Page 52 of Aussie
Aussie’s gut tightened. He’d just seen Ava, but she hadn’t mentioned anything. Confusion clouded his thoughts. As they came to a red light, he quickly typed back, telling Derek that he was on his way.
Snow caught the tension on his face. “Everything alright?”
“I don’t know. Derek’s asking me to come to Bayside. Says it’s urgent, something to do with Christian.”
Snow’s brow lifted in surprise. “But we just saw Ava. She seemed fine.”
“I know.”
On the way, questions flooded Aussie’s mind. Of all people, why was Derek calling him? Why Bayside?
When they finally pulled into the parking lot outside Bayside, Aussie didn’t waste a second. Snow followed as they entered, and Aussie immediately caught sight of Derek and Christian sitting near the bar. He saw Arianna behind the counter, who gave him a quick nod. He gave her a wave, then turned his attention back to Derek and Christian.
As he approached, Aussie’s eyes locked with Christian’s. The boy looked tense and troubled, but there was also a glimmer of relief there as if Aussie’s presence meant something to him.
Derek motioned for him and Snow to take a seat. Aussie slid into the booth, his eyes shifting between Derek and Christian as he waited for the explanation.
Derek leaned forward, his tone low but urgent. “Christian came here looking for you, Aussie. There’s been a situation, one that involves some local kids. They’ve been harassing Christian, trying to recruit him into a gang. Today, they pushed him around, threatened him, and” Derek’s face tightened. “They threatened Ava too. Said they’d go after her if he didn’t join them.”
Aussie felt a surge of anger, his hands instinctively clenching. Christian and Ava, both caught in some gang’s crosshairs? But then something else clicked. Could this be the same gang that had been stirring up trouble in the area?
He exchanged a look with Derek, and he didn’t need his CO to spell it out. He could see it in his posture, in the slight nod of his head, that Derek was thinking the same thing.
Turning to Christian, Aussie’s voice softened, but there was an intensity behind it. “Christian, first off, you did the right thing coming here. That took guts. Second, nothing is going to happen to you or Ava. I won’t let that happen.”
Christian swallowed hard, visibly relieved, though the fear in his eyes hadn’t entirely dissipated.
Derek leaned back, his expression thoughtful. “Aussie, we need to talk to Ava. If these guys are targeting her, she needs to know. I’ll also give Agent Jefferson a call and fill him in on this situation.”
Aussie nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll give Ava a call right now and let her know that I have Christian and that we’re heading to the house.” He glanced at Christian, giving him a reassuring look. “You’ve got me on your side, alright? We’ll handle this. Nothing’s going to happen to you or Ava.”
Christian nodded, a hint of resolve replacing his earlier fear.
With a final nod to Derek, Aussie rose from his seat, gently patting Christian on the shoulder. “Let’s get you home,” he said, motioning for the boy to follow him.
“I’ll follow you,” Derek said as they all headed for the door.
Christian’s tension seemed to lessen slightly, knowing that Aussie was by his side. As they walked out of Bayside and headed to the truck, Aussie’s thoughts remained on Ava and Christian and the threat hanging over them both. But he knew one thing for certain. He wasn’t going to let this gang come anywhere near them.
???
Ava sat in her office, the quiet hum of the building filling the air as she scanned the files of three new kids who had come into the system. Each page tugged at her heart in different ways, and she was carefully considering which foster families might be the right fit. But despite her focus, her mind kept drifting back to Aussie. She couldn’t help it. The past few weeks of confusion and hurt had been rough, and now, knowing the truth about his presence at the Snowball, she felt lighter. Happier.
A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about how she couldn’t wait to tell Christian. He’d been so worried, seeing her so down. Now she had good news to share.
As if on cue, her friend and coworker Sarah appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a smirk. “Well, look at you, all sunshine and rainbows. Who knew files could make you so happy?”
Ava laughed, shaking her head. “It’s not the files.” She looked down, feeling a slight blush rising. “I ran into Jarod at the deli, and then, well, Aussie showed up.”
Sarah’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, her smile widening. “The Aussie?”
“Yeah,” Ava said, chuckling. “He showed up at the right time, too. Jarod was being an ass, as usual.”
Sarah moved into the office, perching on the edge of the desk. “And? What happened?”
Ava leaned back in her chair, recalling the moment with a warm feeling. “We finally talked about what happened at the Snowball. It turns out he was there on a classified assignment. The woman with him was part of the cover.”
Sarah sighed, a look of pure satisfaction on her face. “I knew it. I told you something wasn’t adding up. I’m glad you guys found a way to make things right.”
