Chapter Ten
As Aaron set about working on the cabin, he whistled through his teeth.
Breakfast with Bailey was about the best way he could think of to start the day.
Spending time with her stirred something inside of him he thought was gone for good.
The reminder of how good it felt to be around her was bringing all sorts of emotions back to the surface. Feelings he’d pushed down long ago.
Plus, she seemed to be settling in a little better now, which made him happy.
He was glad she was starting to see how good this place could be for her, especially after what she had been through.
Nobody deserved to be assaulted the way she had been, but at least this was a safe space, somewhere she could heal and relax.
Even if she didn’t seem very good at relaxing.
She had never been good at it, actually—even when they worked together, she had always been looking ahead to the next case before the last one was even finished.
It was something he used to tease her about, and she had always rolled her eyes good-naturedly and reminded him she was trying to make a name for herself.
But now? Now, things were different. This was about taking down the corrupt cops who had infected the department, not just handling a case. She would be even more laser focused on her goal than before, and he couldn’t even imagine what that was going to look like.
He heard footsteps crunching on the grass behind him, and glanced around to see Bailey approaching. She was still limping slightly, but not as badly as she had been a week ago. She was healing fast, like her body was trying to prepare her for what lay ahead.
“Hey,” he greeted her, straightening up.
“Hey,” she replied. “What are you working on?”
“This old cabin needs some TLC,” he remarked, nodding to the slightly dilapidated shack next to him. “I think it could make a good living space for someone once I’ve had some time to put it all back together again.”
“Sounds like a heck of a job,” she replied.
“It will be,” he agreed. “But it’s satisfying to see it all come together when it’s finished.”
She smiled but he could tell at once there was something on her mind. You didn’t work with someone as closely as they had and not have an idea of what was going on inside their head.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Sheriff Willis,” she replied. “You know him?”
“Yeah, he’s the sheriff for the small town down the mountain,” he told her, propping up his tools and turning to face her properly. “What about him?”
“You think he’s trustworthy?” she pressed.
Frowning, he nodded. “He’s never given me any reason to think he isn’t,” he replied. “Why do you ask?”
“I think he could be the contact I need in the force to dig up the information on Ziegler and his crew,” she explained. “I can’t use my own credentials—that’ll make it easier for them to find me. But someone like him, he could.”
Aaron sighed, leaning up against the shack. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Of course I’m not,” she replied, and she turned to head back toward the main building.
He took off after her. She was so focused on what she felt like she needed to do, she was going to walk herself straight into trouble if she wasn’t careful.
He knew he wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to her.
She had already been through so much, and he wasn’t about to let her walk into this mess without trying to deter her.
“Bailey, you don’t want to start this fight,” he warned as he matched pace with her.
She shot a look at him. “I’m not the one who started it, they are,” she reminded him. “I’m just going to finish it.”
She reached her truck and climbed in, wincing as she swung her leg in after her.
He stood in front of it, arms crossed. “I’m not going to let you go down there alone,” he warned her.
She stared at him for a moment, as though daring him to try and stop her.
“You can either get out of my way, or you can help me,” she replied. “Which one is it going to be?”
He paused for a moment, then let out a sigh, and gestured for her to get out of the truck. “Come on, let me drive,” he told her. “Your leg’s still healing.”
She looked as though she was about to protest, but thought better of it.
She climbed out and allowed him to take the driver’s seat while she hobbled around and got in on the passenger’s side.
Being beside her again like this, it brought back a flood of memories.
All those hours they had spent cruising around the county, talking, listening to music, and getting to know each other.
In all the years he had been on the force, those had been his favorite memories.
Maybe he would be able to make some new ones with her before this latest mission was over.
They drove into town, and Bailey peered around, taking the place in with her incisive gaze.
She had always been really observant, able to pick up on details that went over his head.
It was one of the many things that would have made her an amazing detective, though he supposed he had shot her in the foot when he had written that report about her.
He tried not to linger on the thought of it.
He had done what he had to do at the time, and at least she was willing to let him help now, right?
They arrived outside the sheriff’s station, and he helped Bailey out of the truck.
Aaron didn’t know Sheriff Willis particularly well, but he had met him a few times and the sheriff had always seemed capable and trustworthy.
Reminded him of some of the cops he’d known when he was first starting out: Dedicated, focused, and committed to keeping the small town where he served a safe place for everyone.
Bailey led the way inside, where they found Willis leaning up against the reception desk. She smiled pleasantly at him.
He looked her up and down and extended his hand. “You must be new,” he remarked. Aaron guessed he knew almost everyone in this town, which would make his job a lot easier.
Bailey took his hand, and nodded. She introduced herself. “I’m Bailey Masters. Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Willis replied, and he nodded in greeting to Aaron.
“Sheriff Willis.” Aaron returned the nod.
“So, what brings you in here today?” Willis asked, escorting them back to his office. “Nothing serious, I hope.”
She grimaced. “I wish I didn’t have to bring this to you, but I can’t think of anyone else who can help,” she explained. “Aaron told me you’re a good cop, and we need more of those around. I’m really hoping you can help me out here.”
She filled him in as quickly as she could on what had happened with the guys at Kings Mountain, and Willis paused to take it in, his eyes widening as the enormity of it seemed to settle over him.
Though he had dealt with some big cases in his time, he had probably never had to work one that was aimed at his fellow cops.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” he told Bailey, his voice quiet, as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “To think of our own people turning on us like that.” He shuddered, shaking his head.
“It was an eye-opener for me, that’s for sure.” She nodded with a grim smile. “I never expected something like that from the guys I worked with.”
“It’s unthinkable,” he muttered. “But I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from when I say I need a little more proof of your status. Do you have ID on you? Someone who can vouch for you?”
“Of course,” Bailey replied, not missing a beat.
She didn’t seem offended at all. Aaron guessed she was just glad someone was actually listening to her and taking her seriously.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her ID, then handed it over.
Willis inspected it for a moment, lifting it so he could compare the picture to her face.
Satisfied, he nodded, and handed it back to her.
“Well, I hope I can be a better cop to you than those guys were,” Willis remarked. “What exactly is it you need?”
“I need to get any information that has been passed around about them, what they’ve been doing, all of it,” she replied.
“There has to be someone who knows something and kept quiet, or someone who’s passed something around the local departments, even if it’s not much.
I don’t want to arouse any suspicion by going after it myself, but someone like you…
they’re far more likely to hand over what we need. ”
He nodded, leaning back against the desk.
“I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to get,” he warned her. “I’ll look into what I can, but I don’t know how much would have filtered down from Kings Mountain to here. I do have a few contacts around the state. They might be able to help out.”
“Can you trust them?” Bailey asked.
Willis narrowed his eyes and nodded. “I’d trust them with my life,” he replied firmly. “I’m happy to let you into the system, Bailey, but Aaron, you’re not a cop, so I’m going to have to keep it in the business.”
Bailey passed him a quizzical look. “Oh, but Aaron—”
“Of course, Sheriff,” Aaron replied, cutting her off.
He had never mentioned to Willis that he’d been a cop before, because he was worried it would bring up too much of his past that he didn’t want to talk about.
But the more he got to know the older man, the more he trusted him.
Maybe he would start to come clean about some of his past when all of this was over.
If they could finish it, of course.
“But you might be better off talking to Lawson and Xavier about this,” he continued. “They used to be CIA, after all.”
Bailey spun around to face Aaron, her eyes wide.
“They what?” she demanded. “You never thought to tell me that?”
Aaron shrugged. He had his reasons. But he got the feeling he wasn’t going to be able to keep them to himself for much longer.
Mainly because Bailey got the truth out of him, one way or another. He couldn’t hide himself from her.
Even if that made him feel vulnerable in a way he hadn’t for a very long time.