Page 101 of Home Town Knight

“It’s wild.”

“But you deserve it. You’ve worked so hard for this. Your dad would be proud. I’m proud too.”

Tears stung my eyes and throat. “You want me to take it?”

“It’s your dream job. Can you think of a reason not to?”

I lifted my head to look up at him.

You, my heart said.You, you, you. “Canyouthink of a reason?”

“My first concern was your safety. But Stillwater has gone quiet. That’s what River said. With all the attention, they wouldn’t risk going after you anytime soon.”

River still had Duke’s laptop and phone. None of us had mentioned those devices to the state investigators. River had cracked their passwords easily and had gotten even deeper access into Stillwater than Cerberus had achieved before. We had a better picture of their business, and hopes of discovering their client lists, as well as the names of the public officials they’d bribed. It would take far more work though. That info was dispersed and hidden in the dark web.

Stillwater’s worst nightmare was being exposed to the light, and lately, that was exactly what had happened. According to River, Stillwater’s activities had dropped to nearly nothing. We hadn’t dealt them much of a blow financially, but they were afraid of being exposed further. Which meant they would leave me alone, for the time being at least. If anything nefarious happened to me, it would be a confirmation of every claim I’d made.

“River also told me he has ex-SEAL friends in the DC area,” Owen added with a dark look. “They could help if you’re ever in trouble.”

“What about you?”

“I’d come if you needed me. But there’s only so much the Hartley sheriff could do in DC.” He smiled sadly.

That wasn’t what I’d meant.

I wrote for a living. Yet all my words were failing me. “I’m not worried about my safety. I’m thinking about everything I’d be leaving behind. I was starting to like it here.”

“We were starting to like you too.”

Then ask me to stay, I thought. Hartley had a lot to offer. But if I stayed, it would be for him.

“This is your dream, Gen. If you turn this down, you’ll regret it. You’ll always wonder what you gave up.” He pulled me against his chest again and kissed my hair. “So I think you should take it.”

This was supposed to be my happy moment. But it felt a lot like heartbreak.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Owen

I parked outsideLast Refuge and walked toward the main building. The sound of nail guns firing greeted me from the construction on the addition. Work was well underway toward building the guest rooms for the inn.

The cabins were also looking nicer than ever. New accents, including lush gardens with flowers and summer vegetables planted between each one. It looked like they were all occupied. A couple of the cabins housed people seeking sanctuary here, and the rest were filled by regular guests, all of whom had been vetted by the Protectors’ newly enhanced security checks.

But every time I saw those cabins, all I could think about was Genevieve. Fifty-eight days since she’d left Hartley. And I’d told her to go.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I’d been beating myself up in every possible way. Why had I told her to go without saying how I felt? Why couldn’t I just be happy for her and stop feeling like shit about her being gone?

She was in DC now. Working at her dream job, living herdream life. It was time for me to let her go. I had my own life to get on with.

I waved at Jessi at the reception desk as I walked inside. But I didn’t stop for more than a moment. Instead I went to the room we still used for Protectors business.

Part of the construction this summer would be a separate building devoted to the Last Refuge security team. Our headquarters. A state-of-the-art surveillance and computer setup, a top-line vault for our weapons and gear, and more. All hiding in plain sight here on Refuge Mountain, and funded by River’s generous donations to our cause. Aiden always insisted they were loans, and River always refused the idea of repayment. Trace and I stayed out of it. But we were united in our commitment to offering our services to protectees for free.

Today, we were meeting to discuss the Stillwater situation. River was the only one here so far, tapping away at his Toughbook. One of his legs was slung over the arm of his chair. He looked up as I came in.

“You read it yet?” he asked.

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