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“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.
Chapter two
Aiden
As team captain and center for the Savannah Rockets, I won’t be anyone’s favorite person tomorrow. After barely scraping out a win against the Trenton Tornados, one of the lowest-ranked teams, we are going to need all the help we can get if we stand any chance of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
I agree with Coach Dorn. Tomorrow should be a grueling day of practice instead of taking it easy since we looked like a bunch of amateurs on the ice this afternoon and not one of the top teams in our conference.
The plan is to arrive by 10:00 am and have a quick team meeting to start things off. That will be followed up by three separate dry-land training sessions of cardio, strength training, and agility. We’ll grab lunch and then be on the ice for at least 90 minutes doing nothing but drill work. While this is a typical day for us, the intensity won’t be. I’ll be helping the coach ensure everybody gives it their all—especially if they want more time on the ice during the next game.
Swanson Kristofferson, my best friend since the day we met in kindergarten, runs to catch up with me as I’m leaving the airport. It’s late, and all I want to do is get home to my little girl and sleep for eight hours before practice tomorrow, but I stop and turn around to see what he needs.
