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"Yea, and some of us believe that Chelsea person was coming after Ariel, and when she wasn't home, went after Meagan instead. It's just a theory I've heard the guys kicking around." Amber added.
"Good job, everyone!" Ariel cajoled, holding out her hand. "I'll get these stories typed up as soon as I can. Now, if you don't mind, I'll collect them for safekeeping."
We promptly concluded our activities as we observed another black sedan arriving on the ridge. Now there were two agents present, and I was relieved to find that one of them was Agent Ramirez. As the sun descended behind the hills, the air grew colder, encapsulating the perfect conclusion to a day filled with mixed emotions.
As I eased a sleeping Ava into her car seat and sat beside her, Ramirez glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Amy, I set up a Zoom call with your father as you requested. He's eager to hear from you. I'll take the baby if you like so you can have some private time to speak with him."
"Awesome!" I replied, grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with my dad. After not hearing from me for two days, I knew he would be worried sick.
As soon as we arrived at my safe house, I gently freed Ava from her car seat and handed her over to Ramirez. I headed inside, my heart thumping in my chest at what my father would say when he found out what was happening. With a deep breath, I clicked on the Zoom link and waited for the call to connect.
Papa's weathered face filled the screen, his eyes reflected a mixture of relief and concern. "Amy, my dear, I've been trying to get in touch with you for two days! Are you alright? I understand you're in a safe house. Agent Ramirez reached out to me," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.
"Papa, I'm so sorry for making you worry," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm okay, really. A lot has happened, and I have so much to tell you."
His eyes searched mine for a moment before he sighed heavily. "Alright, tell me everything. I'm here for you."
I recounted the events of the past few days, explaining how I had become little Ava's nanny and the circumstances that led to it. My father listened intently; his brow furrowed in concern. When I finished, he shook his head and said, "Amy, I had no idea all this was happening. I'm glad you're safe, but I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to help you."
"Oh, Papa, I appreciate that, but it's complicated," I replied, feeling overwhelmed.
"I understand, sweetheart," my father said, his voice softening. "But I can't just sit back and do nothing while you're in this situation. I'm going to reach out to some of our relations before I try to contact Mitch and see if we can work together to find a solution. We need to reunite the two of you and figure out a way to take care of Ava without putting you in danger. And, of course, the rest of the Rosedale crew. Mum and I have grown fond of them."
I hesitated, knowing what family relations he was referring to. But I didn't care. I loved Mitch and Ava, and Papa always put family first. His determination and love would be a driving force in finding a way to make it happen. "Thank you, Papa. I don't know what I would do without you," I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion.
“Everything will work out alright, Amy. I promise," my father said, his eyes filled with determination. "Just take care of yourself and Ava. I'll handle the rest."
"Can I have a word with Mum? She's been on my mind non-stop these past few days. Honestly, I wasn’t prepared for taking care of a baby day and night. All I’ve ever done is babysit.” I tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
"Amy, sweetheart, I wish I could make that happen. But the FBI only gave the green light for me to contact you. No one else from our family is allowed, and that includes your mother. You can only imagine how heartbroken she is. She sends you all her love, though. And as you can see from my surroundings, I'm not at home either."
"Where are you then?”
"I'm afraid that's a secret, my darling!"
"I love you, Papa!"
As the screen faded to black, a soft whimper echoed from the other room. "Seems like someone's craving a bottle."
With a playful grin, Ramirez passed Ava into my arms and said, "Fear not, little one! Mama's here to save the day!"
Chapter Seventeen
Mitch
I stood in Guy's kitchen, flipping pancakes and sizzling bacon on the griddle while the guys sat around the kitchen island like a pack of hungry wolves. Daniel, Ryder, Chase, and Guy all chimed in with their breakfast orders, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at their enthusiasm. However, it was a nice break from the long faces we often wore around here.
"Hey, Mitch," Daniel teased, "have you ever considered applying to the local Waffle House as a short-order cook? You've got the skills."
Ryder snickered, and Chase joined in. "Yeah, man, you'd be a natural."
I shot them a mock glare, flipping another pancake with exaggerated flair. "Laugh it up, boys," I retorted. "But if we don't get Shock and Awe off the ground, we might all be looking for new jobs."
Late last night, after our Zoom visits with our families, we proceeded to get drunk while playing poker and discussing the new app that we hoped to market to electric utilities. The name Shock and Awe started as a joke, but it stuck for our new app. It was a make-or-break kind of deal for us. But before I could slide into a full-blown rant about the importance of our project, I caught sight of Agent Downing, who was as hungover as the rest of us and looked like he could also use some breakfast. He'd played poker with us and probably lost more money than he'd care to admit.
Just as I was about to fix him a plate, the intercom buzzed with a message from the front gate of Casa Palacious. I pushed the button, and the guard's voice crackled through. "Hey, there's a US Marshal here with some sort of orders. They're demanding to speak with Agent Downing since he's in charge of your protective custody detail. What should I do?"
We exchanged glances with Downing, who immediately straightened in his seat. Something about this felt off, and we knew it, and so did he. But there was no sense in keeping the Marshal waiting. "Send them through," Guy yelled from across the room.
