Worthy: Shining Knight Protectors Book 3 (Shining Knight Protectors Series)
1. Savannah
Carter is now engaged to his best friend, and Patrick has married a princess. My team members are dropping like flies around here, and I wonder who’s next on the list to fall in love. It’s certainly not going to be me if I have anything to say about it. I’ve hardened my heart to romance, and past experiences have shown me that there are few men out there willing to see beyond my looks and take the time to get to know me.
Whoever said, “Beauty is only skin deep” must have met me long ago. Despite a pretty face that has won numerous beauty pageants, my insides are ugly and full of scars. I refuse to let anyone see them, including most of my team. We all have our stories, but very few people know mine.
While my team knows I used to compete, only Ethan is aware of why I walked away from that life, never looking back. My mother controlled every aspect of my existence, from what I wore to what I was allowed to eat. She even picked out my college and my major for me with the expectation that I would marry above my station. She had hoped I would garner the attention of a doctor or a famous athlete, which is why I have purposefully steered clear of both. I never wanted to give her the satisfaction after she ruined my chance at happiness with her greed.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t my straight A’s in college that garnered the attention of the FBI; it was my talent in the pageants. Singing was what I did when I started out, but when my mother made me learn skeet shooting for the garden parties we were invited to; it was love at first shot for me. In my spare time, I learned all manner of weapons, from knife throwing to sharpshooting. While in college, I switched from using my voice to using my hands to wow the crowd.
When Roger Cavanaugh attended one of the competitions, rooting for his best friend’s daughter, he saw something special and recruited me. He had been tasked with building an exceptional team of young agents who would travel from city to city undercover as a rock band known as Agent Black. For six years, we worked together and infiltrated various criminal organizations, with no one the wiser to our deeds.
It wasn’t until my fellow teammate Ethan fell in love with his best friend Ben’s sister, Amelia, that he decided to start Shining Knight Protective Services with Ben. Although we could have found a new lead singer to replace him, most of us transitioned from government work to civilian life, following him in his latest endeavor.
So here I am, sitting next to Roger as a peer and getting our assignments from Ethan, with the rest of the Alpha team gathered around the table. Roger, Carter, Jerry, and Jessie will head to Texas with our Bravo and Delta team for a major convention. Patrick gets a break since his son, the Prince of Cothena, will start his first day of school in the United States next week.
“What about me?” I ask, plastering a fake smile on my face. If I’m not part of the team going to Texas, then I can only assume I’ll be getting a solo assignment. Those rarely have any action and often bore me to tears.
“For you, Savannah, we have an assignment you’ll both love and hate,” Ethan tells me with a slight frown.
“What do you mean?”
Ethan slides a manila file folder across the table. “You’ll be protecting the daughter of a prominent hockey player. He’s been receiving threats and has hired a private security team. But his parents don’t want their six-year-old granddaughter to be surrounded by a bunch of burly men all the time. They specifically requested a capable female to go undercover as a nanny, and you were the first person that came to mind.”
“And what’s the part I’m not going to like?” I’m unable to maintain my fake smile as I peruse the document and read the details. I already know what he’s going to say before he even says it.
“You’ll be going home.”
“Nope!” I close the folder and push it across the table back to him. “There is no way I am returning to that city. It’s not happening!”
“Savannah, you’re the only one I have capable of doing this job. While I could send Jessie in your stead, she doesn’t have the same nurturing spirit as you do. A child needs love and affection, not learning ten ways to take down an assailant.”
Jessie laughs. “Ethan’s right, Savannah. Nanny work isn’t my jam. I can barely pick up after myself, and I can’t cook anything that doesn’t require pushing buttons on a microwave or dialing a phone to order takeout.”
I can see her point. I’ve tried Jessie’s cooking once, and it was once too many for me. “What about Sherry from Charlie team? She’d be great at it.”
Ethan shrugs. “She would if she hadn’t found out she was pregnant and quit a few weeks ago. Savannah, you’re not only the most qualified person for this job, but you’re also the only person available for it.”
I reach across the table and take the folder back, resigned to my fate.
Ethan and I are facing off in a staring contest when he asks everyone to leave. “Everyone has their assignments. Will you all give Savannah and me the room, please?”
The rest of my team and my other boss, Ben, do as Ethan asks and leave us alone to hash this out.
Jerry leans down and whispers, “I don’t know why you don’t want to go—and it’s none of my business—but the one thing I’m certain of is that you’re stronger than your past. You’re the strongest woman I know, Savannah. Don’t let something you can’t change dictate your future and your choices as you move forward. You can face whatever it is and know that we all have your back.”
Those are the kindest words Jerry has ever said to me. “Thank you, Jer. I love you, too!” With a wink, he blows me a kiss and exits the room.
Ethan patiently waits for me to speak, yet I’m finding it hard to do so. Eventually, I muster up the courage to say what’s on my mind. “You, of all people, know why I can’t go back there. Why are you making me do this?”
“I’m not making you do anything, Savannah. If you turn down this job, I’ll let the clients know so they can look elsewhere. But I am asking you to do it. I know you have a lot of bad memories from your time living in that city and that your mother is there as well, but a little girl needs your help. Aiden Shaw has been receiving threats for the past year, but the last one mentioned his daughter, which has him scared now. He hired a security team—not us, by the way—but they are all large and intimidating men with no idea how to protect a child. As I said before, his parents sought us out because we are the best at what we do, and they need someone unassuming who can get close and get to the bottom of this. Aiden won’t have a clue that you are anything more than a nanny.”
A small, but genuine, smile forms on my lips. “Did Amelia put you up to this? Your wife has a knack for matchmaking, and this has her fingerprints all over it.”
Ethan chuckles. “I’m not going to lie and say she didn’t have any input, but no, this is my idea. You love kids. You love your job. And I happen to know that you are a fan of Aiden Shaw. If anyone can get close to him and gain his trust, it’s you. So, what do you say?”
“What’s his daughter like?” I haven’t decided if I’ll agree to take this assignment.
“Penelope, Penny for short, is six years old and smart as a whip. According to her grandparents, Martha and Reginald Shaw, she has an IQ of 160 and loves to quote interesting facts. She enjoys reading, drawing, and singing.”
I nod. Aiden has always kept his daughter from the limelight, but unfortunately, he couldn’t do the same about his divorce. As I flip through a few more pages, I don’t see anything about Penny’s mother, Patricia. “There’s nothing here about Patricia, Aiden’s ex-wife. Am I to assume that she hasn’t been made aware of the threats?”
Ethan clears his throat. “Aiden’s parents think she might be the one behind them. Last year, she left her most recent husband and returned to Georgia just after the threats started. She hasn’t approached Aiden directly, but she has been seen rooting for him at his games.”
“That’s not surprising. From what I’ve read in the tabloids, she’s always gone after the brightest star. But Aiden announced his plans to retire when the season ends. Why would Patricia come back now?”
Ethan grins broadly. “I doubt I even needed to give you a file based on your knowledge of Aiden and his comings and goings. I knew you were a fan, but I certainly never pegged you for being a total fangirl, Savannah. But to answer your question, it most likely has to do with the billions he inherited from his trust fund on his 35th birthday.”
I blush in embarrassment at him calling me a fangirl, but that’s what I am. I may as well own it. I know all of Aiden’s stats, going back to his college days. What I wasn’t aware of was the trust fund. “How come it never made the news? I would have thought something as monumental as that would have been front-page fodder.”
“I’m sure it took a lot of work behind the scenes and a top-notch law firm to keep it secret. Aiden has also made it a point to keep his lifestyle the same to avoid unwanted attention. Unfortunately, information has a way of making its way into the wrong hands,” Ethan says.
“What kind of threats has he been getting? Do they ask for any money or mention his extra wealth?” I ask. As one of the top players in the league, Aiden was already wealthy, grossing $15 million this year alone. That doesn’t include all his endorsement deals.
He shakes his head and slides another file over to me, this one with copies of the letters Aiden has received.
“When you retire, it will be with a bang!”
“Take your best shot! I”ll take mine.”
“When you’re at the top of your game, the harder you’ll fall.”
“In for a Penny, in for a pound.”
I stare at the four sheets of paper I have spread out in front of me. “There’s no telling what these threats mean. I can’t decide if whoever is behind this wants him to retire or not. Depending on their motives, it could go either way.”
“You’re absolutely right, Savannah. But it’s the last one that has everyone worried. It would seem fairly innocuous if it weren’t for the P in Penny being capitalized. It’s a subtle hint that Aiden may no longer be the only target. Until that one, he didn’t take the threats seriously other than hiring additional security, but his parents don’t think that’s enough.
“Since Aiden doesn’t want Penny to know what’s going on, life needs to continue to be as normal as possible for her. The only way to make that happen is if someone highly trained is glued to her side. She attends all his games, so you’ll still have a security team nearby when you’re out and about.”
This time, it’s my turn to shake my head. “Why not keep her at home where it’s safer? Why risk it?”
Being famous himself and having a one-year-old son, Ethan will give it to me straight. “I can’t blame Aiden. So far, they’re just notes. Famous people get them all the time, and Aiden has been getting them for the past year with nothing happening. He’s doing what he thinks is best and has taken action, but the security company he hired only protects him and his daughter. They don’t have the skill set to dig deep and find out what’s going on. That’s where you come in.”
“You know that I can’t return to my hometown of Savannah, Georgia, using my real identity. If I’m tagged in any photos, it will draw my mother to me like a bee to honey,” I tell him.
“I’ve already thought of that.” Ethan slides over a wallet with identification and two credit cards. “Say goodbye to Savannah Jones and hello to Anna Blackwood. You can make up your own story; just let me know what it is so that if I have to send reinforcements, they will already be briefed and won’t blow your cover.”
My shoulders slump slightly, and I do my best to smile. “It looks like you already knew my answer.”
Ethan stands up and walks around the table to stand beside me. He opens the folder containing all the information, flipping to the last page, where there’s a photo of Aiden and Penny. He points to the little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, “I knew one look at her, and you wouldn’t turn it down.”
I stare at the photo, taking it all in. He’s right. There’s no way I could walk away from her. But it isn’t Penny who has me captivated; it’s Aiden’s wavy dark hair and striking grey eyes that have me locked in their pull. They stare back at me as if they can see into my soul, and it’s then that I know I’m in big trouble.
I’m not only going to be protecting this family, but also my heart.