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“Ouch! That was a cheap shot!” Swank responds playfully.
Anna shrugs, “It seemed appropriate since it was a cheap shirt. I do think that it looks good on me, though.”
Not wanting to listen to any more flirting, I step into her personal space and use the husky tone from this morning that caused her skin to pimple with gooseflesh. “Anna, you’ll need to wear the ‘Shaw’ name or nothing at all.”
She takes a step back, and her eyes widen in shock. It takes me a second to realize what I’ve just said, and I try to backpedal as fast as I can. “Oh, uh. I didn’t mean for that to come out how it sounded. Of course, you can wear whatever else you want.”
She cocks her hip and smiles, her dimples coming out in full force and knocking the breath out of me. “As long as it has the ‘Shaw’ name?”
My voice cracks when I respond, “Yes.” Clearing my throat, I try not to sound like a pre-teen boy. “Yes. I would prefer that you wear a jersey with my name on it since you are representing my household. I can get you one if you like.”
“I’m good, but thank you for the offer, Aiden. I’ve got everything under control.” She winks before leaving to talk to the bodyguards, and the teasing glint in her eye indicates that she has something up her sleeve.
I feel a hard slap on my back as Swank refocuses my attention from the enigmatic beauty sashaying away. “Smooth, Bro. Real smooth.”
Chapter ten
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?”
