Autumn's Lawman (Season's of Love Book 3)

by Joy Wild

“No, baby, Daddy, didn’t hurt me. I fell in the mud,” Autumn reassured her. She peered up at Mark, and she could see the fury in his eyes. She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. Glad that he cared or sorry that she knew he would go after Blake now.

  “Come on, sweet pea, let’s get out of here and get Mommy’s ankle checked, okay?” Mark asked Abby while holding out his arms. He wanted Abby to come to him, so he didn’t scare her.

  She leaned into him warily. Mark sighed in relief. This sweet baby had been through enough to last a lifetime. He shifted her into his left arm and took Autumn’s hand in his right. Steve came up on Autumn’s right side, and half lifted her to carry her out.

  “Jack’s calling it in. Let’s get Autumn to the hospital,” Steve said. “I’ll catch a ride to your house and get my truck. I’m going to get Spring and Lizzie.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Mark agreed.

  19

  Mark put Abby in the seatbelt because they didn’t have a booster seat. He planned to rectify that fast. He helped Autumn into the backseat with Abby and told her he’d be right back.

  Mark closed the door and headed back to Jack. He needed to know more about what was going on and let him know he was taking the car.

  “Hey,” Mark said as he walked up to Jack.

  “Hey, how are the girls?” he asked.

  “Freaked out. Autumn’s barely holding on.”

  “Damn. Well, this ain’t gonna help. Lela Gordon died of a gunshot wound to the head. Her body is pretty bad after a tornado ripped through here. The coroner will have to confirm for sure, but death was pretty obvious.”

  “Fuck. This is gonna destroy Autumn.”

  “Yea. I’m sorry, man.”

  “I’m gonna take your car and get them to the ER. You okay here?”

  “Yea, I’m gonna wait on the coroner. I’ll catch up to you.”

  “Later,” Mark said.

  “Don’t you usually say ‘forever family’?” Jack asked.

  “Yea, I do. Forever family,” Mark said.

  Mark headed back to the car, focused on getting the girls to the ER.

  “Hey, baby. Are you doing okay?” he asked Autumn as he got into the driver’s seat.

  “Yea, we are doing okay,” Autumn said. Mark heard the pain in her voice.

  “Hang on, Autumn, we are going to take care of everything.”

  She didn’t respond. Mark saw her watching Abby. He drove to the hospital in silence, but he kept an eye on the girls.

  Mark pulled up to the hospital ER and parked in law enforcement parking. He got out and helped Autumn out and then unbuckled Abby and picked her up. She was sound asleep. He tucked her in his arm, took hold of Autumn, and slowly made their way to ER doors.

  “Oh my goodness, what happened?” Stephanie came running up.

  “I slipped in the mud and twisted my ankle,” Autumn said.

  “Sit,” Stephanie said, pointing to a wheelchair.

  “I can walk,” Autumn said.

  “Now,” Stephanie said firmly.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Autumn half saluted.

  “Hey, Mark,” Stephanie said. “Who’s this cute thing?”

  “This is Abby,” Mark said.

  “And who is Abby?” Stephanie asked.

  Mark studied Autumn. He didn’t want to answer Stephanie.

  Autumn stared up at Mark and then looked at Stephanie.

  “She’s my daughter.”

  “What? Your daughter? Why did you keep her a secret, Autumn?”

  “I have my reasons. But she does not leave my sight unless she is with Mark. Is that understood?”

  “Okay,” Stephanie said. “Let’s get your ankle checked out. Is Abby hurt?”

  “Not that we can tell. She is definitely in shock.”

  “Well, let’s get things checked out,” Stephanie said.

  They walked to an open room in the ER, just as Caleb walked up.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Caleb asked.

  “A simple ankle twist. I can handle it,” Steph growled.

  “Easy, tiger. I need to put it on the board. Geez.”

  “Go find someone else to harass,” Steph retorted and pushed Autumn into the room. “Give me a few minutes to get her settled, Mark.”

  “Abby,” Autumn said.

  “I have her, baby. I won’t let her go,” Mark said.

  “Promise?”

  “I promise you.”

  “Okay,” Autumn said as the door closed.

  “Spill, asshole,” Caleb told Mark.

  “Language,” Mark said, pointing at Abby.

  “Sorry. Spill. What is going on?” Caleb asked.

  Mark took the next ten minutes to tell Caleb everything. He watched the sleeping child in his arms, and his heart filled with love for her.

  “Wow. The next crew is coming in to take over here. We need to get Steph to safety with us. If they are watching, she will be a target too.”

  “I agree, but she is stubborn.” Mark shook his head.

  “Maybe we can talk her into it. Let’s see what happens,” Caleb said.

  “Sam, Summer, and Winter will be here any minute. I wish we had a bigger place to go than my house. It’s gonna be cramped,” Mark said.

  Mark’s phone rang.

  “Owens.”

  “What the ever loving hell is going on? The babysitter is murdered just before a tornado hits?” Gene asked.

  “Diego wanted Abby, but Abby went to a safe room, and they couldn’t find her.”

  “Smart girl.”

  “I need a safe place to take everyone. My house isn’t big enough.”

  “What about Autumn’s? It’s a huge house.”

  “Staff is paid by Blake and will not help her. We couldn’t keep her safe there,” Mark said.

  “Give me two hours, and it will be a safe house.” The phone went dead.

  Mark was about to fill Caleb in when the rest of the crew showed up. Mark filled them all in at the same time.

  “Sam, let Steve know to come here and not my house,” Mark told him. “I’m going to get Abby something to eat.”

  “Gotcha,” Sam said.

  “So let’s get you in a gown and on the table,” Stephanie said.

  “I am okay, Steph,” Autumn said. She wasn’t as close to Steph as Spring was, and of course, they weren’t sisters, like Summer and Steph.

  “Come on, girl. Shirt and bra off, gown on. Slip your jeans off too.”

  “Ugh, really, Steph?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “Fine,” Autumn gave in. She was too tired to fight anymore. For once, she didn’t want to have to be strong. She did as Steph asked and got on the hospital bed.

  She realized she was in a lot of pain; the adrenaline was finally wearing off.

  Stephanie got busy taking her vital signs.

  “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Steph asked.

  “It’s a long story, and I’m exhausted, Steph. Mark will fill everyone in, I’m sure. If not, when the others get here, I will tell all of you at one time. I can’t keep telling it,” Autumn said, with tears in her eyes.

  “Okay, sweetie. But for the record, Abby is a beautiful little girl.” Steph smiled at her.

  “Thank you,” Autumn said. She laid back and closed her eyes. She felt Steph cover her with a blanket and pull the rails up on the bed. Autumn could hear her writing in the medical chart, but she couldn’t open her eyes to look at her. She felt herself drifting off to sleep.

  20

  Mark watched Autumn’s door open as he stood holding Abby. Abby was munching on some chips that Mark had gotten from a vending machine.

  Steph walked up to the group. Everyone was here now. Steph hugged Spring and kissed little Lizzie. Next, she hugged Summer.

  She turned and glared at the guys.

  “Someone better start talking and fast,” Steph growled.

  Mark proceeded to fill Steph in.

  “Mark, let me take Abby for
a little bit,” Steve said.

  “No. I promised Autumn I wouldn’t let her go, and I won’t break that promise.”

  “You can trust me with her, Mark.”

  “I know, but I need Autumn to trust me. Breaking this promise would end any chance of that.”

  “Okay, man. I get it.”

  “You love her, don’t you?” Spring asked Mark.

  “I do,” Mark answered without hesitation.

  “Give her time, Mark. None of us knew what kind of hell she was going through. I feel responsible,” Spring admitted.

  “None of us are responsible,” Steve chimed in. “But we have to fix it now.”

  “Agreed,” Mark said.

  “How is she, Steph?” Spring asked.

  “She’s exhausted.”

  “We have to end this,” Sam said.

  Mark saw the ER doors open, and Blake Daze walked in with several of his football comrades. Mark handed Abby to Steph without a second thought.

  “Get her in Autumn’s room, now,” Mark said. He saw her disappear, and luckily it was before Blake saw him.

  “What are you doing here?” Mark asked, glaring at him.

  “Checking on my wife. What are you doing here? Playing cop again?” Blake laughed.

  “She’s not your wife. And I don’t play,” Mark said.

  “I don’t play either,” Blake scowled.

  “Really? Well, I guess that’s true because you even suck at football,” Mark said, staring icily at Blake.

  “How dare you, you little piss ant,” Blake said. Mark knew he was trying to sound tough in front of his friends. Steve, Sam, and Caleb all gathered around him, pushing the women to the corner.

  “Seems you’re the piss ant. I have Autumn and Abby. You don’t.”

  “You might get Autumn, but you will not get Abby. Autumn is a useless whore anyway.”

  Mark lost it. He punched Blake so hard that blood splattered.

  Blake stood up and, holding his jaw and wiping blood from his split lip, managed to say, “I will have your badge for this.”

  “You can have it, but you won’t talk about Autumn like that ever again.”

  “Enjoy her. I did.” Blake walked away while Steve and Sam barely managed to hold Mark back.

  Mark was still seething with anger when Steph came back out with Abby. He took one look at the precious little girl, and his anger subsided. Abby reached out for him, and he couldn’t help but take her in his arms.

  “Daddy,” Abby whispered.

  “He’s gone, love bug,” Mark soothed her.

  Mark focused on slowing his breathing. He wanted Abby to trust him, and he knew she wouldn’t if she sensed his anger. She has seen enough anger in her short life.

  “I have to get back in with Autumn; the doctor is about to go in,” Steph said.

  “Let me know when I can see her, please,” Mark said quietly.

  “I will,” Steph said. Mark saw her shoot a glare at Caleb and then disappear in the back.

  “Abby, do you want to come and sit with us girls?” Spring asked her.

  Mark watched as Abby studied him and then Spring.

  “You can go sit with Ms. Spring, Abby. I won’t leave here, I promise,” Mark said softly.

  Abby nodded and then reached for Spring. “Come on, sweet girl. I will introduce you to my daughter, Lizzie,” Spring said, taking the girl in her arms.

  “Thank you, Spring,” Mark smiled.

  “You’re welcome. Please save Autumn. She is a sweet soul,” Spring begged.

  “We will,” Mark assured her.

  He waited until the girls were all snuggled in the corner talking. Mark positioned himself where he could see the outside door, the door leading into the exam area, and Abby all at the same time.

  “You got it bad, man,” Steve laughed.

  “Kind of like you,” Mark said.

  “Now you know how I felt when Spring went missing,” Steve reminded him.

  “And how I felt when Summer was taken,” Sam chimed in.

  “Don’t look at me like that asshole. I don’t feel that way,” Caleb smarted off.

  “Yeah, right,” Mark said.

  “Even if I did, she doesn’t,” Caleb said sadly.

  “Give her time; she’ll come around,” Steve said.

  “Yea, cause no one can resist my funny charm,” Caleb winked.

  “Uh, okay. Back to the serious matter at hand,” Mark said.

  Mark’s phone rang.

  “Owens.”

  “When Autumn is discharged, take everyone to her house. I will text you the gate code. I will also email you the blueprints to her house so you can set up guards. I have staff going there to cook and take care of everything else. You can trust them. They work for me. Your only job is to protect Autumn and Abby.”

  “Got it. But she’s more than a job.”

  “Yeah, I got it, jackass. I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do with you guys. Every one of you, falling in love. I need single, care-free guys.”

  “Maybe, but we are good at what we do,” Mark told Gene.

  “That’s what keeps you employed.” The phone went dead. The cell immediately dinged with a text. The gate code.

  Mark filled the guys in on the plan.

  “Are you sure Autumn is going to be okay with this? I’m sure she has a lot of bad memories there,” Caleb asked.

  “I don’t know, but it is the best plan we have right now,” Mark said.

  The fog was so thick, and Autumn couldn’t see anything. She was running hard, tripping over tree roots, running into trees. It was so hard to breathe. She’d been running for so long, her legs felt like jelly, her lungs were on fire, but she had to find Abby. He had her. This Diego. Who the hell is Diego? Why does he have my Abby? Thoughts were running wild in her head. He’s going to hurt her. She’s so innocent. Please, God, please keep Abby safe. You can have me. I don’t care about myself.

  Arms caught her in mid-air, she wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. It was Mark. He was here to rescue her and save Abby.

  “Oh, Mark,” Autumn gasped. “Please help me find Abby.”

  “Forget Abby, baby. We have each other now. Nothing is holding us back,” he said.

  “What? I will not forget about Abby. I have to find her,” Autumn yelled. She was fighting to get away from Mark, but he laughed at her. Then his face slowly changed.

  “Oh my God,” Autumn screamed. “Let go of me, Blake!”

  “You thought he would come and save you?” Blake laughed.

  “Come on bitch, you got a date with Diego,” Blake said, still laughing.

  “No! Abby! Abby!” Autumn shouted.

  “Autumn, wake up!” a voice called out.

  The fog was lifting. She could see Mark standing beside her.

  “Where am I?” she cried out. “Where’s Abby?”

  “You’re in the hospital, baby. They bandaged your ankle. Abby is right outside the door with Spring. I wanted to wake you before she heard you screaming.”

  “I will never forget about Abby,” Autumn growled.

  “Honey, I don’t want you to forget about Abby. She is everything.”

  “You told me to forget about her,” Autumn accused him.

  “That was in your nightmare, baby. I would not say that to you.”

  “I need to see Abby.”

  “Okay, give me a second. I will bring her in.”

  Autumn watched him go to the door and, keeping it propped open with his foot, he said something to someone, and Abby appeared in his arms. She felt relief at seeing her daughter.

  Mark carried her to the bed and placed her down next to Autumn.

  “Hi, Mommy,” Abby said, laying her head on Autumn’s chest.

  “Hi, baby,” Autumn said, hugging her.

  “Are you okay, Mommy?” Abby whimpered.

  “I’m fine, sweetheart. They are gonna let me go home in a few minutes,” Autumn comforted Abby.

  “Daddy was here,”
Abby cried. “Did he do this to you, mommy?”

  “Daddy was here, baby? I didn’t see him. No, he did not do this. I fell in the mud and twisted my ankle, that's all.”

  “You always say you’re okay, Mommy, even when I know you’re not,” Abby raised her head and eyed her.

  Tears welled up in Autumn’s eyes.

  “You are such a smart girl, Abby. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, Mommy. I wanna go home.”

  “I know, baby. I’m sure you’re tired too.”

  Caleb picked that moment to come in and check on her.

  “You doing okay, love?” he asked Autumn. She heard Mark growl.

  “Down asshole, I’m not hitting on her,” Caleb sneered at Mark.

  “Language,” Autumn said, covering Abby’s ears.

  “Sorry,” Caleb said, grinning sheepishly.

  “I’m fine. I’m ready to go home,” Autumn told him.

  “Well, then lucky for you, the doctor is releasing you,” Caleb said.

  “Honey, when they give us the go-ahead to leave, we are all going back to your house,” Mark told her.

  “No! Everyone there works for Blake. He will get us there.” Autumn cried.

  “Gene got rid of the entire staff and put his people in place. We will be safe there. Are you okay with everyone being there?” Mark asked.

  “Are you sure we will be okay? It’s Blake’s house. He knows every entry. He will never leave us alone.”

  “We have the blueprints of the house and plenty of people. Blake is not going to get to you or love bug. We got this Autumn. It’s what we do.”

  “I don’t want Abby in the middle of this,” Autumn muttered.

  “I know, baby, but she is safest with us.”

  “Trust us, Autumn. You have seen us in action. You know you are safe with us,” Steve said. Autumn hadn’t even noticed him walk in.

  “Autumn, I was stupid and ran because I didn’t think anyone could help me. I wish I had been smarter and stayed. I almost lost my life because I didn’t trust Steve. Please, trust them to help you. We are all here to help you,” Spring begged.

  “Okay,” Autumn relented.

  “All right, everyone get out. I need to get Autumn ready to go home,” Stephanie shooed everyone out.

  “Come on, love bug, let’s let Mommy get ready to go home,” Mark said, as he picked Abby up. Autumn watched Abby turn into Mark’s arms and put her head on his shoulder. She gazed up at Mark and when she peered into his eyes, she felt as if a magnet was pulling her toward him. Her heart was racing, Steph quickly pulled the cardiac monitor leads off.