Aegis: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Hollis Wynn

  I’ve put some money away for you, so you don’t have to worry about working so hard. All I’ve ever wanted for you is to live a life free of fear and for most people, that means having enough money to not have to worry.

  Your mother and I put some money into an offshore account in your name. You’ll need a variety of information to get into the account and Mr. Kesson has it all in a safe deposit box.

  I love you, BellaRose, and I hope that this eases the burden of life since I can’t be with you.

  * * *

  Daddy

  Chapter Thirteen—BellaRose

  It’s been two days since I dug through the box of information from my parents that will help me figure out my past, yet I still have so many questions.

  Since there is no way to turn off the emotions running through my body, I’ve decided that I’m going to spend some time in town because I can’t stare at these walls any longer.

  First stop is Sweet Buns for one of their famous cinnamon rolls. Since I’ve been in town, I’ve eaten way more than I should, but there is something about the pillowy softness of the giant buns, coupled with cinnamon and the vanilla icing that makes me happy, though my waistline doesn’t love them as much as I do.

  Ainsley is a trooper and doesn’t make too much noise despite the energy of the bakery. This must be one of the most popular places in town.

  Once I’ve polished off the last bite, I decide to walk around the square and see what’s going on. I pass by a liquor store and a new antique shop called Fussy Rusty. The doors are open wide, and I decide to take a quick look around.

  I slowly roll Ainsley’s stroller through the aisles and notice all the interesting pieces that are in here.

  “Can I help you with anything?” a woman asks me.

  “No, thank you. I’m just browsing.” I smile at her, but don’t stop because I’m not interested in getting into a conversation.

  “Okay, well if you need anything just ask.” She gives a small wave to Ainsley and then turns and heads toward the back of the store.

  I spy an aqua blue cabinet in the back that would be perfect in the corner of my bedroom at home, but I’m not in a place to be buying furniture for a room I’m not even sure I’m going to return to anytime soon.

  Yes, that sounds somewhat pessimistic, but I found a baby in a trash can and took her halfway across the state away from the man I believe to be her psychotic grandfather. So, there is a chance I’ll be stuck here in this one-horse town for much longer than my standard summer.

  I continue to make my way around town, walking and taking in the changes that have occurred since I was here last.

  There are a ton of people out and about, which gives the town an energy that I’ve missed being holed up in the house.

  I continue on noticing a sign for Second Saturday and pause to read it. I make note that the second Saturday of each month the town square has a ton of local vendors around. It sounds like a cross between a farmer’s market and a fair. I’m totally down for that.

  I spy a picnic table under a shade tree that is free and head over to it. Sitting down, I pick Ainsley up and allow her to get some fresh air while I feed her.

  She coos loudly as bubbles run out of the sides of her mouth. Holding her close to me, she eats, and I watch the people milling around the square. There are so many people here, it seems like Miller Creek has become more of a destination in the last couple years.

  Across the way, I notice a policeman watching me. Instead of panicking, I look down at Ainsley’s cherub face and talk to her, while trying to slow my racing heart. When I look back up, he’s gone, so maybe it’s just a fluke.

  I tucked Ainsley into bed, and I am sitting here at the bar with a cup of tea, staring at this puzzle that I started.

  Every summer Mom and I would buy a new puzzle to bring here. There are dozens of them on the bottom shelf and I chose one that encompasses all things fall. Pumpkins, leaves on the ground and even a horse and buggy. The box is all taped together from the years of love, but when I remove the lid, the smell takes me back. The first thing I do is look for all the edge pieces and lay them out to see if I can put any of them together. It’s a slow and tedious process, but it takes my mind off all the other crap that is going on.

  I’m lost in my own thoughts, sorting pieces, when I hear Penn’s voice call out, “Bella?”

  I fit the piece I’m holding into place before looking up at him. “What’s up?” I ask him. I haven’t seen him all day and now that I think about it, I’ve gotten used to him being around.

  “Not much. Just checking in on you,” he says, walking to the bar and stopping to survey what I’m doing. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a puzzle girl,” he says. “You seem to be pretty straightforward.”

  “Well, aren’t you a comedian?” I quip. He says nothing just stares at me, then he picks up a piece and fits it into the section I’ve been working on.

  He smiles and I watch him walk to the fridge, my eyes on his backside the whole time. “Would you like a drink?” he asks me. I find it somewhat ironic that he comes to my house and asks me if I’d like a drink. But I just shake my head and point to the cup of tea. He grabs a bottle of water. Unscrewing the cap, he turns it up and I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he drinks half of it down before closing it back up and setting it on the bar.

  “Looks like we’re just getting started. Is the goal to finish the whole thing in one night or will it live here until it’s complete?” he asks, pulling out a stool and straddling it.

  “You’re terribly optimistic if you think we can finish this thing in one night. It’s a thousand pieces.” The look in his eyes tells me he’s super competitive and has taken this as a challenge.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter Fourteen—Pennington

  In the weeks since Bella opened the box Gramps left for her, I can tell she’s having a bit of an emotional time. She’s been pretty quiet and staying around the house with Ainsley. They spend their days walking to the mailbox and back and sitting under a shade tree close to the shore of the lake.

  Interestingly enough, it’s been nice to have her around. I may have only known her for a short time, but it’s obvious to me she is meant to be a mother.

  Work has been crazy and I’m driving back and forth into the city a couple days a week in order to update my boss on the situation here and work with the analysts to gather as much data as we can on Sheriff Victor Capello.

  When I first came to Gramps’s house after he died, I found a notebook full of information about the sheriff. If I didn’t know my grandfather as well as I did, I’d think he was using the guy as inspiration for a thriller. In reality, he was keeping detailed notes about the ways of the local sheriff and what I read led me to believe that the scuttlebutt we were hearing was true. The Miller Creek County sheriff is as dirty as they come.

  Criminals are everywhere, often hiding in plain sight. That means instead of believing everyone I meet are good people, I tend to mistrust them and assume they’re dirty until they prove me wrong.

  That’s one thing Grant Malone and I have in common. We’re both in law enforcement and have to be careful with who we trust.

  Growing up in Sunnyvale, Grant was my best friend. Our parents were the ones who were strict and didn’t let us get away with anything. My parents worked, so after school my sister Zoe and I would spend time at the Malone’s doing our homework.

  Once one of my parents got home, it was dinner, chores, and bedtime. This was our standard until high school when we were driving and then we still were expected to be home as soon as school or our practices were over. However, we still went to the Malone’s because Mrs. Malone always had treats for us while we were doing our homework. Plus, I’m pretty sure Zoe had a crush on Grant, though he wasn’t interested in her at all.

  Shaking off the memories, I pick up my phone, dialing Grant’s number.

  “Dude, how are you?” I say as soon as he picks up.

&n
bsp; “What’s going on with you? Long time no hear,” he responds. I can hear the noise of the station behind him, so I get right to the point.

  “I’m spending the summer at Gramps’s cottage and working on a case here. It appears the local sheriff is dirty as a diaper and I’m trying to figure out how to go about taking him down.”

  Walking outside, I sit on the chair near the grill and allow the breeze to cool me in the summer sun.

  “Do you know what he’s doing—or not doing? Or is this a fishing expedition to see if your gut is right?” he asks me.

  “It’s more than my gut. This small town has a ton of dope running through it. I am shocked at the number of deals I’ve seen go down while I’m out and about. They don’t even try to hide it. That in itself tells me that someone is on the take here—even if it’s not Vic, someone is letting it go.”

  “Well then. Have you considered picking up a dealer and interrogating him?”

  I think about it for a moment before I respond. “Yeah, I’ve thought about it. But I don’t want to blow my cover or bring any extra attention to myself since no one suspects me at this point.”

  “That makes sense to me. Maybe have the guys from your group come out and do a couple of arrests. Then you could head to the office and interview them.”

  I nod while Grant keeps talking, allowing my mind to formulate a plan.

  “You know, that’s not a bad idea. Maybe Ford and Thorn can make a trip to town. That would keep me out of it as far as the locals know. Good idea, man. Thanks.”

  “That’s why you keep me around.” We both chuckle because no matter where we’re at, we still manage to keep in touch.

  “How’s that gorgeous wife of yours?” I ask him. He goes on for almost five minutes talking about Emerson, and it’s so good to hear him happy.

  “What about you, man? Have you found yourself a good woman yet?” Grant asks me.

  “Nah. But there is this hot woman in the cabin next to Gramps that he’s taken care of all these years. She’s beautiful and has the sweetest baby.”

  Well, shit. I just know Grant is going to turn this into more than it is. Besides, with Ainsley being so young, the relationship with her father has to be fairly recent.

  “Did I hear you correctly? You’re in love with a woman and her baby? Does she know?” he quips.

  “I don’t think so. That’s you projecting because you’re blissfully happy. She’s a great woman, but she’s had a rough time of it lately. Apparently Gramps had a box of items that her parents left for her before they died, and he never gave it to her. I found it while cleaning out the house and garage.”

  I move the topic away from Bella and we continue talking for a few more minutes before hanging up.

  The grass is getting a bit long, so I decide to get the mower out and start on the lake side, when I notice Bella and Ainsley laying under their favorite tree.

  The lake seems to be pretty busy today and I watch the boats pulling skiers and tubes behind them for a few minutes before making my way to where they’re relaxing.

  “Hey,” I say as I get close. If Bella is asleep, I don’t want to scare her. She lifts her head and her mouth curves into an unconsciously beautiful smile. There is something about Bella that draws me to her.

  “Afternoon,” she says, yawning. “I’m just enjoying a quick nap with Ainsley.”

  I stare at them both before sitting down on an edge of the blanket. The baby is fast asleep, and her chest moves with the rhythm of her breaths. Bella pushes herself to a sitting position and wipes the sleep from her eyes.

  “How’s your day going?” she asks me. This woman has no idea how beautiful she is, sitting here slightly mussed from a nap.

  “Pretty good. I was going to get the yard mowed, but I saw you ladies napping under the tree here and decided to check on you instead.”

  I think my mom read Zoe a book when she was little about a maiden who found her prince when she was sleeping but I can’t remember the name of it and seeing them here reminds me of that book.

  “Oh. Well, we can go in the house if you’d like to get that done.”

  That’s one of the things I’ve noticed about Bella—her need to not be a burden on others.

  “No, ma’am, you ladies enjoy your nap in the sunshine. I can do the mowing later.”

  So, we sit silently in the shade, watching the boats go by, allowing the birds to sing to us. I’m certain that Bella has something she needs to get off her chest, because a couple of times she’s started to speak and promptly closed her mouth and shook her head.

  “Is there something you want to say?” I ask her. I don’t want to pressure her, though I want her to know I’m here for her.

  She glances down at her watch and then looks back at me. “Actually, there is something I need to tell you. But, before I begin, I need you to know that I’m not a criminal.”

  Oh fuck. What have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter Fifteen—BellaRose

  “I believe things happen for a reason. Sometimes those reasons include that we made a stupid decision. For me, this could be one of those stupid decisions, or it could be one of the best life-changing decisions I’ve ever made. I’m not sure which yet.”

  I watch Penn and know that he is an investigator, so his mind is going to be churning as I lay out this story.

  “I won’t make any judgements until you finish,” he says.

  I nod at him and begin laying it all out. From finding Ainsley in a trashcan, to watching the news and realizing that one of the world’s top criminals is her grandfather, to hiding out here and trying to figure out what is next for us.

  “Let me make sure I understand this.” His jaw is tight, and he fixes his eyes on Ainsley. Sweeping his arms out toward her, he continues. “You found a baby in a trash can, took her home with you and didn’t call the cops.”

  I nod in response.

  “Then you called your friend who’s a nurse to check her out.” He stops short, and I know he’s trying to figure out what to say next.

  “Yes, I did.” I cringe at the admission.

  “Essentially you kidnapped a baby, compromised your friend’s nursing license and then brought her here. Now I’m involved and required to report you.”

  “Yep, that I did. But in my defense I called CPS . . .” I begin, but he holds his hand up, stopping me from continuing.

  “So that’s why you didn’t want to take her to the doctor when she was sick?” he asks, shaking his head at me.

  “You’re correct. But we did take her. I couldn’t let her suffer or have something horrible happen because I was scared.”

  His nostrils are flaring, and he cracks his knuckles. Shit, he’s really mad.

  “Bella, do you realize who you’re facing if you get caught? Not only could you go to jail, but then you have Kaiser Sharpe gunning for you. He could have you taken out no matter where you are.”

  I cross my arms over my chest and feel my anxiety ramping up. I take a deep breath and try to control my words. “Yes. I know you believe I made some bad decisions. But I did what I thought was—and is—best for Ainsley. She needs to be in a loving home, not with a drug lord who will probably pimp her out as soon as she’s old enough to make him some money.”

  “You do realize those are two different worlds, right? Just because he’s a drug lord, as you called him, doesn’t mean he’s into human trafficking or is a pimp.”

  I raise my eyebrows at him. “Well, on SVU, it’s not uncommon to find those things intertwined, so . . .” I tilt my head to my shoulder and hold my arms up.

  Out of the blue, Penn chuckles. “You’re basing everything you know off a television show?”

  The air surrounding us finally begins moving again. It could have been that I was holding my breath each time he asked me a question or the fact that I could go to jail. Though I feel so much better just telling him, even if he is pissed.

  I roll my eyes and smirk at him. “You’d be surprised what you c
an learn by watching police procedural shows.”

  “I can only imagine.” Ainsley wakes up, and he reaches for her before I can pick her up.

  “Good afternoon, baby girl. How was your nap?” he whispers to her, and my heart drops into my stomach. He may be angry with me, but he’s not going to treat her any differently than he did before I confessed to him.

  “I need to feed her,” I tell him.

  “We will stay right here while you go fix her a bottle and get a diaper,” he informs me. Instead of arguing, I do what he says and head into the house to fix her a bottle. I quickly move through the motions and grab a diaper and wipes.

  When I arrive back at our spot, I see him standing on the dock talking to her and pointing at something and I realize that not only am I going to be shattered when she leaves me, but Penn is going to have a broken heart as well.

  Chapter Sixteen—BellaRose

  It’s been three days since I confessed that Ainsley isn’t mine. Penn doesn’t seem to be angry with me anymore, though I think he’s still trying to work everything out in his mind.

  I’ve spent the day working on the inside of the house, trying to make it more livable for a long-term solution than it’s been in the past. I cleaned out the other room and the closet, washing all the linens and throwing away any old products that have never been used. There was a box of my dad’s clothes in the bottom of the closet, and I put them aside to donate to a shelter or resale shop in town.

  I took one day and dusted all the shelves that line the wall between the two bedrooms. Picking up each book and movie brought so many memories flooding back from spending time with my parents here as a child. So much of my childhood is stored here and I’m glad that I did not lose them in the fire. I set aside a pile of books to read to Ainsley.

  Once that is done, I check on her and she’s napping again. I imagine that mothers who have given birth are exceptionally happy when they have a child who sleeps and I’m no different. Though I’m certain this won’t last forever and I’m going to lose my free time.