Pass Interference (Fair Catch Series, Book Four)

by Christine Kersey

  Why hadn’t Jax thought of that? Had he been so wrapped up in himself that it had never occurred to him that the messages could be talking about someone else? Maybe they were getting somewhere.

  “So who would have done this?” Jax asked as fresh hope surged through him.

  Haylie shook her head as despair filled her eyes. “I don’t know.”

  Jax slammed his fist on the roof of Autumn’s car. “We have to think. We have to figure it out.” Haylie jumped, but Jax ignored her, staring at Autumn’s house as his mind raced. A few moments later he faced her. “Can you think of anyone who was…obsessed…with Autumn’s husband?” He reread the paper in his hand. What you’re doing is hurting him and you don’t even care. Then he looked at Haylie. “Do you think this person is…mad at Autumn? For dating me?” The thought that this was in any way his fault made his stomach churn. Not only had he accused Autumn of doing these things for attention, but in reality it was all his fault. If he hadn’t come into her life, she’d be safe and sound.

  But he couldn’t imagine life without her.

  “Obsessed with Mitch,” Haylie said, “but mad at Autumn for dating you?”

  It sounded kind of ridiculous, but it’s all he could come up with. “Yeah.”

  Haylie chewed on her lip, a faraway look in her eyes. Then her eyes went wide and she gasped. “I might know who it is.”

  A thrill of hope roared through him. “Who?”

  “Last week a woman came in for a haircut. She’s been in before. She used to work with Mitch. That’s how she knows Autumn.”

  “Okay.”

  Haylie shook her head. “We were talking about you. This woman, when Autumn told her that you play for the Vipers, she made this weird comment. Something like, ‘What would Mitch think of that?’ She seemed really bothered by the whole thing.”

  “What’s her name?”

  Haylie shook her head. “I don’t know. But I bet I could find out.” She smiled. “Let’s go to the salon.”

  Pumped to have something to do, a direction to go, Jax nodded. “I’ll drive.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  It had been a while since Natalie had thrown the granola bar and water bottle into the room. Autumn was on edge. When would she be back? What would she do when she got there?

  Pacing the room, Autumn frantically tried to come up with a way to get out of this, but nothing had changed. Besides the torn papers on the floor, the room was completely bare.

  Autumn stopped in front of the door and stared at it. Was there some way to open it? Some way to unlock it? Then her gaze went to the hinges.

  She remembered when she and Mitch bought a new refrigerator. It had been too large to fit through the front door. He’d taken the front door off of its hinges and the fridge had fit easily.

  Studying the hinges now, she tried to remember how he’d done it. He’d had tools of course, but there had to be a way she could do it. If she could remove the pins from the hinges, would she be able to open the door?

  It was worth a try.

  Autumn’s fingernails were already destroyed and bloody, but she still used them to try to pry the pins out of the hinges. She didn’t have much luck.

  Her throat was parched. She picked up the water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and drained the rest of the water, then, with the cap in her hand, she got an idea.

  Wedging the edge of the cap between the pin and the top of the hinge, she worked it and worked it and worked it until the pin lifted ever so slightly.

  Victory exploded through her. This could work!

  Her whole world focused on that pin and getting it out of the hinge. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but she ignored it. The pin slid up a millimeter. Then another, then another. Then, without warning, it popped free.

  Elated, Autumn’s heart soared with hope.

  One down, two to go.

  Kneeling on the floor, she got to work on the bottom pin. It took a while, but eventually it came free. Just the top one now.

  “Natalie Owens,” Haylie said as she and Jax stared at the schedule on the computer in the salon. “That’s her name.”

  “What’s going on?” Cassie asked as she cut a customer’s hair. “Where’s Autumn?”

  “Do you have her address?” Jax asked, ignoring Cassie.

  “We might.”

  Jax watched Haylie as she clicked around in the computer program.

  “We send birthday coupons to our customers through snail mail.” Haylie glanced at him over her shoulder. “Autumn can be old school.”

  At the mention of her name, a flame of fear scorched him. They had to find her and they had to find her now.

  Cassie appeared beside him, and in a low voice asked again what was going on. Haylie filled her in as she worked on the computer.

  “Here it is!” Haylie grabbed a notepad and wrote down an address.

  Jax snatched it from her and tore out the door.

  “Wait!” Haylie called after him, but he ignored her as he jumped into his car and screeched out of the parking lot.

  Punching the address into his GPS as he drove, for once he hoped a police officer would catch him speeding. Then he’d lead the officer to Natalie’s house. But since he didn’t expect that to happen, he called the police instead, told them all that had happened, and demanded that they meet him at Natalie Owens’ house.

  The GPS said it would take fifteen minutes to get there. He was determined to make it in ten.

  Reaching above her head, Autumn tried to wedge the edge of the cap between the pin and the final hinge, but there was no space. Mind racing, she scrambled to come up with a solution. Then it hit her. The pins she’d already removed.

  She screwed the cap back onto the water bottle before inserting the removed pin into the bottom opening of the hinge. It immediately met resistance as it touched the pin that she couldn’t remove. Smiling, she held the pin in her hand and the water bottle in the other. Then, using the water bottle like a hammer, she hit the pin held in her hand upward, dislodging the pin that was stuck in the hinge. It moved. She hit it a few more times until it popped free and fell to the floor.

  “Yes!”

  Tossing her tools on the floor, she grabbed the hinges and tried to tug them forward, to pull the door open. Nothing happened.

  She heard footsteps. Pressing her ear to the door, she listened intently. Yes. Natalie was coming.

  Heart pounding like a jackhammer, Autumn moved to the side, clear of the door. A moment later the lock disengaged. She crouched beside the wall, her gaze glued to the door. The knob turned and the door began to open. But it didn’t swing open, instead it fell open. With a thud. Right onto the floor.

  Natalie cried out, but Autumn didn’t hesitate. Leaping from her crouch with her arms outstretched, she barreled into Natalie, who toppled to the floor. With escape her only goal, Autumn didn’t pause to look at Natalie. Instead, Autumn raced down the hall toward the living room.

  A primal scream followed her, the sound sending chills skittering across her skin. Adrenaline flooded her veins as her hand gripped the doorknob of the front door.

  “I hate you!” Natalie screeched from the hallway.

  Autumn ripped the door open and burst onto the porch. The peaceful morning was a sharp contrast to the violence she was leaving behind.

  “Get back here!” Natalie yelled.

  Too close. She was too close.

  Terror propelled Autumn off of the porch and across the lawn. That’s when she saw it. Jax’s Lamborghini. Hurtling up the street.

  Stuttering to a halt, Autumn whispered his name.

  How could he be here? How did he know? Did that mean he believed her?

  Heart singing with happiness, Autumn watched as he squealed to a stop at the curb. Seconds later he was at her side.

  “Are you okay?” He looked past her, toward the house. “We should go.”

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  “You’re here,” she whispered. “You believe me.”
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  “Yes,” he said, his voice cracking as he placed his hands on her arms and locked eyes with her. “I’m here.” Then his voice softened. “Yes, I believe you and I’m so sorry I ever doubted you.”

  Love for him crowded out all other feelings. He’d come for her.

  “I’m gonna kill you!” Natalie howled from somewhere behind Autumn.

  Autumn’s eyes were still on Jax, but he was no longer looking at her. He was looking behind her.

  His eyes went wide. “Autumn, look out!”

  Before Autumn knew what was happening, Jax slammed her to the ground and threw his body on top of hers. An explosion rang in her ears and Jax went limp.

  “Nooooo!” Autumn screamed. “Jax! No!”

  The sirens sounded like they were right there. Autumn couldn’t see what was happening, but she heard yelling, then a gunshot, and moments later Jax’s weight disappeared from her body before hands lifted her to her feet.

  Hysterical with fear, Autumn flailed and screamed.

  “You’re safe now,” a male voice stated beside her. “Ma’am, you’re safe now.”

  His words penetrated her mind and she calmed enough to understand that she was no longer in danger. But Jax. What had happened to him? Was he okay?

  Frantically looking around, she saw paramedics hovering over him. Shoving away from the man beside her, a man who she now saw was a police officer, she fell to the ground beside Jax. Blood was everywhere. Desperate to get to him, when the officer forcefully pulled her away, she struggled to get free.

  “They’ll take care of him,” he said loudly. “You need to let them work.”

  Knowing he was right, she stopped fighting him and he released her. She stood there as sobs shook her body.

  Natalie had shot him.

  Natalie!

  Was she going to shoot her too? Autumn looked toward the house, her body tense, ready to protect Jax from further assault. And then she saw Natalie, lying on the ground, not moving.

  “Is she…” she asked the officer.

  He nodded. “Yes. She took her own life.”

  Saddened by the senselessness of it all, Autumn squeezed her eyes shut before focusing back on Jax. His eyes were closed. He looked serene. Too serene. Was he dead too?

  Overcome with horror, Autumn collapsed to the ground, her tear-soaked eyes never leaving Jax. The paramedics put him on a gurney and wheeled him into an ambulance, getting in behind him.

  “I have to go with him,” she cried out. “Please. Let me come.”

  One of the paramedics climbed out and closed the doors, then looked at Autumn. “Of course. You can ride in front.”

  Nodding, she ran to the passenger door and jumped in. Moments later they were on their way.

  Chapter Forty

  What was happening? Where was he?

  Jax tried to open his eyes, but they were so heavy.

  Then he remembered Autumn. She was in danger. He had to hurry. He’d been such a jerk, but he had to save her.

  He thrashed around, struggling to open his eyes.

  He heard a voice say his name. A soft and feminine voice. A voice he thought he’d never hear again. Was he dreaming? He had to be dreaming. It sounded like Autumn. But she was missing.

  “Jax, it’s okay. I’m here.”

  He felt her hand on his arm, all soft and warm.

  His body relaxed and he opened his eyes.

  There she was. Sitting right beside his bed. He reached out to her, but a tube in his arm got in the way. He wanted to touch her, needed to feel her.

  Her fingers slipped into his and she gently pushed his arm back down.

  Calm and peace flowed through him.

  “Where am I?” he asked, then he squinted at her. “You’re here. Are you okay? What happened?”

  A radiant smile curved her lips as her green eyes sparkled. “You saved me, Jax. You saved my life.”

  “I did?”

  “Yes,” she said on a laugh. “Don’t you remember?”

  He tried to shake his head, but that made it hurt. He grimaced. “No.” She stroked his face with her free hand and he captured it with his. “Tell me what happened.”

  Softly sighing, she nodded. Then she recounted all that had happened from the moment she’d left his house until he’d pulled up in his car to save her.

  “I couldn’t believe you were there,” she said. “And then…” Tears filled her eyes. “You protected me, Jax. You took the bullet that was meant for me.”

  It all came rushing back. The crazed look on the woman’s face, the gun in her hand pointed at Autumn, his determination to protect her at all costs. But he didn’t remember being hit.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  Her hand went to her chest as she leaned toward him. “Sorry? For what? You saved my life. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  That wasn’t true. “For not believing you. For thinking you…” He exhaled, then his lips compressed. “For thinking you were doing those things to get attention.”

  “Oh, Jax. I don’t care about that. Not anymore.”

  She was so good, so pure. He didn’t deserve her. But he was never going to let her go. “Come here.”

  A smile lit her face as she leaned closer.

  Despite the tube in his arm, he cupped her face in his hands and drew her down to him, pressing his lips to hers.

  After a lingering kiss, he released her.

  “Are you feeling okay?” she asked. “Are you having any pain?”

  He chuckled. “Not now.” Then he sobered. “Where did I get shot? I can’t even tell.”

  She smiled. “That’s the drugs at work.” Then she pointed to his head. “The bullet bounced off your thick skull, apparently.”

  He touched his head and felt a bandage. “Oh.” Then he grinned. After a pause, he said, “You know…when I get home, I’m going to need someone to take care of me.”

  She smirked. “You can hire a nurse.”

  “Only if she looks like you.” Then he frowned. “But you need to run your salon.”

  “They’ll be fine without me for a few days. Of course I’ll take care of you.”

  “What about you though? Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Just shaken up.”

  When Jax was discharged the next day, Autumn was there to drive him home. The hospital allowed him to use a rear exit to avoid the media who had gathered outside. She had to use Haylie’s car since hers was in such bad shape. Sasha was in the back seat, ecstatic as ever to see Jax.

  “I’m gonna fix your car,” Jax said as they pulled onto the street.

  “Thank you.” Then she glanced at him. “That’s a fair trade-off for nursing duties.”

  He laughed. “It’s the least I can do since I’m the one who broke the window.”

  She smiled. “Yeah. Haylie told me all about that.” She gave him a sideways look. “She also told me how you left her in the dust after she gave you Natalie’s address.” Not that Autumn minded. She liked that he’d been frantic to get to her.

  “Yeah, well.”

  She put her hand on his and gently squeezed.

  When they reached his house, she punched in the code and pulled through the gate, and after they parked, they walked together to the front door. When he took her hand in his, warmth and peace flooded her, and she knew she was right where she was supposed to be.

  Chapter 41

  Three Weeks Later

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” Autumn asked as Jax put on his leather jacket. They were standing in the entryway of his house, about to leave.

  “They’re throwing the party for me, so I kinda have to be there.”

  She smiled. “That’s true.”

  “Besides, I want them to meet my woman.”

  She loved the sound of that. Still, she had to tease him. “Your woman?”

  He tugged her into his arms and murmured, “My Angel Muffin.”

  She pulled away with a grin, “You’d better not call
me that in front of them.”

  “They’re just a bunch of football players. They won’t care.”

  “But I will.”

  He smiled. “Okay.” A pause. “Hey, you never gave me a nickname.”

  Looking up at him, she smirked. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You have?”

  “Yep. I’m gonna call you Superman.”

  A loud laugh burst from his throat. “Superman?”

  “Yes. You saved me from being shot and that bullet bounced right off of you.” She nodded. “You’re my Superman.”

  His lips curved. “Angel Muffin and Superman. I like it.”

  She did too.

  She’d stayed at his house the first week after he’d gotten home from the hospital, caring for him and helping him recover. Now though, she was back in her house. Even so, every day after work she came to his house to spend the evening with him. She had yet to tell him that she was in love with him, but she fell deeper in love with him every single day. He was so good to her, so kind and sweet, she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

  But tonight she was going to meet some of his teammates. His buddy Josh Wisner, who was the star quarterback for the Vipers, was throwing the party with his girlfriend Shay. Autumn had to admit, she was eager to meet these people who were important to Jax. Excited, but nervous.

  “Ready to go?” he asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Twenty minutes later they parked in front of a huge house that was all lit up.

  Jax helped Autumn out of his car, then took her hand and led her inside.

  A man Autumn recognized as Josh Wisner approached them and threw an arm around Jax’s shoulder. “There he is!”

  “Hey, Josh.” Jax turned to Autumn. “This is Autumn Foster.”

  Josh held out a hand to Autumn. “I’ve heard about you.”

  She took his hand and glanced at Jax. “Have you now?”