Mitch: An Eidolon Black Ops Novel

by Maddie Wade

  Autumn sighed, and her eyes caught on Mitch, drawing strength from him. “I decided that night I’d pack my bags and leave the next day. Terrell didn’t like that, and he hit me, backhanding me across the face.”

  Autumn caught the lip twitch from Mitch, the squeeze of his fingers as he tried to control his reaction. “I knew then the man I had loved was gone. I stayed home the next day while he went to work. I was packing my stuff when he came home frantic, said the boss had found out he’d been skimming the drugs. He was terrified, but I had little sympathy, and then there was a hammering on the door like it was being caved in by some wild hoard. Terrell pushed me into the wardrobe and told me to keep silent.”

  Autumn grabbed the water and took another sip. “A man came into our bedroom and shot Terrell three times. He said this was what snitches got and nobody blabbed about the Onyx Cobras and then left.” Autumn felt Mitch stiffen beside her, his hand withdrawing from hers as he crossed his arms.

  “How did you end up in witness protection?” Waggs asked.

  Autumn’s eyes moved to him, and he was leaning forward, elbows on the table, his eyes intense.

  Maggie began to wriggle, and without hesitation, Mitch put his arms out for her, and Autumn let him take her, offering him a grateful smile as she did, which he returned.

  “The CPS begged me to testify, saying they’d protect me. Evidently, they’d been trying to get this guy for years.”

  “What went wrong?” Decker asked from across the room, where he stood, leaning against the wall as if he had little care for her answer.

  “Someone took the gun used to kill Terrell out of evidence without authorisation, and the case fell apart. Linton Allen walked free, and I now have to live in fear of retribution from him and his men.”

  “Linton Allen?” Mitch bit out, shock on his face.

  “Yes, he’s the leader of the Cobras.”

  “Fuck.” Mitch scrapped his hand over his short hair as he leaned over to give Maggie back to her. “I need some air.”

  Autumn watched as he paced to the door in long, quick strides as if the hounds of hell were after him.

  Silence stole the oxygen from the room, and Autumn sat up straighter, suddenly feeling vulnerable and confused. She didn’t know what had just happened with Mitch, but the name seemed to set him off. Was it possible he knew Linton Allen or had some dealings with him in the past? She didn’t have a clue, and in than the moment, she realised how very little she knew of the man who’d come to mean so much to her in the last few weeks.

  As Maggie began to fuss and build up to a full-fledged tantrum, Autumn looked around the room at the men who were quietly talking. All of a sudden her life was out of control again. The desire to flee was almost cloying against her skin.

  The door opened, and Autumn straightened hoping Mitch was back but instead saw the pretty detective who was her handler.

  “Autumn.” Aubrey’s face lit up with a smile that had Autumn instantly relaxing. She walked towards her and crouched beside her chair, worried eyes on her face. “I had no idea you were Mitch’s tenant.”

  Aubrey reached out a hand and stroked Maggie’s cheek. It had been Aubrey who had watched Maggie while Autumn went and looked at the apartment in Mitch’s house just over a month ago.

  Autumn gave Aubrey a smile she didn’t feel. “I guess this place is smaller than I thought.”

  Aubrey rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.” Aubrey pulled her top lip between her teeth. “Jack says you’re in trouble?”

  “Anton Williams called me. He somehow got my number.”

  “Do you have the phone? We can see if there’s anything on it to give us a clue to how he found you.”

  “Mitch has it.”

  Aubrey looked around the room. “And where is Mitch?”

  Autumn shook her head. “He went to get some air.”

  Aubrey lifted her chin and then cast a glance at Jack. “Is there someplace Autumn can feed Maggie without an audience?”

  Autumn felt the heat hit her cheeks as half the men in the room began to talk at the same time as they headed to the door, Decker and Lopez moving so fast it was a wonder they didn’t leave skid marks.

  Jack rolled his eyes as Alex calmly stood. “Follow me, Autumn, you can use my office.”

  Autumn looked at the handsome man with golden hair and nodded. Aubrey was by her side as Alex showed them to the space he called an office which contained a small couch behind a glass desk.

  “Thank you.”

  Alex just nodded and backed out of the room without a word, leaving just her and Aubrey in the room.

  “You should’ve called me,” Aubrey chastised gently as Autumn fed her daughter.

  “I know, but it all happened so quickly, and Mitch said they’d help and had more resources than the police.” Autumn let her shoulders sag. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for Maggie.”

  Aubrey rubbed her arm, offering comfort, as if sensing this had been an emotional day for her. “Mitch is right, they do have more resources and if they say they’ll help, let them. My brother-in-law to be is a good man, and so are the others. They’ll keep you safe. They saved my ass and Madison’s.” Aubrey looked around as if searching for something. “Speaking of Madison, did you notice my sister when you came in?”

  Autumn shook her head. “No, sorry.”

  Aubrey threw her hands up. “It’s fine. My sister is somewhat of a loose cannon.”

  “Yeah, I guess we all have a sibling like that.”

  “You too?”

  Autumn nodded as she switched her daughter to the other boob. “Yeah, my younger brother. He’s ten years younger than me and always seems to fall in with the wrong people. He has a good heart, but he’s a sheep sometimes.”

  “That’s Madison. Soooo, are you and Mitch a thing?” Aubrey asked with a secret smile.

  Autumn blushed. The truth was she didn’t really know what they were. There was a huge attraction between them, and they’d kissed several times but did that mean they were together?

  Until now she’d have said a tentative yes, but with him walking out the way he had, she wasn’t so sure. Autumn glanced at Aubrey. She barely knew the woman but sensed she could be a good friend.

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure what we are. I’d thought we had something, but then he bailed halfway through the meeting like his ass was on fire.”

  Aubrey tipped her head as she looked at Autumn. “Can I give you a little advice, woman to woman?”

  “Sure, not like I have anyone else to give it.”

  Aubrey reached out and laid a hand on her arm before withdrawing it when she had Autumn’s full attention. “These men,” she waved a hand in the air behind her, “are fierce protectors. They work hard, play hard, and are the most loyal you’ll ever find. When they make any kind of commitment to be there, to protect you or to love you, they take it seriously. What they aren’t is great at accepting they can’t control everything.” Aubrey gave a low chuckle. “Believe me, Will is the best man I know, and I love him with every bone in my body, but sometimes I want to strangle him because he thinks he can fix everything and we know as women we don’t necessarily need them to fix it, but to be there.”

  Autumn fixed her top as she sat Maggie on her lap, the baby offering Aubrey a beautiful smile. Aubrey reached over and took her hand, seemingly thoroughly enthralled as everyone was who met Maggie.

  “Are you saying Mitch walked out because he wants to fix it and can’t?”

  “Maybe or maybe it isn’t only about you. All of these men have baggage. They’re warriors, after all. Just talk to him, find out what’s going on in his head before you kick his ass.”

  Autumn laughed then and was still laughing when Mitch walked in moments later and she was glad for it, he needed to see her strength for a change.

  Chapter Ten

  The name had been like a punch to the guts, it had never crossed his mind that Linton Allen could be the man who was hunting Autumn and Maggie. T
he thought made him physically sick to the point he’d had to get out of there before he threw up or passed out like a fucking pussy.

  As he’d sat out the back wishing like fuck he still smoked, his mind had fallen back over twenty-five years to the last time he’d seen Linton Allen standing over the grave of Mitch’s best friend and Linton’s older brother Devon. They’d both been wearing black.

  His friend’s death had wrecked Mitch, but in part out of guilt. Devon had been pulled deeper and deeper into the Cobras, and Mitch kept pulling away until a gulf separated them. He’d felt so powerless, so angry at everyone for his inner conflict but Linton had been so much younger then. Barely ten years old, a good kid who stayed out of trouble—Devon had known enough about what he was getting involved with to try and keep his younger brother away.

  That was the pain that plagued Mitch to this day. He now knew he’d wanted out but had found himself in too deep, and instead of helping him, Mitch had saved his own ass and turned his back. He hadn’t realised it then of course, but now it was as clear as crystal Devon had needed his help, he’d needed his best friend but hadn’t known how to ask—shouldn’t have had to ask for it.

  He blew out a breath and twisted his head as Waggs walked towards him, hands in his pockets, his head tipped to the sun before his eyes met his.

  Mitch held up a hand to stop whatever was coming. “Don’t say it.”

  Waggs sat beside him on the long bench that faced the training field and the assault course. To the left was the beginning of the new dog squad quarters. When Jack made a decision, he didn’t fuck around.

  Waggs stayed silent, as was his way, always letting people talk if they needed it. He wasn’t much on words himself, which was probably why they got along so well.

  “Is she okay?” Mitch couldn’t help but ask.

  He had to explain but how could he tell her that he could’ve stopped this from happening if only he’d been a better friend?

  “She’s stronger than she looks.”

  Mitch nodded before rubbing his hand over his short hair. “Yeah, I know, but I just finished telling her how she could trust me, and then I behave like that.”

  Waggs winced a little. “Not great timing but I’m sure she’ll get over it.”

  “Yeah well, she shouldn’t have to.” Mitch was angry with himself for letting her down so quickly after promising not to.

  “You’re too hard on yourself, Mitch. You’re human. We fuck shit up. If she’s worth it, she’ll understand that this won’t be the last time and she’ll make mistakes too. It’s life.”

  Mitch looked out at the helipad on the opposite side of the complex, his mind mulling over Waggs’ words. “What about you, Waggs? You always hold yourself to such a high standard. You don’t allow yourself to make mistakes.” The pain that flashed across Waggs face almost took his breath away, and Mitch was sorry for his words, regret hitting him fast. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Waggs waved his hand as he looked at the ground. “Forget it, but the truth is, I can’t afford mistakes. If I fuck up someone dies, and I can’t have that on my conscience. The weight of any more deaths at my door is just too heavy.”

  “Do you ever think about settling down?” Mitch asked, surprised by Waggs opening up that much.

  Waggs stood and blocked the sun with his back, making him look aloof and dangerous. “Nah, not for me. Too much risk involved. Easier to jump out of a plane or chase down a terrorist than find a woman who’s willing to take on my shit.” Waggs scratched his stubble. “You, though, I can see you and woman like Autumn making it work. She has spirit, and you need that.”

  Mitch smiled. “Yeah, I do.”

  Mitch stood as Waggs walked towards the new K9 unit. He needed to explain his behaviour to Autumn and then figure out a way to keep her and Maggie safe, even if it meant killing his oldest friend’s brother.

  He found her in Alex’s office laughing with Aubrey, and his muscles relaxed a fraction at the uninhibited sound of her laughter. Her eyes met his as he walked in, the connection they shared as strong as ever.

  “Can we talk?” he asked, aiming his eyes at Autumn—she’d always be Autumn to him. Keisha didn’t fit the woman he knew at all, nor did the career she’d chosen, but that was irrelevant.

  “Yes, sure.”

  “Want me to take Maggie for a few minutes? We can go annoy Lopez and Jack.”

  Autumn grinned, her entire face lighting up like a rainbow after a storm. “That would be great.”

  “No problem.”

  Aubrey smiled, taking Maggie and hitching her to her hip like a natural. He wondered how long it would before she and Will made it official and began a family.

  With his hands in his pockets, he moved closer to Autumn as the silence in the room took over, feeling awkward for the first time since they’d met, that it was his own doing made it an even harder pill to swallow. “I’m sorry.”

  Autumn looked up in surprise at his words, but the wariness he saw there slayed him.

  “You don’t owe me an explanation, Mitch.”

  He crossed to her, hating the space between them, and sat close beside her, taking her hand. The callouses on her hand from gardening only making her more beautiful to him. Her warm bronze skin was clear and perfect as he brushed her cheek with his other hand.

  “I do, Autumn, don’t say that. I want us to be an us, and that includes me not acting like a dick at the first sign of trouble.”

  Her brows furrowed, but she left her hand in his, leaned her cheek into his touch. “What trouble? Have I caused you problems with my own?”

  Mitch shook his head. “No, not at all. The opposite in fact.”

  “Mitch, I don’t understand. Just spit it out.”

  He grinned at her no-nonsense words, reminding him of the women in his family. “Fuck me, you’re perfect.”

  “Whatever.”

  He stifled the grin that wanted to break free and wondered at her ability to change his mood from dark to light with just a simple sentence. “I know Linton Allen.”

  Her eyes went wide, and he could feel the tension cascade down her shoulders to her hands, so he moved closer.

  “I was best friends with his brother growing up. We went to the same school, lived a few doors away from each other, and our mothers were friends. When Devon was eleven his mum died, and his dad moved in, allegedly to take care of him, but I think it was so he could claim the council flat. Devon started hanging out later and later at night with the older kids.”

  He gave a dry laugh. “My Ma was strict, which I hated at the time, but she saved my life. Devon got involved with the Onyx Cobras, and we drifted apart. Then when he was around fifteen, he began to reach out to me more. We mainly played computer games and talked about girls, but it felt good to have him back. Then he got shot by a rival gang and died. His younger brother Linton was a good kid. Great grades, smart as hell, and Devon kept him away from the gangs.”

  Autumn was leaning into him, her hand on his forearm, gripping it tightly. “What happened?”

  Mitch sighed. “After the funeral, my mum got us out of there. She didn’t want me anywhere near the gang, so she took a job forty miles away on some big estate as a housekeeper. I finished up at a local school, and she cut all my ties with my old friends.”

  “That must have been hard.”

  “It was, but she saved my life. I have zero doubt I’d have ended up dead had I stayed. Instead, Mum met a great guy, and I joined the force.”

  “I’m guessing there’s more to this story than that.”

  Her chuckle made his dick hard, the warm sound wrapping around him like a silk glove. “There is, but my point is, I saved myself and left Linton to fend for himself. If I’d stayed or taken more notice of what it meant when Devon reached out, I might’ve seen he needed me and been able to help.”

  “Mitch, don’t be silly. Of course you couldn’t, you were a child. No kid should take on a weight like that. Devon is a tragedy i
n our society, and so is Linton to a degree, but both could’ve made different choices and didn’t.”

  “Do you believe that? That it’s a choice for some kids?”

  “Every single thing we do is a choice, what to wear, what to eat. Linton chose to join the gang that got his brother killed.” Autumn shrugged throwing up her hands. “Maybe to avenge his brother, I don’t know but killing people to avenge a life is on him.”

  “Autumn, I’ve killed people. This job is not without its sacrifices.” He needed her to know the man he was before they went any further.

  “And I trust you make them for the greater good, not for money or greed. That is my choice, right or wrong. Although I have a feeling it’s closer to the wild imaginings I had about a secret black ops group than I thought.”

  “We work for the British Government and the Palace, and that’s as much as I can say. The rest is classified.”

  “See super-secret spy shit. So, I guess you guys really are best placed to help me figure this out if Jack is willing.”

  “If he weren’t, you wouldn’t still be here.”

  Autumn’s eyes bulged. “He’d kill me?”

  Mitch threw back his head and laughed. “Of course not, I meant he’d have made you leave.”

  “Oh, thank god.”

  He bent his head closer, his lips touching hers as her breath hitched. “I’m so glad you chose to rent my apartment.”

  “Me too.”

  He kissed her hard and deep, their tongues tangling, breath melding as desire poured through his veins, the little sounds of pleasure she made in her throat driving him crazy with need.

  He pulled back to look at her glassy eyes heavy with desire. “I want you.”

  “I want you too. Will you stay with me tonight?”

  “Was going to anyway, babe, but if you mean in your bed then fuck yes. That’s an invitation I’m happy to accept.”