Page 15 of Second Chance Savior

After I’d assured myself that the house wasn’t being watched by anyone else, I approached for a better look.

Agent Somerton’s home was a two-story stately brick with columns supporting the porch. It also had a sign out front, proclaiming which security system she used. And it was likely that alarm system was connected to a smart-home device. A weakness I could exploit.

After a bit more work on my phone, I was in. Virtually speaking.

Welcome home, Brynn, the app proclaimed in a banner along the top of my screen.

Agent Somerton had set the alarm system. There were ways to get around that—what I was doing now was proof—but at least it was some element of protection. The system also gave me a look at what was going on inside. I could check the interior temperature, Brynn’s favorite music to stream, even her grocery list.

There were no cameras inside the house, but from the activity on the motion detectors, I figured there were at least two people awake. Odd given the late hour. What were they up to?

They split up, one going toward the back of the house, the other to the front.

I glanced up to see the blinds on the front window twitch. I’d been spotted. Not like I’d been doing anything to keep myself concealed. Actually, I’d been wondering how long it would take the FBI agent to catch on to my presence.

Instead of continuing down the street, I turned to stroll up to the porch. The door opened before I had a chance to knock. A tall woman who matched the photos of Agent Somerton stood there, smirking at me.

“I presume you’re River Kwon.”

“You shouldn’t open your door to strange men based solely on assumptions.”

“I know you’ve been casing my house for the last half hour. Gave me a bit of a headache until I got a good look at you. The fact that you match the description Charlotte gave me is the only reason you’re standing upright at the moment.”

I hooked my thumb in my jeans pocket, adopting a casual stance. She had her arms crossed. Equally nonchalant. But we were both assessing the other. I could tell she was armed, and if she was any good, she would know the same about me.

“Can I speak to her?” I asked.

“She left as soon as I realized someone was out here.”

I held up my phone. “I don’t think so. Your security app didn’t show anyone leaving the house.”

I pointed at the screen. It had a little notification that the alarm was now off, and someone had opened the front door, but nothing else.

Her smirk turned into a scowl. “You’re bluffing.”

“Take a look if you want. It’s concerning, actually. I could’ve disabled the entire system. Plus turned on your oven and added weird stuff to your shopping list. Having all this connected?” I tsked and shook my head. “Would’ve expected an FBI agent to know better.”

Brynn stormed down the porch steps and grabbed my phone from my hand. She examined the screen. “What the hell,” she muttered. “I thought Charlotte was exaggerating. My system is supposed to be secure, but you broke in within minutes on a phone? Are you for real?”

I decided to throw her a bone. “All right, I had already hacked into the servers for that particular smart-home device. It’s come in handy more than a few times. I got lucky that it was the brand you had.”

“Still. You’re something, all right.”

It didn’t sound like a compliment, but I said, “Thank you. If show and tell is over, I’d like to speak to Charlotte now please. I made sure no one else was watching the house, but I’d rather not just stand out here and shoot the shit.”

Brynn handed me my phone. “I’m not so sure she wants to see you.”

“That might be the case. But I’d like to hear it directly from Charlie.”

“Nobody calls me that anymore.”

Brynn and I both turned. Charlie stood inside the entryway of the house, shoulder braced against the door frame as she peered out. She’d been hovering just out of sight, listening in.

Despite the dire circumstances that had brought me here, I felt a smile spread across my face. Seeing her in the flesh was nothing like staring at her through a screen. Charlie in real life was unforgettable. Strawberry blond hair, the freckles that dotted her nose. I was glad she hadn’t lost those over the years or covered them up.

She looked…fuck, she looked beautiful.

But since when was that a surprise? Somehow, the longer I went without seeing her, the bigger the impact she’d always had. Didn’t matter if it was five years or a decade. She tended to bring out the extremes in me. The worst. But also, at times, the best.

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