Page 54 of Mitch

Chapter Twenty

The soundof crying wrenched her from the darkness of unconsciousness with a jolt. Autumn fought to sit up as Maggie’s cries pierced her brain, the pain in her head making her thoughts feel as if they were wrapped in candy floss. Lifting her hand to her head, she snapped open her eyes when she felt the thick metal cuffs around her wrist and memory flooded back.

Her breathing came fast, an onslaught of emotions hit her with the force of a truck. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she realised she was in a small cellar. The walls rough, damp concrete, the bed she was on a fold-away camping cot with a threadbare mattress. Autumn frantically looked around for Maggie, her heart beating wildly, her gut rolling with the bitter acid of bile and terror.

Her baby was nowhere in sight, but she could see a light which she thought was coming from a door at the top of some steps, the source of her baby’s cries. Her motherly instinct shot through her as she fell to her knees in her attempt to get to Maggie. Her legs were unbound, and she kept her cuffed hands in front of her as she traversed the darkness, her eyes taking longer than she’d like to adjust.

The effects of whatever Allen had shot into her veins making her movements and reactions slow as she crawled up the steps on hands on knees. Her mind flew from thought to thought, not able to stay focused on her task as snapshots of memory tore into her mind’s eye.

Allen stepping up to the car, his gun held steady in front of him. Aubrey’s scream as she tried to defend her and Maggie and then the silence as the bullet tore through her friend’s abdomen, the blood and shock on her face as she’d looked at Autumn with an apology as if she could have foreseen this. Autumn felt the tears sting the back of her throat as she remembered the horror in Mitch’s voice when he’d realised what was going on just a split second before Linton Allen had shot Aubrey.

Finally reaching the top of the wooden steps she felt the breeze of air under the door, saw the light and realised she could no longer hear her baby crying. Anxiety tore through her as she imagined all of the reasons why her child was now silent.

Lifting her hand, her fear for herself gone, she hammered on the door with the flat of her hand.

“Let me out.” Her palm slapped loudly, and she heard cursing behind the door and a shadow move closer. “Allen, I swear to god if you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down.” She screamed until her voice was hoarse and the sound of Maggie crying again had her body sagging in sweet relief.

The lock sliding open on the door had her bracing, moving slightly to the side, so she had the wall for support. Biker booted feet came into view as her gaze travelled up denim-clad legs, a muscular body covered by a white t-shirt then up to the cold, intelligent eyes of Linton Allen.

He cradled Maggie in his arms, who was sucking a dummy that must have been in her bag. Autumn assessed her baby for any signs of injury or pain, her fists clenching with rage that this man dared to touch her. When she found nothing, she blew out the barest of tremulous breaths.

“Stand up.” Allen raised his chin, his lip curling in a sneer as he stepped back to give her room. Autumn fought the jagged fury inside her that threatened to rob her of any self-preservation. With her hand pressed to the wall, she lifted from her knees and took a shaky step forward. He didn’t hold a gun on her as she stepped into the light, airy kitchen with cream cabinets and black marble work surfaces.

Autumn felt disjointed as she looked around at what was essentially a family home, a large beautiful family home. “Give me my baby.” Autumn bit her bottom lip at the way her voice broke, holding her empty arms out for her baby.

“Not yet. First, you need to do something for me.”

Allen didn’t look like a monster, and yet she’d watched him shoot her husband in cold blood. His features were strong, high cheekbones, mesmerising brown eyes and short-cropped hair. He would’ve had the world at his feet as intelligent and handsome as he was, but he’d chosen the wrong path.

“What do you want from me?” Her arms fell to her front, the metal of the cuffs rubbing her skin raw. Allen leaned against the counter as Maggie drifted off to sleep in his arms, totally unaware of the danger she faced.

“The formula your husband was working on has a flaw. I need you to fix it.”

Autumn shook her head slightly. “I can’t just pick up a formula and fix it. That kind of thing takes months of work and I’d need all his research and data analysis.”

“You speak like you have a choice, Autumn.” The sneer in his voice was mocking and made her take a step forward. His raised eyebrow stopped her short and his mouth quirked into a grin.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because it’s the only way to end this.” His voice shook with emotion before he took a breath.

“End what?” Autumn had a feeling in the pit of her belly that she wasn’t seeing the entire picture.

“First you agree to help me then I’ll tell you.”

“Give me Maggie.” Autumn knew she was in no position to be making demands, but she had to try at least.

Allen spun, grabbing a gun from the counter behind him and she froze, sickness forcing its way up her throat, but then he threw her a key. “Un cuff yourself.”

Autumn did as he asked, making slow movements before dropping the metal shackles to the ground. Allen moved quickly, making her jump, but instead of a blow, she felt the weight of her baby in her arms. Never had it felt so good as she hugged her tightly to her body, taking in the clean scent of her child, the ache in her chest easing.

“She’s been fed and changed.” Autumn looked at the man before her with utter confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Allen hitched up on to the barstool at the breakfast bar. “I’m everything they say I am, Autumn. I’m a killer, I torture people and hurt them, but I didn’t kill your husband, and I’d never hurt a child, not ever,” he enunciated with venom.

“I saw you kill Terrell.”

“No, you saw Anton kill Terrell, except he made it look like it was me.” He shook his head slowly. “Think about it, Autumn. Who was the first person to arrive at your house after Terrell was killed?”