Page 27 of Destined Chaos
I grinned. “I went out for a run the first morning I was back to clear my head, and when I returned, I thought he was a burglar and pulled pepper spray on him.”
“Yes, because those donuts are so dangerous,” Hugh quipped.
“You brought her donuts. You are a brave man,” Champ said before turning his attention to me. “Tell me you dabbled on the dark side and ate his donut.”
“No, but in full disclosure, I did think about it, but only for a minute. I swear Slaughter House is out to ruin me. So, tell me about the feds. What could they possibly want from me that they couldn’t get from you and the nest?”
“Nest?” Hugh asked.
“It’s complicated.”
“Not really, she’s just always in a hurry,” Champ interrupted. “The nest is the service we provide to people in trouble. It’s similar to witness protection, only it’s victim protection.”
“Champ trains them how to fight, take care of themselves, survive, and how to hide off the perpetrator's radar,” I said.
“And she sees any potential problems,” Champ added.
“So, what do the feds want with you?”
“She witnessed a murder,” Champ said.
“In my dream,” I corrected. “And I told them everything I know, even where to look to find the killer. So, I have no idea what they want with me.”
“Well, you’ll find out in twenty minutes. I told him he could talk to you in my office.”
“Not both? Which one came back?”
“This one isn’t one of the previous ones. He’s new, but I didn’t catch the name, just the shiny badge.”
My shoulders deflated. I hadn’t meant to deal with any of this while I was back with my mind being all over the place. “Perfect.”
Champ and Hugh’s conversation turned to questioning each other as if testing the waters to see what type of person the other one was. When Champ asked Hugh what his intentions were with regards to me, I chimed in and answered. “He wants to buy Slaughter.”
“Problem solved.” Champ rubbed his hands together. “Sell him the house and then get your ass back here. I think the longer you stay there, the more hazardous it is to your health. Besides, I need you to come back. One of our safe houses was compromised, and we need to scout some new locations.”
I was beginning to think the same thing about my health. The compromised safe house was a problem. Finding just the right hiding spot before the transitions was getting harder and harder.
The car pulled up outside Beaumont Foundation, and the driver opened the back door, letting us all out. The others went before me. Hugh held out his hand to ease me out while Champ waited with my crutches.
The walk into the building was slow and tedious. With each step, my breath became more labored. For being in good shape, I discovered these crutches were still kicking my butt. Not to mention how many times I’d stepped on one of their toes.
“Peter working today?” I asked as I gazed into the face of everyone as we passed.
“I saw him this morning, but I haven’t checked his schedule,” Champ said.
“Peter?” Hugh asked.
“The ex that moved in,” I clarified. “I work with him too.”
“Ouch,” Hugh said as we rode the elevator up to the executive floor.
With a little bit more help, I stepped off, and Stella met us with a smile.
“Sir, he’s already here. I put him in the conference room.”
“Thanks, Stella,” Champ said, and I headed toward the conference room.
Champ held the door open as I hobbled inside, with Hugh bringing up the rear.
