Page 42 of Second Chance Savior

“Believe me, I realize that.”

Charlie wouldn’t be happy with this situation. Going into hiding. But in many ways, this had been inevitable from the moment Cerberus had told me about the threat. She just hadn’t believed me.

Now, she’d seen for herself what Stillwater could do.

Hodge gripped his jaw in thought. “Stick around a few days until the heat dies down. I’ll put you and Charlotte into a safe house. Get a crew together to protect the lieutenant governor and get to the bottom of this.”

“A crew? I thought you were living a quiet life here.”

“More or less. As quiet as any of us can manage.”

Ain’t that the truth, I thought.

“I really appreciate the offer, and before, I might have taken you up on that. But I can’t. We’re going to leave in the morning. That’s final.” Charlie didn’t know it yet, but I wouldn’t budge on this point.

“And then? Where are you planning to go?”

“Better if I don’t tell you.”

“But you know how I am. If I feel like I kicked you out of here without a safety net, then I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. And I value my sleep.”

I chuckled. “I remember that, yeah.”

“So I need to know you have some sort of plan in place.”

“I’m working on it. I’ll do whatever it takes to expose the plot against her, and I’ll keep her safe until the danger has passed. And anybody who tries to touch her is a dead man.”

“Oh, is that all? Nothing much.”

I grinned. “Simple as that.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Charlotte

“This is it.Be it ever so humble. And in need of new tires.” Hodge switched on his flashlight with one hand while he unlocked the RV door with the other. “It’s not much, but it should keep you warm and cozy for the night.”

“This is perfect, man.” River pulled his friend in for a hug. “I won’t forget it.”

“Trust me, I won’t let you.”

We had walked across Hodge’s property with no flashlights so we didn’t attract the attention of his neighbors. They weren’t close, but they might have seen the activity and gotten curious. The moonlight had been enough so I didn’t run into anything solid, yet I’d still had to grab onto River several times to avoid tripping. He never seemed to have any trouble. His night vision was as good as my cat’s.

“And you, Ms. McKinley.” Hodge took my hand in both of his. “You sure there’s nothing else I can do for you? Sounds like I might not be seeing you in the morning, so this is your chance.”

“You’ve already done way too much. I owe you.”

“Just stay safe. That’s all I need.” He nodded toward River, who was gazing off into the darkness like he couldn’tcare less what we were saying. “Stick with this guy, and you’ll be in good shape.”

With that, Hodge jogged back toward his house, not even bothering to use his flashlight. Was that a Navy SEAL thing? Probably.

River held open the door to the RV. “After you.”

I mounted the steps and went inside.

River followed with the flashlight. We would be keeping the power off in the camper overnight, but Hodge was right. It was cozy. Warm enough from the sun shining on it during the day. There was a small kitchen area with a table, which Hodge had explained on the walk over would convert into a sofa. Then a tiny bathroom and a bedroom at the back.

“Bed’s yours.” River dumped his bag on the small table.

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