10. Savannah
The family has ensured that Aiden and Swank are all right, and the time has come for us to leave. When I begin to follow after Aiden, Martha reaches for my hand to guide us down a different hallway. She gently tugs me towards her, “Anna, we don’t go out the same door as they do. A mob of reporters will be waiting for them, ready to ply them with questions about the game.”
Whispering, I tell her, “At least one, if not two, bodyguards should be with them.” I use enough volume that David overhears and understands that my “suggestion” is more of a directive rather than a polite request. He gets the hint and taps Jeremy, heading off down the other corridor to catch up with Aiden and Swank.
A minute later, I hear the faint sounds of arguing, but no one returns, and I assume that David and Jeremy made their case.
I hold Penny’s hand, keeping her sandwiched between Martha and me. Reggie moves to my other side while Scott walks ahead of us and Jack trails behind. Martha has Penny engaged in trivia questions about indigenous tribes of Africa, giving Reggie and me the opportunity to talk in hushed voices.
“There are police officers that keep the reporters at bay, Anna. Now we’re two men down to keep Penny safe.”
I bob my head. “Trust me when I say that it’s necessary. Two men were watching us tonight, and they were definitely out of place. They looked like mafia goons and gave me a bad vibe.”
“Then that is all the more reason the bodyguards should have stayed with us,” he says. It’s the first time that Reggie appears worried.
“Normally, you would be right, but Aiden needs protection as much as Penny does. I don’t see any other way to do that except to divide and conquer or hire more security. Option two is currently unavailable, and don’t forget, you have me. Three of us are more than enough to get Penny home safely. The police officers are there to control the reporters and fans from getting out of line, not jump in front of a bullet if necessary.”
“I have no choice but to trust your judgment, Anna. If you believe my son is presently in danger, Martha and I will do whatever we can to help.”
The rest of the walk down the tunnels is in relative silence except for the occasional factoid from Penny. I assign Jack to get the vehicle and pull up to the doors rather than us walking through the parking lot exposed. An ominous feeling covers me like a wet blanket, and the weight of it is suffocating.
I decide the best course of action is to turn the situation into a game so that Penny doesn’t pick up on my tension. “Penny, want to race? Let’s see who can get in the car first and buckle up the fastest!” Her eyes alight with joy at the notion of a contest. She gets her competitive spirit from her father, and I plan to use that to my full advantage.
Martha and Reggie understand my plan without needing an explanation and wait for my signal, getting themselves in a racing position so that Penny doesn’t know anything is wrong. I wait until Jack texts us once the vehicle is out front, idling ten yards from the door.
“On your mark! Get set! Go!” I shout as I push through the door first and stay by Penny’s side until she is safely deposited into the SUV. I wait as Martha and Reggie jump in next and make sure everyone is safely secured.
Jack runs around toward the driver’s side of the vehicle while Scott closes the door behind me and gets into the passenger seat. He barely has his door closed as a shot rings out.
“Bang!”
“Everyone, get down, now!” I yell, pushing Penny’s head between her legs and covering her tiny body with mine. “Jack, get us out of here!”
The sound of screaming can be heard in the distance, and I do something I haven’t done in almost ten years—I pray.
My words are more of a spastic muttering rather than a well-thought-out request, but I’ve been told that God knows our hearts, even if our words don’t make much sense.
“God, please keep Aiden safe from harm. Do this one thing for me, and I’ll owe you one.” I’m sure that trying to make a deal with God is the last thing I should do and that testing Him is the wrong way to get what I want, but I’m desperate and not in a position to help Aiden.
A few minutes pass by without further incident, and everyone is still crouched in the back of the SUV. I lift myself off a sniffling Penny to look out the rear window. “It doesn’t look like anyone is following us, Jack. Take a circuitous route back home to ensure that we don’t have a tail. Did anyone see where the shot came from and where it went?”
Martha soothes Penny, rubbing her back and telling her everything will be okay. Scott turns around to look at me. His skin is pale, and a frown mars his features. He looks at Penny, and it’s clear that what he has to say isn’t good news, but he isn’t entirely sure whether or not he should inform me in front of her.
Reggie doesn’t care. “Scott, I need to know if my son is all right. Did anyone get hurt?”
Scott glances at me before hesitantly answering the man who pays his check. “Your son and Swank are both okay. David, on the other hand, took a bullet to his shoulder, and the officers are taking care of him until the EMTs arrive on scene. He should be on his way to the emergency room soon. Jeremy is with Aiden and Swank, only a few minutes behind us. They’ll meet us at the house.”
When we finally pull up to the family estate, I rush Penny inside and into the kitchen with Reggie and Martha hot on our tails. I wet a cloth with warm water to wipe her tear-stained face. “Your dad is in good hands and is on his way home as we speak. Jeremy and David took really good care of him.”
She gives me a timid smile, “God answered your prayer, Anna. God kept my dad safe.”
Martha hugs me. “Thank you for caring enough to pray for our boy. I guess you owe God a favor now.”
I cringe a little. “You heard that, huh? He didn’t spare David, so I think the deal is off.”
She laughs lightly despite the situation. “I did hear you, and don’t you go reneging on your end of the bargain. You didn’t ask God to keep David safe, even though He did. David might be out of commission for some time, but he’s alive and will pull through. God works in mysterious ways, taking a bad situation and using it for good. Just think, now I have to hire more protection. Where, oh where, could I possibly find capable bodyguards on such short notice?”
This time, it’s me who chuckles. It looks like my team will be joining me, soon.
Martha takes Penny upstairs for a bath just before Aiden bursts through the door, looking frantic and wearing a blood-stained shirt. “Where’s Penny? Is she hurt? Is my daughter okay?”
“Calm down, Aiden. Penny is fine and getting cleaned up before bed. She was scared, but the bodyguards did their job and kept everyone safe.” Reggie says.
“That was crazy!” Swank shouts, coming in shortly after. “David went left when Jeremy went right, tackling us to the ground like pro football players. I even got an extra boo-boo out of the deal.” He lifts his arm to show everyone the torn shirt and scraped elbow. “Wanna kiss it and make it better, Anna?”
“No, but I can make sure that you have a matching one on the other side, though,” I say with narrowed eyes.
“Why don’t you go tend to your wounds in the cottage, Swank? I’ll give you a ride to the game tomorrow since your car is still at the arena,” Aiden tells him, slightly annoyed.
Swank raises his hands in surrender, “Fine. I can tell when I’m not wanted. I’ll let you two love birds figure things out. I’ll go and watch reruns of Friends and wallow in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.”
“Swank!” Aiden and I shout out at the same time.
Swank leaves out the back door, and Reggie clears his throat before skedaddling upstairs. “I’ll go help Martha. Aiden, why don’t you take a quick shower before tucking Penny into bed? I don’t think David’s blood is something she should see. That is David’s blood and not yours, right?”
Aiden looks down at his shirt and gasps, seeing the stain for the first time. “Yeah, it’s his. I’m fine, Dad. David saved my life. I’ve never been more thankful that you and Mom made sure that they came with us. I’ll never argue with them or you about that again.”
“That’s good to know, Son, because I’m sure your mom has plans to hire more security after what just went down, and I doubt she wants any complaints on the matter,” Reggie says with a knowing grin before he departs.
Aiden calls out the names of the three remaining bodyguards hovering just beyond the kitchen. Upon their arrival, he shakes each of their hands and thanks them for what they did to keep his family safe. Scott glances my way briefly but says nothing, keeping my involvement in the encounter a secret.
“Can you guys check the house and outside before leaving?” Aiden asks the men.
Jack looks confused by the request. “Sir? Don’t you think it would be best if we stayed close tonight?”
Aiden pats Jack’s shoulder. “You have a friend and colleague in the hospital who needs to be surrounded by people who care about him. Please go, be by his side, and let him know that he’s in our prayers.”
As the men turn to leave, Scott looks over his shoulder toward Aiden and says, “Thank you, Mr. Shaw.”
A minute later, when Aiden and I are alone, I ask him, “I know what you told your dad, but how are you really doing? That had to be quite a scare.”
“Honestly? I’m still processing everything that happened. One second, I’m answering a reporter’s question, and the next, I’m being tackled to the ground. I spent the entire drive home worried about all of you, even though I could hear every reassuring word Scott was saying to Jeremy through the hands-free.
“I don’t know why Jeremy and David were so persistent about coming along and sticking by our side, but I’m grateful that they did. I haven’t taken the threats seriously enough, and this was a major wake-up call. But right now, I’m going to take my dad’s advice and grab a hot shower to decompress and clean up before Penny goes to bed.”
Before he heads up the stairs, he turns back to me and adds, “There’s bubble bath under the counter in your bathroom if you want to have a long soak in the tub. It’s been a long day and I’m sure it’s a lot to take in. Please don’t leave on account of this, Anna. I need you now more than ever to stay here with Penny.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Aiden, including the game tomorrow. We’ll watch from the living room and catch every second of it.”
Aiden dips his chin once. “I agree. Until we figure out who is behind the shooting, I don’t want Penny anywhere near that arena. I’d like to talk to you and my parents after I tuck Penny into bed. Will you wait up for me?”
“Sure. I’ll put on some tea.” I shoo him away so he can take care of himself, and as soon as he’s out of earshot, I dial Ethan.
The phone rings once before he picks up. “Savannah, I’ve been waiting for your call. I heard what happened on the news only minutes ago.”
“Hi, Ethan. Yeah, it’s been an interesting first couple of days. I called to get you up to speed per our 48-hour check-in. I set up the cameras yesterday, and headquarters confirmed that the feeds are uploading to the servers. I’m working with Martha and Reggie to enhance their security protocols with the codes that allow people to enter the premises. They trust too easily, Ethan. Everyone is a friend to them.”
“And you don’t trust easily enough, Savannah. It’s okay to let others in.”
“I let people in! I trust you and the Alpha team. You’re my family,” I protest.
Ethan chuckles. “It took a long time for that to happen and several close encounters with some pretty bad guys before you trusted us all to have your back. It took you almost three years to open up to me and give me a hug.”
“And yet you knew everything and sent me here anyway?”
He sighs. “Savannah, do you want to come home? I’ll send Jessie in your stead if that’s what you want.”
I take a minute before answering, and Ethan doesn’t push. “No. I can’t explain it, but I think I’m meant to be here despite how uncomfortable it is being home. I should warn you, though, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep my cover. It’s flimsy at best, and Aiden is too high profile to avoid getting caught by the paparazzi. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone caught me on camera at the game today.”
The sweet voice of Ethan’s son, Xander, can be heard saying “Da Da” in the background as we talk. “The only reason I gave you the fake ID with a different name is to cast doubt should your picture get taken and end up in the media. That was more for your personal benefit because of your mother and not so much for the job. If Aiden finds out who you are, just tell him the truth—or a semblance of it. The most important part is to keep as low a profile as possible by posing as a nanny.”
“That may be hard to do now that we’re down a bodyguard after the shooting,” I tell him.
“I heard. Is he going to pull through? At first, I thought it was you, but then they described the victim as a male.”
I wedge the phone between my ear and shoulder to grab the kettle and boil some water to make tea. “David is going to be fine. I haven’t had the chance to speak with him yet, but from all accounts, it was a bullet to the shoulder. He will be out of commission for a few months, at a minimum. On that note, you might be getting a call from Martha soon requesting a few extra bodies.”
“Got it. The rest of the Alpha team returns tomorrow from Texas. Once I get the call, I’ll see who is available to go.”
We chit-chat and catch up for a few more minutes while the water begins to boil, and the sound of footsteps stomping down the stairs echoes through the kitchen. I still have the phone to my ear when Aiden appears in a black T-shirt, sweatpants, and a dangerous look in his eye.
He strides up to me and grabs the back of my neck, pulling me flush with his body, and his lips crash into mine with such a fierce intensity that I have no choice but to hold on tight. I drop my phone as my hands come up to his chest to grab a fistful of his shirt and hang on for dear life. There’s a slight tug to my hair, which causes me to gasp lightly and part my lips. He takes full advantage of the opportunity by slipping his tongue so that it lightly brushes mine. It’s not until he backs me up against the counter to continue his assault on my mouth that I comprehend what is happening.
Aiden Shaw is kissing me, and my boss can hear everything.