Safe House Security
Autor
Jacquelin Thomas
Lecturas
18,6K
Capítulos
24
When two law enforcers reunite to protect a key witness, the only thing more dangerous than the cartel is the chemistry between them… Deputy US marshal Nova Bennett and DEA special agent River Randolph have one mission: safeguard a former money launderer from the Mancuso cartel. But when the witness is killed and his wife flees witness protection, Nova and River embark on a cross-country search to keep the terrified target alive. With the murderers hot on their trail and the rising danger only rivaled by their attraction, these two seasoned pros will risk everything to locate the innocent victim and bring her back alive.
Chapter One
Deputy Marshal Nova Bennett stepped out of the elevator and walked quickly to her boss’s office. She’d received an urgent call from her supervisor, Roy Cohen, almost as soon as she’d arrived at work this morning. Nova didn’t know what this was about, but whenever they discussed sensitive information, they did so within the confines of his office.
She took a deep breath before knocking and letting herself in.
“Juan DeSoto was found in the trunk of his car. Shot in the head,” Roy said as soon as she stepped inside.
Filled with disappointment, Nova sighed and dropped into the nearest chair. With that news, what had started as a good day in the Witness Security Division of the US Marshals Service had taken a sudden turn. According to police reports, Juan had left his office five days ago and never returned home. Nova had been hoping for a better outcome for the missing brother of her latest witness, Mateo de Leon.
Mateo, whose real name was Manuel DeSoto, was close to his brother. He’d owned an accounting firm with offices in Los Angeles and Mexico, a perfect cover for laundering money. He was a prominent, trusted member of the Mancuso cartel, overseeing many of their financial transactions—until they discovered he was stealing from them. Poppy Mancuso, the head of the cartel, had ordered his death, and Mateo had since joined WITSEC. Nova had been his handler for the past eight months.
She tapped the oblong-shaped table before her, her nails beating a staccato rhythm with increasing intensity. Her eyes bored into Roy’s as she said, “Mateo has been nothing but a thorn in our side since he entered WITSEC. Demanding a six-figure stipend, a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood, and all the country-club privileges. But now, with Juan’s death, he might go over the edge. He was already angry with his brother for refusing to join him in the program.”
Despite Mateo’s constant complaining, she was his handler. And she’d wanted this case because of the connection to the Mancuso cartel. She wanted to help bring down the organization to avenge her father’s murder. Her dad’s killer, a lower-level hit man, had been arrested but died before he could stand trial. Nova would not be satisfied until Poppy Mancuso was arrested and imprisoned.
Her cell phone rang.
Recognizing the number, Nova said, “It’s Mateo. I’d better take this...” She braced herself for what was to come.
As soon as she answered, the man on the other end yelled, “Johnny Boy had my brother killed! Juan didn’t have nothing to do with this. The cartel...they just went and murdered him. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an eye for an eye... I’m going to find Johnny Boy myself and make sure he pays for this.”
John Boyd Raymond, also known as Johnny Boy, was Poppy’s right hand. Before Mateo joined WITSEC, he’d placed a call to the DEA. He’d agreed to testify against Poppy and a few other prominent cartel members—including her top lieutenant—in exchange for protection for him and his wife. No doubt Johnny Boy was behind this murder, trying to lure Mateo out of hiding.
Nova heard sobbing in the background and spoke calmly. “Mateo, you can’t do something reckless. I’m so sorry for your loss, but there’s nothing you can do to help Juan now. You did everything you could to convince him to come to WITSEC, and he refused. Go comfort Arya. Your wife needs you.”
“You expect for me just to let this go?” he demanded. “Juan was innocent. His murder must be avenged...” Mateo lapsed into Spanish as he continued to vent. “I gave up millions for this...”
Nova kept a gentle demeanor as she listened to Mateo’s rant about seeking revenge for his brother’s murder and how he’d given up everything to join witness protection. The news of Juan’s death saddened her. She understood his grief and his desire for revenge.
“Arya’s afraid for her parents, Nova,” Mateo said. “And I don’t know what to tell her. It’s my fault that she’s in this situation, but it’s not like I can do anything about it. Johnny Boy and Poppy aren’t gonna rest until they see me dead for betraying the cartel. I never shoulda gone to the DEA. I shoulda just kept my mouth shut and disappeared.”
“You went to the DEA for help because you embezzled money from the cartel. They found out and were going to kill you,” Nova stated, reminding him that it wasn’t some selfless act on his part. “You wanted protection. You still need that protection, Mateo.”
“I know that,” he muttered, his tone filled with resignation.
Arya must have taken the phone from Mateo, because Nova heard her voice next.
“My parents need to be in witness protection.” Her voice faltered a moment. “That horrible Johnny Boy is going after Mateo’s family. He’ll kill my family next. My husband’s told the DEA everything he knows about the cartel. Why hasn’t the FBI or DEA—whoever—why haven’t they arrested Johnny Boy and locked him up already? You all know that he’s a murderer. I’m not understanding why he’s still walking around free. Why are we living like...like this...? We’re the ones in prison.”
Nova clenched her jaw, trying to contain the small wave of frustration. Mateo was overcome with grief at the moment, but he couldn’t forget his situation, she thought to herself, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.
“You call this living?” Arya asked. “We gave up everything, while Johnny Boy is free to do whatever he pleases.”
Johnny Boy had been a close friend of Poppy’s for years. After her husband Raul’s death, Poppy had taken over the Mancuso cartel, which was one of the largest importers of drugs smuggled into the United States through elaborate land and air distribution channels. She had handpicked Johnny Boy to control a large part of the cartel operations after her former lieutenant, Calderon, was arrested two years ago. Tall and dark-skinned with long dreadlocks, Johnny Boy was an unassuming man. However, his unremarkable appearance was deceptive. He was a skilled marksman with an uncanny ability to elude capture for the past ten years. He needed to be stopped.
“Arya, would you put Mateo back on the phone, please?” Nova asked.
After a pause, Mateo’s voice came on the line. “Juan’s death is on me, and there’s nothing you can say to change that, Nova. It’s up to me to make sure Johnny Boy and Poppy Mancuso pay for having him killed.”
She listened with rising dismay before saying, “Mateo, I can’t keep you in WITSEC if you want to leave, but understand that we can’t protect you if you abandon the program.” Frankly, they couldn’t let him walk. The DEA needed Mateo to testify in court against the cartel.
“My b-brother is dead, and I can’t even attend his f-funeral.” His voice broke.
“I’m sorry, Mateo.”
“It bothers me that this is all my fault,” he said again. “If I’d kept my mouth shut, then maybe Juan would still be alive.”
“I know this isn’t easy for you,” she responded. She searched for something to say that might offer a small comfort to him.
“No, it’s not. If it weren’t for my wife, I’d go after Johnny Boy myself. But I’ll let the law handle him.” He released a sigh of resignation. He sounded much calmer. “I don’t feel like going, but I better prepare my mind for my work shift. I’m due at my new job at three o’clock.” Mateo paused momentarily, then added, “Nova, you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to leave the program.”
She expelled a breath. “I’m glad to hear it.”
They finished their conversation and hung up.
“I’m not sure what they’re mourning more—Juan or the money they had to give up,” Nova said.
She stood up and walked around the table, navigating toward the door. “I’m thinking both. Mateo’s a little calmer now, so I’m going to get myself a cup of tea, then try to clear some of the paperwork off my desk.”
Nova stopped in the break room to make herbal tea, then walked to her work area. She sat down at her desk, eyeing the wood-framed photo of her father. A pain squeezed her heart as she thought of him. “I miss you so much,” she whispered. She was thirty-three years old but still yearned for the haven her father’s arms had once provided.
She placed a finger as if to stroke his grayish-blond hair. Special Agent II Easton Bennett was a man she’d always admired. He’d fallen in love with a Black woman and stood up to his parents when they voiced their disapproval. Her father didn’t care. He loved her mother and had married her. It was her father’s passion for his career that had inspired her to become a US marshal. He had been dedicated to his job, but it was that same dedication that ultimately led to his death at the hands of the cartel while protecting a witness.
She whispered to the face with deep-set blue eyes, “I wish I could talk to you, Daddy. I’ve got such a bad feeling about this... I know Mateo’s going to do something stupid. Something that will get him killed.” Mateo wasn’t the sort of man who would let his brother’s death go unanswered. She understood this particular feeling. Luis, the cartel member who’d murdered her father, died before his conviction, leaving Nova still hungering for justice.
She’d considered before that Mateo hadn’t told Homeland Security and the DEA everything he knew about the cartel. A man like him, who wanted to be in control, might keep crucial information if he thought it would give him an edge. She felt terrible for his poor wife. Arya was innocent in all this. Now she was doomed to spend the rest of her life in witness protection.
Her Apple Watch notified her that it was time for movement.
Nova exited her desk and strolled outside her 9 x 9 cubby to a nearby window. She stared at the busy street down below, bustling with automobiles and people going about their business in all directions. This September weather was the perfect temperature. Not too hot or cool.
Nova had left Wisconsin two years ago in search of a place that wouldn’t remind her so much of her father everywhere she went. She loved Charlotte, North Carolina, but she still missed him dearly.
Her heart filled with grief, Nova turned away from the window and returned to her desk.
She’d learned that her father’s absence would follow her no matter where she went.
Nova gave herself a mental shake. She had a stack of paperwork that required her attention. Although focused on her tasks, she couldn’t escape the ominous feeling swirling around in her gut.
If Mateo violated the rules of the program, then he risked having to leave WITSEC, and any criminal actions on his part could land him in prison. Nova often had to remind Mateo and Arya of the importance of this chance they’d been given.
It was an opportunity to stay alive—something the cartel would never offer them.
DEA SPECIAL AGENT RIVER RANDOLPH and his partner entered the federal building on East Temple Street. He and Kenny, along with a few other colleagues, had just concluded a knock-and-talk with a suspect and were returning to the office.
“I hope the rest of the day won’t be as exciting as this morning,” Kenny said as they strolled across the lobby.
River chuckled. “Can you believe that guy? He welcomes us into his house and then tries to run.”
Earlier that morning, they’d met up with a team of ATF agents and police officers in an empty warehouse fifteen minutes away from the suspect’s home.
While the team remained out of sight, River and Kenny had brazenly walked up, knocked and asked if they could search the house. Surprisingly, Rico Alfaro had given them full access, claiming he had nothing to hide.
The man had no idea he’d been under surveillance for the past twenty-four hours.
Not long after, Rico Alfaro was apprehended and brought downtown in handcuffs. River’s team had found massive quantities of chemicals in the garage, just as River had suspected. They’d also found stashes of cocaine, fentanyl and amphetamines in one of the bedrooms.
River felt a sense of purpose after the bust—the weight of his fallen partner’s badge hung heavy on River’s chest, a constant reminder of the vow he’d made to keep illegal substances off the streets. But now, with his partner’s blood staining those very streets at the hands of the ruthless cartel, it was no longer just a sense of duty that fueled River. It was pure vengeance, a burning desire to bring down every member of that cartel and make them pay for what they had taken from him.
His new partner, Kenny Latham, was an experienced DEA criminal investigator, having worked in the field for more than fifteen years since River came to the agency. At forty-two, Kenny was the type of man who faithfully went to the gym three times a week to maintain his athletic build and never touched alcohol or cigarettes. It was something they had in common. River also worked out several times a week to keep in top physical shape for his job. Both men were over six feet tall, although Kenny was a few inches shorter than River.
They walked past an open area with potted plants and chairs down a hallway to a room filled with desks grouped in clusters of four, surrounded by a wall of offices belonging to the superior agents.
River could hear the voice of a news reporter on television coming from one of the offices—the one with the open door. His attention was immediately drawn when he overheard the news of Juan DeSoto’s death. River had recently inherited the file on Manuel DeSoto from his former coworker, who’d decided to leave the agency. Manuel DeSoto and his wife were in WITSEC as Mateo and Arya de Leon.
River stood at the door outside of his supervisor’s office, knocked and waited for a response.
“Come in.”
Special Agent in Charge Jared Rush was seated behind a large desk.
“I just heard the news about Juan DeSoto as I walked by,” he said, strolling inside. He sank down in one of the visitor’s chairs facing him.
“Yeah...certainly wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for,” Jared said. “I’d hoped we’d find the man alive.”
River nodded in agreement. Mateo had handed over important evidence to the DEA—it was a shame Juan had lost his life because of it. “The cartel must be desperate to try and flesh out his brother this way.”
River didn’t doubt that Juan was murdered because of his brother’s criminal dealings. He had reviewed several pages of notes on the man and his family. To their knowledge, Juan had been a law-abiding citizen with not so much as a speeding ticket; he’d attended church regularly and seemed devoted to his wife and children. Juan’s death was meant to send a clear message to his brother. To silence him.
River’s main concern now was whether Mateo would still be willing to testify against the cartel. If Mateo wavered in his decision, River’s job was to convince him that testifying was still in his best interest. And if necessary, remind Mateo that he’d become a dead man when he decided to steal from Poppy Mancuso.
River would make a trip to Charlotte to see Mateo in a couple of days. Before exiting the office, he discussed a few final particulars about his trip with Jared. He was looking forward to meeting Mateo and Arya de Leon. Less so, their handler. River had stopped short when he’d learned the name of Mateo’s case agent with the US Marshals.
Nova Bennett.
He shuddered inwardly at the thought that they had to interact and work another case together.
He’d read Mateo’s dossier and understood the type of man he was. There wasn’t much on his wife except that she denied knowing her husband’s criminal deeds.
River didn’t necessarily buy it as the gospel truth but decided to reserve judgment until after he met the woman. The previous agent had also noted that he believed Mateo was withholding information from the DEA. He knew more than what he’d shared with them.
Mateo had been distraught when he’d learned that he would have to turn over all the money he’d stolen to the DEA. The report said they’d recovered over three million dollars in cash hidden in his office’s walls. There was nearly a hundred thousand more in two safes at his house. He’d called it his emergency fund. The man was furious when the DEA had seized his house, business and other properties.
They were a pair of high-maintenance witnesses... He wondered how Nova was faring with them. He shut that thought down. He would come face-to-face with her soon enough.
A flicker of apprehension coursed through him. It had taken him eighteen months to erase the pain of a broken heart after she’d left.
He’d met Nova while working with her agency on a prior case nineteen months ago. When the two weeks of working together ended, River couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. They had shared countless laughs, inside jokes, and even a few blissful moments together.
He woke up one morning and was met with an empty bed and the realization that Nova had left without a word. All their memories now seemed bittersweet, knowing it was just a temporary passion fueled by late nights and adrenaline rushes until it became more profound.
River’s heart ached as he remembered their stolen kisses and whispered confessions of love. River couldn’t deny that what started as a fling had become genuine and meaningful. He had fallen hard and fast, and now he was left to pick up the pieces alone. But now he couldn’t shake the emptiness that consumed him. As he went through the motions of his day, River couldn’t help but think about Nova—the one woman he wanted desperately to forget.
He couldn’t understand why Nova had disappeared without a word to him. Was it something he’d said or done? Had he imagined the connection they’d shared? Doubt crept into River’s mind, clouding his memories with uncertainty. The more he dwelled on it, the more his heart sank.
His pride wouldn’t allow him to chase after her. It had been easy to avoid further contact with the woman he never wanted to see again.
Until now.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Nova learned that another member of Mateo’s family had been assassinated outside his home. She braced herself for the phone call she knew was coming.
As expected, Mateo was enraged and spouting threats.
“I’m coming out there tomorrow to see you and Arya.” Perhaps she could better reassure them in person. She spent the next thirty minutes on the phone trying to calm them.
“My cousin was just murdered! Johnny Boy is gonna kill my entire family unless somebody does something to stop him. If DEA or Homeland Security don’t do something, then I will.”
From what Nova had learned of Johnny Boy, he was a ruthless foe and seemed fated for the drug trade. He was the son of Chilton Raymond, a drug kingpin in Jamaica, and had become involved in the family business at the age of thirteen. Johnny Boy had risen to prominence in the cartel quickly. However, he’d been forced to leave his birthplace when his father violated a pact with a Sinaloa cartel and was assassinated when Johnny Boy was eighteen years old.
Johnny Boy had come to the US to live with his uncle at age twenty. He and Poppy had connected at a party in Miami, and she’d introduced him to Raul Mancuso. Johnny Boy soon began working for the cartel, rising quickly through the ranks.
“We’re taking the threats seriously, Mateo,” Nova said. “However, family members not part of the program don’t receive the same level of protection. Still, we’re taking appropriate action to address and investigate any threats or concerns of your relatives.”
“So, what does that mean?” Mateo asked. “Do they get some type of protection or not?”
“Various measures will be taken—surveillance, law enforcement intervention, and other protective measures to mitigate potential risks. I want you to know that the safety of your family members is a priority. Law enforcement will assess and respond to threats accordingly. I want you to know that their well-being is a top priority.”
As she spoke those words, her mind raced with possible scenarios and plans to protect those under her care. She couldn’t afford any mistakes or lapses in security, not when the lives of her witnesses were at stake. Nova was determined to do everything she could to keep everyone safe.
“As long as you stay put, he won’t find you,” she said. “Do not contact any of your family members, Mateo. This is what the cartel wants. They want you out of hiding.”
“I hear you,” he responded.
“Do you really?” Nova asked. She couldn’t shake the dull ache of foreboding that had persisted since Juan’s murder. “Don’t do something stupid, Mateo.” She felt like her words were falling on deaf ears.
It’s gonna be a long day, Nova thought to herself after her conversation with Mateo ended.
Her phone rang for a second time, and her heart began to race as she saw the caller ID. The Los Angeles area code flooded her mind with memories of River.
“Hello,” she answered cautiously.
“Nova, it’s River,” he said, his voice bringing back all the emotions she had tried to bury the past couple of years.
“River...hey...” she managed, her heart pounding. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m coming to Charlotte,” he announced without preamble. “We need to discuss your witnesses. I’m sure you’re aware that Juan DeSoto was killed. I need to speak with his brother. Make sure he’s still going to testify.”
“Another member of his family has been murdered. His cousin Julio. Neither he nor Juan had any cartel affiliations.”
There was a pause on the line. “They’re trying to get Mateo out of hiding,” River responded.
“That’s what I told him. I will try to get protection for his aunt and Juan’s family. Have them moved to a safe house.”
“Any other family members in Los Angeles?”
“No. The rest of his family is in South America,” Nova stated. “When will you arrive?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I’m...I’m planning to see Mateo and his wife in the morning.” She hesitated, her heart racing at the thought of facing him again. Would he even want to see her? “I’ll send you their address, and you can meet me there.” Despite the excitement and nerves coursing through her, Nova couldn’t deny that seeing him after all these years would bring up a mix of emotions—both longing and fear of the unresolved conflicts between them.
“That’s all I need from you,” he replied flatly.
She felt a twinge of disappointment at River’s lack of emotion. Part of her wanted him to show some enthusiasm that they’d be working together again.
As the clock struck quitting time, Nova considered canceling out meeting up with her best friend, Jersey, at the Golden Pier, a popular spot in uptown Charlotte where local law enforcement went to unwind over drinks.
By the time she reached her car, Nova decided she needed to unwind. She needed to take her mind off the case for a bit.
Her friend met her at the door.
“Perfect timing,” Nova said in greeting.
“Hectic day?” Jersey asked after they sat at a table near the bar area shaped like a boat.
Nodding, she responded, “It’s been a trying few days, to say the least.”
Nova ordered a glass of red wine, and her friend chose white.
While waiting for their drinks to arrive, she said, “I’m so glad it’s Friday.” It didn’t mean much that it was the weekend, because she’d be driving out to Burlington first thing in the morning to check on Mateo and Arya. But she needed the short reprieve.
“So am I,” Jersey murmured as she released her long reddish locs from the hair band that held them hostage. “I’m glad I’m not on call this weekend. I’ve had a busy week.” Her friend was a homicide detective for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. “I wore my murder boots more than my heels.”
“You’re the only person I know who has murder boots,” Nova said with a chuckle. “And bright yellow ones at that.” Jersey always wore rain boots whenever she visited a crime scene.
“I’m not messing up a good pair of shoes while looking for evidence,” Jersey responded. “I can just rinse off my boots and keep it moving.”
A couple of middle-aged men sat at a table across the room. One worked with the Marshals Service, while the other was an assistant district attorney. The assistant DA made eye contact with them and gave a slight nod in greeting.
“What’s up with you and Matt?” Nova asked in a low whisper as their drinks arrived. “He can’t seem to take his eyes off you.”
“He keeps telling me that he wants us to try again,” Jersey answered, turning her face away from him to Nova.
“How do you feel about it?”
“I don’t know.” Jersey shrugged. “I still love him, but I’m just not sure we belong together. Sometimes it’s best not to revisit the past.”
Nova picked up the menu and opened it.
Jersey sipped her wine, then asked, “What about you? Have you met anyone interesting?”
“Not really.”
“You’re a borderline workaholic, Nova,” Jersey stated.
“You’re probably right,” she responded with a slight shrug.
“What about that DEA agent, River?”
Nova gave a choked, desperate laugh. “What about him? It’s been two years. I’m pretty sure by now he’s found someone else and is incredibly happy.” She tried to keep her expression bland, but she couldn’t ignore the ache in her heart whenever she thought of him. She wouldn’t tell Jersey just yet about the call they’d had—or the fact she’d see him tomorrow.
Jersey studied her for a moment before replying, “I can tell by the look on your face that you don’t really mean that. Don’t you think it’s about time you and River had a conversation?”
Nova placed a hand over her face convulsively. “About what?”
“Well...the way y’all left things, for one.”
“You just said that sometimes it’s best not to revisit the past—I agree,” Nova said smoothly.
“I was referring to my situation.”
“I know that. But it can apply to my personal life as well.”
Jersey’s greenish-gray eyes rested on hers. “There’s just one huge difference with you and River. Y’all left a lot unsaid on the table.”
“I told you that things moved at an alarming pace between us, Jersey,” she stated with a hint of sadness in her voice. “It was overwhelming and I couldn’t keep up.” She paused, her eyes clouded with memories. “We spent every waking moment together for two weeks straight. It was all-consuming and it scared me. I needed to take a step back and figure out what I really wanted.”
“Maybe for you,” she responded. “But how do you know that he feels the same way?”
“Jersey, I know you mean well, but what River and I had is over and done with,” Nova stated. “I admit I could’ve handled things better with him, but I can’t rewind the clock. Besides, I spoke with him earlier. He’ll be in town tomorrow to discuss a case.”
Jersey’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “How was it? Talking to River after all this time?”
“It was just business,” Nova responded. “He told me he was coming to Charlotte. I said okay.”
Although Nova continued to put on a facade of nonchalance for her friend, she felt an acute sense of loss deep down.
She shoved that aside as they gave their food order to the server who’d come to their table.
Jersey stood up. “I’m going to talk to Matt for a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” Nova said.
She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. The servers were dressed in nautical uniforms. Nova soaked in the laughter and the various conversations that danced upon each interval just a tad higher than the soft musical notes playing in the background. She studied the muted colors of the bottles behind the bar.
A platter of hot wings was delivered to their table.
Nova placed six on her plate but waited for Jersey to return to dive in.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to be gone so long,” her friend said when she sat down ten minutes later.
“I was just about to get started without you.”
“Well, I appreciate you.” Jersey stabbed her fork into a wing, placing it on her plate. “Oh, I ordered us another glass of wine.”
“Thanks,” Nova said. She dipped a lemon-pepper drumette into ranch dressing, and the conversation turned to lighter topics.
After eating, Nova left the restaurant, heading home while Jersey stayed behind with Matt.
They are so getting back together, Nova thought to herself.
She tried but couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a date. Her focus for the last year and a half had been advancing her career. However, Nova was slowly realizing she was ready for a new career challenge.
There was a time when she didn’t want anything other than to walk in her father’s footsteps as a US marshal, but it hadn’t been the same for her since Easton’s death. She still wanted to go after the Mancuso cartel but had been thinking about switching law enforcement agencies to have a more active role in the fight against drug trafficking.
Nova glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. In a few hours, she would come face-to-face with River. Her heart raced as memories flooded her mind, the weight of regret pressing against her chest. She had always been a free spirit, drifting wherever the wind took her. And two years ago, when River had hinted that he wanted a future with her, she couldn’t bear the thought of being tied down. It wasn’t in her nature.
So, Nova ran.
But now she found herself questioning her choices. Had running away indeed been the right decision?
She sat in the middle of her bed, contemplating what to say when she saw him.
Nova had to prepare emotionally for facing him again. She didn’t have a solid explanation for why’d she done a disappearing act. She cared deeply for River, and those feelings had scared her.
If someone asked her why, Nova couldn’t provide an answer.
The clock ticked relentlessly, its sound echoing through the quiet room.
Nova couldn’t understand why she struggled with commitment. The lingering doubt of what could have been if she hadn’t run away that fateful night consumed her thoughts. It was a question that haunted her, even though she had accepted long ago that it would never be answered.
Deep down, Nova knew that the real reason for her reluctance stemmed from losing her father. His sudden passing had left a hole in her heart and a fear of getting too close to anyone else for fear of losing them, too. This realization only added to the weight of her doubts and fears, making it all the more difficult for her to let go and open up to love.
