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As Mal got up to walk inside, she heard it—the roar of engines far off in the distance. Straining her ears, she could hear it, really hear it. Weathertech Raceway in Salinas. That’s when she realized the damn track was no more than fifteen minutes away. How many times had they scored track time there over the years and she had never put it together? The ranch, the track, River and Riot—it all would have been perfect.

All these years, River had been staying connected to Riot and Cypress the best way she could and never said a word about it. Now, they would start a new chapter for all of them, one that lay ahead of them and not behind.

She snapped her back to the present and asked River, “Food—are we thinking dinner at that little dive you and Riot went to?”

“We didn’t go there; we ran into each other there.” Wouldn’t it be nice if he were there?

“And the food?”

“Not sure, but the whiskey was wonderful.”

“Sounds perfect.”

***

Riot closed down his laptop, ready for the day to end. He needed to call River. God only knew how mad she probably was at him. He had been short, almost curt with her the past week. How many excuses had he come up with to not go to Carmel Valley? Too many. His thoughts were interrupted by Michael, who came barreling in with Jason, who grabbed the TV remote for the flatscreen and turned it on. Riot almost argued that he didn’t have time until he saw Laurel in handcuffs along with a follow-up image of Keith Brown in the same situation.

“Turn it up.”

They all listened as the reporter told the viewers that Laurel Canyon, aka Vicky Brown, had been arrested on fraud charges along with her brother Keith Brown. “At this time Laurel Canyon is pointing the finger at her brother Keith Brown as the mastermind behind the fraud schemes. A third man by the name of Roger Miller had been arrested. He was a cousin of the pair and an insurance agent who had perpetrated the fraudulent policies,” said the reporter.

Riot sat down, dumbfounded that River and Mal had pulled together enough evidence to have the trio arrested. “We need to turn over those documents that Archer gave us.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” replied Michael as he continued to watch the TV report on the numerous fraud cases that were being dug up. “Wow, they have been screwing over people for a long time.”

“We must have looked like easy money, putting our asses in cars going so fast that our brains could barely handle it.”

“It was fun, though.”

“Fuck yes.”

“We still have our cars.” Michael left it open-ended for Riot to mull over. Maybe a little fun would do the man some good.

After Michael and Jason left Riot alone in his office, he turned off the TV, wanting the quiet. He’d blown it off, making River feel as if she were wrong about her feelings about Laurel and Keith. Hell, he barely talked to her about the meeting with the lawyer and the shady insurance agent. All because he couldn’t—wouldn’t—deal with the past. They had both been through their own hell. He picked up the phone and tried calling but had no luck at getting an answer.

Scooping up his keys, he went to ask Michael for the folder from Archer, only to find him bringing it back to him. “Thanks, I think I will take this down to the police station.”

“You know there will be reporters there waiting for a story.”

“Shit, I didn’t think about that. I have to get this to them.”

“Take it tomorrow when this shit dies down.”

“Do you really think this is going to die down? It’s Laurel. Or whoever she really is. She has lived in the spotlight.”

“Makes you wonder why no one has ever figured out what she’s been up to?”

“Think about it, Michael. How many people are River Wile?”

Michael laughed as Jason snatched the folder from them. “I’m taking it. That bitch better be afraid—very afraid.”

Michael smiled, watching Jason’s long legs eat up the hallway. “You want to ride with us?”

“Sure, but if Jason punches someone, I can’t afford to bail him out.”

“That’s what the company’s for.”

If I have to go to jail, at least I’ll be with my friends, Riot thought as they chased down Jason.

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