Page 117 of Second Chance Savior

“Right. Probably won’t take me long.”

But dread twisted in my stomach. Because as soon as we had access to the list, Charlotte would head back to Denver. To her job and her life.

I didn’t want to lose her again. But I had no idea how to keep her.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Charlotte

Three days later,I found River asleep at his desk. He’d been working all night.Again. And he still hadn’t cracked the file on Jud’s hard drive.

I pressed a kiss to his temple, but he didn’t wake up. So I decided to leave him alone. As far as I could tell, this was the first deep sleep he’d gotten since returning to Hartley.

I had my own things to do, as he knew. He wouldn’t worry if he woke and found me gone.

I showered and dressed as quietly as possible, then tiptoed out of River’s apartment.

The morning was bright, the air cool. The aspens lining the foothills were just starting to turn a burnished gold. I said hello to a few people on Main Street, but otherwise no one bothered me. A few reporters still lingered around town, but most had given up after receiving no comments and gone back to their news desks. Or had moved on to different breaking events altogether. News moved fast these days.

Speaking of.

I walked down about half a block to the storefront markedHartley Gazette. Genevieve had just stepped outside and was locking the front door.

She smiled when she saw me and opened her arms for a hug. “Perfect timing. Has River…?” Her brows lifted hopefully. She wanted to know about the list.

I shook my head. “No luck yet.”

“Dang.” She shook off her disappointment. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

“He will. How do I look?” I smoothed down my blazer. I didn’t have any of my professional clothes with me, so I’d had to borrow it from her.

“Like a woman who’s ready for her close-up.”

I made a face. “Not so sure about that. But Iamready to get the truth out there.”

“Those are my favorite words in the world.” Genevieve tilted her head, considering. “Except for certain things Owen says when we’re alone.”

I snorted. “I can imagine.”

We started down the sidewalk. “And how about River? Does Rubicon have a way with words?”

I hummed. “No comment.”

“Oof. Already? Not the best start to the interview.” She nudged me with her elbow. “But you’re feeling all right about this? We could put it off if you have any concerns.”

“No. I’m not one for keeping my mouth shut. Just ask River. He’s known that about me since we were kids.”

“I’ve only known you for a few days, and I’ve figured that out.” Genevieve winked. “I happen to be the same way. So, let’s go make some noise.”

The deadline for the bounty Stillwater had placed on my head had now passed. After those initial days I’d spent ensconced at Last Refuge, still under the protective eye of River’s friends, I’d been eager to stretch my legs and get back out into society, even if it was just on Main Street.

It also helped that Owen’s deputies patrolled regularly.We waved at Deputy Marsh as she cruised by in her black and white SUV.

I’d met so many great people here, and they’d made me feel safe and welcome at every turn. Even if our fight against Stillwater wasn’t done.

According to Cerberus, River’s hacker friend, Stillwater was regrouping. They had no idea if we had the list or not. But Jud was dead. There had been way too much publicity and too much involvement of law enforcement for Stillwater’s lieutenants to keep targeting me. And what would they get out of it anyway? For all Stillwater knew, we had made a thousand copies of that list and distributed it all over the world, just waiting for the go-ahead to hit publish.

Unfortunately, River had learned that the file on Jud’s hard drive was sealed up as tightly as Fort Knox.

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