Page 53 of Mitch

There was a moment of silence at his question. “No, you wouldn’t. I trust you, Mitch.”

“Good because everyone is fine. We got some of what we needed and should be headed home in the next hour or two. How’s my girl?”

Mitch stepped into the living room where Waggs was sleeping sitting up in the chair, his one eye opening as Mitch walked in. Jack and Alex were in the control room with Will and Liam, and Reid was guarding the two men they’d taken who were so far staying silent.

“I assume you mean Maggie.”

“Of course. You’re my woman, not my girl.”

He heard the ownership in his voice and then her sigh, the pleasure in the sound evident. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the sound of her voice. His hands itched to hold her, to kiss her to just be with her.

“She was a little fussy last night. I think she missed you too.”

“I’ll be home soon.”

“Okay. Aubrey says hello.”

“Hi, Aubrey.”

“Oh.”

Mitch sat straighter at her tone, the knot of apprehension curling in his gut like a snake. “What is it?”

“There’s a car stopped in the middle of the road.”

He heard Aubrey calling to the driver, and his instincts screamed at him. “Autumn tell Aubrey to get out of there. It’s a trap.” The room seemed to tunnel so that only her voice mattered as he strained to hear everything.

“Aubrey. Oh my god.” Terror rang in her voice before a gunshot echoed in his ear and then a scream penetrated the air, and ice flooded his veins.

Waggs was beside him in a second sensing his fear. “Autumn? Autumn!” he called as the commotion over the line told him his nightmare was coming true.

The silence stretched and then Mitch heard a voice that had aged over the years but still had the familiar undercurrent of intelligence and swagger.

“I guess you’re not as clever as you think you are, Mitch.” Linton Allen’s voice pierced his brain like a knife as his heart beat in his throat.

“Don’t you fucking hurt her, or I swear to god I’ll rip your fucking heart out with my bare hands.” He felt the vein in his head pop as his fist clenched around the phone as if it were Linton’s neck

The room was filling his teammates hearing his raised voice. His eyes found Will’s and they mirrored how he felt.

“I won’t kill her. I need her. But the cop and the brat, well, no promises there.”

The click of the line was like an explosion in his ear. Mitch raised his eyes to Will.

“They have them. Linton has Autumn, Aubrey, and Maggie.”