Page 18 of Second Chance Savior

“This has always been your problem, River. Even when you’re trying to do the right thing, you’re so damn arrogant about it.”

I shrugged. She wasn’t wrong.

“Let me think about this, okay?” she asked. “It’s after three in the morning. I need sleep and time to process before I make any decisions.”

“All right. If I can stay here.”

“I don’t care what you do. It’s Brynn’s house.” Charlie spun and left the room. My eyes followed her.

After some cajoling, I convinced Brynn to give me the couch. I didn’t plan on sleeping much, but I’d take the opportunity to do some reprogramming on her smart-home system. As a favor to her for helping Charlie.

“Only reason I’m agreeing to this is to keep an eye on you,” Brynn said.

“Either way, I’ll take it.”

I went to my car to grab my go-bag.

Brynn brought out some blankets and a pillow after Charlie had already disappeared into the guest room. She tossed the stack of bed linens at me, and I caught them.

“Anything else you need?” she asked.

“No. I’ve got my things.” I nodded at the duffel at my feet. It held my laptop, chargers and cords, plus other essentials. I called Hartleyhomeat the moment, but I’d barely left anything of value behind in my apartment. My life was streamlined. Easy to pick up and leave.

My weapons, I usually kept on me.

Brynn crossed her arms. “I’m curious.”

“About?”

“Charlotte said you used to be CIA. How did that work, given who your father is? Didn’t your family connections draw attention?”

So she’d done some quick and dirty research on me. Before I’d arrived? Or maybe while I’d been outside grabbingmy bag. Not bad. “The Agency recruits all kinds of assets. And my father died years ago. His Wikipedia page would’ve told you that.”

She looked contemplative. “I wonder if you’restillan asset. Maybe the Agency is looking into Stillwater’s activities on American soil.”

I smiled. The Agency’s jurisdiction was strictly limited to outside the US. No investigations on domestic soil. That was the purview of the FBI. “If they were, that would be a big no-no. You can’t expect me to admit it.”

“I guess not. Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

“Believe what you want. But I’m not with the Agency anymore. I left for the private sector.”

“Meaning what? Are you a PMC?”

A private military contractor. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Of course not.” She huffed a laugh. Shifted her weight.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to trust me. I don’t completely trust you.”

Brynn’s eyes narrowed on me, and more than ever, I could see the Marine in her. Alpha energy, through and through. I wasn’t a jarhead, but I had to respect it.

“Either you’re still operating for the Agency and running a covert op domestically,” she said, “or you’re a private citizen violating who knows how many laws. Both options are illegal. I could bring you in for questioning.”

“You wouldn’t get anything of use. And you’d be putting Charlie in greater danger.”

“Because you’re her savior? The only one who can keep her safe?”

Hell yes, I wanted to answer. But that was an emotional response. I kept it to myself. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help her, and I’m not limited by superiors telling me to stay in my lane. Doubt you can say the same.”

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