Ellis glanced at the contract in front of him. Once signed, his and Wayne’s company, Copper Security, would be providing security for their first venue. Ellis had been so proud when they’d hired five people to be on staff, but had also been stunned when Wayne said he wanted Ellis to train them.
“But… my leg‒”
“Doesn’t define you. Remember the day I gave you the collar? I told you it was like you. Unyielding and strong. You can do this.”
Ellis smiled at the memory.
“Mr. Mann?”
He jerked his head up at the voice and found a young woman who stood a few feet away from his desk. She appeared to be in her late twenties or so. She held the hand of a little girl who stirred memories in Ellis’s mind. He’d seen her before, but he wasn’t sure where.
“Yes? I’m Ellis Mann. What can I do for you?”
The woman took a few hesitant steps forward. “My name is Mary Chambers. I know you probably don’t remember me, but—”
Chambers. That he did remember. He peered at the girl again. She stood behind her mother, clutching her hand. Blonde hair hung past her shoulders. She had a tiny waist and big blue eyes. She reminded him so much of his niece that—
Recognition hit him like a bolt from the blue.
“Hello, Emily,” Ellis whispered. His voice cracked.
“Oh, you do remember us.” Mary didn’t seem happy about that. “I’m…sorry we haven’t been by sooner.”
But she had. Wayne told Ellis she’d come to see him in hospital after he’d been shot saving Emily from a man with a rifle. Emily had run, seeking shelter, and against all the rules, Ellis had gone after her. He’d snatched her up in his arms and run for the building, only to be taken down by the bullet that tore through his leg.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t at my best when you came to see me,” Ellis replied.
The skin around her dark eyes crinkled, and Ellis detected a sheen in them. He reached for his cane and stood beside the desk. Mary’s gaze raked over him and she gasped. “Oh my God.” She was crying now. “I’m sorry. So very, very sorry.”
Ellis wasn’t sure what she was talking about. He moved closer. “What are you sorry for?”
Mary drew in a breath. “Because of us, you got hurt. You almost died. We can never make up for what you’ve lost.” Her gaze shifted to Emily. “We can never repay you for what you did for us.”
“Part of the job, I promise you.” He sat on the edge of the desk. “Emily, do you remember me?”
She nodded, and a moment later with a surprising burst of speed, she rushed to Ellis and hugged him about his waist. Though startled, Ellis recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her. He whispered in her ear he was glad she was okay.
By this time both Mary and Emily were in tears, and it made Ellis feel uncomfortable, because he, too, wanted to cry. One split-second decision had cost him his job, but it had also led him to a new life. Sure, it wasn’t the one where he could go out running, or where it was easy to play a simple game of darts with Derwent and the guys, but it was one he was more or less accustomed to.
Ellis stroked a hand over Emily’s hair, murmuring to her that everything was fine. Mary came over and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Daddy’s in the other room, talking with someone. Why don’t you go sit with him for a few minutes, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Emily nodded, then hurried from the room. As soon as she was gone, Mary closed the door and turned back to Ellis. She visibly steeled herself, and Ellis waited to hear why she had come.
“I…we… owe you everything. Without you, we wouldn’t have a daughter. Without you, we wouldn’t have our world. We want to do something to make it right, but we’re not sure what could possibly be enough. We can buy you a car. Give you cash. Anything you want, you name it and we’ll do our best to give it to you.”
The offer came as a shock. No one had ever offered him money.
“Do you really want to know what you can do for me?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Name it.”
“Love your daughter with your whole heart. If one day she comes to you and says she’s pregnant, don’t turn her away. If she tells you she’s gay, hold her close and let her know it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t let her lose her parents over something so foolish.”
“We would never! We love‒wait. Is that happened to you?” Her tears started afresh. “Who could do that to someone like you?”
“My parents cut my sister and me out of their lives. While I was lying in hospital, my partner called and told them. They made it very clear they had no children. Then that bastard had to go and die before I could have it out with him. Don’t do that to Emily. Love her and keep on loving her. That’s the only thing I would ever ask of you.”
Because if saving one child from the pain he and his family went through, it would be worth it.
“I swear to you, we will always love her no matter what.” Mary bit her lip. “We had another reason for coming.”
“Oh?”
Mary sighed and gestured to the chair. “May I sit?”
Ellis nodded. “Of course. Please.”
As soon as she was seated, Mary took a deep breath. “For the first few months after the… shooting, Emily couldn’t sleep. She woke up with nightmares, certain that you’d died, and that she was responsible. She was completely inconsolable. No matter what we or her therapist told her, she was terrified you were dead.”
“Oh. I’m sorry that happened.”
“No! You don’t understand. She needed to see you, to find out that you were okay. She started to call you her big brother, because you saved her life. We asked her therapist if we should bring her here. For the first several months, he said no, but Emily wasn’t getting better. She stopped eating, stayed in her room, and cried a lot. Finally, he told us it couldn’t hurt. So you see, even with this trip we’re being selfish.”
“You’re not,” Ellis promised. “You’re doing what you said and loving your daughter. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I’m very proud to know she cares about what happened to me.”
“You were all she ever wanted to talk about. How you swooped down and grabbed her up and held her close. She said she was scared, but she knew you would protect her. And you did. But it cost you so much.”
“Hey, listen to me. I’m going to tell you a secret. I loved being a copper, but…” Ellis sighed. “My life now? It’s fulfilling in a different way. We own our own security business, and we’re forging our own life. It isn’t what I thought I’d be doing, but it is something I’m loving. I will never regret that day, because a little girl can grow up to be a young lady who is loved by her parents. To me, that’s worth it.”
Mary stood. “Thank you, Mr. Mann.”
“Please, call me Ellis. Would it be okay with you if I said goodbye to Emily?”
“Oh, please! She would love that.”
Ellis leaned on his cane as he went to the other office. Wayne was sitting there with a man Ellis assumed to be Emily’s father. She was on his knee with her arms wrapped around his neck. Wayne looked up as Ellis entered the room and gave him a smile.
“Mr. Chambers was telling me about Emily. She’s a very special little girl.”
“She is,” Ellis agreed. “I came to say goodbye.”
Emily slid off her father’s lap and came over, arms open. Ellis adjusted his stance, putting his weight on his good leg, and bent down to hug her. She held him close, squeezing him for all she was worth.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Emily.”
She leaned back and gifted him with a smile. “I love you,” she whispered.
“And I love you too. You’re like my little sister now.”
Emily swivelled her head in her mother’s direction. “He said I’m his sister.”
“I heard,” Mary replied, her eyes once again damp. “Maybe one day you can visit Ellis again.”
“I’d like that,” Ellis admitted. “I have a niece and nephew you’d get on well with. If you ever need a play date, you let me know and I’ll arrange it.”
Emily was clearly beside herself with happiness, and that warmed Ellis’s heart.
Later that night, Wayne got Ellis comfortable on the couch in their flat. “It’s been quite a day,” he said. “How often do you get a new little sister?”
“Her mother offered to give me money or a car,” Ellis murmured.
“Her husband Darren told me she was going to. I assured him it wasn’t necessary, but he said she couldn’t get it out of her mind that she owed you something.”
“We settled on a fair price,” Ellis said. “She swore to me she would always love Emily, even if she got pregnant or came out to her.” He peered up at Wayne. “Did I do the right thing?”
Wayne took a seat beside Ellis and put a hand on his arm. “You did the only thing you could. Emily will never forget the trauma, and she’s very unlikely to forget the brother who saved her. Whether you know it or not, you’ve had a big impact on her life. She’s going to grow up happy and healthy, and it’s all down to you.”
Ellis tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Yes, there were days his leg throbbed, and the medication could barely take the edge off it, but Wayne was right. There was nothing else he could have done. He’d replayed the scenario in his head hundreds of times, and every one of them ended with him saving Emily.
Because when it came down to it, once a copper, always a copper.