Grave Secrets (Manhunters 1)

“Roger that,” Everly said, then disconnected and glanced at Ian. “By the way, you were the perfect white knight for Savannah.”

Ian huffed. “All I did was stop a public fight in front of her son.”

“There were sparks between you two.”

“Bullshit.” He glared out the windshield. “I’m starting to think this whole idea—me working with this team—is bullshit.”

“You think this is bad? Try security for a Silicon Valley high-rise or bodyguard duty to an entitled hip-hop mogul.”

Ian groaned.

“Perspective, my friend. Perspective,” Everly reminded him. “This may not be like the blood-pumping missions we had overseas, but there are other benefits, like higher pay and time to take a real vacation or cultivate a relationship. And not all our jobs are as tame as rooting out a shadowy counterfeit underground. We get our share of action. This is your first mission. Give it a chance.”

“You must get some kind of kickback if I commit.”

Everly’s fist landed right in the middle of his gut.

Ian grunted a laugh. “I see your sense of humor’s intact.”

“Maybe I think you deserve

a life with more in it than mind-numbing, meaningless days spent as a rent-a-cop. Savannah’s cute. I’ll admit, you both suck at flirting, but she was trying her rusty best.”

Ian scowled at Everly. “Shut up.”

“And the kid… You still have the touch, Piper.”

“Don’t even,” Ian pushed the car door open. “I’ll meet you at the office.”

Savannah’s hand shook as she set down a teacup in front of Audrey. She slid into the seat across the booth and opened the wooden box filled with over a dozen different types of teas. “I wasn’t sure what you’d be in the mood for today.”

“Something with whiskey,” Audrey clipped as she pulled an orange-spiced tea bag from the box. “Maybe I’ll get a room for the night and hit Judd’s Saloon later.”

Judd’s was a favorite hangout for the miners—right up there with Sugar Daddy’s, a brothel in the middle of nowhere smack between Whitefish and Hazard. Savannah hated Judd’s, but… “If Misty can watch Jamison tonight, drinks are on me.”

The way Audrey’s mouth tipped into a stiff smile made the nerves in Savannah’s belly buzz. The other woman settled the tea bag into the water while she twirled a strand of her honey-brown hair around her finger. She was measuring her words, Savannah knew.

She glanced toward Jamison, sitting at a table in the corner. He was playing a game on Savannah’s cell, completely absorbed, his tongue barely sticking out the side of his mouth. Love and fear mingled.

She refocused on Audrey. Her attorney had told her the deputies had met and detained her at the county line, as Savannah had feared. “How’d you get through?”

Audrey closed the lid on the metal teapot. “I installed a dash cam and told them that if they didn’t let me through, the encounter would be all over the internet within an hour.”

Savannah relived that morning’s confrontation with the deputies and how Ian had also used video—or at least the threat of it—to limit their manipulation. “I think I need to wear a video camera around my neck twenty-four seven.” She rested her head in her hand. “I hope those nerves in your eyes are just from the drive and those idiots at the county line.”

“Only partially.”

Dread swamped Savannah. Her stomach bottomed out. “Oh God. Please don’t tell me there was another problem with the divorce.” The weight of the possibility pushed her deeper into the booth’s seat. “I can’t take this anymore. I need him out of our lives. We need to get out of this town.”

Audrey leaned forward and covered Savannah’s hand on the table. “I have good news and bad news. I’m not going to ask which you want to hear first because you obviously need to hear the good.” She pulled a manila envelope from her briefcase and laid it on the table with a smile. “Your divorce is final.”

Your divorce is final.

Savannah’s breath caught. She repeated the words in her head, inspecting Audrey’s gaze for gravity, for confidence. When she found both, all Savannah’s air rushed out. She melted with relief so deep, a sob ebbed from her chest.

“Oh my God…” She kept whispering the words while emotion spilled through her—elation, fear, relief, guilt, regret, excitement. Hope.

For the first time in years, she had hope.