Avenging Autumn (22 page)

His eyes cast down briefly, before lifting back up to watch the road. “I’m sorry. Your father was a good man. And I’m sorry for what you went though as well. Clearly, I don’t know as much as I thought I did. If I’d been aware of her conducting those horrific acts, I would have stepped in sooner.”

“Yeah, well who the hell are you? What makes you think you can even help me?”

“I’m influential in the government.”

“Influential? How?”

“I’m a member of congress, Autumn.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “You’re a congressman?”

“Yes, and I believe together we can make some serious changes for shifters, but I can’t have you involved with people like those of The Company of Tooth and Claw.”

“I don’t care about them. All I want is Vivian dead.”

“I can’t help you kill Vivian Winters. I can’t even talk to you about such things.”

“In which case, you’re no help to me at all.” She reached for the door handle, her fingertips touching the cool metal. “Stop the car and let me out.”

“I can take you back to your mother.”

She spun to him. “I don’t want to see a woman who has abandoned me for the past twenty years.”

“It was for your own good, Autumn.”

“Stop saying that!”

“I realize this is difficult for you, but I promise you this is for the greater good.”

“Why do you even care?” she shot back.

“I want to make a difference. I’ve had people in my life who have been shifters. I’ve witnessed the persecution they can suffer, and I don’t want others to go through the same thing.”

Was she imagining it, or did a sudden flash of pain tighten his features, his knuckles growing white as his hands gripped the steering wheel.

“I can help you,” he continued, “but I won’t help you kill. I can get your charges dropped, but you need to stay clear of this Company of Tooth and Claw.”

“It wasn’t my intention to get caught up with them. I was thrown into it.”

“You need to stop putting yourself in situations where someone can take advantage of you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then people need to stop harming the people I love.”

He gave a deep sigh. “I want to help shifters. I want to help you. But you need to help me.”

“I just want to be taken back to my friends.”

“If I do that, will you then let me take you to meet your mother again?”

“Can they come?”

“I don’t think that will be a problem.”

She sighed and sat back in her seat. The fact was she didn’t have many other options. She was in the middle of nowhere, with no money or cell phone to call for help. Whatever else this man had said, he didn’t seem threatening, and he just put up a huge amount of money to get her out of jail. She figured she needed his help.

“Fine,” she relented. “Take me to my friends, and then we’ll talk.”

––––––––

“W
E NEED TO talk,” said Chogan.

He grabbed the back of Blake’s chair and started wheeling it into the kitchen. The movement was too rough, and Blake found himself lurching forward and then back again as Chogan manhandled the wheelchair. His cousin slammed the door shut behind them, and turned to face him.

“You killed Madison’s ex?” Chogan said, his dark eyes wide.

“Well, technically, he’s not her ex. He was still her husband, but she’d up and left him with the kid. I didn’t have much choice. First of all, the guy tried to abduct Madison and Billy, and then he tried to attack us. It was a kill or be killed situation.”

“And you didn’t think to just call the police after he’d tried to abduct her?”

“Since when have you been the voice of reason, Chogan?” Blake snapped. “We offered to call the police for Madison, but she said they were always on his side. She said her ex had them in his pocket, and it would only make matters worse.”

Chogan’s eyebrow lifted. “Worse than this?”

“Okay, okay. We hadn’t expected to find out he was an official. He looked like a fucking redneck when he was here.”

“I guess trying to abduct a woman and child in the middle of the night will do that for a guy.” Chogan locked a hand in his hair. “Hell. What do we do now?”

“We’re going to have to move the body,” said Blake. “I only had my father, Wenona, and Madison here to help get rid of it, and I couldn’t ask Madison. It felt wrong. It’s in a shallow grave, and nowhere near far enough from here. The truck he arrived in isn’t far from the grave either. The cops will find it easily enough if they go looking, and it won’t take them long to match the slug in A.J.’s body to one from Wenona’s hoard. We need to get rid of that body—burn it, feed it to a bunch of pigs, melt it with acid, or however else people get rid of bodies in the movies.”

“Hell, Blake,” Chogan said, shaking his head. “I thought I was the cousin who caused all the trouble.”

“Yeah, well, I guess our positions switched.”

Chogan sighed and sat back against the counter. He folded his arms. “And in the meantime, what do we do about Autumn?”

“Do you know where she was taken?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay, then we’ll send Lakota and a couple of the others to go and see how she is, and take it from there. But our priority needs to be getting to that body. If we don’t, there’s going to be a few more of us behind bars—including Wenona and my father as accessories to murder.”

The revving of an approaching vehicle came from outside.

Chogan turned to look out of the window. “Ah, shit. Looks like more cops.”

“Do you think they found something already?”

“No idea, but I guess we don’t have much choice other than finding out what they want.”

Chogan opened the kitchen door and Blake wheeled himself after him.

The others were already standing in the hallway, drawn by the arrival of a new car, and exchanging nervous glances.

“Open the door, Chogan,” said Blake.

Chogan did as he was told, but instead of opening the door to two police officers, they found an older man climbing out of the driver’s side. The passenger door opened, and a blonde with long legs and bright blue eyes climbed out.

“Autumn?”

She turned to him, and a smile spread across her face. Without even bothering to shut the car door behind her, she ran toward the house. She reached him and her arms wove around his neck. She curled her body up onto his lap, her lips against the skin of his throat. He encased himself in the feel of her, the scent of her skin, and the softness of her hair. He held her tight, and she squeezed him back, as if trying to meld them together.

“I missed you so much,” she said.

“I was so worried about you.”

Eventually, she released him a little, but only to kiss him, her warm, sweet fingers pressed against the side of his face.

Someone gave a polite cough. He realized everyone was watching.

They laughed and kissed quickly again.

“What happened?” he asked. “How did you get out?”

“That man over there—the one who brought me here—posted bail for me.”

Blake glanced over at the white-haired gentleman still standing back from them all. “Seriously?” He made eye contact with the new arrival. “I’d stand up and shake your hand, but as you can see, it’s not that easy for me.”

He lifted a hand. “No need. Autumn being out is of benefit to us all.”

“And who are you?”

“My name is Robert Carter.”

Blake frowned. “I know that name ...” He lifted a finger and pointed at the other man as recognition dawned on him. “Congressman Carter?” He couldn’t help the surprise in his voice. What the hell was a congressman doing standing out here in the middle of nowhere, and what did he want with Autumn?

Robert Carter gave a slow nod. “That’s right.”

His eyes narrowed. “I hope you’re not going to be another Vivian Winters?”

“No, no.” Robert shook his head. “Not at all. I’m not a scientist or involved in research. I’m on your side.”

Autumn twisted in Blake’s arms to face him. “He says he knows my mother.”

“Impossible. Your mother died years ago.”

“Not according to Robert. He says she’s alive and well.”

“What?”

The man nodded and stepped closer. “What Autumn says is true. Her mother had similar abilities to Autumn, though we didn’t know how to complete the process back then. People were after her and it was decided that faking her own death was the only way to make them go away. She was terrified they’d look toward Autumn, even though she was only a child back then. But of course the ability to shift had never been passed down generation to generation, so it was never considered that the ability to create shifters would be any different.”

“So my children might be able to change shifters, too?” Autumn’s gaze settled on Blake.

He held her eye. He’d so badly wanted her to say ‘our children’ and felt that she had, too. He didn’t want to push the topic, not with so many people around.

Robert nodded. “It’s a possibility, yes.”

She took a deep, shaky breath. “Wow. This is all too much.”

Blake bit his lower lip. “I’m sorry, but there’s more.” He glanced back toward the new arrival, and then back to Autumn. “We need to talk to you—in private.”

Robert nodded and moved back toward his car.

“Let’s go into the house,” said Blake.

Autumn uncurled from him and he tried not to experience the sense of loss at her lack of contact. But she moved right behind him, her hand lightly touching the base of his neck, and he knew she didn’t want to be apart from him any more than he wanted to be from her.

Chogan, Lakota, and Wenona followed them in. Blake didn’t want anyone else involved, only the people who’d been present during the murder of Madison’s ex, and those who already knew. He couldn’t keep this a secret from Autumn either. They couldn’t have secrets if their relationship was going to work.

“Autumn,” he started. “I have something I need to tell you.”

She stared at him. “Go on.”

“While you were away, Madison’s ex turned up and tried to abduct Madison and Billy.”

“Jesus.” She frowned. “Are they all right? I haven’t seen them.”

“They took off. There was an altercation and Madison’s ex was shot.” He stopped clearing his throat, and tried again. “That is, I shot Madison’s ex.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, crap.”

“Yeah, you can say that again. The cops showed up here looking for him. Turns out he’s an official around here, and people are missing him.”

“Shit.”

“The thing is, we need to move his body. We didn’t think anyone would be looking for him, so he’s in a shallow grave not too far from here. His truck is not far from there. But we need to destroy the body, or the police will find it and everyone involved will be going down.”

“Including you.”

“Especially me.”

Her lips pressed together, a muscle in her jaw twitching. “You can’t go to prison, Blake.” She gestured to his wheelchair. “Not as you are.”

He reached out and took her hand. “I’m not going to prison, which is why we need to do this now.”

She nodded. “Okay. I’ll help.”

He didn’t want her involved, but it was too late for that. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She wasn’t some weak, helpless woman. She was his equal and more.

He turned his attention to another strong woman. “Wenona? Do you think you’ll be able to lead us back to the place you buried the body? You know this area better than anyone.”

She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure I can.”

“I’m coming, too,” said Lakota.

Blake shook his head. “No, father. You need to stay here. The others need your guidance.”

In truth, his father still looked exhausted, the lines around his eyes and mouth had deepened, the whites of his eyes bloodshot. Lakota had already done far too much for them, and Blake didn’t want him doing any more. But he knew telling the older man that he looked tired and so needed to stay wouldn’t work. Lakota was proud, and wouldn’t admit to any weaknesses.

Lakota nodded. “Very well. I’ll watch over the others.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Chogan brought his hands together in one sharp clap. “Okay, let’s do this.”

They walked out to where the others still waited on the porch. The man who had bailed out Autumn lurked awkwardly by his car, checking his phone.

“Peter, Mia,” said Blake. “Do you think you can keep that guy occupied for an hour or so?”

“He could probably do with using the bathroom and something to drink,” said Autumn with a wry smile.

“Sure, sweetie,” said Mia. “Everything okay with you guys?”

“Yeah, we’ve just got some stuff to sort out. Probably best you don’t know about it, not yet anyway.”

She nodded. “Sure.”

Blake waited on the porch, while Autumn went down to invite the new guy into the house and explain that they had something to deal with. He could hear Chogan and Wenona talking in low tones, and knew they were discussing the best way of destroying the body quickly.

It didn’t matter if the cops found him dead, as long as they couldn’t figure out who, or what, had killed him.

––––––––

A
UTUMN WATCHED AS Chogan helped Blake into the passenger seat of the truck. Wenona took the seat in the back. Most of the others had gone back inside the house, fussing around the new arrival, but Mia lurked outside of the house on the porch, watching them go.

“Everything okay?” Autumn asked her.

“I just hate how we’re always having to separate, you know?”

“Sure. But it won’t be for long this time.”

She gave a wry smile. “Until the next time. Can you tell me anything about what’s going on?”

Autumn couldn’t tell her anything about the murder, but she could talk about something else. “Robert says my mother is still alive. He says she might be able to do the same as me, and that I might pass this gift ... curse ... whatever the hell it is, down to my children as well if I have any.”

She didn’t know if she should be experiencing pride or terror for children who didn’t even exist yet, or why she should feel anything at all. She hated the idea of her children being persecuted, or even being put on a pedestal for what they could do. The possibility of them being able to live normal lives was whizzing past her. Perhaps she could bring herself to understand what her mother had done. If she had children and was able to do something in order for them to have normal lives, would she do it? But she shook her head. If she was ever blessed enough to have a child of her own, she would take that child and run before she ever let herself be parted from them.