the driveway, and I groaned at what I saw. Dad’s truck was already parked in front of the house.
From the backseat, cheers erupted. “River and Ross are here!” my sisters chanted.
“They weren’t supposed to get here until later,” I grumbled.
Mom shrugged. “The boys were able to take an earlier flight. Dad zipped off to get them. Must’ve made great time on the drive back.”
She parked, and Megan and Cora jumped out, sprinting toward the house. Once, I had looked forward to these June visits with equal enthusiasm. But this year, I dreaded it.
Well, Ross wasn’t so bad. We were friends.
But River? Ugh .
“Come on, Char, help me unload.”
We got out and rounded the car to the trunk. We’ve been at an art fair since early. Mom had sold most of the quilts and framed cross-stitch designs she’d brought. In fact, it had been a great day. Bright and sunny. The hillside lush with green. We’d gotten ice cream from one of the vendors.
But now, that chocolate pop dipped in coconut shavings was turning rotten in my stomach.
I grabbed a wooden crate. “Why do they still have to come here? They’re too old to need babysitters. And this isn’t a summer camp.”
I started toward the house, but Mom took hold of my sweatshirt and tugged me back toward the car. “You’re the one who’s too old to be acting like this. You’re sixteen, Charlotte. You should be setting a better example for your sisters.”
“Yeah. I’ll be a senior next year, and I want to spend time with my own family. Why can’t they spend time with theirs?”
“I do consider them family,” Mom snapped. “Their mother has been my best friend since childhood. It’s not Natalia’s fault that…” She pressed her lips together, not finishing.
The boys had been coming to our house in the mountains since Ross and I had been ten and River had been eleven. Back then, I hadn’t questioned why. I’d just been excited for more friends. Especially two boys who somehow lived in both California and New York. Big cities, places I’d never visited myself, even though Mom had grown up in Venice Beach.
Then a couple of summers ago, River had decided to start being a jerk to me for no reason. Mocking everything I did. Proving at every turn how much smarter, faster, better he was than me .
And then, over the last winter, I’d finally figured out who their father was. The man was an actual movie star .
Ross and River went to an exclusive boarding school during the year, and in the summers, their parents wanted the boys to get out in nature and have some sort of rustic experience. But their parents never joined them, as if our home was beneath them. It made me feel weird. Like they were using us. Maybe even laughing at us.
Did River think we were living a quaint, simple life here, in our house that looked like a log cabin with my mom’s art hanging all over the walls? My dad had a wild beard and wore nothing but ratty cargo pants and shirts with the McKinley Outdoor Adventures logo. River and Ross were probably used to limos, designer labels, and fancy restaurants.
“He’s older than I am. He’s the one who picks on me .”
“Which isn’t nice, but you’re hardly innocent. You egg each other on. It’s like you both have a little crush and are chasing each other around the playground.”
“Um, what ? I think not .” I scoffed, frozen in place as Mom carted her box of unsold quilts inside.
When I caught up, I heard delighted shrieks and laughter coming from inside. My sisters were still too small to understand the reasons they shouldn’t like River so much.
I stepped into the mudroom to find him twirling both of them around. Ross watched with his hands in his pockets, shaking his head. The moment Ross’s eyes caught on me, his smile widened. “Charlotte! There you are.”
He stepped over to me, arms going out like he was going to hug me. But he changed that to a pat on the shoulder at the last second.
“Hey,” I said. “Didn’t know you guys were getting in early.”
My gaze slowly dragged over to River. My sisters were still hanging off of him, but he’d stopped spinning to focus on me.
He looked different. Taller and older than seventeen. His smirk was smirkier. “Hi, Grumpy Charlie. I bet you missed us.” River’s tone said he knew that I hadn’t.
“Sure. Like the obnoxious older brothers I never wanted.”
Ross actually wasn’t older than me. He was a month younger. He wasn’t obnoxious either. But that was beside the point.
“Grumpy Charlie! Grumpy Charlie!” my sisters repeated, giggling hysterically.
Ross nudged my arm with his elbow. “Your dad told us about your new bow. Sounds awesome.”
“Yeah. A recurve. I’m shooting at thirty yards now.”
River and I were still staring at one another. His black hair was short on the sides but longer on top, hanging into his eyes. It looked shiny and soft and stupid. I hated it.
“Kids,” Mom called out. “Come wash hands. You’re helping with dinner.”
After dinner, River disappeared upstairs into the guest room with his computer. Something he did a lot. Which was fine by me.
I took Ross over to the archery range to show him my new bow in action. Then my sisters wanted to run down to the creek, so Ross and I trailed after them. The sun was going down, but it had been a warm day. The slight evening chill to the air felt amazing. It ruffled the strands of my hair that had fallen from my ponytail.
Ross closed his eyes and inhaled. “I love the smell here. I look forward to this trip every year.”
I felt guilty about what I’d said earlier. I did like Ross. “I’m glad we can share our home with you,” I said, trying to sound gracious, like my mom wanted.
“Even when my brother gets on your nerves? ”
“Only a little.”
“A little? I saw your face when he called you Grumpy Charlie.”
“I just don’t know how you put up with him year-round.”
“He can be a lot.”
I kicked a rock into the water. “If he just did one thing, that would be fine. But he’s some kind of computer genius, and he’s also athletic. And then you both showed up today, and he’s even more?—”
“Even more what?”
I realized what I’d been about to say.
Even more attractive .
“More obnoxiously perfect.” I shrugged. “I appreciate excellence. But he takes it too far. It’s not normal.”
“I agree with you there. River is nowhere near normal. I gave up trying to compete with him a long time ago. But why does he bug you so much?” Ross side-eyed me. “Seems like you’re a little obsessed with him.”
“I am not.” First my mom, now Ross. They didn’t know what they were talking about.
“Here’s the thing about my brother. Yeah, he seems perfect. But he’s not close with anyone. He doesn’t let people under the surface. Not even me.”
I wrinkled my brow, unsure what to make of that revelation.
Ross nudged my arm. “You, though. You get fired up and tell me what you really think. That’s what I look for in a friend. I’d rather have a few real ones than a hundred who’re just on the surface.”
“Aww, are you saying we’re BFFs, Ross?”
“You should be so lucky.”
I pushed him playfully. He pushed me back, laughing. We moved on to discussing what we’d been up to since last summer. I was still volunteering with the animal shelter in town, and Ross was still taking photos for his school paper and yearbook.
Then we reached the creek, where we splashed frigid water and laughed with my sisters, jumping from rock to rock. And I barely thought about River at all.
His brother was wrong. I wasn’t obsessed with him. It just frustrated me when I couldn’t figure something, or some one , out.
And River was impossible. In so many ways.