Page 111 of Second Chance Savior

“You never do.” I pressed soft kisses to his forehead. Ran my fingers through his hair to smooth it down.

“See? A few kisses from you is the best medicine. I feel much better now.” He grinned at me.

“I was so scared,” I murmured. “I don’t care if the FBI saved our asses. They had better let you free.” I hated to throw the weight of my office around. But the sight of thosehandcuffs on River had me seething. “I’m not going to let them treat you like this.”

“I appreciate having you as my champion. But there are other things you need to focus on.”

He meant the list of Stillwater moles. And I knew that was the priority. Of course I did. But it still pissed me off.

“It’s going to take a little while for them to let me go,” River said. “The wheels of government bureaucracy have to turn. Stanford probably has to fill out forms in triplicate. Who the hell knows. Meanwhile, Stillwater is out there plotting. We slapped them back today thanks to the FBI, but it’s not enough. You know this, Charlie.”

I sat beside him and snuggled in as close as I could. River lifted his arms and put them around me. “So I’ll have to leave you here after all,” I said. Exactly what I had refused to do earlier. Now, there truly was no other choice. I had to get to Jud’s safe deposit box.

“Yes. Do what we talked about before. Take Brynn with you. Get out of here and get what we need.”

We had been keeping our voices low in case the FBI was listening. Of course they were listening. But they wouldn’t know what we meant.

If Stanford found out what I was planning, though? That list would become official FBI property. Out of our control. I could not let that happen.

“I’ll figure it out,” I promised.

I looked into his eyes. Too many emotions were flooding me. We had waited almost twenty years for this chance to truly know one another. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him, especially knowing that he was trapped. Regardless of Brynn’s or Stanford’s promises, he was in danger so long as he was in custody, hobbled by cuffs and guards. Vulnerable if a Stillwater agent chose to strike.

“River…”

He kissed my cheek. “No need to say it now. I’ll see you again soon. A day or two at most, okay Charlie-baby? Then you can tell me whatever you want.”

Reluctantly, I gave him one more kiss. “You’d better stay safe.”

“Right back at you.”

He lifted his arms and rested them back in his lap. Then I forced myself to get up, turn my back on him, and walk away.

I found Brynn waiting for me outside the garage. “Hey, can you talk with me privately? Is that allowed by the All-Powerful SAC Stanford?”

Brynn rolled her eyes, shooing the other nearby agents away. I tugged her further from the buildings and into the woods.

“They’re still watching,” Brynn warned. “And Stanford will ask me to repeat everything you say.”

“I’m sure. But Ineed youright now, B. I am going to finish this, even if I have to do it on my own. But I hope you’ll help me.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing the whole time.”

I gave her a hug, and whispered in her ear. “Jud had a list of Stillwater’s operatives in the government.”

She inhaled sharply. “No wonder you’re trying to keep that secret.”

“The hard drive is in his safe deposit box. I’m going to get it. Absolutely no one can know, including your boss.”

“All right. What exactly are you planning?”

“A getaway. If you can put the pieces into place for me, I’ll take care of the rest. And one more thing. After I’m gone, promise me you’ll stay near River. Do everything you can to get him released and make sure nobody touches him while he’s in custody.”

River wanted Brynn to come with me, but that wasn’t going to work. How many times had he prioritized my safetyover his? This time, it was my turn. I wasn’t leaving him undefended. Stillwater had taken us by surprise when they’d shot Jud. But we probably could’ve taken more precautions.

“I don’t want River out in the open,” I added. “Not for a second.Please.”

Brynn nodded. “I’ll watch out for River. But only if you swear you’ll share the intel with the FBI as soon as you’ve got it. Not so we can take over, but so we can work together.”

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