4. Charlotte
CHAPTER FOUR
Charlotte
Brynn Somerton ushered me into her living room. I sank onto her cushy couch and pulled a throw pillow onto my lap. She crossed the room with brisk strides, checking that each window was secured, the curtains drawn.
“Do you need anything?” she asked.
“A shot of whiskey?” I held up my hand. “ Kidding . Getting drunk is the last thing in the world I should do. What I should be asking is if you need anything. I interrupted your night.”
Brynn had come straight to my condo, picked me up, and brought me back here to her house. Me and Cleo, who’d protested mightily at being put in her carrier. The poor diva. But if I was truly in danger, Brynn was exactly the kind of friend I needed.
“You didn’t interrupt much. Just catching up on reports and eating leftovers.”
“Sounds like my night before it got too exciting. And not in a good way.”
“Yeah. What’s this about a threat?” She sat in the chair across from me, one long leg crossing over the other. Brynn was in jeans and a hoodie, yet there was still an aura of elegance about her.
But appearances were deceiving.
We’d met at an archery range. That day, Brynn had cut an impressive figure. Statuesque, her long black hair tied into a high ponytail. Nearly every person in the place had been staring at her, in awe, as she shot a near perfect score from sixty yards. I hadn’t done so badly myself. Afterward, we’d gotten to chatting, and we’d been close ever since.
Brynn was an ex-Marine. A total badass and one of the toughest people I’d ever known. And currently a Special Agent in the FBI’s Denver field office.
“A family friend got in touch tonight,” I said. “He told me I’m in danger. That’s why I called and sounded so freaked out.”
“Actually, I thought you sounded pretty calm for someone who’d just learned about a threat against her.” Brynn smiled. “Take your time. Start at the beginning.”
“For this to make any sense, you need to know something about the man who contacted me. River.”
River . Just saying his name sent a cascade of complicated feelings along my nerve endings.
I couldn’t start at the true beginning. That had been more than eighteen years ago, and there’d be way too much to cover. Brynn was being a sympathetic friend, but this chat wasn’t entirely informal, despite our surroundings. I had no doubt she’d be analyzing my every word.
I gave her the quick version of our history. Summers spent at my parents’ house in the mountains. My relationship with his brother, which had ended years ago. River’s military service and his work overseas at various embassies, when I assumed he’d been a spy.
“He told me he’s gone private, but I don’t know if that’s as a military contractor or what. River said he somehow learned I’m in danger. Apparently, Stillwater plans to assassinate me in the next few days.”
Her brows shot up. “ Stillwater ? Our office has been looking into them, and we haven’t even confirmed that the organization exists.”
“I know.”
“Did he say where he got this intel?”
“He promised to explain when he arrived. Apparently, he’s heading to Denver now. But this is ridiculous. Don’t you think? Even if I knew him once, I don’t now. Not at all. Yet he contacts me out of the blue and commands me to wait there at home for him to arrive. Never mind the fact that I hadn’t shared my address. I told him no. I can’t accept what he says at face value.”
“You don’t trust him?”
“I trust him not to hurt me.” I didn’t believe River would hurt my career intentionally, and of course he’d never harm me physically. As for the other ways he had hurt me, that was in the past. And probably not something River was aware of.
“Do you trust him to tell you the truth?”
“I…” My teeth sank into my lower lip. “I don’t know.”
Brynn folded her arms and tilted her head thoughtfully. Her ponytail draped over her shoulder. “Even if he’s not with the Agency any longer, he’ll have contacts. It also sounds like he’s skilled with computers.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Then it’s likely River’s sources are reliable. Think about the last few weeks. Have you noticed anything unusual? Anything concerning? A sense you’re being watched, maybe. Unusual messages or comments online. Hints that someone’s been hanging around your car, your building. Keeping track of your movements.”
I ran through my recent memories. “I have been stressed more than usual. I thought it was work stuff. But maybe it’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just a feeling of being off. A shorter fuse than normal.”
Brynn looked like she was trying not to smile. “You’re always at least a little grumpy, Char.”
“Oh, shush. River used to call me Grumpy Charlie when we were growing up.”
She snorted.
Rolling my eyes, I racked my brain for a way to pinpoint that off feeling. “I usually walk to my yoga class in the mornings, but I’ve been taking my car instead. And I didn’t go to class at all the past few days. I’ve been avoiding walks to my favorite places in general. I thought I was just tired. But in hindsight, I think it’s more than that.”
“It could’ve been your subconscious trying to keep you safe. You think someone’s been watching you?”
“Shit. It’s possible.” I’d still been fighting the truth of this threat against me. But my gut told me this was real. “I can’t believe this.”
She reached over and squeezed my knee. “Hey, you’re safe here. I’m glad you called me. You know I’d do anything to help, and you can stay with me as long as you’d like.”
“Thank you. I have faith you can kick the asses of any bad guys who come my way.”
She grinned. But Brynn didn’t disagree because we both knew it was accurate. This woman had skills.
“I’ll notify the people I know in the domestic terrorism unit,” she said, “see if they’ve heard anything, and they can put out feelers with their informants. Hopefully, we’ll be able to confirm or reject the existence of the threat and decide how to handle it. The question is what you’d like to do in the meantime.”
“I can’t up-end my life based on a vague report. The fundraiser at the botanic gardens is tomorrow night. Months of work have gone into planning it. If I suddenly pull out, it’ll be a disaster.”
The event would benefit victims of human trafficking. It was part of the launch of my office’s new initiative.
“Actually, I was referring to River,” she said. “What do you want to do about him ?”
Ugh, I was too tired to untangle that conundrum. “I don’t know what to do about River.” I never had.
“I’ll need to talk to him when he gets to town,” she said. “So I can get the details on the threat and what he knows about Stillwater.”
I nodded. Was he still heading to Denver after I’d hung up on him? I had to assume so. River had always been intensely determined when he put his mind to something. I remembered how he’d get obsessed with writing some piece of code or breaking some personal record, and he’d keep a single-minded focus until he’d done it.
Then again, I had never been able to hold River’s attention for long. With me, he’d always found it easy to say goodbye and not look back.
Brynn’s gaze was far too shrewd. “You said you were engaged to his younger brother. But it seems like all your unresolved feelings are aimed at the older brother, not the former fiancé.”
“It’s that obvious?”
“Am I wading into love triangle territory here? Because if so, count me out. I love you Char, but that’s too much drama for me.”
I laughed. “Nope. No angsty love triangles.” As a teenager, I’d had a little crush on River, but I’d banished that foolishness long before I ever dated his brother. “Ross and I had a low-drama relationship, and it ended the same way. He actually got married a couple years ago. Even invited me to the wedding.”
“Did you go?”
“Um, no. I was too busy.”
“Too busy avoiding his older brother?”
Wow, she had good aim outside of archery as well. “I didn’t see the need to dig up that history. I still don’t see the need.”
“Then you don’t have to speak with him in person if you don’t want to,” Brynn said. “I can handle it.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m a big girl. I couldn’t have won a single election if I shied away from confrontation.” I took a deep, steadying breath. “I can deal with him tomorrow, and then the FBI will take over whatever this threat really is, and we’ll go from there.” There would be no need to work through any lingering feelings. Soon, River would disappear from my life once again. As if he’d never been here at all.
“Why don’t you get some sleep.” Brynn stood. “You know where the guest room is. I need to make some calls.”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”
“Unless you want that shot of whiskey after all?”
“Tempting. But no. I’ve got enough problems without adding a headache.”
I grabbed the bag I’d brought with me, along with Cleo’s carrier. In the guest room, I set her free, and my cat quickly found a cozy spot to curl up in. I tried to do the same myself after changing into comfy clothes. But I was wired.
I checked my phone and laptop again, but there were no new messages from River. Should I let my IT people know about whatever security flaw had allowed River to hack me? Maybe that was more trouble than it was worth. IT would probably freak, thinking I had ransomware.
Whatever else I thought about River, I knew he wouldn’t use his hacker skills for evil. He much preferred to play the stereotypical alpha hero. Never getting too close. Never revealing weakness. God forbid anyone ever saw what really made him tick.
I lay down for a while and tried to sleep, but that wasn’t working. So I sneaked out of the guest room, planning to make myself a cup of tea.
The lights were off. I gasped when I saw a figure standing in the living room, peering out through a gap in the blinds of the front window.
But it was just Brynn. I’d expected she would be sound asleep by now.
“You’re still up?” I went to switch on a lamp, but Brynn held up a finger.
“ Don’t .”
I drew my hand back. “Don’t turn on the light? Why?”
Glancing warily at the front window again, Brynn said, “I don’t want to alarm you. But we may have a situation. Someone’s been casing my house for the last half hour.”
“What do you suggest?”
She nodded toward the hallway. “Stay out of sight and call 911.”
“What will you be doing?”
Brynn lifted her sweatshirt and flashed the holster she was wearing. “I’m going to find out what this is about.”