Guarding Autumn (Crimson Point Security #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

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Autumn flew across the polished tile floor, her heart racing a million miles an hour as her entire world narrowed down to only her daughter.

Gavin set her on her feet, and Carly ran toward her. “Mom!”

Autumn grabbed her and lifted her off her feet, clutching her as close as possible. Relief crashed over her so hard her knees went weak. She sank to the floor and sat there on her knees, burying her face in Carly’s hair as she rocked her baby back and forth.

The dam that had been holding back the tears finally burst. They poured out freely, shaking her whole body with the force of her sobs.

Carly was okay. Against all odds, Gavin had brought her back safely, but when Autumn thought of how close she’d come to losing her...

She shuddered, felt like a giant fist squeezed her heart when she registered the feel of Carly’s arms locked around her shoulders. Carly wasn’t a clinger, had been pulling away more and more recently, didn’t want to be cuddled or hugged much, so this told Autumn just how scared her baby had been.

“Oh, God, thank you. Thank you, thank you,” she breathed through her tears, struggling to get a grip on herself.

“We need to wash the gas off her,” a huge man with red-gold hair said, kneeling beside them. “Tip your head back, sweetheart,” he said to Carly, who did as she was told and closed her eyes.

While Autumn held her, he carefully poured the water over her face several times, then used a cloth to wipe at her eyes, nose, and mouth. “Better?”

Carly nodded, blinking as Autumn helped dry her face.

“Need to do your hands too, and then you have to change your clothes, okay? And have a shower as soon as you can to wash your hair and make sure you get any residue off you.”

“‘kay,” Carly said, holding out her hands for him to pour water on. Autumn helped clean them, vaguely aware that out of the corner of her eye Gavin, Tristan and Decker were all rinsing their faces too.

“Okay, you’re good to go, young lady.” The big man squeezed her shoulder and stood.

Autumn hugged her close, resting her cheek on the top of her head. A moment later, strong hands slid under her arms from behind. “You both need to get back into the ballroom now.”

Gavin. He helped lift her to her feet, steadied her when she wobbled under Carly’s weight.

Shit, she was still shaking all over, her nervous system’s violent reaction to the whiplash of emotions coursing through her. But she wasn’t letting go of Carly for anything.

Her body was on autopilot as he turned her and ushered her down the hall. “It’s okay,” she said to Carly between sniffles, but maybe it was more to herself.

The guilt and fear over what might have happened were still eating her alive. She should never have entrusted Carly’s safety to someone else. She should have stood her ground and fought tooth and nail against the hotel security until she made it up to their room to get her herself. “It’s okay now.”

Gavin hurried them up the carpeted stairs, practically lifting them both on the way. Autumn kept Carly locked to her, a wave of dizziness making the staircase tilt as her heart finally began to slow. She was in a kind of daze, felt a sense of surprise when all of a sudden they were standing in front of the ballroom and the guards were opening the doors for them.

A hush fell over the crowd when they entered. Ignoring all the curious stares inside the packed room, she made her way over to a clear spot and set Carly down, kneeling in front of her to cup her daughter’s face in her hands.

Carly’s face was so pale the freckles across her nose stood out sharply. Her eyes were red and swollen, still watering, and her skin was streaked with smoke. The elbows of her hoodie and knees of her jeans were torn, her skin scraped and bleeding underneath. But miraculously she didn’t seem to have suffered any worse injuries.

“Are you hurt anywhere, sweetheart?” Her voice was rough.

Carly shook her head. “No, I’m okay, Mom. Really.”

Autumn heaved out a deep breath and took her daughter’s hands, squeezing tight. “Good. I’m so sorry, baby. So sorry.” Only then did she clue in that Carly had a tactical vest strapped over her torn hoodie.

Hands reached down to undo the Velcro. Autumn looked up and focused on Gavin for the first time as he gently lifted the vest over Carly’s head.

His face was streaked with smoke and blood, his right eyebrow and the corner of his mouth still bleeding. He wore only a white T-shirt soaked through under the arms and across the chest and back with sweat, and smeared with grime and blood. Tristan and Decker stood a short distance behind him, looking much the same.

“Gonna need this back,” Gavin said to Carly, and Autumn’s heart clenched when she realized that he had put it on Carly to protect her, leaving himself completely vulnerable in the midst of that terrifying mob.

Of course he had.

His gaze shifted to Autumn, the angry red of his irritated eyes making the green irises twice as vivid. “We have to go.” His expression was impossible to read, and while he didn’t seem angry at her, she understood that their moment of reckoning was still to come.

Just as she also knew that things had already changed between them forever.

“Thank you,” she said even though it felt completely inadequate, resisting the urge to fling her arms around him and hold on tight. He was every bit the hero she’d always imagined, had just risked his life to go after Carly and then protect her on the way back here. And so had the others.

“All of you,” she said to Tristan and Decker.

“Glad she’s back with you safe and sound,” Tristan said with a smile. Decker didn’t respond, but she hadn’t expected him to. Praise or thanks of any kind made him uncomfortable.

Gavin reached out and ran a finger down the length of Carly’s nose. “Okay, squirt, you stay here with your mom.”

“Where are you going?” Carly asked, her face pinched with anxiety.

The soft, unguarded smile he gave her melted Autumn’s insides. Did he believe that Carly was his? Could he see the resemblances now too? “Have to finish my job, squirt, but I’ll see you later.”

“You promise?”

“Promise.” He spared Autumn a quick look, then left with his brothers.

“They’ll be okay, right, Mom?” Carly asked in a small voice.

Autumn pulled her into a hug and rubbed a hand up and down her back to soothe them both. They had both been traumatized today, though in different ways. It would take a long time to get over this, and Carly would definitely need therapy. Autumn might need some too.

“Yes. They’ll be fine now.” She hoped.

From the moment she’d seen Gavin carrying her through the front doors, Autumn had been floating on a cloud of gratitude and relief. But now, watching Gavin walk out those doors with his brothers to confront more danger and put himself back in harm’s way to protect others, there was a new weight in the pit of her stomach.

She loved him. Loved him so damned much it hurt, and it hurt even more to know that she might already have lost him forever.