Page 60 of Second Chance Savior

“Probably just out on patrol,” River said. “He reached the end of his territory and is turning back around. We’re just a couple of miles from the next town. If Stillwater was going to show up and ambush us, they would’ve done it in a more secluded area. We’ll stop for gas in town and switch up our route, just in case.”

I let go of River’s hand. My fingers had cramped from squeezing so hard. “Sorry for crushing you. That was nerve-racking as hell.”

He shrugged. “Use me however you want.” Then his lips twisted. “Sorry. Maybe not the best choice of words.”

“Given our conversation earlier? No, I’d think not.”

He peered at me from the corner of his eye like he was surprised I’d brought that up. But what was I supposed to do, act like we hadn’t confessed those things?

River drove past a larger corporate gas station, choosing a mom and pop outfit instead. He parked at the pump. “I don’t see any cameras. I’ll pre-pay inside with cash. Need anything?”

I opened the door. “I’ll use the restroom. I could grab us some drinks too. Do you want orange juice?”

“That would be great.” He held out a twenty-dollar bill.

“Thanks.” I took the money, thinking that I would have to pay him back after this was over. In so many ways.

I’d brought almost nothing with me to the fundraiser, so I had no money of my own right now. Everything I was wearing had come from Hodge’s sister. Until this was over, I was completely reliant upon River. Not the worst position I could be in, but still, I didn’t like relying onanyonethis much.

And River? Ugh, complicated was an understatement.

We were attracted to each other. And maybe had more unresolved feelings than were appropriate given the fact that I’d been engaged to his brother.

When I’d been with Ross, I had been faithful. In every way. I had locked away my former crush on his older brother and treated it as a childish phase. I had also believed River couldn’t care less about me except as an annoying potential sister-in-law.

Ross and I had eventually grown apart, for reasons that had nothing to do with River. Ross had wanted to move overseas to pursue his dream of being a foreign correspondent. I’d been committed to serving Colorado. More than that, something deeper had been missing.

I hadn’t thought of River immediately after the breakup. In fact, I’d seen River exactly once before the craziness of the last few days.

But now, after the major hints River had dropped, I was rethinking every interaction we’d ever had. And it was kindof blowing my mind. Leaving me confused and vaguely guilty.

It didn’t matter that River and I felt…somethingfor each other. We couldn’t act on it. Not with so much history behind us and between us.

Right?

The gas station had a little shop attached. Inside, a middle-aged man sat watching TV on a screen mounted to the wall. A superhero movie was playing. He glanced up when River and I came inside. Squinted at us.

“Thirty bucks on pump two,” River said.

The man’s eyes slid over to me. Then back to River. “Sure thing.”

After a quick trip to the ladies’ room, I went over to the drink coolers. River was back outside pumping the gas. I selected a mango-orange drink for River, a sparkling water for me.

He’d always been a fan of juice, which seemed almost cute for such an alpha type guy. I’d rarely seen him drink anything with caffeine, and he didn’t drink much alcohol either. Just one of those things I’d noticed about him over the years.

Like the way I’d memorized his smile. The confident way he walked. He’d been the same even at seventeen. So cocky, but clearly he’d added the skills and years of experience to back it up.

It made my chest ache. Thinking of how well I knew River, while also not knowing him at all.

Was that changing? The idea exhilarated me as much as it scared me.

An unsettling sensation prickled at my neck. I looked at the glass door of the cooler, which reflected the rest of the convenience shop.

The man at the register was staring at me.

I realized then that the movie wasn’t playing on the TV anymore. It was the news. The anchor had just said River’s name.

“—is suspected of kidnapping the Lieutenant Governor from a fundraiser last night during a brazen attack which resulted in multiple deaths. Kwon is a former Navy SEAL, well-trained, and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you see River Kwon or Lieutenant Governor McKinley, call the police. Do not approach. We will continue to have updates as this breaking story develops.”

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