Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Mace
I wait until after lunch when June and Blade have gone to bring Autumn into the living room so we can talk. I won’t share every detail about the investigation into her father’s death, but I want to keep her informed. I don’t ever want her to think I’m leaving her out of the loop entirely.
She’s so…I guess the word is innocent. Maybe na?ve.
She’s led a rather sheltered life. She’s intelligent and educated, but she’s never known the uglier side of society.
Her father never shared a word about the possibilities.
He lived his life hoping no one ever hunted him down and threatened his child.
His past caught up with him, and now I’m tasked with gently telling Autumn what’s going on.
I drop onto my favorite ottoman and pat my lap. “Sit with me, Baby girl.”
She crawls up and surprises me by straddling my thighs.
I’m not complaining. I like her being this close to me, touching so much of me. We’re face-to-face. She won’t easily be able to look away.
After setting my hands on the small of her back, I position her so she’s not quite in contact with my erection.
“You know stuff, don’t you?” she asks as she plants her small hands on my chest.
“Yeah. Not enough yet, but yes.”
“Did my father do something illegal? Is that why someone killed him?”
“No, Baby. Never. But he was a high-ranking captain in the Army. He inevitably pissed some people off. It happens. The drive you gave me contained a list of possible enemies he could have accumulated during his years of service.”
“And?”
“I was surprised to find that several people who might have a beef with him are actually members of our own military.”
She gasps. “That’s insane.”
“Yes. He was obviously concerned enough about his safety to make that list and tell you to bring it directly to me. With the help of some of the guys I work with, we’ve narrowed down the possibilities.
A few of the men are dead. Some were easily proven to be out of the country.
We’re confident we know who killed your father, sweetheart. ”
“How can you be sure?”
“Your father’s security cameras helped. My men sent us hours of footage, going back several days.
Two guys in the office went through it all.
Tank and Ghost. You’ll meet them soon. A man came to your house when no one was home.
He was very well equipped with a high-tech device to pick locks, so no one would know he had done it. He was also able to disarm the alarm.”
Autumn gasps. “And you could see who he is?”
“No. He was completely covered, including a ski mask, but what he didn’t realize was that your father had that list of enemies.
It wasn’t hard to pinpoint which of the men on the list he could be, based on his stature, height, and build.
We’ll even be able to compare his gait now that we’re confident who it is.
One of our men is following him as we speak.
He’ll get video evidence so we can compare. ”
“That happened so fast.”
“We don’t waste time, sweetheart.”
She starts trembling. “Now what?”
“Now we find him.”
“And then?”
I stroke her back with my fingertips. “Baby, I don’t think you want to hear that part.”
Autumn moves her hands from my chest to my face.
She holds my cheeks in her palms. “Mace, you’re all I have left in the world.
I know I just got here, and I know you can’t promise things will work out between us, but I hope that, no matter what, we can be friends, and you’ll always be in my life.
You can’t do that if you’re dead or in prison. ”
I’m not surprised by her thoughts. It’s natural for her to be concerned.
She has no full understanding of my abilities or the kind of power behind Black Blade Protection.
Granted, I’m not usually a field guy. I work behind the scenes, monitoring computers.
But I’m capable of getting my hands dirty when needed, and this is an instance when I will be an active participant.
For one thing, James Burke was one of my best friends and a great man. He didn’t deserve to die the way he did. Even if Autumn didn’t exist, I would hunt down his killer and avenge his death. I wouldn’t send someone else.
But equally important is the fact that Autumn does exist. She’s my girl. She’s been my girl for four years, even though it was never spoken out loud. I will ensure she’s safe for the rest of her life. I will be the one to make sure no one walks this Earth who might decide to harm her.
Sliding my hands up higher in her back, I hold her gaze.
“Autumn, you never have to fear being alone. You will always be in my life, in my home, in my bed. I’m so fucking glad you’re here, I can’t contain myself.
I hate the circumstances that brought you to me, but never doubt how I feel about you.
You’re mine, Baby girl. You will be mine until the end of time.
Nothing is going to happen to me, sweetheart.
Your father sent you here because he knew you would be safe in my care, and you will. ”
“But what about you? Will you be safe?”
“Yes, Baby. You have to trust me. Hunting down bad guys and making them disappear is one of our specialties. We don’t fail.”
“I’m scared,” she whispers.
“I know. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you feel safe.”
“I do feel safe, for myself. This building is like a fortress. I couldn’t even come up in the elevator without the guy in the lobby calling Rachell first to announce my arrival. And you have to use your thumbprint to access this floor and this apartment. No one is going to get near me here.”
“That’s right.” The top three floors of this building are like a fortress. No one is getting to Autumn.
I have no evidence to suggest that the man who killed her father will come after her. Perhaps he simply wanted revenge for some perceived wrong of Burke’s. But it’s also possible he wants to eliminate Autumn, too. Until I’m sure he can’t do that, I’m going to keep her close.
“As soon as you find that guy, you’re going to leave me here and go hunt him down, and I’m going to panic over your safety the entire time.”
Her feelings are valid. She has every reason to be concerned. I’m not sure what to say to ease her mind. There’s probably nothing I can say. She’ll be worried when I go after this guy, and she’ll stay that way until I’m back in her line of sight. There’s no way to fix that.
“What if you’re wrong, and it’s not the guy you think it is?”
“I will make sure there is no doubt in the world before I take any action, Baby.”
“Why not just call the police, tell them what you know, and let them handle it?”
She’s grasping at straws. My job is to do everything I can to calm her nerves, but I won’t change my mind. “We will only involve law enforcement if it becomes necessary, sweetheart.”
“So, right now, no one even knows my father died except me, your team, and probably the killer. It’s possible even he can’t be sure.”
I nod. “Could be he’s been waiting to see an announcement on the news, and since he hasn’t yet, he isn’t sure if your father drank the poison. Considering how well-equipped he was to get the job done, I suspect he’s watching the house.”
“Do you think he watched me arrive and then leave?”
“Maybe. He might have also seen the men we sent in, pretending to be from the coroner’s office, come and collect the body.
” I can’t know for sure. If the motherfucker was watching, he would have seen Autumn.
Nothing else. In which case, it would be reasonable to believe Burke had not yet drunk the poison.
One of my men is following him. If he returns to the house, we’ll know.
Autumn sighs. “So we wait.”
“Yes, Baby girl.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and leans her chest against mine.
For long minutes, I simply hold her. She feels so good in my arms.
Eventually, she leans back, putting some space between us. She meets and holds my gaze, chewing on her lower lip as if she’s uncertain about something. I want her to look at me with surety. We’ll get there.
I draw her closer and nuzzle her nose. “I want to kiss you, Autumn.” I need us to take this step.
I need her lips on mine. I need to feel closer to her.
Yes, we got things out of order when I touched her pussy last night, but it was so brief, and I didn’t see anything.
We’re taking a step back. We should start with kissing.
Smoothing a palm higher so that I’m guiding her between her shoulder blades, I slowly close the inch between our lips, giving her time to deny me. She won’t. Her heartbeat is strong under my palm. She’s breathing heavily, too.
I love how she reacts to me. She might not be fully aware, but she’s learning how her body responds to everything I do.
She’s submissive and Little, so it’s not shocking that she nearly moans when I issue a demand.
I thought she would combust when I ordered her not to move from her art table earlier.
She squeezed her thighs together and trembled under my directive.
I’ve picked up my dominance since then, issuing firm but gently delivered commands. She’s so fucking adorable when she submits to me.
“Give Daddy your lips, Baby girl.”
She whimpers and lowers her mouth to mine.
I start out slowly, claiming my girl with soft nibbles before gripping the back of her neck and tilting her head to one side so I can deepen the kiss.
After licking the seam of her lips, I tease her mouth until she opens for me. Fuck, she’s sweet. Her tentative shyness is my undoing. She hasn’t been properly kissed in her life. She will be every day from now on. I’ll make sure she knows she is loved, that she is mine.
Loved…
The word hangs silently in the air.
It’s a feeling that’s creeping up on me, worming its way into my system. It’s absolute. It’s real. It’s undeniable. Does Autumn feel it, too? I won’t say it out loud and risk freaking her out. I’ve had her for one day. It seems like much longer.